Bad strikers or poor service? Or both?

[Sharpe's Fox]

Ulloa did enough to win the game on Saturday. He got in space between the two centre halves, received the ball from Matty James and layed it off perfectly back to him. That's what he was brought in to do. Not his fault Matty didn't stick it away.

For balance of course he hasn't done that in our 5 previous games.

[Donut]

This is why in the philosophy thread i touched on why im a big fan of utilising a deep striker, a number 10 call it what you will.

 

This is the top level. You need more intelligent movement than get in the box and get someone to toss it into you. Being subtle, clever, someone who can drag defenders away and make space for others, threaded balls through, someone arriving late in the box. We arent scoring goals because we have a predictable, one dimensional outlook to our play.

[Donut]

Problem is he's usually had to come deep to collect the ball, control it and release it for the cross so half the time he won't be able to. Add to that the quantity and quality of our crosses over the last five games hasn't been too good. Mahrez generally doesn't generally seem to be a winger either rather more a direct player who will run and cut inside rather than try and hit the line for a cross.

 

As someone posted earlier, Schulpp put one cross in on Saturday, for a winger with a full back behind him given a free role to attack an ageing right back that's unbelievable.

 

Why is this viewed as a bad thing?

[LAprice_]

The best cross I remember from Saturday was took by none other than Leonardo Ulloa. No wonder he's not getting on the end of them. 

[Donut]

Genuine question: Are people becoming overly obsessed with the idea we dont cross enough?

 

Because i dont see how it plays to the strengths of the majority of our team.

[Guest MattP]

Why is this viewed as a bad thing?

 

I don't think it is personally.

 

For Ulloa it is though if he wants to get on the end of crosses.

[kristianity77]

Its definitely both.  We don't have many chances in games.  I think in two of the games we have drawn a blank we haven't even had a shot have we? That would point to poor service.  However, we had a few chances V West Brom and a few V Sunderland and all the attempts lacked any kind of conviction.   Either way, its a bad way to be in.  Its one thing to be creating chances but missing them, but a whole new ball game to not be creating many and missing the ones we do get.

[Benji]

Better opposition.

 

I know people like to say other teams are "shit", but we're in the premier league and it is that for a reason.

[Donut]

I don't think it is personally.

 

For Ulloa it is though if he wants to get on the end of crosses.

 

I should have posted my followup question in the same post that i sent my reply in really, because i think were thinking along the same wavelength.

 

The majority of us class Mahrez as our most creative player. Keeping him hugged to the touchline would limit his effectiveness as a player, and to create. He wouldnt be able to slide balls into space, he wouldnt be able to dribble through the heart of a team and perhaps win a dangerous free kick, drag defenders out of their team shape, nor cut inside and shoot, which we know he can.

 

So to take what many view as our best player in an attacking sense, and limit his effectiveness by making him stay in areas of the pitch he doesnt want to operate in, and make him do things that arent the strength of his game like crossing the ball straight away weakens the team.

 

On the left hand side, weve been playing Schlupp. Is he a renowned crosser of the ball? He put a decent ball into Ulloa vs Arsenal, but lets not forget as well, at the time Koscielny was injured and didnt attack the ball. Again, why are we limiting the effectiveness of our players to accomodate one player?

 

Were asking for a style of football to accomodate a striker we signed. Players like Ulloa are a dying breed, and at the top level, largely inneffective. Do you think if crosses were raining into the box all day that would work? The two centrebacks would probably double mark Ulloa because there would be a total lack of movement, and theyd spend all day heading it away.

 

That static, lack of movement in the final 3rd of the pitch would make it easy for opposition teams to nullify us even further.

[Guest MattP]

I completely agree, I think Mahrez is so good he should be given a complete free role to allow him to create chances for the team.

 

If you play 4-4-2 with Ulloa I think crossing the ball quite a bit has to be a tactic, it's going to be hard to create chances down the middle of the pitch with such width in what is now a very rare formation at the top table at football.

[Mark]

Ulloa is a main striker/target man but we have no one good enough to play off him, personally don't think he's quick enough to succeed at this level anyway.

We're pairing him with Vardy who also performs best as main striker so,he can't play with a target man in this formation. It just means Ulloa drops off into midfield/wherever and he's completely ineffective.

Nugent is the only one who can play with Vardy and Ulloa in the role off a striker, but he's crap.

We were crying out for an attacking midfielder to take the Nugent role since last season, and are paying for ignoring that position.

[LCFCCKEANO]

I dont see why instead of nuge we use Powell in behind the striker up front, he has only been allowed late cameos, in cm or cam

[orbison]

This is why in the philosophy thread i touched on why im a big fan of utilising a deep striker, a number 10 call it what you will.

 

This is the top level. You need more intelligent movement than get in the box and get someone to toss it into you. Being subtle, clever, someone who can drag defenders away and make space for others, threaded balls through, someone arriving late in the box. We arent scoring goals because we have a predictable, one dimensional outlook to our play.

you have got it correct buddy.

[marbles]

This may be my inexperience with following the sport speaking, but does anyone else feel the corners we take usually end up looking pretty pitiful ?

Ulloa is pretty damn tall. Seems to me like we should be sending that ball into the box everytime with the intent for him to head it in, yet it seems to rarely look that way to me.

[Donut]

This may be my inexperience with following the sport speaking, but does anyone else feel the corners we take usually end up looking pretty pitiful ?

Ulloa is pretty damn tall. Seems to me like we should be sending that ball into the box everytime with the intent for him to head it in, yet it seems to rarely look that way to me.

 

I think the lack of set piece threat is a fair assessment, in my opinion boiling down to following factors:

 

1) Lack of top quality corner delivery from the takers we have available

2) Lack of varied corner routines (working short corners, corners to the edge of the box, corners to near and far post) rather than putting the same type of corner into the box each time

3) Quality Premiership marking and set piece defending

 

If the game was as simple as hes tall, get him to nod it in, we would produce players of basketball proportion heights to do just that.

[benpicko]

This may be my inexperience with following the sport speaking, but does anyone else feel the corners we take usually end up looking pretty pitiful ?

Ulloa is pretty damn tall. Seems to me like we should be sending that ball into the box everytime with the intent for him to head it in, yet it seems to rarely look that way to me.

 

James, I thought, actually put in some good corners on saturday but we did nothing with them again

[maxwelld_]

Bit of both but we are creating some chances and not being clinical ! It's the premie league and we won't dominate teams like we did last year! Just need to make sure we take our chances. James should of scored both of them in my eyes and should fletcher of scored his one on one .

[Trav Le Bleu]

Out of form strikers. There's a difference.

[kingcarr21]

For me its more down to poor service. Ulloa proved at the start of the season you put crosses into the box theres a chance he will put them away. Its no surprise that as soon as we started that diamond 4 CM's that our play looked more direct and Ulloa was easily marked out of games. Now if defenders mark Ulloa out of games this has therefore made Vardy's job a whole lot harder hence his lack of chances in front of goal. Now we look at Saturday. Pearson goes back to his 4-4-2 with wingers and immediately we look a better side attacking. The thing i noticed is although we played with wingers we still didnt really attack down the wing all that often. Mahrez likes to cut inside and arguably Schluup does the same (but less effective). This then makes Ulloa still lacking in chances created for him. Does anyone remember an Ulloa chance on Saturday cause i can't. For me if we play with wingers that tend to cut inside more than attack the by-line then 2 of Nugent,Wood or Vardy should be up top. Ulloa looks like the type of player who thrives on getting between defenders and getting his head on crosses. Thats basic football which now teams have worked out Ulloas style are marking him out of games. I would like to see crosses come along the floor. Cut the ball back for a striker to get a shot in.

 

if the ball is cut back then i would like to see Wood receiving that ball. Ive watched the shooting practice before the games start and Wood consistently smashes that ball in the net with sheer power and accuracy. It would be nice for him to get a bit more than 5 minutes at the end of a game to make an impact.

[Babylon]

How many good chances have the strikers actually missed of late? Most of the ones that were obviously good chances missed have fallen to non stikers like James or Cambiasso.

 

What we haven't got are strikers who can create their own chances in this league, combined with a team not providing clear cut chances = lack of goals.

[Fox Ulike]

It’s very difficult to judge the strikers at the moment as they’re really not getting the chances. Danny Ings got two tap-ins on Saturday. Ulloa and Vardy must be dreaming of that sort of service.

 

Ulloa seems to be playing well though. He set up Matty James with that lovely one-two on Saturday. The problem (in my opinion - before people start mentioning cricket bats) is that the wrong player got our two best chances on Saturday. James scores on average once every 18 games, but we’re putting him in the position to score the goals we need.

 

Bad team selection is the problem if you ask me.

[kingcarr21]

It’s very difficult to judge the strikers at the moment as they’re really not getting the chances. Danny Ings got two tap-ins on Saturday. Ulloa and Vardy must be dreaming of that sort of service.

 

Ulloa seems to be playing well though. He set up Matty James with that lovely one-two on Saturday. The problem (in my opinion - before people start mentioning cricket bats) is that the wrong player got our two best chances on Saturday. James scores on average once every 18 games, but we’re putting him in the position to score the goals we need.

 

Bad team selection is the problem if you ask me.

Personally i think if we play King instead of Wasilewski whilst holding said cricket bat then all problems will be resolved and we will climb the table

[David Guiza]

http://www.101greatgoals.com/blog/chelseas-diego-costa-is-europes-most-clinical-goalscorer-leicester-spurs-men-make-top-10-cut/ I seen a similar article earlier on in the season, but it would appear Leo is still well up there. Whether it's a matter of him not being as confident in front of goal, or a lack of service is still up for debate however. Clearly he was thriving in the opening games from decent deliveries, now Mahrez is back in the side hopefully that will continue. Would love to see Albrighton anything like the level he was at during his purple patch at Villa, his crosses would be perfect for Ulloa - that seems very unlikely at the moment though.

[kingcarr21]

http://www.101greatgoals.com/blog/chelseas-diego-costa-is-europes-most-clinical-goalscorer-leicester-spurs-men-make-top-10-cut/ I seen a similar article earlier on in the season, but it would appear Leo is still well up there. Whether it's a matter of him not being as confident in front of goal, or a lack of service is still up for debate however. Clearly he was thriving in the opening games from decent deliveries, now Mahrez is back in the side hopefully that will continue. Would love to see Albrighton anything like the level he was at during his purple patch at Villa, his crosses would be perfect for Ulloa - that seems very unlikely at the moment though.

Think we will see alot more of Albrighton when the ACON starts. Mahrez and Schluup will be gone so Albrighton and Knockaert will get there chances to break into the team

[Grewks]

You only have to look at all three's finishing before a game during the warm up.

 

 

Ulloa is a level above all of them, then probably wood and followed by vardy.

 

 

Some 'disregard' this, but they are all trying to put it in to the best of their ability, and Nugent's finishing isn't championship standard in my opinion.