Simpson - McClean - Proschwitz. This highlights the weak spot in our team, when you look at there names like that its a suprise that we are in the top 10. However well Simpson has done he is still not good enough to get us promoted. We need 2 quality strikers in January to have a realistic chance of promotion.
Same as last year the Allams will no doubt be happy to fund a proven goalscorer (proven in England) - if Bruce can sell McLean and Oli then I imagine SB will get the green light to bring in 2 strikers and a midfielder. Then we would have a very serious team. And I think SB will enquire about Fraizer Campbell
I really like SB's way of bring players in, on the whole his signing have been very good. I still think Prozi will come good, and if he can move on McLean/Oli and some of the other fringe players, this will give him room to bring in 2 or 3 quality player just to strengthen the depth of the squad.
How many of his goals are around the 6-yard box? Who scores more tap-ins than him? Ever since he's been here, the one thing he's done reliably is be in the right place at the right time to get the tap-ins. When he had those few games with Stewart, it was Cam getting to the byline pulling it back and Simpson getting the tap in. At Leicester this season it flashed across the box and who else but Simpson to tap it in. Those games I mentioned in the last post were just begging for him to be on the end of some of those low crosses. Before he was dropped Brady wasn't playing and we weren't getting all these low balls in. He scores a few mid-range ones too because his finishing is pretty good all round, but we haven't got another player who knows when to get in the goalmouth like Simpson does. Having Brady and Elmo out wide just screams out for someone instinctive in the middle to tap it in.
Plus a tap-in in the cup. Aluko has 8, Simpson has 6 (in less games). There's hardly any difference yet one is amazing and one isn't good enough. This is why goal ratios aren't a measure of how good a striker is.
But when he's played, how many times has the ball flashed across that area and he's either missed it or not even been there at all. I think we've whipped the ball across that area in every game this season, and he's only scored the one goal against Leicester like that, so I'd say that disproves your theory if anything. He's a bit of everything is Simpson, a well rounded player, but a jack of all trades master of none. He's ok to good at everything a striker can be used for but doesn't really excel at anything. Maybe the way were playing him as that 'bit of everything' holds some parts of his game back like 'foxing in the box' and all that... But I wouldn't say he gets in those positions a lot like your average goal poacher does, sometimes he does sometimes he doesn't, but no more or no less than most typical strikers. Maybe he could be moulded to play in that style and find those positions more often, in fact I'm sure he could, but he doesn't as of now, and if he was I think it would detract from the best parts of his game in holding up/laying off, and making th dangerous runs he does both on and off the ball which pull defenders and open space for Aluko and the midfield to move into.
And on your most recent post, I definitely agree that goal tally's are no way to judge a striker, 9/10 it says more about the team creating for him than the player itself. But sometimes when it's low in a team that creates endless chances for fun like we do, it's not unreasonable to question it.
All good points. The holding it up part of his game probably does affect the goal poaching side and vice versa. Hopefully we'll get a really good striker in January, one that other teams genuinely envy. That probably applies to Aluko but he isn't really a striker as such.
Well done Sone Championship Player of the Month(November). Out of interest have we ever had a player of the month award previously?
Am I the only one that thinks he looks a bit like Feathers McGraw from Wallace And Gromit: The Wrong Trousers?
