Leon Best-Loves Playing At St James Park!

After false hopes and broken promises over a striker, I looked in to Leon Best's stats and he has a good strike rate in the Premier League and enjoys playing at St James, as he has now scored a hat-rick against West Ham, A double against Fulham and scored in our comeback against Arsenal, he also had a goal disallowed in that game that should have been allowed. Last season he averaged 125 minutes a goal and had the least shots per goal out of our strikers. One stat that wouldn't surprise many is that he is caught offside once every 36 minutes!!

 

Offside has crippled us at both ends over the years, neither the defence or the attack seems to understand it. The defence hasn't been able to hold a line, the strikers unable to stay onside. Pardew has at last got the defence doing their bit, he just needs to explain to the strikers how it works and we'll be laughing.

 

You means he's caught offside 3 times a match? I would have guessed 30 times a match....

 

Actually it's only 2.5 times a match! Surprisingly low!

 

Last season our defence caught opposition players out more than any other side (Opta), just needs explaining to Best and Shola!

In all seriousness though, Best doesnt have the killer pace that other strikers might so has to take a gamble with the offside trap and sit right on the shoulder of the last defender every time, so he's unlikely to change that.

 

You want your forward playing of the shoulder of the last man and, that is a very good stat for a player who plays in such a way!

 

I'm sure that stat cant be right by the way, he was caught about 5 times on Sunday.

 

Slowly beginng to like Best...

 

Also this

 

Are you sure it didn't say 36 times a minute instead?

 

Can you explain how you've come to this conclusion, bearing in mind he doesn't always start and has never completed 90 minutes?

 

if he keeps scoring he'll be our number 9 before long, perhaps he is actually as good as his goal scoring record suggests.

If we had paid 10 million for him everyone would be creaming over him and the media also.

 

Here's a question for you (and i know we're limited in the creativity department)

How many times have you seen Best through one on one?

 

I wish Pardew rated him. I get the distinct impression he'd rather play Shola.

 

Once or twice this season, he doesnt have the close control to run at the goalkeeper though, the defender has always caught him when that happens.

 

Same. If we were playing 2 up top until January then I would play Ba/Best with Shola only even being a sub unless we really, really need him

 

Shola is actually not all that bad I'd even suggest him and Best together would be a handful for defenders.

 

his first game last season at Wigan springs to mind

 

Shola on his day is a handful for anyone. He is massive, he has strength, good feet for a big man and is a decent finisher when given the chance. He is just so bone idol and lazy majority of the time which makes him a **** footballer

 

I've never seen him one on one, so obviously never seen him score

For me, it's right place, right time

Which isn't a bad thing, especially for a striker, but his game needs a LOT of work

I reckon his total yards for goals add up to about 18, he's never scored outside the box, which is a worry

On the plus side, he's a good poacher and decent header of the ball

Could be a decent player (not number 9 material) with some good coaching

Unfortunately i don't think he'll get that here, hope he proves me wrong mind