Scoring Goals

[Kitchandro]

Do we have an issue with scoring goals?

 

Now, this isn't knee jerk. I've seen 4 or 5 matches at home where we could have been about 6-0 up at one point. Most of these we've won 2-1. I've been saying that this lack of ruthlessness would come back to bite us on the bum and unfortunately, today was one of those occasions.

 

I thought Burnley were there for the taking today. In the first half the midfield played well and we had so much space. But our play around the box wasn't good enough. There is an element of luck about the ball falling for you etc, but mainly it's about the final pass, the cleverness of the run off the ball and the quality of the shot.

 

But in our case, there almost seemed a lack of urgency. We were dominating the midfield but as usual it was almost as if some of our players (and the fans) had packed up fro half time after 30 minutes.

 

It was like we felt so comfortable that we didn't need to be ruthless, and that the win would inevitably come. But you only get what you take for yourself in this game, and we didn't take the opportunities to make our openings count. There was no instinct to kill the game off, and we paid for it.

 

Looking at our strike force, it''s no surprise there have been rumours about us getting another striker in January:

 

Nugent - He can score as many penalties as he likes, but for me both his overall performance and standard of finishing has dipped over the last 10 months. His work rate is not nearly as good, he doesn't look lively or determined enough, and there is no killer instinct about him at all.

 

Vardy - If this man could finish we'd have a hell of a player at this level. He can't though.

 

Taylor-Fletcher - He's clearly a decent footballer, but has never been a goalscorer. Hasn't scored for us yet.

 

Schlupp - Playing him at left back was a waste of time for his development. Any talent he had as a striker has been neglected and trying to turn him back into a forward is a waste of time. Most of the time he looks like he's never played up front in his life and doesn't know the first thing about shooting.

 

It was noticeable how we could have done with Wood coming off the bench today. He is one striker that does have talent as a finisher.

 

Now compare us with Burnley. They had absolutely nothing to offer apart from their strike force. They scored with their 2nd shot today. I'd suggest if we had had Ings in our front line today we'd have won easily.

 

Our cutting edge in the final 3rd, especially in the second half, was non-existant. And I found today extremely frustrating, as I felt it was a game we should have won. Aside from a 15 minute spell in the second half, it was a match we dominated.

 

Do we need a striker in January? Would a striker with that ruthless streak make the difference?

[Monsell1976]

Yes we have no quality up front, nugent is the only class finisher for me, and look at his form.

[MC Prussian]

The midfielders and strikers need to work on their understanding. 

We can come up with some great passing play in patches, but either lack the cutting edge in front of goal with many chances wasted or our midfield is unable to link up with the strikers, unable to makie themselves available by opening up space with better passing.

 

Too often have I noticed that Konchesky and whomever is at RB need to support the forward play, hence exposing themselves defensively.

The midfield isn't creative enough and gets overrun rather easily when faced with a more physical side (Sheffield Wednesday, Brighton and Burnley today to some extent).

[Kitchandro]

 

The midfielders and strikers need to work on their understanding. 

We can come up with some great passing play in patches, but either lack the cutting edge in front of goal with many chances wasted or our midfield is unable to link up with the strikers, unable to makie themselves available by opening up space with better passing.

 

Too often have I noticed that Konchesky and whomever is at RB need to support the forward play, hence exposing themselves defensively.

The midfield isn't creative enough and gets overrun rather easily when faced with a more physical side (Sheffield Wednesday, Brighton and Burnley today to some extent).

 

 

I think part of the problem could is movement off the ball. In the second half today we had space in the middle and I couldn't believe the passiveness of our other midfielders and forward players. It was, at times,  just a load of statues. And at others, we just picked a really shit pass at just thee wrong time.

 

So often we don't make enough of those breakaways.

 

I find it hard to blame the midfielders. I think Dyer and Knockaert were creative enough for an hour, both men beat players and got crosses and balls into the box. Sure, they faded but we didn't make enough of their obvious impact before then. Similarly with Drinky, he's trying to find the killer pass but  he relies on some movement ahead of him. And if he gets it into Nugent's feet he needs to hold it up, not fall over and get muscled  off it.

 

I think we play some nice football and are capable of finding good space. It just seems there's a lack of belief though when we get near the box. We always make the wrong decision.

[SpoonFox]

For me we need a decent striker and a wide midfielder. Schlupp doesn't excite me when he comes on and we've not really got any alternative to knockaert and Dyer.

All depends who's available of course.

Connor Wickham - loan at Sheff Weds would be good along with Sylvan Ebanks-Blake.

As for a wide player, David Bentley would be a good shout

[Babylon]

Second highest scorers in the league.

We do miss a lot. But we tend to create a lot of half chances, we very rarely create tap in type chances.

The only one today I thought was there for the taking was the Vardy header. The others all had lots and lots to do.

Burnley missed the best chance of the game!

[Heart-Shaped Fox]

We miss far too many chances, but more importantly for me is that the defence is not doing well enough, conceding many poor goals currently and its not good enough.

 

Morgan is half the player he was last season, whilst we seem to love ball watching only to see the ball in the net. Needs looking at for me

[MC Prussian]

Second highest scorers in the league.

We do miss a lot. But we tend to create a lot of half chances, we very rarely create tap in type chances.

The only one today I thought was there for the taking was the Vardy header. The others all had lots and lots to do.

Burnley missed the best chance of the game!

I'd wait and see how Ipswich, Middlesborough and Watford finish their matches today.

Btw, eight teams have a similar or better defensive record so far...

 

The OP's point was that we're suffering from poor finishing and that we could be even higher up the table, with some distance between us and the chasing pack.

[Babylon]

I'd wait and see how Ipswich, Middlesborough and Watford finish their matches today.

Btw, eight teams have a similar or better defensive record so far...

The OP's point was that we're suffering from poor finishing and that we could be even higher up the table, with some distance between us and the chasing pack.

Everyone suffers from poor finishing, see Burnley missing the easiest chance of them all.

The point I clearly made, was that many of these chances are only half chances, some not even that.. Very few are really clear cut chances like the Burnley one.

So your point about defence shows we might need to look at the other end for the main problem.

Awful missed clearance by everyone's midweek bum boy Moore, make a simple clearance and we win the game.

[MC Prussian]

Everyone suffers from poor finishing, see Burnley missing the easiest chance of them all.

The point I clearly made, was that many of these chances are only half chances, some not even that.. Very few are really clear cut chances like the Burnley one.

But not every team creates that many chances per game like we do, only to waste them.

 

Can anyone help me out with the corresponding stats here or am I just making things up?

[Babylon]

But not every team creates that many chances per game like we do, only to waste them.

Can anyone help me out with the corresponding stats here or am I just making things up?

You do realise that someone kicking the ball into half a dozen players with no hope if it going in goes down as a chance?

How many times do you want me to try and state the difference between an easy chance, and a half to no chance??

Tell me the good chances we missed today? Vardy's header I would say was a great chance, the rest not so much.

[AndWhat?]

Only derby have scored more goals than us!

 

I think it seems like we should be scoring more because of the amount of chances we have.

[StanSP]

Everyone suffers from poor finishing, see Burnley missing the easiest chance of them all.

The point I clearly made, was that many of these chances are only half chances, some not even that.. Very few are really clear cut chances like the Burnley one.

So your point about defence shows we might need to look at the other end for the main problem.

Awful missed clearance by everyone's midweek bum boy Moore, make a simple clearance and we win the game.

 

Hmm. I think Drinkwater has a part to play there. Swinging a leg at about chest height could have been to blame too. That missed clearance meant it wrong-footed other defenders; Ings was then in the right place at the right time to slot away. So to Drinkwater, make a simple clearance and we win the game...?

[MC Prussian]

You do realise that someone kicking the ball into half a dozen players with no hope if it going in goes down as a chance?

How many times do you want me to try and state the difference between an easy chance, and a half to no chance??

Tell me the good chances we missed today? Vardy's header I would say was a great chance, the rest not so much.

Do you want me to nitpick between your two categories?

Even if we start dividing chances there, we're still missing out on a lot of goals from open play.

 

Only derby have scored more goals than us!

 

I think it seems like we should be scoring more because of the amount of chances we have.

See?

[Simonb]

Wasteful today I say bring in seb n see what he can do. Nowt to lose

[Kitchandro]

Everyone suffers from poor finishing, see Burnley missing the easiest chance of them all.

The point I clearly made, was that many of these chances are only half chances, some not even that.. Very few are really clear cut chances like the Burnley one.

So your point about defence shows we might need to look at the other end for the main problem.

Awful missed clearance by everyone's midweek bum boy Moore, make a simple clearance and we win the game.

 

I agree. But I put a lot of that down to the front players not having that killer instinct. For example in the first half, Nugent had a chance to shoot, passed it up, played it to Vardy, passed up the chance to shoot.

 

It happens a lot when other players might have converted those half chances into goals.

 

For some reason  we seem to play really quickly and then slow it down when we get to the box.

 

It's not so much missing sitters, it's being clinical which can make a huge difference.

 

The midfielder's created enough openings today for several goals. But our play in and around the box is a let down.

[AndWhat?]

http://www.footstats.co.uk/index.cfm?task=Leagues

 

More shots per game on average than other other team in our league and second most goals scored.

 

I don't think we have a problem at all.

Just realised that link doesn't take you to the actual table, i'm sure you can all find it though!

[jammie82uk]

http://www.footstats.co.uk/index.cfm?task=Leagues

More shots per game on average than other other team in our league and second most goals scored.

I don't think we have a problem at all.

Just realised that link doesn't take you to the actual table, i'm sure you can all find it though!

I agree I don't think the problem is scoring goals

The problem in my opinion is that we are conceding to many silly goals

We have given 4 penalties away

Kaspers fumble cost us at least a point at Doncaster

[smudgerfox]

There is without doubt a lack of ruthlessness which costs us. I've seen us start games at home and blast the opposition - tear them apart really - come away with nothing to show for it. The opposition score with their first attack. Under NFP first time, under Sven, even under Sousa then again under NFP. There were times today when our dominance demanded a goal but we still didn't score from open play and whatever you say about the penalty, JV was far from nailed on to score when he was fouled. Konchesky, De Laet and Moore got into wonderful crossing positions and but then hit the ball into the crowd. If you're aiming to succeed that just isn't good enough. Yet you hear people clapping them for getting into those positions. A couple of times the strikers had to turn back twice having made a run into the box anticipating a cross which didn't come. Yet look at Trippier. Every time he puts the ball into the box he creates danger - partly because he delivers a good cross and partly because his strikers anticipate a good cross. It's this understanding which we don't have. Like when dyer set up that Nugent overhead - it was a misdirected cross which made Nugent have to adjust to get his shot in. Or Nugent failed to anticipate where Dyer would put it. Either way this lack of precision/ understanding means we don't score from enough of these fantastic passing movements which gets us into such good positions.

[Stadt]

How often do you see our players put through one on one? Not very often, this is because teams sit deep against us because they know we are strong on the counter which therefore leaves the midfielders with space but without the movement from the strikers to pick out a quality ball because of the lack of space in behind the opposition back line.

When play breaks down we direct the majority of play to the wings, which is again great when there is space but like how Burnley had 10 men behind the ball today and loaded their box it struggles because we have no physical presence upfront (well anywhere really which is apparent from attacking set pieces) and the crosses that we put in are dealt with incredible ease.

The problem in my eyes is playing with two similar fowards in Vardy and Nugent - both are players that want the ball played in front of them, neither of them are particularly great with their back to goal which is where our problem arises because our build play is good but then both Nugent and Vardy want the ball played through or over the top where there is no space so they both have to come back and try and link up with the midfield leaving no options up front.

Getting another striker in is the priority because it's only the injury prone Woodvthat offers that bit of variation, while I like the prospect of signing of Ebanks-Blake I'm not sure whether if he is not to dissimilar to what we already have.

[Guest Col city fan]

Iv'e said this before and maintain it.

Yes, our strikers miss chances... but all strikers miss chances.

When our strikers dont score, goals need to come from elsewhere. Apart from Lloyd Dyer, they so rarely do.

We rarely score from set pieces, Drinky and James cant shoot for shit and our full backs don't contribute with a few themselves.

The side needs another winger... someone on the right to both assist and to score frequently. Our forwards are under so much pressure because they know that if they don't convert, we probably won't win a game. THIS MATTERS in the big scheme of things. Goals must come more often from other sources.

[jammie82uk]

Iv'e said this before and maintain it.

Yes, our strikers miss chances... but all strikers miss chances.

When our strikers dont score, goals need to come from elsewhere. Apart from Lloyd Dyer, they so rarely do.

We rarely score from set pieces, Drinky and James cant shoot for shit and our full backs don't contribute with a few themselves.

The side needs another winger... someone on the right to both assist and to score frequently. Our forwards are under so much pressure because they know that if they don't convert, we probably won't win a game. THIS MATTERS in the big scheme of things. Goals must come more often from other sources.

We have had 9 different goal scorers so far this season

[Guest Col city fan]

We have had 9 different goal scorers so far this season

Not consistently, was my point.

Someone will pop up with the odd strike, of course they will...thats football. But not often enough. The goals coming from the central midfield area are too few.

[jammie82uk]

Not consistently, was my point.

Someone will pop up with the odd strike, of course they will...thats football. But not often enough. The goals coming from the central midfield area are too few.

That's true but 9 different scorers in 20 games is still a pretty good return rate

[SmithyFox12]

Only derby have scored more goals than us!

 

I think it seems like we should be scoring more because of the amount of chances we have.

 

This.