Its clear that whilst Brucey has done 'bl**dy well with his inbound transfers in transforming our squad, and achieved fanstatic value for money in the main, that up front and goals remains the one area of concern that needs addressing. That said whilst I've looked at numerous threads over recent weeks as strikers ( I use the term loosely) have been debated, its also apparent that we are currently lacking goals from midfield. The only 'proven' goal scoring midfielder we have is Koren. Brady may come good bearing in mind 2 of his goals so far have been from the spot, Livermore may contribute. So with Koren not starting regularly, a goal scoring midfielder please Brucey sooner rather than later.
Without goal scoring midfielders (except Brady) and goal scoring strikers it's a small miracle we're 10th.
So you buy a goal scoring midfielder, if such a guaranteed player exists. Who do you drop? Livermore or Huddlestone? I still think Boyd is good for 5-6 goals this season. He just needs a run of games
We've had two fortunate pens and an own goal in our five home games - that's 3 out of a total of 4 goals. Only Davies v Cardiff has been our goal from open play. That's too slender a margin. Can't keep getting lucky pens and own goals- it's not sustainable. Sorry.
First things first, a striker who can put the ball in the net. Whether that turns out to be sagbo by the time January arrives so be it. At our level a few goals from the midfield every now and then will do, along with a few stuck in from defence as long as we have a striker to rely on.
Yeah, you said on the other thread. You take what you can get though. I don't think our game plan is to rely on penalties/ref decisions to carry us through, it's just if we get a 1-0 lead we're going to defend it like hell.
If we go for an attacking goal scoring winger I'd love to see us get Landon Donovan from the Galaxy on loan in January when he's available. All time leading scorer for the US in internationals...best player award 4 times in MLS. Moyes had him on loan twice at Everton and he was brilliant. I know he'd love to play again in the Prem and he'd fit right in with us. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landon_Donovan
A goal scoring mid to replace Elmo please, he has been woeful for the most part this season, his crossing is shocking.
I do feel sorry for Elmo. He runs the wing, he follows his manager's instruction and he plays a system that defies belief at times. You can replace him with as many potentials as you like, but until you have someone in the box to do the finishing then it's all bollocks. Get somebody in the box and Brady and Elmo will let them know what service is - not to mention Fig, Thuds, Livers . . .
elmo consistently overhits his crosses plus he gets too much height on them Usually when the ball goes into our strikers from elmo its when the area is crowded - for me i'd choose to drive the ball in low and hard every time with a crowded pen area ! causes havoc
Livermore and Huddlestone are certainly not afraid to have a go. Poor Liver-sausage hasn't ever scored a Premier League goal and he's hit the same post at the KC twice! Huddlestone is determined to get his goal, which could work massively in our favour. Koren always has the ability to pop one in the bottom corner, even if he's missing in a game. Brady has the potential to score more. I'd like to see him take his man on and get into the box and/or the by-line. He could be so much more dangerous than he currently is. Elmohamady has a great header, so he's a threat from corners and he sometimes finds himself in the right position. Meyler last Season looked like a great box-to-box player who managed to pop up with the often goal in a game. He'll be deployed in a more defensive role this Season though. Boyd and Aluko (if they're classed as midfielders?) have the ability to get 6/7/8 goals each I reckon. Boyd less so considering Aluko will probably be playing instead of him.
All of Elmo's crosses were hit from around the same place about 25-30 yards from the byline and it was like there was an invisible line that he wasn't prepared to go past. Interesting that one of the few times we got a cross in from close to the byline it resulted in a goal!
Elmo's crossing ability is definitely a certain technique. He likes to play a curling ball played from behind the runners so that whoever's running into the box can run onto it. We've all seen he isn't the best of crossers when he gets to the side of the 18-yard area. His cross at Ipswich last Season that set up Proschwitz's 2nd was typical of Elmo's style. He definitely needs to get working on getting to the by-line and whipping across the six yarder in training more though. It'd make him a very dangerous winger indeed.
End result always makes things look different; but of course, Elmos' basic football skills have always been ****e, especially last season when he was the player of the sea . . . Thank **** none of you lot are managers That goes for me too!
Didn't say he was ****e or anything approaching, I just find it a bit frustrating that with his obvious ability to cross the ball, he doesn't seem prepared to vary his tactics and ocassionally try to get to the byline and pull the ball back. I can't seriously believe he's under instruction to try exactly the same ball in everytime.
I think he does vary it, I think he moves at pace and looks for a receiver and there isn't one. Who are the receivers? What we see is individuals taking pot-shots - we just saw 45mins of it. Another player would come inside and have a go himself, and that would be even worse. Until we have a threat in the box it is all wind and piss.
True. I think at this level Elmo's crosses from deep are more easily defended. However it clearly it isn't a lack of skill it's just his way of doing it from deep. He hasn't taken his man on as much this year which is probably more the problem. I think we lack someone out wide who can beat a man. Brady can do it but we need someone else out there. A fit Aluko and Brady in the team will help of course. We keep talking about these 'lucky pens' but don't forget it was Elmo's dangerous cross in both cases that made the defenders **** their pants and start pushing people.
My biggest gripe about Elmo is he's permanently wide. Most specially in a system playing one up front you need your wingers to come inside, get in the box and support the striker, Elmo rarely - if ever - does whether he's on or off the ball. You only need to look at the danger and chances Brady creates when he cuts inside or moves in to the channels to see how much we lack genuine threat down the right. I was saying all summer we needed a right footer similar to Brady and Aluko, and now the rest of the teams pretty much sorted I'd make one a priority - ahead of a permanent for Livermore. On his crossing, he's very hit and miss. He's capable of whipping in some excellent fast and dipping crosses in to the danger area or dropped pin point to a players head/feet. He's also easily capable of whacking it so hard it's gone out for a throw at the other side before its even bounced.
