Samwam27 601 Posted February 28, 2018 Into final stretch of the season, and with thoughts of next season, what do you think needs to change to score more goals?Do we stick with NO, although lone striker doesn''t seem to suit him, or his strengths?Any other potential strikers we should look at?With Madds most likely off, do we need more attacking midfielders (Maclean will be here) and do we stick or twist with Murphy, who again seems to struggle with a quality delivery? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Samwam27 601 Posted February 28, 2018 Aargh, missed a sentence out there! In NO''s defense I wanted to add or do we need to change the supply (e.g. Murphy) or the formation? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Branston Pickle 4,130 Posted February 28, 2018 On Saturday it was as simple as taking one/more of the ample number of chances we created - there certainly wasn''t a shortage. IMO Murphy has been a bit of a disappointment this season, his form just seems to have dipped and a spell on the bench would go him some good - that would probably help the others. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SwindonCanary 457 Posted February 28, 2018 We should attack quicker, it''s very hard to break down ''two banks of 4'' when they are set and waiting for the attack to come. It''s always better to have defenders going back a facing their own goal. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dean Coneys boots 1,531 Posted February 28, 2018 What we need is serious competition up front- which we have not really had of late. Thus far this season Srbeny is yet to show he can be that competition hopefully he can. Oliviera is not suited to style and struggling for form. Camjam was past his best and, whilst he is brilliant at all round play and commitment, never was a clinical finisher Watkins- has struggled to get going with us and looks a poor signing for us. The problem going into the summer is that we need to re-inforce the most expensive part of the team at a time we must further cut our cloth THe need for fresh investment at board level continues to be pressing and urgent. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
unique 466 Posted February 28, 2018 With Maddison directly involved in almost half the paltry 34 championship goals this season, his almost inevitable departure in the summer does not bode well. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pritch 3 Posted February 28, 2018 Play Marcus Edwards. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hogesar 10,699 Posted February 28, 2018 Find a 20 goal a season striker. Which isnt easy. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Matt Juler 208 Posted February 28, 2018 I don''t think it''s as simple as that Hogesar. You could put Harry Kane in our current team and he''d struggle to score 20. We''re too pedestrian for long periods in games, going side to side. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alan 0 Posted February 28, 2018 They need to keep one or two players up at corners or free kicks to allow a quick break. It will not lead to conceding more because the opposition will have to leave someone to mark them. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
komakino 282 Posted February 28, 2018 It''s the system, which borderlines on negating a striker completely. Darren Eadie recently alluded to the point where any of our previous successful strikers would have a problem scoring many goals in our team. That won''t change under this manager, which is why there is more pressure than usual to take our chances as there won''t be many of them. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Samwam27 601 Posted February 28, 2018 I''m not a fan of our current system. Always been a fan of two strikers who work off each other, and feed off of a good wide supply.We never play two strikers and play with little natural width these days, relying on wing backs of have to perform the attacking and defensive role. Murphy continues to underperform & NO doesn''t get the support, not that I think this formation suits him.We play with 3 defenders, two wing backs, and at least one defensive MID, so can''t help but feel we always have too many defensive players on the field these days (which suggests your defense isn''t good enough on its own) and that stagnates any natural attacking play.We either need players who suit this system, or change the system Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yellowbeagle 0 Posted February 28, 2018 I dont think it''s a million miles away we just need to be prepared to forego some of the possession football on occasion. We could do with being prepared to get the ball forwards quicker even if it''s just to break up the play and keep from being to predictable, a few passes into the space behind the full backs would help. I also think we''ll seriously struggle in the current way of playing to find a striker who scores anywhere near 20 goals a season, when you consider Maddison takes all the free kicks and often some of the pens. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Big Vince 419 Posted February 28, 2018 It is all very simple stuff.You play much higher tempo. You get more balls into the box much quicker. You tell Oliveira to get in the box and tell the others to pass it to him so he can kick it in the goal.Can someone tell me how/why a box in the fox went out of fashion and how you are supposed to score goals without a box in the fox??How many times have we seen balls flash across the goal just begging for the final touch from the elusive box in the fox?? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Highland Canary 78 Posted February 28, 2018 Get better quality players in such as Prichard. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
peter-plastic 0 Posted February 28, 2018 Basically, I feel we just need to improve the execution the system that we have been playing. It needs the creative players like Leitner, Madison (when he comes deeper), etc to draw the opposition''s defensive midfielders out of position and exploit the space. We seem to be getting better at it, playing better passes and creating options and space for the likes of Reed. I''ve been quite impressed by some of his runs, while playing at right back. He gets into the middle, not just the flanks. There seems greater options in recent weeks. I think the January signings of Leitner and Hernandez could prove inspired in the final couple of months. We''re still slow and safe at times. Not always sure that Klose is such a great option joining the midfield. OK, he is very useful in the box, and for the odd cross from the left but think he''s not quick thinking enough in his passing and decision making to add much when we are trying to break teams down. Certainly at times in matches, we are playing fairly safe passes that have been easy to defend. However, there are some promising signs. Consequently, NO has been more prominent recently. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aggy 944 Posted March 1, 2018 Tricky one. Sometimes we hardly create more than one or two decent chances a game, so it doesn''t matter who you have up top, you''re going to struggle to score.But then at the weekend we should have scored at least a couple but were poor in front of goal. NO isn''t up to it, not prolific enough. If we can start creating more chances, then an out and out poacher would do. If not, we need someone a la Holt who is going to run hard and create something out of nothing to give us a bit extra in the final third. We''re pretty good up to that point normally. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Clint 221 Posted March 3, 2018 It''s exactly the same problem as Arsenal are currently facing. Historically they have been able to play this way as the had the quality of player to be able to do so, always with a couple of players or so who were able to create something out of nothing. Now they do not. So despite spending well over £100m on strikers, neither so far has been labelled a success, albeit its early days for Auba. I fully expect him to struggle to score, just as Lacazette has, whilst Wenger remains in charge.Watching them at home vs Man City on Thurs, it was just like being at Carrow Road. They had a lot of possession but regularly went sideways and backwards and so did very little with it. They we''re very guilty of over playing in the final third to the extent that they even over complicated their corners, despite having the players to be able to just stick it in the box. They even missed a penalty. Despite all of this, they lost 3-0 as whenever an Arsenal pass went astray, Man City attached at pace with real conviction. We are definitely the Arsenal of the championship and they have spent serious money on the focal point of their attack. But are not achieving success as they no longer have the quality of player supporting the striker for the type of football that they are trying to play. Its not all about spending big money on a forward. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
westcoastcanary 173 Posted March 3, 2018 @ClintIn Ozil and Mhkitaryan Arsenal currently have two of the top 10 creative players in the EPL as measured by assists, though Mhkitaryan only joined in January. A truer likeness between us and Arsenal would be the structural weaknesses in defence evident at Arsenal since 2005 and, in our case, most recently under AN. Both amply demonstrate the fallacy still trotted out by some on here that "attack is the best form of defence". Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ron obvious 1,709 Posted March 3, 2018 I tend to think of Norwich as the Arsenal of the Championship. I wonder what I''d think if we got promoted? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
westcoastcanary 173 Posted March 3, 2018 Re. scoring more goals, the principal current shortcoming in our play at the moment IMO is insufficient concertedness in attack. The speed and incisiveness of Man City''s attacks relies, not just on one or two pacy, skilful players, but getting forward in numbers as a unit. We haven''t yet developed the necessary cohesiveness of thought, though there are positive signs in that respect (e.g. the runs Reed has started to make co-ordinated with the left side overloading). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Clint 221 Posted March 3, 2018 Westcoast, for Ozil see Maddison! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
westcoastcanary 173 Posted March 3, 2018 [quote user="Clint"]Westcoast, for Ozil see Maddison![/quote]So? My point was that there is really no shortage of creative talent in the Arsenal attack even allowing for the loss of Sanchez (did you see them demolish Everton at the start of February for example). They are currently in disarray but that''s a different point. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hogesar 10,699 Posted March 3, 2018 I think if Kane was playing up front for us he would likely have 3 or 4 goals in the last 3 games but I get the point youre making. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rogue Baboon 0 Posted March 3, 2018 Move the ball quicker, play with width. The things we were going in the first half v Bolton. Yes we didn’t take chances, but at least we created them.Don’t do what we did in the second half v Bolton or fist half v Ipswich - play narrow, slow, in front of the defensive lines. We create next to nothing then Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Clint 221 Posted March 3, 2018 Westcoast, the point I''m making is that spending a vast sum of money on centre forwards isn''t necessarily going to solve our goal scoring problem, as outlined in my original post.Lacazette and Auba have only 10 league goals between them this season and that''s over £100m of centre forward. Arguably we have a great deal of creative talent at this level but yet our centre forward has only 8 goals.In both instances, I believe this is down to both teams playing slow possession based football and over playing/complicating things in the final third. Arsenal have previously had the players to do this and be successful but now they don''t and are faltering because of it. The Everton match was a rare occurance this season for Arsenal and it''s worth nothing that Ramsay scored a hat trick.All bar one of Miki''s assists will have been with Utd, I believe. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Great Mass Debater 1,202 Posted March 4, 2018 I think we have to view the current team as one which is halfway through the transition.Frankly I think it comes down to key signings. The defence seems organised and settled, yet up front, we dont have the right players to make the system work. If Farke wants to play this formation, he needs players suited to it for it to ever work. Murphy and Oliveira dont suit it. Ship them out, and bring in the players he thinks can make it work. By this he will succeed or fail Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
king canary 8,734 Posted March 4, 2018 I agree we''re clearly in transition.However I don''t share the certainty that some have that it will inevitably click. With Maddison likely gone in the summer there is a big hole to fill. I wonder if weight see someore diversity in attack with necessity being the mother of invention. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites