Moaning

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I'm reluctant to judge a player on the basis of 9 games. Six goals in 9 games is excellent in my book and if he carries on at that rate he'll score around 30 goals for the season. 20 goals would be a good output, 30 would be a great output. That is especially good for a player who is not an out and out striker, but a versatile attacking player who uses his pace to good effect. That pace can also cause problems with touch, but as has been pointed out his sense of positioning is also his strength and contributes to the number of chances he gets, many of which are only 'half chances'. IMO, the 'sitter' he missed in the first half was actually a cross to Jerome, who was in a better position, and who failed to anticipate and get on to it. Nine games is still early days for a striker who is new to the team.

Like DH, I'd prefer to see him play on the right in a 4-2-3-1 with Jerome or Hooper in the centre, Redmond on the left and Wes in the hole. I know people will say that Redmond should play on the right, but Redmond doesn't score many goals (he has had over 30 chances and has yet to score, whereas Grabban has scored 6 from his 36 chances).
 
DHCanary said:
It's funny, we're used to strikers receiving half a chance a game for the last couple of seasons, so get worried when they aren't clinical enough to take a significant number of them. Now we're making several decent chances for each striker a game, we're still concerned about them missing, rather than having faith in the team that they'll create another, and in the striker to finish the next one. I'm probably one of the most guilty of this, so this isn't meant to sound "holier than anyone"! I've still got reservations about Grabban, but he is doing the business at this level, and as you say, if he had ruthless finishing to go with his pace, workrate, build-up play and positional sense, then he'd have gone to a top tier team for £15m+.

I don't think my gripes are with Grabban so much as 4-4-2, and he's the player I'd perhaps drop/move in order to return to 4-2-3-1. An excellent option to have in the squad at this level though.

On an unrelated note, anyone see that last night Murphy became our third highest scorer in all competitions so far this season?
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This sums up my feelings pretty much spot on.
 
RiverEndRick said:
I'm reluctant to judge a player on the basis of 9 games. Six goals in 9 games is excellent in my book and if he carries on at that rate he'll score around 30 goals for the season. 20 goals would be a good output, 30 would be a great output. That is especially good for a player who is not an out and out striker, but a versatile attacking player who uses his pace to good effect. That pace can also cause problems with touch, but as has been pointed out his sense of positioning is also his strength and contributes to the number of chances he gets, many of which are only 'half chances'. IMO, the 'sitter' he missed in the first half was actually a cross to Jerome, who was in a better position, and who failed to anticipate and get on to it. Nine games is still early days for a striker who is new to the team.
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He and Jerome are actually in the gelling in period and Jerome wasn't even in the squad for the first few games.
@ a combined £4.5 m the 12 goals between them is an absolutely ridiculous return.
We tried 1 up front that was a disaster Holt left frustrated Winky bagged 1 Elmander got 1 and Hooper had a burst for a month and dried up too.
Don't see the appeal to change a winning formular personally .
 
ColkOfTheBarclay said:
Agreed. Jerome was standing between 2 defenders, slightly behind Grabban. Grabban in that position should only be going for goal, so even if it was an attempted cross, it was the wrong decision in that situation.
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Hoolahoops played a diagonal ball into Jerome on the pen spot and he poked it well wide under very little pressure, not one mention on here.
 
23 said:
We tried 1 up front that was a disaster Holt left frustrated Winky bagged 1 Elmander got 1 and Hooper had a burst for a month and dried up too.
Don't see the appeal to change a winning formular personally .
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It's a winning formula, but we're not making games as easy as we could do. I think we've picked up 10 points this season from losing positions, which whilst a quite incredible effort shows that the team are getting into positions that with our quality we really shouldn't be. I don't think it's fair to abandon 1 up front based on the failures of last season, plenty of successful teams play that way (and equally 4-4-2 works for others). The way Hoolahan and Grabban are being used is the conundrum for me. In the 4-4-2 we're seeing Hoolahan's best work when he comes more central, and Grabban has looked dangerous when he's strayed wide. I'd either like to see us play 4-2-3-1 with Hoolahan central and Grabban pushed wider, or 4-4-2 and bring in a proper wide player instead of Hoolahan. I think there's scope to tailor that to the opposition though. At home something like:

Redmond-Howson-Johnson-Murphy
Jerome-Grabban/Hooper

Should offer wide threats either side, with Howson shouldering the creative burden in the middle of the pitch. Perhaps Howson's not quite fit enough for that though, and not quite sure Murphy's suited to starting just yet. Away from home:

Tettey-Johnson
Redmond-Hoolahan-Grabban
Jerome

Similar to what we've had recently just with slightly different roles to try and make the most of Hoolahan, and maintain the defensive shield Tettey and Johnson offer.

23 said:
Hoolahoops played a diagonal ball into Jerome on the pen spot and he poked it well wide under very little pressure, not one mention on here.
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Might just be me, but until I saw it on the FL show long after the game, I'd not actually seen what'd happened. The appeals from Hoolahan and defender by Jerome made me think it was some kind of slightly dodgy wonder clearance, rather than Jerome messing up. Yeah, he should have buried that.
 
23 said:
Hoolahoops played a diagonal ball into Jerome on the pen spot and he poked it well wide under very little pressure, not one mention on here.
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Can't remember that one. I remember the one that was fired at him from Redmond that bounced of the inside of his leg into Wes's path. Jerome had a pretty quiet game too to be honest. Neither of our strikers could really get in the game.
 
ColkOfTheBarclay said:
Can't remember that one. I remember the one that was fired at him from Redmond that bounced of the inside of his leg into Wes's path. Jerome had a pretty quiet game too to be honest. Neither of our strikers could really get in the game.
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Unless scoring is considered getting into a game we won 3-1 I am enclined to agree with you.
 
Tony_Munky_Canary said:
I dunno Dave, I'd say 6 in 9 is certainly well on the way to being prolific
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It's the way they've gone in Munky.
Other than the header v Bournmouth I think they've all had a slice of luck, with deflections especially helping him out.
I agree if you were someone who just saw his stats but not seen him play 6 in 9 looks fantastic. But there is still IMO massive room for improvement in his finishing, and I would still rather see a fit Hooper up along side Jerome right now.
These are people's opinions, not necessarily moaning, but just areas that could be made better.
 
canarie-chippy said:
It's the way they've gone in Munky.
Other than the header v Bournmouth I think they've all had a slice of luck, with deflections especially helping him out.
I agree if you were someone who just saw his stats but not seen him play 6 in 9 looks fantastic. But there is still IMO massive room for improvement in his finishing, and I would still rather see a fit Hooper up along side Jerome right now.
These are people's opinions, not necessarily moaning, but just areas that could be made better.
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To be honest I'm not all that bothered how they go in as long as they do. I agree there has been an element of good luck/fortune about a lot of his goals, a point I have also made, however as we should all realise by now this is all part of the game. We had sod all good fortune last season, whereas I'd argue we had a good old slab of it during the promotion year with Lambert. Looks like another one of those so far this year, long may it continue <ok>

Ultimately football is decided by stats, rather than being judged on style, artistic merit etc. It's the points on the board that make the prizes, not media plaudits or fan opinion.
 
Im so pleased with our start , things can always be better, players will have off days

Its great knowing we are top and still have plenty of room to improve !!!!!!
 
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