Cameron Jerome and the struggle for goals

[Holtcantshoot 0]

This may coincidence and I''ll accept if I''m shot down quite openly for this theory. However, I have noticed that our struggle to start games well and our latter struggle for goals seem to have coincided with Cameron Jerome''s increasingly prominent role within the first team.Interestingly the last time we scored a first half goal was when Grabban was playing as a lone striker in a 4-5-1 against Bournemouth. Since then Jerome has been a constant partner and now the man leading the line and our goalscorer has lost the limelight and been shunted to the wing. This has also coincided with a loss of form for Hoolahan and I think this is partly due to poorer movement from Jerome. He seems to wish to get in the areas Grabban wants to be in but he seems that bit slower, less willing to have a shot and his movement isn''t quite as clever either. This results in a lot of slower attacking play and crosses into a packed penalty box. I don''t believe if we had Grabban as our striker instead of Jerome at Fulham we''d have had only 1 shot on target in the first half.As I say this might be way off the mark but personally I would be starting with Grabban up front in a 4-5-1 on Tuesday to see if we can rekindle his earlier form and we can start getting a more fluent attacking play going. This would also allow Redmond and (hopefully) Murphy to rotate in and out of the centre as well causing the opposition more problems.

[Bill 1,788]

replace Jerome with Laffertydrop the ''ping'' footballstop lobbing hopeful balls into the box where they are simply collected by the keeperlikewise trying to hoof the ball over the opposing defenders headsyesterday had shades of the dark days of Hughton with players seemigly stuck between their instincts and their instructionsthey need to use that supposed freedom in the opposing half that Adams previously said he had given themand maybe ask why virtually ever City corner was met with a Fulham head

[Baldyboy 0]

Would that be the same Jerome that has actually overtaken Grabban in goalscoring to become our top scorer? The problem is that too many of last seasons players are nailed on starters such as Johnson, Martin and Tettey!! We have a squad that on paper is great but until we get the chance to see the likes of VOO or O''Neil and Murphy starting in a different formation nothing will change!!!

[GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary 1,735]

i''m surprised that sombody has come to the conclusion that Jerome is part of the problem rather than the solution??

the real problem, as i see it,is that if we wanted to play all of 2 strikers,Hoolahan and Redmond in the same team....then at least one player in our side will be playing out of position.

as sad as it is for Hoolahan, the way he hobbled off yesterday suggests he maybe out for a while....this may just help Adams to avoid accomoding square pegs in round holes and may do us a favour?

[0ridgemanddMMyyyy0Falseen-USTrue 0]

[quote user="City1st"]replace Jerome with Laffertydrop the ''ping'' footballstop lobbing hopeful balls into the box where they are simply collected by the keeperlikewise trying to hoof the ball over the opposing defenders headsyesterday had shades of the dark days of Hughton with players seemigly stuck between their instincts and their instructionsthey need to use that supposed freedom in the opposing half that Adams previously said he had given themand maybe ask why virtually ever City corner was met with a Fulham head

[/quote]

I would also play Lafferty upfront as he has a better first touch than the other forwards, has the height and a strong shot.

[nutty nigel 7,509]

Wasn''t Lafferty injured?

 

 

[Faded Jaded Semi Plastic SOB 1,020]

I partially agree with the OP, for me it is wrong to play Grabban as a winger and I am not sure Grabban/Jerome works as a partnership. Neil Adams seems hell bent on playing people out of position, we need to revert back to players in their strongest position and maybe our early season winning form will return.....

[nutty nigel 7,509]

Weird team selection I thought yesterday. Maybe would have been different if Lafferty was fit.