[Albion] We are 4th in the Premier League (behind Liverpool, Man City & Chelsea)

[Swansman]

Just awaiting the "but its Potters job to make sure that the strikers score".

Ok. Fine. But whats the strikers job then?

 

[Perkino]

I'm afraid that stat just confirms what anyone who has watched us this season already knows. We are nearly always 'in the game' often dominating for long periods and making enough chances to win, against teams throughout this league. We've all known we need a top class finisher ever since Glen started to slow down when he turned 25

My big worry is that even splashing out £40M doesn't guarantee us what we want. I think there was a fair bit of optimism that Welbeck could be that if he could stay fit. Well he's stayed fit

It's about the players having a clear understanding of who does what during play, currently it isn't working efficiently and the fans are getting frustrated. Constant changes to formations to accomodate differing personnel cannot help. We do 90% of things very well and as Potter is preparing the players to but when we move forward we take an extra unnecessary touch instead of passing/shooting, in defence we have individuals running into space and an uncertainty of who goes with them.

There are so many differences required of players in a 4-4-2 then in a 3-5-2 or a 5-4-1 and it's the decision making that lets us down. We could bring in Aguero and we wouldn't get him the ball to his feet in dangerous positions when he was in space with an opportunity to score instead we would float a cross into him whilst he was marked by 2 x 190+cm tall CB's. There are some teams who have a seemless production line of quality strikers which they can sell and replace with the next gem because the club has a clear identity and individuals know their responsibilities in each position. We are not there yet but we have made huge strides towards a long term project and I hope we don't ditch it anytime soon

 

[nwgull]

But isn't the whole point of the thread that we are creating decent chances? I thought that's what xG is?

Yes. And it indicates that our defence isn’t too bad either. Hopefully Sanchez will continue as he’s started and will reduce our actual goals conceded to something similar to the xG.

 

[Johnny RoastBeef]

If only that counted for anything at all.

Sadly he's the one playing Connolly and not pushing back to the recruitment department that we are somewhat deficient in the striker department.

Plus, look what Calvert-Lewin has done with proper striker coaching from Ferguson.

I'm sure everyone at the club is very aware of our deficiencies, but strikers cost big money.

I'm not sure the pandemic will allow us to push the boat out very far.

 

[Frankie]

We must be top at hitting the Woodwnd ork, hopefully that will be taken into account at the end of the season when Sky get the Premier league to change the rules again .

 

[Sarisbury Seagull]

If only that counted for anything at all.

Sadly he's the one playing Connolly and not pushing back to the recruitment department that we are somewhat deficient in the striker department.

Plus, look what Calvert-Lewin has done with proper striker coaching from Ferguson.

How do you know he's not pushing back at the recruitment department? He's not going to come out and say that publicly is he?

And I don't think it's fair a comparison to use Calvert-Lewin as a stick to beat Potter's coaching with. He's three years older, had made over 140 professional appearances and scored just 21 goals including two spells on loan in the lower leagues before he started really progressing last year. In his 4 years at Everton, Ferguson has been a coach all that time so you can't say that's what has suddenly turned him around.

Connolly needs to do what Calvert-Lewin did and learn the game in the lower leagues. He needs to swallow his pride and accept he's not good enough for the Premier League at the moment and that a loan will be the best move all round. Hopefully one day he will become as good as DCL has.

Potter is being massively handicapped all the while he has to field an attack with the likes of Connolly, Maupay, AJ and Trossard.

 

[Guinness Boy]

I'm sure everyone at the club is very aware of our deficiencies, but strikers cost big money.

I'm not sure the pandemic will allow us to push the boat out very far.

Some do and some don't.

In the current top 10 goal scorers in the league we have two who cost very little and have been coached into good players - Calvert-Lewin and Bamford, who cost Leeds around £7 million and was widely derided by their fans. Sadly, as much as we gave them stick over White etc it seems that Bielsa has unlocked the goals in him.

We also have players who are, of course, WAAY off our radar (Kane, Vardy, Son, Salah etc). And then you have two, in Wilson and Watkins who were not cheap but who might have fitted into a more competitive budget without compromising us continuing to develop other players. You may argue fee plus wages puts them outside our budget but a gamble on one may have meant that we wouldn't be having this thread right now. Newcastle are utterly woeful, but because of Wilson they're above us.

 

[Guinness Boy]

How do you know he's not pushing back at the recruitment department? He's not going to come out and say that publicly is he?

Of course I don't KNOW but there was a post on here from someone known to be close to CH that suggested the starting line up isn't just dictated by Potter. I chose to believe it.

 

[Johnny RoastBeef]

Some do and some don't.

In the current top 10 goal scorers in the league we have two who cost very little and have been coached into good players - Calvert-Lewin and Bamford, who cost Leeds around £7 million and was widely derided by their fans. Sadly, as much as we gave them stick over White etc it seems that Bielsa has unlocked the goals in him.

We also have players who are, of course, WAAY off our radar (Kane, Vardy, Son, Salah etc). And then you have two, in Wilson and Watkins who were not cheap but who might have fitted into a more competitive budget without compromising us continuing to develop other players. You may argue fee plus wages puts them outside our budget but a gamble on one may have meant that we wouldn't be having this thread right now. Newcastle are utterly woeful, but because of Wilson they're above us.

Yep, I cant argue with any of that.

The question remains, all strikers are a gamble, will Tony sanction a gamble on the back of massive losses?

Fortunately the rest of the team seems to be working, so solving the striker issue should be the final piece of the puzzle.

It must be tempting for him.

Fingers crossed.

 

[Sarisbury Seagull]

Of course I don't KNOW but there was a post on here from someone known to be close to CH that suggested the starting line up isn't just dictated by Potter. I chose to believe it.

Ahh, so all just gossip and chinese whispers and no facts. Got it. And from someone that knows the ex manager who hasn't been at the club for over 18 months. Ok, that's very reliable.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

That was pour

Yup, didn't cut the mustard

 

[Guinness Boy]

Ahh, so all just gossip and chinese whispers and no facts. Got it. And from someone that knows the ex manager who hasn't been at the club for over 18 months. Ok, that's very reliable.

It was a post by [MENTION=30752]NooBHA[/MENTION] who may see this tag and defend his comment, or may not see it, or may see it and choose not to defend it. Like I said, I choose to believe it and that is based on a fact. Look at our starting line ups this season. White has played every game, even though we had to shoehorn him into midfield at times, and he's really not a midfielder. One of Connolly, Alzate or Sanchez have as well.

Now, I'm well aware that many on this board, including me at times, chided CH for NOT playing the youngsters, so it would be extremely unfair to then beat Potter with a different stick. However, all I am saying is our starting line ups prove, up to a point, the post I read.

 

[Wrong-Direction]

We have been incredibly unlucky..

Sent from my SM-A600FN using Tapatalk

 

[nwgull]

We have been incredibly unlucky..

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I’m not sure we have. Strikers consistently not converting the chances we’re creating is down to more than bad luck. Likewise having such a high goals against per shots on target ratio.

 

[Wozza]

Fun thread to bounce when we get relegated under Potter.

Just awaiting the "but its Potters job to make sure that the strikers score".

Ok. Fine. But whats the strikers job then?

To follow instructions.

 

[Swansman]

To follow instructions.

Ah, so if you have a great manager anyone could score goals in the PL? It got nothing to do with quality etc? Weird that all these teams spend so much money when this is the case.

 

[Hugo Rune]

We are 4th in the Premier League (behind Liverpool, Man City & Chelsea)

We’d be in first place with Liverpool’s front 3, there is no doubt about that at all.

Thankfully, Bloom has a lot more cerebral integrity than the majority of our supporters and Potter will be going nowhere. Like the academy, it’s a long term project. So many of our simpler fans will just not be able to understand this concept.

 

[Eric Youngs Contact Lens]

It's about the players having a clear understanding of who does what during play, currently it isn't working efficiently and the fans are getting frustrated. Constant changes to formations to accomodate differing personnel cannot help. We do 90% of things very well and as Potter is preparing the players to but when we move forward we take an extra unnecessary touch instead of passing/shooting, in defence we have individuals running into space and an uncertainty of who goes with them.

There are so many differences required of players in a 4-4-2 then in a 3-5-2 or a 5-4-1 and it's the decision making that lets us down. We could bring in Aguero and we wouldn't get him the ball to his feet in dangerous positions when he was in space with an opportunity to score instead we would float a cross into him whilst he was marked by 2 x 190+cm tall CB's. There are some teams who have a seemless production line of quality strikers which they can sell and replace with the next gem because the club has a clear identity and individuals know their responsibilities in each position. We are not there yet but we have made huge strides towards a long term project and I hope we don't ditch it anytime soon

But we do this- quite a lot I think.. I agree with much of your post, but this is the point for me.. Just yesterday's game, but plenty of other examples I think.. Lallana slides Connolly in 1st half, .. shoots weakly and not widely enough of the GK. Trossard cut-back for Maupay 1st half : weak finish cleared ; Connolly's header.. cross whipped in from Ali J; Maupay missed short (tricky) 1st time volley from header and then 2nd bite gets knocked over the bar. These were all chances that our play created that Aguero would have nailed at least 1, 2 or maybe 3 of them!

 

[warmleyseagull]

He's a good chef with average ingredients. Need to source some speciality items.

But good chefs can make exciting dishes with average ingredients.

 

[London Irish]

No one has a clue what strikers we are playing from one week to the next, and it's destroyed the confidence of our players. No wonder they are so tentative and cant hit a barn door. Potter simply doesn't know his best team and is flailing