CMS - let's be honest people...

[Mellotron]

My problem with CMS isn't the chances he missed. Though that was frustrating, it wasn't the big issue. The people who claim he didn't have enough chances kind of miss the point IMO. The way we play means all eleven players need to be part of the build-up play, including the striker. Unfortunately CMS has an awful first touch based on what we saw last season - so too often our moves would break down when the ball went near him. This would explain why he didn't have lots of chances - because he screwed up a large number of our moves.

On the plus side, he did say he was going to spend the off-season working hard to fit into our style of play. If he has improved his first touch, then he'll become part of the build-up, his confidence will go up, the number of chances he'll get will increase, and he'll score a load more. For me, it all comes back to his awful first touch. Improve that and we'll have a player, if he doesn't he'll be shipped out. Pre-season could be more important for his Albion career than anyone else's.

This. Can you improve your first touch by much that late into a career? I hope so.

 

[Mellotron]

I notice someone said only Doncaster created less chances than us, but that didn't stop Billy Sharp getting 40 goals in 82 games...

It also didn't stop Buckley and Barnes being clinical and putting away good chances.

 

[Bold Seagull]

It also didn't stop Buckley and Barnes being clinical and putting away good chances.

I think our chance creation stats are a complete misnomer anyway. With our possession we actually create a lot of chances, or good positions that didn'tt actually result in a chance on goal - i.e. doesn't count on the stats, where as some team have pot shots from anywhere get a load of stats credited to them. We built pressure, had the ball around the penalty area, made decent through balls, however these didn't always result in an actual shot.

Anyone who believes we we're at the bottom in regard to chances created were not watching the same games I was at.

 

[Mellotron]

I think our chance creation stats are a complete misnomer anyway. With our possession we actually create a lot of chances, or good positions that didn'tt actually result in a chance on goal - i.e. doesn't count on the stats, where as some team have pot shots from anywhere get a load of stats credited to them. We built pressure, had the ball around the penalty area, made decent through balls, however these didn't always result in an actual shot.

Anyone who believes we we're at the bottom in regard to chances created were not watching the same games I was at.

Completely agreed - thinking about the Reading and West Ham home games alone, we had TONNES of opportunities, but we can be a bit "Arsenal" in terms of being reticent to shoot outside the area.

 

[Stumpy Tim]

This. Can you improve your first touch by much that late into a career? I hope so.

I hope so too, but my head is telling me he can't.

 

[MattBackHome]

Point 1 - How many 'sitters' did he miss last season? I can't remeber ANY off the top of my head but I would say 3 at the most. So he wasn't MISSING chances.

Point 2 - He was being asked to do a job COMPLETELY different to that of a goal scorer. He was busting a bollock for the team and his work rate and commitment was PHENOMENAL for a player who wasn't scoring. That demonstrated absolute CLASS to me and that, the moment we get a strike partner for him, he will FLOURISH.

Point 3 - He will get SERVICE this season. If he has a 'bigger' striker (I dont want to say 'big man' as I don't think thats our style) he can rely on getting in the box and not contesting the headers etc. He will be FREEEE. Sitting in WSU you can see his BRILLIANT runs that he makes. He is constantly on the move.

Having a FULL season of VICENTE+another striker to do the donkey work+ another pre-season of learning our style =GOALZ

What he said.

 

[dragonred]

as a johny come lately I can only speak from what I saw last season. 100% commitment, 10% productivity. In fairness, a bit like Noone, lots of runs that look good but very little end product. As a 'big' signing I definitely didn't feel I was watching a player who was value for money but then again, when you are sat behind the goal you can see in no way did the team play to his strengths. Hopefully 2nd season better but if CMS is an seriously considered to be an improvement on GM, then I must have been more than half asleep, in fact comotose, most games and missed something.

 

[Poyetry In Motion]

Bearing in mind the fact that only Doncaster created fewer goalscoring chances in The Championship last season, how can you castigate him for failing to put away the chances that we failed so abysmally to create for him?

Nail.Head.

 

[Mendoza]

CMS scored most of his goals in his career in and around the six yard box. He keeps heading there, we don't put the ball there. When the ball gets put in there, he is there to finish it. Even it it bounces off him, like at Maidstone a couple of days ago.

You could put any goal poacher in the 6 yard box, but they wouldnt score many, as we simply dont put the ball there that often. LuaLua is the man that can do that, but he plays once every 3 or 4 games.

All about service for me, yes CMS missed a couple of sitters, but who doesnt.

I have faith in his ability at this level and higher (well if you can call Scottish international higher)

 

[halbpro]

I'm wondering if the re-enforced defence may actually aid him. He seemed to track back a lot to cover last season, will he be able to stay where a striker used to be?

 

[Mellotron]

CMS scored most of his goals in his career in and around the six yard box. He keeps heading there, we don't put the ball there. When the ball gets put in there, he is there to finish it. Even it it bounces off him, like at Maidstone a couple of days ago.

The amount of times last season that LuaLua would beat the full back and put it right across the 6 yard line, with NO Albion player in sight...

 

[ees complicated no?]

The amount of times last season that LuaLua would beat the full back and put it right across the 6 yard line, with NO Albion player in sight...

So true, most of the time CMS was right on the edge of the 18 yard line.

 

[Trigger]

He needs to use his brain a bit more, he's got great pace so why the need to be offside 10 times a game?...

Based on what I saw last season I would take the swap BUT who knows, he may come good this season?...

 

[Mellotron]

I DO think the strengthened defence will help both the wingers (yes, we might start with two!) and CMS push up further, which can only be good news.

 

[Caveman]

I DO think the strengthened defence will help both the wingers (yes, we might start with two!) and CMS push up further, which can only be good news.

Spot on, Gus is a wise man, he knows what he is doing.

Bring back Chris Holroyd?

 

[Mellotron]

Spot on, Gus is a wise man, he knows what he is doing.

Bring back Chris Holroyd?

Perhaps not. Too lightweight. Shame, as had more natural ability than a number of strikers on our books over the last few years.

 

[Phat Baz 68]

My pants are fully wet now !!!!!

 

[Mutts Nuts]

Bearing in mind the fact that only Doncaster created fewer goalscoring chances in The Championship last season, how can you castigate him for failing to put away the chances that we failed so abysmally to create for him?

And where did you get that piece of information from.Are you saying that the rest of Guses team are shit because McSmudger only scored 10 goals last season

 

[Mutts Nuts]

He needs to use his brain a bit more, he's got great pace so why the need to be offside 10 times a game?...

Based on what I saw last season I would take the swap BUT who knows, he may come good this season?...

He may have agood season but i doubt it,if he does not we will not be able to give him away next year.Didn`t Leeds pay 500,000 for Mac ,if so a swap would mean Tony has spunked 3 million

 

[Vatican Citys No.2 Keeper]

Though I'd stick this on this thread due to it's relevance rather than start a new one, my Albion blog for Shoot this week is with regards to CMS and whether we should let him move on this summer, Give it a read and let me know what you think of it:

Mac will come good - Latest News - Shoot

Also, anyone on twitter, please follow myself and Shoot (@shootmagazine) on twitter, as I'll be writing an Albion blog each Thursday/Friday next season.