Morning all, It is clear to see that we have no problems in creating chances but we struggle to finish them. We seem to be averaging over 20 shots a game but a lack of goals suggests that we are too wasteful or unlucky (by hitting the bar). As a result, it appears that our midfielders are doing the job by getting the ball in the right areas. However, I was watching a couple of our recent matches and I noticed that we didn't have too many clear cut chances. By clear cut, I mean that it is more likely to score than to miss e.g. Glen Johnson clean through against Wigan. Despite having 20 odd shots a games, does that instantly mean that we should be scoring more goals? In theory, we could have 20 long range shots that have no hope of going in however they are registered as a shot, which someone people may misconstrue as a 'genuine goal scoring chance'. So are the midfielders really creating enough goal scoring opportunities or are we being mislead by the fact that we have a lot of shots in a match? The question is mainly aimed at those who have seen most matches and seen the chances that we have created.
That's a good point, Johnson probably averages about 5 sliced shots a game too In all seriousness I think we have the right mixture of long range shots and crosses. You only need to look at some of our home draws through out the season to see the amount of clear cut chances we create! Recently their hasn't been as many but I figured that was mainly because Lucas was out, I mean look at the influence had when Gerrard came on.
As a matter of interest, do you think Gerrard should have got MOTM against Newcastle? I'd have thought that Bellamy was a far more deserving recipient.
There were a few good perfomances, but Gerrard and Bellamy were head and shoulders above everyone. Over the 90 minutes it should be Bellamy, but when Gerrard came on he looked a different class to everyone else. Hard one to call, they both had excellent games while they were on
Clearly not all chances can be good ones but I would point to the number of mom's opposing keepers have had or the number of times that we've hit the bar to suggest that we are creating enough good opportunities to win games easily. Perhaps we should be comparing chances on/off vs goals of other teams to our stats; then you'll get a better idea of our finishing prowess or lack of it, although am not sure where you'd get these from.
Our delivery has been poor pretty much until Gerrard came back, too many crosses to noone and when we attack a lot of the time we have 1 in the box only, 1? Seriously, I watched Blackburn and they had 5 in one attack in and around the box, and we have 1. When crosses come back out we are not in positions to pick up those balls, something we used to be great at and a good source of goals, we're winning no second balls from setpieces and crosses into the box almost entirely and that is important to keep up the pressure on teams comnig to Anfield for a point, so our attacking shape is not right or has not been right, Adam's positioning off the ball can be really bad
Considering our defensive record, ability to dominate and create chances rival fans are quick to laugh us off as top 4 contenders...oh and there is the matter that we are only 3 points off 4th. We have lost less games than Arsenal and Chelsea, our biggest failing is 6 draws at home which accumulates to the equivalent of 4 losses. We can only improve on this record especially as the teams we should have beaten so far will get tired as the season goes on and the quality of their squads are not enough to cope. Last season we did well to get the number of points under Kenny with the squad we had, this season our squad is a lot stronger and will be able to cope better which hopefully means that the West Ham/West Brom/Wigan results wont happen again during the 2nd half of this campaign. Rival fans laugh us off at your peril.
I agree totally with the OP. most of what i am seeing is snatched shots and half chances that are recorded as chances... guys blazing shots from 30 yards way over the bar or shots from hard angles that should hjave been good crossing opportunities that a guy rejects and then ends up firing one at goal for want of another option. Andy carroll's header off the crossbar on friday was a chance... carrol's last min header a few weeks back to win a game was a chance... blazing a few over the bar for 30 yards, thats not make chances. Bascially downing hasn't put what i'd call a cross into the box in ages.... bale puts 10 a game in... thas the difference... bellamy, maxi... they don't corss either... johnson and enrique fight their hardest to get a chance to corss but half the time they end up agasint 2 men cos their winger has wandered off somewhere. If you looks at some of the play it's terrible.... the one thing maxi brings is knowing where to run to... like frank lampard last night... did nothing with the ball passes it to torres who slips in a guy who corsses... guess who trotted for ward to the six yard box and taps home... yeah old frank... nothing special about the run, the defender allowed him to trot (not sprint) in their behind the CBs who couldn't pick hyim up and cover thier own men.... maxi can get in there.... downing can't... another thing he can't do. for me a lot of the time this MOTM to the keeper opposing us is bull too. Al habsi got motm against us... all his saves were regulation bar one and he dived the right way for that... by regulation i mean down his throat. same as gerrard getting motm when bellamy had scored two, they guy got it cos of who is was, the keepers are getting it cos thats that commentators are seeing.... my view is strongly in the direction of requiring someone to put that goddamn ball in and buying a guy who can actually finish. bringbackfootie has it right IMO as well... shape is distorted by bad positioning of wingers and midfielders who are all over the shop rather than bringing some semblance of order to the game. carroll should be occupying the penalty post when we have it and deciding whether to go far or near stick but he's either out the field or the wing and struggles to get back up there... winger from the side without the ball should not be coming the full width of the ptich he should be holding the full back out of the box and stretching things and aiming to join the far post when the ball comes in..... winger from the side the ball is on should be the guy on the ball... most of the time its the full back.... the winger should have the options to run the full back and cross, play in his own full back on an overlap 9then back up his position), work a one two with the CM or lay it back to start the move again... A winger should not be nasri... I don't want a guy who thinks he's pele or bobby charlong or distefano... I don't want a guy who thinks its good to play 40 yard passes on a plate across the ptich or a guy who will play the edge of the d. Stay wide, play simple, beat the full back, get the corss in or give it to someone else short A centre forward should be jus tthat.. stay bloody up there and get on the end fo things... by all means run channels and hold it up early in moves but get in the blody real danger zone. A second striker can play the D, pass it in etc etc. thats fine for a suarez or even bellamy but only that one guy! And finally a central midfielder is the guy who makes the plays, who has the vision and who makes the passes 5 yards or 40... Adam is ok on the ball and he tries things which is ok too... but he's now developing a silly run with the ball attitudethats not working and his positional sense is not so hot, he needs to move with the ball, not get ahead of it, be the guy picking up all those second balls and taking it off the likes of downing to make the next play. But he also needs to be the guy who gets back quick in position too to defend. I just don't like this run wherever see what happens stuff cos in the end it allows players who like downing are good but just good not brilliant go do things that the ought to cut out fo their game and in the end is the secrest to spurs success. adabayor knows where to play, so does lennon, bale and VDV, modric plays CM well.... they hold thier shape and get the reward... Utd go do the same.
I don't totally buy that MITO. I'd say that our central midfield isn't doing to bad at all. We're creating a lot of chances; both good chances and half chances. They're also well positioned to help out the defence which shows in our goals against column. If we have a problem it's out wide or in finishing (either Carroll or Suarez, both have been poor)....Against Newcastle we had a lot of opportunity to whip the ball in and failed to do so; I was getting frustrated; I cannot believe that they were not told to get the ball onto Carrolls bonce! Gerrard showed how to to it, hopefully other will take the lead; of course this is only so effective when Carroll's playing, less so with Suarez up front..
