Statistics don't lie....your thoughts?!

[NCFC for life 1993- 0]

Forwards Johan Elmander, Gary Hooper and Ricky van Wolfswinkel have managed a total of only six shots on target so far.

BBC match preview for game against man city.

Wow. This is woeful. Would another manager get more out of our strikers? Thoughts?

[Indy 3,471]

Arghhhhhhh, they do lie, it''s about performance not just shots on target, chances created too...........we had 31 shots against Cardiff but that too counts for nothing as we didn''t score.......I hate stats, I want points...

[Tetteys Jig 851]

Who had the 31 shots versus Cardiff then?

That is an utterly discgraceful stat if true.

[AJ 1,359]

We had 31 shots at goal, not on target though!

BBC reckons we had ten on target, and most of those probably came from our midfielders or set pieces

[It's Character Forming 1,204]

It was obvious early in the season that we needed to get RVW into the game more, he''s had few chances to shoot although he''s done better with his head.

 

Hooper got very little joy against Arsenal.  Elmander has disappointed when he''s played. 

 

So this stat tells us, we need to get our strikers into the game more.

[Tetteys Jig 851]

We knew this from the first game, what on earth could it be that has taken over 2 months and still not rectified?

Do our strikers lack the physical attributes to get into the right areas?

Do the Supply line lack the technical attributes to find them?

Is our setup being far too easily defended by opponents?

I''m not at all convinced that Hooper or RVW can play as the lone striker. A comparitive player we''ve had before was Earnshaw.

He was massively out of the game for ages, but he had a big man next to him most of the time and them moments the knock on went to plan, he was there behind the defence and put more than enough goals away to make up for his lack of involvement.

RVW and Hooper seem like this sort of player but without some physicality up there with them, they are going to starve.

For that reason, Elmander in my book is the poorest buy of summer. I strongly believe if Toivonen hadn''t been such a baby and signed, things would be a lot different.

[Reggie Strayshun 0]

It''s got well beyond the stage now where the only stats I''m interested in are the Goals For/Against column, and , more pertinently, the "Points " one.

[The Great Mass Debater 1,202]

Lies, damn lies and statistics...

[GJP 79]

Spent a lot of money and look no more of a threat than we did with Holt upfront. Probably less of a threat. Look at the Cardiff game and you think that''s probably a game we''d have won with Holt up top.

 

But generally RVW and Hooper haven''t had the service. You need to get the ball to them in the penalty box where they can be dangerous. And you need to get support to them so a Premier League defence hasn''t just got 1 man to worry about marking.

 

Although Pilks and Snodgrass operate quite high up the pitch there is still a lack of presence in the box. The manager''s (overly) cautious approach means he''s reluctant to get players forward.

 

You''ve only got to watch him during a game. Often when there is a chance to counter attack he is not urging players forward as other managers might do. If anything he''ll have his hands in his pockets and will be looking back to see how we are for defensive numbers.