[Albion] Lack of goals from midfield

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caesar

Member
Oct 9, 2005
80
Much is made of our need to recruit strikers, but in my opinion we also need to look to get significantly more goals from our midfielders. Good teams do not rely solely on their strike force to score goals , but we seem to have assembled a squad that not only is weak up front but has a whole host of midfielders who seem incapable of scoring goals.
This is the return from our midfielders since the start of last season:


Adam Lallana 44 1
Solly March 46 3
Yves Bissouma 51 2
Steven Alzate 21 2
Enoch Mwepu 9 2
Alexis Mac Allister 39 5
Pascal Gross 54 3
Jacob Moder 29 1

TOTAL 293 19

In comparison Connor Gallagher has scored 6 goals from 17 games this season for Palace.
 




dazzer6666

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Mar 27, 2013
55,533
Burgess Hill
Much is made of our need to recruit strikers, but in my opinion we also need to look to get significantly more goals from our midfielders. Good teams do not rely solely on their strike force to score goals , but we seem to have assembled a squad that not only is weak up front but has a whole host of midfielders who seem incapable of scoring goals.
This is the return from our midfielders since the start of last season:


Adam Lallana 44 1
Solly March 46 3
Yves Bissouma 51 2
Steven Alzate 21 2
Enoch Mwepu 9 2
Alexis Mac Allister 39 5
Pascal Gross 54 3
Jacob Moder 29 1

TOTAL 293 19

In comparison Connor Gallagher has scored 6 goals from 17 games this season for Palace.

100% correct………the contribution from midfield is awful.
 


Berty23

Well-known member
Jun 26, 2012
3,643
I have been banging this drum for ages. We really could have done with getting Gallagher from Chelsea. He is exactly what we need. I was hopeful Adam L would bring goals but he hasn’t. I can’t see Cuc scoring many from wing back either. It is so hard to see where goals will come from l, especially with our three good defenders out to score from set plays.
 


Tony Le Mesmer

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
1,380
South Wales
Take out the cup goals from the equation and it's much more bleak.

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Swansman

Pro-peace
May 13, 2019
22,320
Sweden
It is a problem yes.

Light in the end of the tunnel is that I think Mwepu (despite his misses today) could be the kind of player contributing with 5-6 goals per season. Need some more of that however.
 




portlock seagull

Well-known member
Jul 28, 2003
17,777
Much is made of our need to recruit strikers, but in my opinion we also need to look to get significantly more goals from our midfielders. Good teams do not rely solely on their strike force to score goals , but we seem to have assembled a squad that not only is weak up front but has a whole host of midfielders who seem incapable of scoring goals.
This is the return from our midfielders since the start of last season:


Adam Lallana 44 1
Solly March 46 3
Yves Bissouma 51 2
Steven Alzate 21 2
Enoch Mwepu 9 2
Alexis Mac Allister 39 5
Pascal Gross 54 3
Jacob Moder 29 1

TOTAL 293 19

In comparison Connor Gallagher has scored 6 goals from 17 games this season for Palace.

This doesn’t even scratch the surface. Add every midfielder from the last 5 seasons. B&HA, the home of crab football.
 




GT49er

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Feb 1, 2009
49,183
Gloucester
Yes, it's been our problem for years and years. Not the 'striker problem'. If our midfield was contributing 3-4-5 goals a season each (not too much to ask) we wouldn't even be thinking about grizzling about TB not wanting to spend £40\M on a striker and paying hm £110K a week. A couple each from our defenders would have us pretty near to dreamland too ...................
 




South west gull

New member
Nov 3, 2021
1,008
Yes, it's been our problem for years and years. Not the 'striker problem'. If our midfield was contributing 3-4-5 goals a season each (not too much to ask) we wouldn't even be thinking about grizzling about TB not wanting to spend £40\M on a striker and paying hm £110K a week. A couple each from our defenders would have us pretty near to dreamland too ...................
Anyone scoring I would be happy with but hey I support my team unlike a lot on here.moan moan moan that's all they do.tonight post match in dicks we are all behind our team no negative what's so ever

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GT49er

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Feb 1, 2009
49,183
Gloucester
Anyone scoring I would be happy with but hey I support my team unlike a lot on here.moan moan moan that's all they do.tonight post match in dicks we are all behind our team no negative what's so ever.

Yes, anyone scoring would be fine for me too. Bobby Sanchez going up and heading in a 92nd. minute corner would do me just fine!
 


BadFish

Huge Member
Oct 19, 2003
18,201
Very hard not to get frustrated with today's performance. Something is rotten in Denmark. All avenues to goal seem to be blocked. Strikers - No, Midfielders - No, Set pieces - No.

Maybe it is less to do with the personnel and more to do with the game plan.

I don't know what needs to change, but something does.
 
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Machiavelli

Well-known member
Oct 11, 2013
17,770
Fiveways
Much is made of our need to recruit strikers, but in my opinion we also need to look to get significantly more goals from our midfielders. Good teams do not rely solely on their strike force to score goals , but we seem to have assembled a squad that not only is weak up front but has a whole host of midfielders who seem incapable of scoring goals.
This is the return from our midfielders since the start of last season:


Adam Lallana 44 1
Solly March 46 3
Yves Bissouma 51 2
Steven Alzate 21 2
Enoch Mwepu 9 2
Alexis Mac Allister 39 5
Pascal Gross 54 3
Jacob Moder 29 1

TOTAL 293 19

In comparison Connor Gallagher has scored 6 goals from 17 games this season for Palace.

You are, of course, absolutely spot on. You are also generous: those figures include goals from Cup games which have been generous to our midfielders. If you took those out, March 2, Biss 1, Alzate 1, Mwepu 1, Ali Mac 3(?), Gross (nb all pens), Moder zero
 


PoG

Well-known member
Oct 29, 2013
1,120
Our midfield score record has always been gash in the Amex era, nothing new here.
 


Washie

Well-known member
Jun 20, 2011
6,052
Eastbourne
I think this where the issue is with our recruitment policy comes into play. We don't sign players who can score goals, we sign players who set them up. Now our entire team is filled with the exact same players. Maupay is best as support striker like Baldock was. Trossard is good but is better at getting the ball into dangerous positions the creating space. Moder is a left sided midfielder played through the middle who's best attribute is his passing, not known really for scoring goals. Same as Mwepu. Caicedo is more defensive minded, able to break up play and make good passes, but is able to score the occasional goal. Lallana is a support player and has never been a goalscorer. Bissouma never has nor will be a goalscorer will only ever score maybe 1 or 2 a season.

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Not Andy Naylor

Well-known member
Dec 12, 2007
8,995
Seven Dials
I have been banging this drum for ages. We really could have done with getting Gallagher from Chelsea. He is exactly what we need. I was hopeful Adam L would bring goals but he hasn’t. I can’t see Cuc scoring many from wing back either. It is so hard to see where goals will come from l, especially with our three good defenders out to score from set plays.

In my opinion, people who think that Conor Gallagher would have scored as many goals for us as he has for Palace are missing the point. Palace get the ball forward much faster than we do and most of the time he hasn't got the whole of the opposition team in front of him when he shoots.

Playing in our team, he'd be shooting into a ruck of defenders or waiting for a half-blocked cross to reach him 25 yards out.
 


RonGiffo7

New member
Jul 26, 2021
22
We could try Andy Moran. He had 11 in 23 games with 12 assists for u18, not so much for u23 but would like to see him come on for Lallana/GroB.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FH8KDbDcbJA

Some quality here, be lucky to hold on to him tbh.

Shame about Caicedo cos he scored a lot from MC too but think it was a bad idea to send him to poor team in belgian league.

Maybe too early for both but like to see them on the bench.
 


TottonSeagull

Well-known member
Mar 5, 2011
4,580
Totton (Nr Southampton)
In my opinion, people who think that Conor Gallagher would have scored as many goals for us as he has for Palace are missing the point. Palace get the ball forward much faster than we do and most of the time he hasn't got the whole of the opposition team in front of him when he shoots.

Playing in our team, he'd be shooting into a ruck of defenders or waiting for a half-blocked cross to reach him 25 yards out.

Agree with this. We all know we need a striker but we also need to move the ball quicker to create the opening that strikers / midfielders can feed off. Unfortunately our slow and pedestrian build up play allows the opposition to set up 8 behind the ball and then we just pass in front of them. I am sure the current crop of midfielders have a lot more goals in them then they have shown so far but our esteemed manager needs to quicken our play up to create space for them!
 




The Fits

Well-known member
Jun 29, 2020
10,106
In my opinion, people who think that Conor Gallagher would have scored as many goals for us as he has for Palace are missing the point. Palace get the ball forward much faster than we do and most of the time he hasn't got the whole of the opposition team in front of him when he shoots.

Playing in our team, he'd be shooting into a ruck of defenders or waiting for a half-blocked cross to reach him 25 yards out.

Absolutely this.
 


Nobby Cybergoat

Well-known member
Jul 19, 2021
8,624
There's lots of opinions I agree with on this thread.

The finishing from our midfield is shamefully bad. Nobody is asking for screamers. Just that they break into the box and take obviously presentable chances.

We should be moving the ball faster (or at least be able to up the pace and take greater risks in possession if we find we need a goal)

We shouldn't be afraid to take a loan player. Palace and Southampton finish above us every season because they're not afraid to recognise that sometimes you have to think about this season rather than the one in 3 years time
 


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