This debate is going on on 3 different threads now I can't say much more on the topic, when was the last time Fryatt came close to scoring, had a decent shot, or made any telling contribution in the box?
Thought mclean was ace today, all over the pitch. He may have been signed as a scorer but he is so much more playing out wide
Mclean has improved upfront i agree, but he is not a regularly goalscorer at this level. Mclean has scored 7 goals in 46 games for Hull City at the championship level. Matty Fryatt has 17 in 48, with two penalties even if you take them out that is 15. So how on earth is Mclean a far better finisher? Statistics don't lie. What Matty does wrong is that he plays with his back to goal far to much and he takes to many touches, but i would back him to score more than Mclean anyday.
I thought Fryatt had an outstanding game today compared to Mclean and couldn't understand why he was taken off. If you watch Fryatt's work rate in the 1st half he never stopped running and yes he lost the ball a few times but he also won it back. He's on his own up front and yet he's having to come back in to midfield to collect the ball. He simply doesn't get the service he needs. Mclean's a work horse but if that second half chance had fell to Fryatt I'm sure he'd have hit the target instead of balsting the ball in to row z. Also there were a coupld of times the ball went across the penalty box and no city player gambled to get in there.
This ! tho of the two id rather stick with McLean ,but we need a striker that is more intelligent and confident without the ball .
You've ignored the obvious flaw in that. Shots. Fryatt over that time has had way more shots than McLean and from much closer in. Fryatt has mised 7 or 8 on-on-ones this season, McLean hasn't had anything like the chances he had. In fact when he has gone through on goal, he's scored and they've been bloody good finishes. Lately though (maybe it's the new system) Fryatt doesn't even have that many shots any more. He hardly ever gets into the position of facing the goal any more. If he was coming close it'd be different but he hasn't even threatened to score in the last 5 or 6 games.
We had this a few weeks back, Fryatt had 48 shots this season, McLean had 36 and Fryatt had scored twice as many goals. If you're going to add distance in as a seperate factor then it's not Fryatt's fault that McLean keeps looking to lose us possession by shooting from the wrong places in the hopes of scoring a more spectacular goal. Now McLean was my MOTM yesterday, and the choice between the two of them I'd base on the opposition. Against sides like P'boro that are going to harry us all over the pitch I'd McLean on so we can do the same to their defence. Against sides where it's tactical and where guile will give us the chances Fryatt has to start. Though with King coming in I expect him to be starting in a few weeks if not immediately so it shoould be a moot point.
I think we've seen that Nick Barmby does have one of those elusive plan b things. I like the set up with Matty Fryatt as main striker but in the second half yesterday and last week in the cup the alternative system with Aaron McLean leading the line (and Brady playing more in the Koren role) has been much more effective. Not only does McLean look a much better player under this system but I think it really suits Brady as well. It's great to have options and it seems likely that the addition of King might just offer just the extra spark City need to push them onwards and upwards.
FFS mate let it go. It isnt like a penalty shoot out where you are both given the same amount of shots. Andy Cole missed a lot more than he scored for Man U easily but he was still top goal scorer, Dennis Irwin probably had a miles better ratio of goals to chances but you wouldnt say he was the better goal scorer. Fryatt's in a drought but has scored more than Mclean, now Nick may drop Fryatt and play Mclean through the middle but i still wouldnt bet on him scoring goals.
Good post. But with regard to the distance thing, my point is that while McLean hasn't scored as many goals, he also hasn't missed all those simple chances, not that shooting from distance is a particularly good thing. My point was simply that the one with the most goals isn't necessarily always the best striker. People should look at things like technique too...
Technique doesn't win you matches though? Assists and goals are what counts. Mclean hasn't missed them as he doesn't get them as he doesn't make them runs. However neither has Fryatt recently, he has being dong far to much work with his back to goal.
That's a decent point, however if you looked only at the last few games, when Fryatt has been up front he's hardly had a chance and when McLean has gone up there he's got himself in much better positions (he had one of the best shots of the game yesterday and forced a great save from the keeper, but everyone ignored it and instead focused on the very similar one that he missed). If you take bias and prior reputation out of the equation, I'm sure most would have to agree that McLean has been better up front in the last few weeks than Fryatt.
While we're on these discussions, now he's been played in the Koren position a couple of times do you see what I was saying before about how Brady's contribution to us is going to be much better if we look to use his pace/tricks to upset their defence than it is if he's crossing or shooting from out wide?
I recall that you didn't think his crossing or shooting was very good, but that it just looked good. He proved yesterday with one great shot and one great cross, that he is indeed very good at both. I like him in that position, but I reckon he can also play a role for us as a winger again at some point. As for answering your question, I'd say he's good at all of the things you mentioned and they are all important for both playing on the wing and also in the Koren position.
I reckon Nicks strategy involves asking the players where they see their best role as being and then trying to fit the formation to that as far as possible. The players then are committed to the tactics.
I said they weren't his strengths and we wouldn't miss them if he went back to Man U in January. Although they look good and are executed in a technically good way they haven't actually benefited the team enough, but we would miss his ability to run on the ball and disrupt the defence because he could contribute more to the team that way. Now that he's here for the full season I can see him contributing more from the wing than he has so far. King is good in the air with his back to goal, so if he can reproduce that when he's facing goal Brady's crossing might become a strength for us and he could be considered for that position again.
We appeared to show far more threat going forward after Fryatt was substituted and McLean played the lone striker roll.
