Lack of goals. From everywhere
Taking point 🗣️
Luke Berry got his 3rd and 4th goal of the season last night. There’s only been six starts, criticized in some quarters for not influencing games enough, he does have a habit of appearing from nowhere to score.
The question on everyone’s lips after Alfie May was cut loose was where will the goals come from.
The midfield needed to contribute but other than Berry, only Docherty has a goal to his name.
Okay, that’s a problem and a reason why we have scored more than one goal in a game just three times yielding 4 points. 13 goals in 13 games (L1 and EFL Cup). Only 1 (ONE) in first half play, which is laughable, and surely some sort of record.
Our biggest problem however is that the strikers aren’t scoring hardly at all, and we have a lot of them.
May had scored 8 games by this point last season, Godden has three and the rest have two between them and fatally only three assists with Aneke the best return per minutes on the pitch, other than Godden.
Striker stats L1 and EFL Cup.
T Campbell — 13 games, 9 starts, 0 goals, 0 assists
Ahadme — 8 games, 8 starts, 1 goal, 0 assists
Kanu — 9 games, 4 starts, 0 goals, 0 assists
Godden — 11 games, 5 starts, 3 goals, 1 assists
Leaburn — 3 games, 1 start, 0 goals, 0 assists
Aneke — 10 games, 0 starts, 1 goal, 2 assists
Dixon — 1 games, no starts, 0 goals, 0 assists
Jones has permed about almost every partnership, seems intent on re-inventing Campbell into a striker, and looks to have forgotten all about Ahadme.
None of these players are going to 20 goals, none will get 15, but all we need is three of them to get 10 each with a couple of midfielders weighing in. In fact the defenders are doing their bit with three between them.
Jones sold May as he wanted to go down a different route with a different style of play. So, is the lack of goals the style or the players?
Pre-season seems a long time ago, and almost the entirety of Jones’ new signings were done before they went on their summer tour. As Jones adjusts his formation and berates his players for not following out instructions and game plans, it looks to me as if we need another pre-season.
As I have said frequently (too frequently for some) NJ is a self-opinionated, big-head who thinks he knows the game, but actually doesn’t.
Hounding Alfie out of the club was a suicidal act of madness. Even NJ must see that now.
I’ve noticed the tide is turning and many other supporters are questioning how long NJ can remain in position. I previously suggested he could be gone by January. I could well be correct.
A lot depends on whether our ownership group are content with mid-table, possibly dropping to upper relegation spot, League one semi-football. Or whether they genuinely harbour the ambition of promotion.
100% correct
Agree with Daggs, where are the goals coming from.
As inconsistent as the opening 12 games have been, we’re only one point off of the play-offs. I’m not pushing the panic button yet!
Partnerships take time to develop, which no manager has the luxury of these days, so if Jones does hit on the right formula soon, and we go on a decent run, then we will be in the mix for promotion.
Totally agree with yourself and Daggs…
I’m baffled at our non-ability to protect a lead and how many times have we conceeded late goals ? I watched the game and held my head in my hands when we conceeded so late on after 93 minutes…..2 points down the drain.
I hope NJ can tell players not to hit high balls into the opposition goal area when we don’t have tall players who can challenge….quick feet and passing ground level around the box seems to work.
It’s not really the goals that worry me. We just aren’t getting the ball from corners, crosses and free kicks into the right areas. On Tuesday I can’t recall any dead balls into the box hitting any of our players and so we didn’t create the sort of chances that forwards need, the two goals came from poor clearances that fell to Luke Berry.
We have lacked that bit of creativity in the last third of the pitch all season, I’ve also mentioned before that we lack a Kermogant number 10 type player who can unlock tight defences.
I know my memory isn’t what it was but wasn’t there something about letting a manager come in and give him time to build? I am so fed up with the procession of managers (and owners) that we have had. So if Daggs’ prediction is right we will have another one soon, probably no better than any of the others we have had. Things will be better for a couple of games and then they won’t. It’s ridiculous. We all remember fondly Curbs’ 10 year plan. Yes TEN Bloody years. The poor sods today are lucky to get 10 minutes.
Personally I wasn’t expecting to go up this season – I would have been happy with watching something a bit better on the pitch and building gradually. Has something to do with what I used to watch back in the day and how long that took to change.
Instant gratification, LP. It’s a thing.