League 1 top scorers

[ali jenkins]

I cant decide if its a good thing or not that we dont have anyone in the 'top scorers' list for League 1.

In some ways it shows that we have goals all over the team and were not relying on one person to score all our goals.

On the other hand, if you look back over the years, every team that wins any league has a player in the top 2/3 scorers for that league and we dont have anyone specific who we can rely on to lead the line and pop up with a goal in a scrappy game.

So my question for NSC is...


"Do we still crave/need a '25 goals a season' player or can we still win the league sharing the goals around?"

 

[Gav1901]

Well we're top with out one, so it shows we can do well without a '25 goal season striker'.

 

[hola gus]

If we carry on in this vein we WILL have a player in the top goalscorers list. Murray has the best chance i believe, but all of Barnes, Lua Lua (if he stays for season) and Bennet have the chance. Peterborough have 3 top quality players in that list, but there defence is shocking, so doesnt make them certs for promotion.

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

Not in the top scorers list but joint top GD? I'd take that...Murray only needs a couple (and Barnes another 3) and will be joint 2nd, along with all the others on 6!

 

[larus]

Having a 25+ striker is great, as long as you don't depend on him.

I'm fairly content at the moment: the balance of the team is good, we've got players all over the park chipping in with goals and we're defensively very sound. I think a strong defence is more important than a rampant forward line. Look at Peterborough; scored more than us better leaked a lot more goals.

Another quality striker would be good as Barnes is still learning his trade. However, there's an argument that in some way it's easier to do this in a successful team than in a struggling one, so all the time we're still doing OK, then why change?

 

[the hitman]

What i think it proves is that our current strikers are not quite good enough for a team in our position, fortunately, the rest of our team are more than good enough!

Imagine how good we would be if we had those two posh boys up front!

 

[Scotty Mac]

there is not one stand out striker in this league, as there has been in other seasons. peterborough and southampton have probably got the best options, but one is currently conceding so many goals that it isn't going to make much difference and the other have given themselves a fair amount of work to do already owing to their poor start

coupled with the fact we look very good defensively, this is the one season where a 25 goal man may not be a key ingredient in promotion

 

[andywhing4england]

He'd be a nice addition and i think over the course of the season someone will need to have to take up the gauntlet and start banging em in. Mind you, we're doing alright at the moment.

 

[8ace]

The worry for me is we don't know if our joint top scorer will be with us after Christmas.

 

[Scotty Mac]

incidentally, if you had le fondre and gave him the chances that barnes has missed this season (taking into account some of them have been difficult), im certain he would be one of the top scorers if not the in the division at the minute

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

Why do you assume that Fondre would make the step where Holroyd couldn't (and is incidentally banging them away in the same league as Fondre currently)?

 

[ali jenkins]

I do agree, as long as we get a few players into double figures. At the moment we're clearly too good for anyone in this league and I'm sure we'll go up. The problem is at some point we won't play that well for a spell, and it is those games that Zamora used to win us 1-0 when we last won titles. Have we got anyone you'd back to do that this time?[/QUOTE]

Thats what I was trying to get at. Obviously its only October and there is still plenty of time for someone to step up to the plate.

It gives the team confidence in the games that we are playing badly that there is someone on the pitch that is capable of banging one in and getting 3 points.

 

[HalfTimeOrange]

Well, at the moment we have:

LuaLua on 4
Murray on 4
Barnes on 3
Sparrow on 3
Bennett on 1
Calderon on 1
Painter on 1
Sandaza on 1
Elphick on 1

To be honest we are doing pretty well at the moment without one, and at the moment if we keep going the way we are I can't see us needing one, but as we always do there will be a dip and at this point we will need a consistent finisher who can sometimes create something out of nothing.

 

[The Wizard]

Why do you assume that Fondre would make the step where Holroyd couldn't (and is incidentally banging them away in the same league as Fondre currently)?

this

 

[Barrel of Fun]

As poster before...

I don't think we should get too hung up on a must have two 20+ goalscorers.

Those that were promoted automatically...

00/01
Millwall - Harris 27, Moody 14
Rotherham - Robins 24, Lee 13

01/02
Brighton - Zamora 28, Steele 9
Reading - Forster 18, Cureton 15

02/03
Wigan - Liddell 16, Ellington 15
Crewe - Hulse 22, Ashton 9

03/04
Plymouth - Friio 14, Evans 12, Keith 9
QPR - Gallen 17, Furlong 16

04/05
Luton - Howard 18, Brkovic 15
Hull - Elliott 27, Barmby 9

05/06
Colchester - Iwelumo 17, Danns 8
Southend - Eastwood 23, Goater 11

06/07
Scunthorpe - Sharp 30, Keogh 7
Bristol City - Jevons 11, Showumni 10

07/08
Notts Forest - Agogo 13, Commons 9, Tyson 9
Swansea - Scotland 24, Robinson 8

08/09
Leicester - Fryatt 27, Howard 13
Peterborough - McKail-Smith 23, McLean 17

09/10
Norwich - Holt 24, Martin 17
Leeds - Beckford 25, Becchio 15

 

[Flavor Flav]

I think the difference is that some teams recognise that they have a cracking striker and play around him. Our team doesn't do that so goals come from all over the team, which I probably prefer.

 

[Steve Foster]

Have to say that I am enjoying the fact that the goals are being shared around, rather than relying on one or two players.

Saying that we need better cover for our two forwards, who will ultimately tire, get injured, suspensions, colds etc as the season progresses.

Also begs the question, would another forward have scored more than 3 goals this season given the number of opportunities Barnes has had on goal. Looking at our back-up I would say no. If another proven forward was at the club then who knows?

The season is barely a quarter through. Let's enjoy the ride & to see goals come in from all areas of the pitch. Would love El Abd to score one as well.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I think if we're gonna win the league, and if history is anything to go by, we'll need one.

However I'm not ruling out LuaLua or Murray being the man at this point...

It is true a lot of successful lower league teams centre around a talismanic centre forward but then a lot of teams pump the ball up to said striker, so it is a bit self-fulfilling. But, if you play the way we do, and have a midfield like ours, then you do not need a 25 goal striker....IMHO.

I predict Murray and Barnes will hit double figures, and if Bennett and LuaLau do not they will come very close. I also think Sparrow has a few in him.

 

[Marshy]

Its just as important we continue our mean streak at the back, if we do that we are in with a shout.