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Salopian

Goalscorers

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We are scoring as many league goals as most teams above and just below us in the table - only QPR/Cardiff and Millwall have scored significantly more.

What may become of concern is that our top scorers at the moment are Crofts and OG. In fact our three strikers between them, three and a half if you count Hooly, have scored only three goals out of the 8 we have notched.

In some ways it is good that goals are coming from elsewhere, - a quarter from Own Goals scored by oponents, but if this continues it will become a concern.

Jackson has had much less time on the pitch, and Martin has hit the woodwork so many times, so they will probably come good.

So long as Hooly weaves his magic, we can forgive him not scoring.

The nagging worry is about Holty. He has created goals, and demonstrated that he has vision, but one goal in five matches is a low return for such a prolific striker.

I have no overall concern. We are pretty tight at the back now, since Watford, and ignoring the blemish against Barnsley, but in five games we have not scored more than two in a game. When we meet QPR or Cardiff we shall have a real test.

In the meantime, the question has to be asked why Holty is struggling to score. Is he entirely fit, are defences in the Champsionship able to resist his type of muscular play, or is it merely a matter of time?

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I just don''t think Holt has been getting many good deliveries in the air..when he did against Scunthorpe he scored a great header, and I think he will rely on the midfield to create chances for him this season

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Good point. However I also feel that getting goals from other areas in the pitch is great - it takes immense pressure off the forward players. Last year our three most advanced players scored 60+ goals; had there been injuries or multiple suspensions I doubt that would have had that return from the rest of the team. Holt, I think looks to be struggling fitness wise. Chris Martin''s goal showed on Saturday that he will score goals at any level, he''s a natural finisher.

Shock horror! Maybe Wiz was right, maybe Holt will be ''out'' til October!

 

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I don''t think he is doing a lot wrong, goals will come - just not at the rate he was firing them in last year!

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If you read Saints report (plug plug) he makes the point that Holt is NOT chasing like he did last season and seems to be trying for free kicks etc.

He just looks more "out of shape" than he did (sorry Kathy) Carrying excess for some reason.

Maybe this injury is hampering his training.

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On the other hand you could take the view that we are getting the goals and our strike force will eventually fire properly/get used to the new league and we will start to score more.

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To be honest. I think Holt will struggle at this level and thought this when he first signed. After all e is nor the quickest or the most technically gifted player around. Sure he has tenacity and strength but I do wonder how far being a brute will get you. And centre backs at this level are quicker and sharper. Dont get me wrong, I think holty will get goals but he wont get them by the bucketload and double figures isnt necessarily a given for him this season. At his age, its his best chance of making it so he is going to give it his all.I think for the other 3 players however its a case of gaining experience and learning the ropes of each league. Certainly seems to be the case for Chrissy Martin who is adapting his game to the opponent and was last season. For simeon jackson, I think he is a team player, relying very much on other players bringing him in, he isnt a maverick player like Martin.Oli is Raw and needs esperience at most levels in order to improve.I hope im wrong on some of these points but I don''t think so obviously.

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I''d rather have more of the team scoring, then relying on the front 2. Holt has 1 goal. Chris Martin has 1 goal. Let''s give it a while.

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A) he isn''t fully fit as he missed pre season

b)anana!

C) I personally don''t think he was going to be as good as he was last year and he will have more assists for the rest of the team rather than Scoring himself!

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When we meet Cardiff or QPR we will most likely no win as we are not as good, however if we have some of the luck that we had in the last game and the performance that we had against 3rd place Forrest then we SHOULD do fairly well no matter where the goals come from

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I agree, I don''t think Holt is fully fit yet, he''ll get there, if he and Chris can get 15 goals each we''ll do fine. The only dissappointing miss from Holt for me was the chance at Forest, he just needs ti regain some fitness and he''ll knock some in starting tonight where I fancy him for goal.

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It''s too early to really judge.The Watford game showed we had a bit of catching up/adapting to do. ''Others'' scoring has shown how much the whole 10 outfield players are up for winning.  How many times before have we fallen behind and simply faded away. Not our day etcWhereas now it seems to be ''a little scrimmage, followed by ''a splendid rush ............... and we''ve scored a goal.At this stage Lambert appears to be playing the game, whereby he gets the measure of the opponents and then swaps players around, bring on the necessary subs and bang, in come the goals.So don''t panic, give it another five games. Give Jackson a chance to settle in and then see how well we are doing.

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Sorry to come back to my original posting, but the Doncaster result throws the issue into even sharper relief.

Who scored - a full-back! Who provided the pass/cross - a striker! (This has already happened before - Jackson''s great goal was from a cross by Holt.)

So I ask, does Holty''s lack of goals indicate tiredness, lack of pace or inability to get anything out of Championship defenders? Why is he spending so much time wide, certainly creating goals - but that is not his function? We play Hooly just behind to slide passes through, but if Holty is out wide somewhere.....

His late substitution by Johnson, and the somewhat vague explanation by PL suggests that all is still not quite right.

We could think of resting him for a game or two, but who would we put in his place? Any striker we gain on loan is unlikely to be much use - those any good and let out on loan have largely gone already. We don''t have any other big men - Nels and Zak are injured, Askou too slow, and Rustyand Doc have gone.

We all want Holty to find his scoring boots quickly, partly because he is such a good influence on the side generally by his commitment, but our strike force is becoming toothless.

I hope that PL and his gang are already contemplating loans or transfers in the window, if Holty cannot find his way to scoring.

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I don''t think we''ve got a massive problem at the moment but I do think the front 2 of Martin and Holt will both need to improve and do better than they have done in the first few games.

Holt is struggling a bit and Martin has only played well in patches.

I wouldn''t write either off them off but they could both do with sharpening themselves up.

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[quote user="Salopian"]Sorry to come back to my original posting, but the Doncaster result throws the issue into even sharper relief. Who scored - a full-back! Who provided the pass/cross - a striker! (This has already happened before - Jackson''s great goal was from a cross by Holt.) So I ask, does Holty''s lack of goals indicate tiredness, lack of pace or inability to get anything out of Championship defenders? Why is he spending so much time wide, certainly creating goals - but that is not his function? We play Hooly just behind to slide passes through, but if Holty is out wide somewhere..... His late substitution by Johnson, and the somewhat vague explanation by PL suggests that all is still not quite right. We could think of resting him for a game or two, but who would we put in his place? Any striker we gain on loan is unlikely to be much use - those any good and let out on loan have largely gone already. We don''t have any other big men - Nels and Zak are injured, Askou too slow, and Rustyand Doc have gone. We all want Holty to find his scoring boots quickly, partly because he is such a good influence on the side generally by his commitment, but our strike force is becoming toothless. I hope that PL and his gang are already contemplating loans or transfers in the window, if Holty cannot find his way to scoring.[/quote]

What was his explanation? I didn''t get to hear Lambert''s interview after the match.

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[quote user="Salopian"]Sorry to come back to my original posting, but the Doncaster result throws the issue into even sharper relief.

Who scored - a full-back! Who provided the pass/cross - a striker! (This has already happened before - Jackson''s great goal was from a cross by Holt.)

So I ask, does Holty''s lack of goals indicate tiredness, lack of pace or inability to get anything out of Championship defenders? Why is he spending so much time wide, certainly creating goals - but that is not his function? We play Hooly just behind to slide passes through, but if Holty is out wide somewhere.....

His late substitution by Johnson, and the somewhat vague explanation by PL suggests that all is still not quite right.

We could think of resting him for a game or two, but who would we put in his place? Any striker we gain on loan is unlikely to be much use - those any good and let out on loan have largely gone already. We don''t have any other big men - Nels and Zak are injured, Askou too slow, and Rustyand Doc have gone.

We all want Holty to find his scoring boots quickly, partly because he is such a good influence on the side generally by his commitment, but our strike force is becoming toothless.

I hope that PL and his gang are already contemplating loans or transfers in the window, if Holty cannot find his way to scoring.[/quote]If people are expecting 30 goals from the big man this season think again!?!?! Listern League One and the Championship are two different entities. Grant Holt will score goals in this league no question just not as prelific as he did last, defenders make less mistakes, goal keeper standard is better etc etc!!Not only that it a league were you need your attacking midfielders to contribute more to take pressure off the front men i.e. Hooly, Croft, Surman etcWhy are people looking for new options we have a good squad who are doing great considering a large percentage have never been tested at this level.....I could understand if we were 5th from bottom at Christmas!?!?

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[quote user="The Butler"]

If you read Saints report (plug plug) he makes the point that Holt is NOT chasing like he did last season and seems to be trying for free kicks etc.

He just looks more "out of shape" than he did (sorry Kathy) Carrying excess for some reason.

Maybe this injury is hampering his training.

[/quote]

I''m working on it.

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Holty has certainly lost the mojo at the moment.  I think to pick an earlier point he drifts out wide because nothing is going for him in the middle.  He seemed quite frustrated that he was not receiving crosses, but several of us agreed last night that last season he was looking to meet crosses whilst this season he seems to be waiting for them.  Now the court case is over and the fact he was subbed last night might give him the kick he needs to re-find his mojo.  When he was playing in the middle last night his first touch was disappointing, and he doesn''t have the pace to get past Championship defenders, so perhaps our tactics of hitting him early are not working.  He certainly seemed to be finding his ball skills easier when he was out wide, but being there he rarely threatened aside from the cross to Martin R.  On present form he doesn''t really deserve to be in the starting linr up, although I would have him on the bench to mix things up later.  However on last night''s showing I''d rather start with Oli than Jackson, the latter was anonymous but at least Oli went looking for the ball.

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