[Albion] Is the problem goalscoring or not?

[warmleyseagull]

It is a problem of game management and an element of luck. Albion are 11th= on goals for, and 7th= on goals against, 12th on goal difference, so logically should be standing higher in League.

The problem is 14 points lost from winning positions, only West Ham (17) are worst. TBH, there is an element of bad luck. The Burnley, Palace and Villa equalizers were all pretty special efforts that on most days would have flattened a fan in row Z. Another 6 points and we would be bowing down in front of Potter images.

It is fine margins; don't disagree that game management might be better, but I think luck, on balance, has not favoured Albion this season. A lot was used up by staying up last season...

 

[nwgull]

Just to be clear, I'm not advocating a return to last seasons risk-averse playing style. I want us to eliminate the defensive errors that seem to occur when we are 1-0 up. We do not come under continuous pressure as we do not sit back, but we still manage to lose a man and concede al la Burnley, Palace and Aston Villa in otherwise good performances.

Fair enough. Bit unfair to say the defence lost a man for the Villa goal though. Mooy gave the ball away cheaply and the defence were left completely out of shape, as any team would be when losing the ball in such a position.

 

[Coalburner]

Very much agree with Jordy Post 440. We appear to have a set of players who are unwilling to take the responsibility for having a shot from whatever range. We need to pepper the opposition goal at every opportunity, not pass to someone else for them to have a go There's always the chance of a deflection, or the goalie making an error. ball hitting a defender's hand. etc. I'd also like to see wingers taking the ball into the opposition's penalty area, rather than getting rid of before they get there. Not every time,of course, but on say one in three occasions. Defenders have to back off, because, they dare not risk a tackle i9n side the box. Maybe we wouldn't always score, buy we'd have a damned good chance of getting a penalty. Maybe not pretty, but likely to be effective.

 

[Perkino]

At this point last season we'd conceded 32 goals to this season's 31.

Wow! I thought it would be much less than this as we didn't seem to fall apart until after the midweek game a Fulham

 

[kemptown kid]

This decision concerned me as well. They had three players on Mooy and yet we allowed Grealish the freedom of the Amex.

Not quite. Thought we kept him fairly quiet - he had 2 or 3 opportunities and took one very well after uncharacteristic error from Mooy. Don't recall Ryan having much to save, bar a tame free kick. A bit like Zaha's excellent strike after we bossed the game at Selhurst - we were undone by a moment of quality. Scoring a second when we are on top more likely route to wins than seeing out one nils I believe.

 

[Blue3]

At this point last season we'd conceded 32 goals to this season's 31.

Blimey I would not have guessed that I thought our defence was quite solid last year compaired to this

Surely the problem is lack of goals scored we are simply not scoring enough earlier in the season we had lots of the ball and we were making lots of chances but not putting those chances away now we appear to still have lots of the ball and not making chances the not putting of chances away has not changed

 

[bhawoddy]

defence has been fine this season. A lack of goals always emphasises defensive errors as they become more costly when you cant stick the ball in the net.

 

[Beach Hut]

Goalscoring has been our issue since the start of last season, this season we have improved in playing better, more attractive football but until we can score goals on a regular basis every season will be a struggle (hoping also three shittier teams)