Worst attacking options since January 2000

[Ian Royal]

We have a bunch of attacking players who just don't combine well to fit any attacking formation we could try and play. I don't think any are that bad, though few are stand out.

[Victor Meldrew]

We have a bunch of attacking players who just don't combine well to fit any attacking formation we could try and play. I don't think any are that bad, though few are stand out.

What is it now,one goal in open play between Long,Church and Hunt?
That is abysmal.

[T.R.O.L.I.]

Just a quick question - what does Noel Hunt have to do to get a start? A hattrick in the reserves + changing the game at Pompey (and Preston to an extent) and he still has to make do with a place on the bench whilst Hal Robson-Kanu starts ahead of him.

[Millsy]

The only striker who's ever worked for us up front alone was the awesome Nicky Forster.

Have there been others?

[Ian Royal]

We have a bunch of attacking players who just don't combine well to fit any attacking formation we could try and play. I don't think any are that bad, though few are stand out.

What is it now,one goal in open play between Long,Church and Hunt?
That is abysmal.

Yeah, because they don't suit the style of play they are being used in. We've started two upfront three times in league games. None of them are a solo guy. Long being the closest and that's in terms of grunt work, not goalscoring.

But play two upfront and we're left lightweight in midfield because of Kebe & McAnuff, who aren't really the sort of wingers who power down the flank and put in a good head high cross. They're more tricksy and cut inside or play it low types.

[Maguire]

It's also coz they're useless and head over when it's easier to score.

[Hoop Blah]

Just a quick question - what does Noel Hunt have to do to get a start? A hattrick in the reserves + changing the game at Pompey (and Preston to an extent) and he still has to make do with a place on the bench whilst Hal Robson-Kanu starts ahead of him.

If you've ever been to a reserve game you should realise how little relevance the result or overall performance, goalscoring feats etc have on the selection of the first eleven.

It's all about proving your fitness, getting match sharpness and to an extent your relative ability if you're a youngster. The game are such a lower intensity that a hatrick would mean very little.

Personally I still think Hunt looks like he's searching for fitness but he's getting there. Long has done so little that Hunts chance can't be far off, but it won't be down to his form in behind closed doors reserve games.

[Millsy]

Just a quick question - what does Noel Hunt have to do to get a start? A hattrick in the reserves + changing the game at Pompey (and Preston to an extent) and he still has to make do with a place on the bench whilst Hal Robson-Kanu starts ahead of him.

If you've ever been to a reserve game you should realise how little relevance the result or overall performance, goalscoring feats etc have on the selection of the first eleven.

It's all about proving your fitness, getting match sharpness and to an extent your relative ability if you're a youngster. The game are such a lower intensity that a hatrick would mean very little.

Personally I still think Hunt looks like he's searching for fitness but he's getting there. Long has done so little that Hunts chance can't be far off, but it won't be down to his form in behind closed doors reserve games.

That's an interesting and useful insight, thanks Hoop.

I don't think I've been to a reserve game or if I have I certainly don't remember. I was left wondering why Lita didn't get a gam under Coppell when he scored 4 in the reserves, but if what you say is true it's not that relevant.

Interested to hear other ppls' opinions on the relevance of reserve performances.

[Ian Royal]

I've only been to one reserve match and so long ago that it's probably irrelevent (Elm Park, Martin Williams coming back from injury). The standard was diabolical. I went to Cambridge Utd last season and saw better football in the conference... Why do you think we loan out the youngsters...

[Millsy]

Hmm using reserve form works on FM....

[Snowball]

[quote="Hoop Blah"

Personally I still think Hunt looks like he's searching for fitness but he's getting there. Long has done so little that Hunts chance can't be far off, but it won't be down to his form in behind closed doors reserve games.[/quote]

The manager was explicit and said Hunt was completely ready

[Hoop Blah]

The manager was explicit and said Hunt was completely ready

Well he would wouldn't he? He's a positive chap and wants to create some positive vibes. Saying the player he keeps throwing on to get us a goal isn't ready yet would be a little downbeat to say the least.

I think he's probably back to being over his injury now, and he looked like he could at least run properly this week, but he still looks short of match sharpness and match fitness. That's hardly surprising after such a long layoff.

[Gloria Gooner]

Can I ask a genuine question? I have seen several crosses put across the face of goal in the last few home games and Saturday was another example of this, but seemingly absolutely nobody there to put the ball in the net. Is it lack of concentration, is it a tactic to have nobody in the middle, or what?

[URZZZZZZZZ]

Tactics I reckon.

Playing Long as a lone striker is such a flawed logic its unbelivable. If we play a lone striker he needs to be a player who spends the majority of his time on the shoulder of the last defender, racing onto balls etc. Its pointless having a lone striker who doubles up as a winger with no one to cross too!

[prostak]

That all depends on how he's been instructed to play. I'd imagine the idea is to have rotation between the 3 forward players, so if Long makes the cross then Kebe or Kanu/McAnuff are there to receive it, and so on. The central midfielders too, if they're in a position to do so. Sadly, there doesn't seem to be the intelligence and/or pace in our squad to make this work. It's increasingly irrelevant to judge strikers on goals alone, or even at all, though fans will continue to do so.

[Schards#2]

Worst attacking options since January 2000

^^this

Repeat until someone else is brought in

[Victor Meldrew]

Can I ask a genuine question? I have seen several crosses put across the face of goal in the last few home games and Saturday was another example of this, but seemingly absolutely nobody there to put the ball in the net. Is it lack of concentration, is it a tactic to have nobody in the middle, or what?

I think it is lack of awareness and being on the back foot rather than the front.
Andy Gray goes on and on about players gambling in the box meaning that they are not surprised when the defender misses the ball.
Unfortunately at the moment we don't have strikers in the Chopra or Cureton mould who always seem to be in the right place-it's not luck,it's a skill and none of our so-called strikers have got it.

[sandman]

That's an interesting and useful insight, thanks Hoop.

I don't think I've been to a reserve game or if I have I certainly don't remember. I was left wondering why Lita didn't get a gam under Coppell when he scored 4 in the reserves, but if what you say is true it's not that relevant.

Interested to hear other ppls' opinions on the relevance of reserve performances.

Read an article in Four Four Two magazine a few years ago where Charlton's academy/reserve manager basically said that he'd only ever seen Coppell at one reserve match. He said Coppell was well known in the game for not rating the quality of reserve matches and that when he saw Coppell at the game in question he told his players to up their game as Sir Steve was watching.

[papereyes]

In the Championship, you're all but guaranteed for a defender to make at least one mistake a game, if not more.

So there's always two types of striker that flourish in the division - both thriving on chances in and around the box. One set is usually taller, bigger and 'physical', the other set the old school goalpoacher (I guess Lita when playing would have fallen into this category).

I have a hunch that they also tend to do badly when you go up a division because the couple of chances a game that normally fall to them don't. They don't have the guile or other attributes to open up defences. That said, none of our strikers look any good - and from the small number of games I've seen/followed, we're not playing to their strengths either. We may as well play IanRoyal up front as Long in the role he's doing.

In our specific case, I think andrew1957 (viewtopic.php?f=1&t=101562) comes close - we're playing a tactic that suited having a decent second striker/advanced midfielder who could score a decent set of goals and the main striker not being the main threat.

So, Brian, time to manage.

[Snowball]

Thing is, we simply aren't playing to our front men's strengths.

Long, for all his detractors, is fast, tough, resilient, good in the air
and will run all day. But he's best when running into space or chasing
a long ball into the channels, or bombing in toward the penalty-spot
to get on the end of a cross.

Now a lot of the time he's backing in to the big centre-half, or just
occasionally going wide so he can get a run. When he does go wide
he does OK and he has power and strength.

The early break he made showed us what Long can do. He showed strength and
power to leave the defender. That was good stuff. My view on the eventual error
was he tried to dink a mini-cross for Hunt, and it didn't come off. An in-form
Shane would have laced it and stuff team-play.


Whatever the criticisms, Long doesn't miss many good chances. I remember one last season
where he hit the bar from close in, but generally he's quite deadly in front of goal when
playing his favourite way. Church OTOH misses far too many real chances.

Maybe we can play 4-4-2 with Hunt up close to Long, or 4-5-1 with Hunt in the hole,
or simply ask Shane to play a tad deeper so he has a chance with his flicks.

Why, when he is almost always clearly the sole striker without support does he flick the ball ON? Shouldn't he be nodding it BACK, or at least sideways?