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Why are we struggling to score this season?
- Thread starter Spur of the moment
- Start date
Pirate55
The Last Man Standing 17/18
Agree. Son did for a time but Eriksen ( no goals this season!) and Lamela need to step it up.
Thanks for that.
I know the ExpG stat isn't perfect, but it does indicate what I've felt that I've seen so far this season - that we're not creating enough chances OR taking them well enough (in terms of competing with the rest of the top 5).
spurs' magna carter
Ronnie Rosenthal
Dog brick, absolute f***ing Dog brick.
Their keeper was laughing all night. I bet you that lot can't wait to play us, their first clean sheet in a while guaranteed and looking at our defence now a few goals to boot.
Typical f***ing Tottenham, smash City, lap up all the Mcf***ing plaudits then forget how to play football afterwards.
1 goal from open play in 7 games! NOT EVEN SUNDERLAND ARE THAT F***ing BAD!!!!!
Their keeper was laughing all night. I bet you that lot can't wait to play us, their first clean sheet in a while guaranteed and looking at our defence now a few goals to boot.
Typical f***ing Tottenham, smash City, lap up all the Mcf***ing plaudits then forget how to play football afterwards.
1 goal from open play in 7 games! NOT EVEN SUNDERLAND ARE THAT F***ing BAD!!!!!
Daisuk
Dimitar Berbatov
It's pretty incredible. I hope we're at the point where things have gotten worse after they'll start to get better at this point, and that we're not going to suck for another few games. Looking quite likely though.
Modric THFC
Jimmy McCormick
Read this at the weekend from Stephen Hunt former premier league player with Reading, Hull and Wolves on form
He mentions that top teams start over complicating their attack. That's what I've been noticing everywhere. Players trying passes and flicks that never work out.
Here's the relevant bit in his article http://www.independent.ie/sport/soc...d-river-to-break-a-losing-cycle-35172599.html
"In the dressing room and at training, players don't actually use the word "form" that much, but it shows that it is a phenomenon and one that's often psychological.
When you lose two, three games in a row, the subconscious doubt and tension starts to accumulate. A certain impatience - and then anxiety - develops in your game.
You start to see pictures of the game in your mind. You start actually thinking of the pass you're about to make, rather than doing it naturally. When you work with a sports psychologist, you would visualise situations in the build-up to a game, so you could do it naturally on the Saturday, but it becomes a problem if you're doing that mid-game. It shows you're thinking about it all too much and just aren't playing with the same trust and confidence in yourself.
Top teams will become that bit more elaborate and over-complicated in attack, while bottom teams will go too direct.
When you're on a winning run, by contrast, you don't need to think about what you're doing. Everything comes naturally and everyone is on the same wavelength. Sure, you've taken on the tactical preparation, but you're then able to instinctively apply it. You're just free-wheeling all the way and don't dwell on anything.
Something in that is distorted when you're losing.
What you'll notice with a team on a bad run, too, is that they often start games well. It happens so often. That's because they're consciously trying to get on the front foot, to get at the opposition, to force themselves out of it.
Then, there'll either be one bad pass, or one bad decision, and everyone is on the back foot again. The team gets nervous, the crowd gets nervous, and you get into that negative cycle.
A defender will go to clear and slash at a ball, and then it just kind of drops on everyone, not just that player."
He mentions that top teams start over complicating their attack. That's what I've been noticing everywhere. Players trying passes and flicks that never work out.
Here's the relevant bit in his article http://www.independent.ie/sport/soc...d-river-to-break-a-losing-cycle-35172599.html
"In the dressing room and at training, players don't actually use the word "form" that much, but it shows that it is a phenomenon and one that's often psychological.
When you lose two, three games in a row, the subconscious doubt and tension starts to accumulate. A certain impatience - and then anxiety - develops in your game.
You start to see pictures of the game in your mind. You start actually thinking of the pass you're about to make, rather than doing it naturally. When you work with a sports psychologist, you would visualise situations in the build-up to a game, so you could do it naturally on the Saturday, but it becomes a problem if you're doing that mid-game. It shows you're thinking about it all too much and just aren't playing with the same trust and confidence in yourself.
Top teams will become that bit more elaborate and over-complicated in attack, while bottom teams will go too direct.
When you're on a winning run, by contrast, you don't need to think about what you're doing. Everything comes naturally and everyone is on the same wavelength. Sure, you've taken on the tactical preparation, but you're then able to instinctively apply it. You're just free-wheeling all the way and don't dwell on anything.
Something in that is distorted when you're losing.
What you'll notice with a team on a bad run, too, is that they often start games well. It happens so often. That's because they're consciously trying to get on the front foot, to get at the opposition, to force themselves out of it.
Then, there'll either be one bad pass, or one bad decision, and everyone is on the back foot again. The team gets nervous, the crowd gets nervous, and you get into that negative cycle.
A defender will go to clear and slash at a ball, and then it just kind of drops on everyone, not just that player."
metalgear
Luka Modric
Bedfordspurs
Mark Falco
Can't think of anything more spot on to describe our problem
Great read, thanks.
I think fans and pundits are massively guilty of overanalysing football these days. I'd suggest we are struggling to score because our front players aren't as good as our competitors (especially without Kane), and are also going through a period of low confidence after a couple of disappointing results.
Not much more to say than that in my opinion!
Let's hope that Poch helps them get their confidence back asap, that our superior defensive record is enough to see us continue to compete for the title, and that we buy a top class attacking midfielder in the next window or two.
ricky2tricky4city
Steffen Freund
Except the 'start games well' bit. Not sure if we're on some super-duper low level then, as I can safely say we did not start well on Wednesday.
Bedfordspurs
Mark Falco
But they were better than most last season and we were the second top scorers whils keeping the best defence so what's changed
StephenH
David Ginola
We are about par between 5th - 8th from a financial standpoint.
We have been a little spooked recently as last season we were punching above our weight AND some big sides were awful. Now financial superiority is being better reflect in league position.
In short last season was a freak!
Poch cannot defend his way to a top four finnish IMHO
Harry had two fantastic seasons and I think we have not 'properly' allowed for his inevitable absence.
We have been a little spooked recently as last season we were punching above our weight AND some big sides were awful. Now financial superiority is being better reflect in league position.
In short last season was a freak!
Poch cannot defend his way to a top four finnish IMHO
Harry had two fantastic seasons and I think we have not 'properly' allowed for his inevitable absence.
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ricky2tricky4city
Steffen Freund
Our front players are good enough. The only players who have overseen a title challenge in recent decades.
They are guilty of being out of form and have lost confidence in themselves and each other.
What I would say, is given we are only 3pts of the top, that would suggest the other top teams MUST of had barren patches too, to of only accumalated 3pts more than us at this stage.(probably complete with the forum ranting
).Let's hope it's fixable, could be just the return of key personnel (like City). or another player stepping up via some Poch magic.
A good win against the scum will obviously make everything alright
Pirate55
The Last Man Standing 17/18
Our major problem on the scoring front is that none of the three attacking players we bought have had any immediate impact whatsoever. VJ, NKD and Sissoko have all failed miserably so far and consequently as soon as any of our first team get injured or lose form, their replacements have been so inadequate as to bring the rest of the team down and force unneccessary changes in our overall tactics or team shape.
tynesidespur
Terry Yorath
Agree. I think we've been struggling to score for a number of reasons. The main one for me is that having watched a bit of Janssen now, I think he likes to play with his back to goal and doesn't make the channel style runs like Kane so Alli/Eriksen/Lamela have no-one to thread the ball through to. We've also suffered some bad luck with hitting the woodwork 7 times and Alli missing some sitters. With the luck running out and only scoring penalties in our last few games we've also ran out of confidence in front of goal. As the article above says I think the forward players are over thinking things.
We need 3 things:
- Kane back to make the right runs to create space.
- Janssen to adapt his game or, in Kane's absence we need to tailor our game so that the 3 behind Janssen make runs beyond him or we put more crosses into the box for him
- A bit of luck for a goal to go in off someone's backside and get us going from open play again.
Robspur12
Nick Barmby
There is a lot I agree with in your post. You have to factor in the loss of Dembele and Alderweireld as well as Kane. Three important players. for us. It is fair to say we can just about cover the loss of Toby defensively thanks to wanyama and Verts. We cannot yet cover the loss of dembele and Kane.Dembele to break through pressing teams and Kane for his workrate, link up play and goal threat.
It would be hard for any team to cover the loss of those three even with pots of money because you have to rely on your replacements being as good and slotting into the team seamlessly. I think in view of these player absences it is testament to Poch keeping us unbeaten and in touching distance of the leaders.
I am actually resigned to us exiting the champions league this season. Plenty of good managers have struggled in it and it is poch's first attempt. It wasn't like we were going to win it. If we exit I would like us to really go for it in the league and FA Cup.
Kandi1977
Garth Crooks
I have watched a few of our games again recently, to try to see why we have not scored lately. To me it looks like all our players are all about setting up others! No one has that selfishness to go for it themselves, except when they actually should pass it. So I think it's down to decision making and lack of confidence. Think we need a bit of luck to get going again.
That changes when Harry comes back: "Give me the ball lads, I'll show you how to do that shoot and score thing I'm good at."
We could also do with the three who play behind the CF discovering some form (esp Lamela and Eriksen) and also Dembele staying fit (given that we decided to go into this season with no cover for him)