A familiar story...

[Salopian 1]

Where is our main problem, ignoring the CB problem which should not last too long? It''s not a bad problem, considering our position!

 

Finally I think that it is not in the defence. Admittedly, we have had only two clean sheets, and both at home, but these have been recently. The defence has improved, even with the fairly long absence of Tierney. If Ryan Bennett is as good as people say, then the defence should be stronnger, even if Naughton is not with us after May.

 

No, the problem is either  midfield or attack, and I scillate between the two in considering where we need improvement. For a long time, with the 18 goals between Holt and Morison, plus good scoring by Pilks and Surman, - ten between them, I felt that the midfield was the problem. I shared with others the view that we lacked a strong, dominant midfielder, good in tackle and creative as well. (Johnson and Crofts seem to have lacked this, although perhaps Korey will return and do the job.)

 

After yesterday, I swung back to thinking that we lack a consistently good striker. By all accounts we were profligate, - so many good chances were squandered by our main strikers. It might be slightly unfair to say that all three, H/M/J, have made as much contribution in creating chances as in scoring! Most people felt that we should have scored four goals, at least. Even the two we did score were from rebounds! When we were in Division One and the Championship we created more chances on goal than all other teams, but our conversion rate was poor. We added Morison and Jackson, but little has changed.

 

Bolton were pratically toothless, but we shall not meet many other teams so weak up front. Most Premiership teams have the skill and strength to score goals against any opposition, as we have. We have to accept that even with an improved defence we shall always concede goals. If we are to finish higher and become an established Premiership side, we shall have to convert more chances.

 

I suspect that our destiny after May will not depend on goal difference, but ours is not good at the moment. We have to get into positive territory, like most sides immediately below us, and the best way is to convert chances.

[lake district canary 0]

We won the match didn''t we. Isn''t that the aim of the exercise?  You can''t convert all your chances. Even players like Van Persie miss sometimes.

 

Don''t think we really have a problem area in the team.   We just need to let the team develop, get more confidence. Jackson will convert more chances as he has more games - after all he hasn''t featured that much this season yet he has still scored goals.  Holt will always score.  Morrison will score if you give him service.  Vaughn is still to come in.  

 

The only problem will be if we get impatient.  We just need to trust the manager, watch the team grow and improve and who knows where we will go.  

 

 

 

[Gingerpele 0]

I don''t think we have a ''problem''

Early February, and we have two 9 goal strikers, Jackson has 2 or 3 as well. Last time we had 3 or 4 players finish on 7 goals.

I think anything more, and we would basically be a team competing for 6th place. Its something to consider in the future, but at the moment I don''t think we can say anything is a big problem (or even a little problem), were scoring goals, our goal difference, is only beaten by 3 teams below us, and that if anything is more down to our ability to concede pointless goals such as against Newcastle, Swansea, Sunderland at home, Bolton away and WBA away (and home actually). Obviously i''m not expecting the team to keep clean sheets in all those games, but they were games we were in charge of, in the lead, or getting pulled back and re-taking the lead. I think what we need to do more often, is what we did yesterday, get a 2 goal lead and keep it a 2 goal lead.

We create chances, and were scoring enough of them to reach our objective very very comfortably this season, I understand where your coming from, and it is something perhaps Lambert is looking to address, but I think its maybe a little unrealistic at this moment in time...

[Ernie 0]

I understand where your coming from and it can be a bit frustrating as we could/should have easily scored 4 goals (Surmans and Holts chances stick out) however I would also say that in a number of games this season we have been very clinical in front of goal and converted the only clear cut chances we have had.  All teams miss chances even the big boys. I''m personally really looking forward to seeing Vaughan back as he has the potential to be an excellent striker if he can stay injury free.

[sonyc 5,481]

Don''t agree Salopian. We have scored equal 6th highest number of goals this year, think with Newcastle and Blackburn. Our GD is also not bad compared to 10 others.

What we need is simply to keep improving year on year the ,whole squad, whilst keeping team spirit of the team, whilst keeping P Lambert. That''s the challenge!

[Gingerpele 0]

The Holt chance you mention being the one when he was offside and shifted it across to Pilkington (who was also offside, but that one was given)? Or was there another one I missed?

[Canary_on_the Trent 0]

There is always room for improvement. I think the main area is midfield, yesterday we absolutely dominated & the quartet were superb but most sides aren''t going to sit off & allow us the space Bolton did.

A player much in the Lambert mold of midfielders would be the biggest improvement I can see.

Howson is a good signing but generally plays in an advanced area of the pitch, a more mobile & stronger version of David Fox would be ideal.

[lake district canary 0]

[quote user="Canary_on_the Trent"]There is always room for improvement. I think the main area is midfield, yesterday we absolutely dominated & the quartet were superb but most sides aren''t going to sit off & allow us the space Bolton did. A player much in the Lambert mold of midfielders would be the biggest improvement I can see. Howson is a good signing but generally plays in an advanced area of the pitch, a more mobile & stronger version of David Fox would be ideal.[/quote]

 

I wonder, given the PL approach and the type of player he likes to have in his team, could Fox develop into a stronger and more mobile version of himself?    The players develop and learn under PL - couldn''t Fox be that person?     I''m not saying he will - just asking the question,

 

 

 

[Ernie 0]

[quote user="Gingerpele"]The Holt chance you mention being the one when he was offside and shifted it across to Pilkington (who was also offside, but that one was given)? Or was there another one I missed?[/quote]

No the one sliding in on the back post he put over the bar from a few yards out, but no ones perfect even Holt!

[grantroederdisaster 0]

Without a doubt we''ll be strentghening once surivival is guaranteed which is very probable now!

 

I think many of the existing squad can get better and with 3-4 new additions plus Korey Smith who I feel could be the answer to our lack of a mobile tackler we''ll be stronger next season!

[Downloads 35]

Hahaha.

 

Good j/k post OP!

 

It is a joke isn''t it?

 

If we are to finish higher??  Are you serious?

 

18 goals between Holt and Morrison... You said it. Wasn''t it Everton who last season finished just below the big boys and top scorer had about 10 by the end of the season?

 

", but we shall not meet many other teams so weak up front"  >>  We have met those teams and have taken many points off them thanks.

 

I have no idea who some fans think we are, but obviously a reality check is needed!

[Gingerpele 0]

Oh yeah that one, was amazed that he missed that, same with Surman in the first half. But still we won 2-0 and thats the most important thing.

[Canary_on_the Trent 0]

He has clearly developed his game when out of possession already under Lambert but there is only so far you can go with your natural physical attributes.

[Ernie 0]

[quote user="Gingerpele"]Oh yeah that one, was amazed that he missed that, same with Surman in the first half. But still we won 2-0 and thats the most important thing.[/quote]

But that was the thing from the Bolton game, they were 2 bad misses, which happens, yet I was always confident even with losing our 2 CB''s that we would win the game comfortably and we did!

[Clint 221]

Take a look at the following:Holt & Morison - 9 goals eachPilkington - 6 goalsJackson & Surman - 4 goals eachAll of the above have enough ability to get plenty more goals between now and the end of the season.  To me this looks pretty impressive and I think you will struggle to find another team outside of the top mini league with anywhere near this amount of players racking up a decent amount of goals.  Bear in mind also that only Morison has been an almost constant fixture in the starting 11.We also have had possibly our most clinical finisher out all season injured who will hopefully come back and get a few goals between now and the end of the season.  I expected Wes to have a couple more goals by now and maybe Bennett to have a at least 1 but overall I think our goal scoring by these players far exceeded most people expectations.

    

[Reggie Strayshun 0]

Basically, we haven''t got the huge squads of Citeh, ManUre , Liverpool et al. We haven''t got two or three players who can slot in at every position seamlessly. I wasn''t at the game, but it seems the hastily rearranged back four did a sterling job and kept a clean sheet. OK , Bolton are not the most fearsome attack in the world, but a clean sheet was what every one was harping on about up till 3 weeks ago.

 

So, what''s it to be....clean sheets, or banging in goals for fun, but conceding a few too ? Because we can''t do both with our squad. Personally, I''ll take a few more one or two-nillers , till safety is assured, then maybe look at  playing some more expansive stuff and scoring more.

 

[Salopian 1]

I was not suggesting that our strikers are poor, or are inadequate - Holt has recently been chased by Rangers and Jackson and Morison are both internationals. It was not a straight criticism, and I admitted that I waver between looking at attack or midfield as the area of concern and room for improvement first.

 

What I was trying to analyse is where we could improve, given that we still have a negative goal difference, comparing unfavourably with teams around us. (In the present table, and apart from Stoke, you would have to go down to sixth from bottom to find a worse one.)

 

It remains true, that over the two previous seasons we were nearly always top of chances created, in the statistics published weekly in the Telegraph, and by dividing by goals actually ascored we were by no means top. We are not the worst at squandering chances. Bolton had a few chances yesterday and managed few goal attempts with menace, and the same has been true several times this season against teams we have met and beaten. In some cases we gained a point or points despite the fact that opponents had more possession and chances, and we have gained from expertly taking a chance.

 

My point remains, in considering whether the midfield are providing enough amunition, or strikers are missing the target, I think that currently it is the latter.