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20-goals-a-season forward or more goals from midfield?


Maldini

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Which is more important? Chelsea have won the league for the past two seasons without a forward scoring over 20 goals a season and United look like winning the league this year with Rooney their top forward having scored 14 league goals. Our forwards have outscored Chelsea and United's this season but they're ahead of us in the table.

 

Just for the record, league goals from forwards this season

Liverpool - 31

 

Kuyt - 12

Crouch - 9

Bellamy - 7

Fowler - 3

 

Arsenal - 31

 

van Persie - 11

Henry - 9

Adebayor - 8

Baptista - 3

 

Chelsea - 30

 

Drogba - 19

Kalou - 7

Shevchenko - 4

 

Man United - 29

 

Rooney - 14

Saha - 8

Solskjaer - 6

Larsson - 1

 

The real difference in goals scored this season has been the amount coming from midfield. United have scored 40 league goals from midfield this season (44 if you count O'Shea as a midfielder), Chelsea have 23 and we only have 15.

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It doesn't matter where the goals come from, the bottom line is that they do. We've not had enough from either section.

 

We should have a midfield capable scoring (of our current crop i'd say Gerrard and Garcia, maybe Kewell are capable of scoring 10+ PL goals a season) and a strikeforce capable of scoring, so they can bale each other out.

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Good post Maldini in that it challenges something i assumed. Mind you arsenal have underperformed in the league and RVN and Henry have been injured for long spells as has Saha and Drogba will probably get 20 league goals.

 

I don't think our forwards have enough overall quality regardless of goals anyway

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Thing is though that United scored 87 goals in 2001 and finished 3rd. We scored 20 goals less and finished 2nd.

 

As far as goals scored go, we could use about 10 more a season. But our biggest problem isn't scoring goals, it's unlocking defences. We have a solid option on the left wing next year, and Pennant continuing to improve, and we'll score 60+.

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Good post Maldini in that it challenges something i assumed. Mind you arsenal have underperformed in the league and RVN and Henry have been injured for long spells as has Saha and Drogba will probably get 20 league goals.

 

I don't think our forwards have enough overall quality regardless of goals anyway

 

Some might say that United have had to make do without Van Nistelrooy pretty much all season...

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Midfielders need to chip in with a fair amount every season, which our's haven't for the past couple of years.

 

Apart from Luis (who we've sorely missed) and Stevie, no one else from midfield really contributes enough.

 

Pennant has an appalling scoring record. No goals from the left either apart from Riise. Kewell has never been prolific since his first season.

 

Xabi very rarely scores. Momo has never scored. Mascha should be able to contribute.

 

This puts loads of pressure on our strikers.

 

We're crying out for creativity from the left. Simao would be my choice, who scores quite regulary. Add Eto'o to that and we'll have a combination of more goals coming from midfield and potentially a 20 goals a season striker.

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We need some more goals - how many is debateable, depending on how tight we are at the back and whether we're creative enough to cut open strong or mob defences...where they come from doesn't matter in the slightest, in fact - the more widely spread the goals the more difficult it is for defences to nullify your attack.

 

If you win 31 games 1-0, draw 2 1-1 and lose 5 - you will win the league ahead of a team that wins 31 games 7-0, draws 1 3-3 and loses six. Winning games and titles isn't simply about scoring lots of goals - it's about scoring more than your opponent in any given game but mostly winning more games than your rivals, be it 1-0 0r whatever.

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What are the stats for goals for Ronaldo and Lampard this season?

 

Stevie needs to step it up a bit more possibly. We need a high scoring midfielder.

 

If gerrard had the same, more or less free role as lampard gets I am sure he would be at least an even playing field.

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Yes, but the more you can score, the more your overall goal differential will be and statistically you'll win more.

If you win more than your rivals your goal difference means pretty much nothing.

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Yes, but the more you can score, the more your overall goal differential will be and statistically you'll win more.

 

you could win every other game 6-0. means sweet fa if u dont do anything in the other games

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you could win every other game 6-0. means sweet fa if u dont do anything in the other games

Exactly my point - the win is the thing - more goals are just the icing on the cake. Not letting them in isequally important - and something we're damn good at.

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I'm wondering - why is it that we're so shyte at away games? I don't think it's necessarily a problem of us 'breaking down defences' with 20 goal a season strikers and players running at defences.

 

It's all mental I reckon - our home record is currently the 2nd best in the Prem; and it's not like we play a different set of 19 teams away from home is it?

 

So really, Rafa just needs to hire a shrink.

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Was thinking this myself, and I think it's goals from all over the park that we need. If you're relying on a 30+ striker, as Chelsea have this year and utd did previously with RVN, then apart from the risk over injury it affects the overall goal threat from the team.

 

I'm sure there have been positions this season where Pennant/Gonzales have had an opportunity to score dut didn't , whereas someone like Ronaldo/Giggs would. Other teams would be aware of this and therefore concentrate their energies on those more likely to do damage, this will result in less space for those who are the threat, and lessen their impact. As somebody mentioned before, it's scoring the first goal and taking the chances that we're most lacking.

 

I think 70-75 goals should be enough, especially with the defence we have. It's all well and good saying a 1-0 gives you the same points than a 5-0, but at 1-0 you are still only a moment away from dropping 2 points and will undoubtably working less hard than when you are coasting at 3-0 and able to bring on subs without a major risk. Arsenal were a great example of this a few seasons ago, 3-0 up in 30 minutes then just take it easy.

 

For those 75 goals I'd want to see 40+ from strikers, 30+ from midfield, and 10+ from the defence. I think our goal threat from defence is pretty poor, especially at set pieces, and Finnan's a 1 or 2 a season man. Carra/Agger are never going to score the number of goals you'd get from Terry or Gallas.

 

As for midfield, only Gerrard can expect to get 10+ a season. Garcia/Kewell might hope, but the rest are again 5 a season men tops. With Alonso/Mascherano/Sissoko there's not much you can do as it's either their position on the pitch or their general attacking ability. Alonso could push further forwards, but how many extra goals would we concede?

 

I'm in favour of giving Pennant more time, but I honestly don't ever see a real goal threat from him - one of the reasons why he's not in a higher price bracket. I'd rather see 2 goalscoring wingers than a new striker - Kaka +1 (Simao?) would be nice - but I'd be happy with one if we got a striker too. Don't see Kewell ever making it back properly and Gonzales looks like a winger version of Cisse - pace and thats about it (he doesn't even seem that fast to me)

 

Up front it's clearly pace allied to a goal threat that we need. I'm assuming Kuyt/Crouch will still be here, but Fowler's off and I think Bellamy's golfing incident combined with his general lack of goals might see him off too. He's the type of quick player we need, if he'd scored another 5-10 in the prem he would have had more of a chance of staying. Eto'o would be the one for me of all the names linked so far, but Henry would be nice if he gets back near his best..

 

I think we find it easier at home as most teams sit back and allow us onto them, which suits our style of play. Away from home I think we're possibly a little too cautious, not that quick enough on the counter due to the lack of either pace or quality of our attackers. When the home team is pushing on, then a good counter can be lethal. Home or away though, I don't think we've scored the goals our play and possession has merited.

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Good first post. Our strikers (between them) score just about enough goals then - assuming the midfield weighs in too. And therein lies the problem for me. We have had two defensive midfielders playing in many games. I hope we see quality wingers next term and one holding player with Gerrard in the middle too.

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I think we need more goals and creativity from midfield...seem to have been saying that all season. An attacking mdfielder will create a few more goals each for our forwards and hopefully chip in with 10-12 himself.

 

Bellamy hasn' had the season many hoped for but it hasn't been helped by the lack of passing and forward movement in midfield. Also, with an attacking midfielder Kuyt won't have to drop back as much and he'll be able to be in the box more - something he's been criticised for.

 

We need a Beardsley, Aimar, Barnes type. Last time i'm saying it.

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I think we need more goals and creativity from midfield...seem to have been saying that all season. An attacking mdfielder will create a few more goals each for our forwards and hopefully chip in with 10-12 himself.

 

Bellamy hasn' had the season many hoped for but it hasn't been helped by the lack of passing and forward movement in midfield. Also, with an attacking midfielder Kuyt won't have to drop back as much and he'll be able to be in the box more - something he's been criticised for.

 

We need a Beardsley, Aimar, Barnes type. Last time i'm saying it.

hmmm, wonders who to suggest ;-)

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Good first post. Our strikers (between them) score just about enough goals then - assuming the midfield weighs in too. And therein lies the problem for me. We have had two defensive midfielders playing in many games. I hope we see quality wingers next term and one holding player with Gerrard in the middle too.

 

Thats the thing though.

 

Its' often been said that our problem is not being able to break down defences that just defend. But our home record suggests otherwise.

 

Teams are more likely to come to Anfield and set up shop than at home, but at home we seem to be able to take care of them - can't do it away from home. Our players and the formation isn't the problem (although injecting some pace would help a long way), our mind set is.

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Man U 15 clean sheets, 2 games without scoring, averaged 2.3 goals pr. game, 0.7 conceded

 

Chelsea 21 clean sheets, 3 games without scoring, averaged 1.8 goals pr. game, 0.6 conceded

 

LIVERPOOL 20 clean sheets, 13(!) games without scoring, averaged 1.5 goals pr. game, 0.7 conceded

 

Arsenal 11 clean sheets, 6 games without scoring, averaged 1.7 goals pr. game, 0.9 conceded.

 

Only five teams (Watford, West Ham, Sheff U, Man City and Newcastle) in the league have played more games than us without scoring. Four teams Portsmouth, M'Boro, Wigan and Charlton) are equal.

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I have had a feeling this season that when we are putting teams under pressure this season it's still most often the strikers that has to put the finishing touch on the attacks. Gerrard have come forward every now and then does score on occasions, but as people have mentioned Garcia and Harry K are the only other ones that can do it for us. Garcia though can be a bit of a waste on the wings and does his job better from a central position behind the forwards and we either don't have that role in our formation or Gerrard seems to hold it. Don't really know what my point is so I'll stop writing at this point

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