I've arrived at the solution to all our goalscoring problems.

[DanielS]

We cross the ball from 10 yards too far away from the goal line - about 25-30 yards out instead of 15-20 yards out. I don't want paying for this wisdom - can someone just let Rafa know.

 

I've been noticing this season and last that we tend to start crossing the ball in from about 5 - 10 yards from the 18 yard box. Gerrard is brilliant at it on occassion, but we can't expect him to get it right everytime, nor can we expect him to be the one doing the crossing everytime. If we take the ball another 5-10 yards further up the field we'd be placing that much more difficulty on the defending side. As it is now we are asking our strikers to score from the edge of the 18-yard box to 2-3 yards inside it and not from between the penalty spot and the six yard box - a much easier task.

[Billy Dane]

For this to work, we need to have strikers in the box - this seems to be asking too much of Crouch and Morientes who are there to link up play between midfield and......????

[Guest ziggystardust]

we are just having our blip, every team apart from chelsea have one. We are just having it at precisely the wrong time.

[dodgy1]

We cross the ball from 10 yards too far away from the goal line - about 25-30 yards out instead of 15-20 yards out. I don't want paying for this wisdom - can someone just let Rafa know.

 

I've been noticing this season and last that we tend to start crossing the ball in from about 5 - 10 yards from the 18 yard box. Gerrard is brilliant at it on occassion, but we can't expect him to get it right everytime, nor can we expect him to be the one doing the crossing everytime. If we take the ball another 5-10 yards further up the field we'd be placing that much more difficulty on the defending side. As it is now we are asking our strikers to score from the edge of the 18-yard box to 2-3 yards inside it and not from between the penalty spot and the six yard box - a much easier task.

 

Our goalscoring problem is that we have no one to run past the defence and score.

[Cooldude]

Quite clearly we've been struggling to score goals ever since we sold Heskey

 

I still think we lack a quality no.10 playmaker, but that's just me

[vish]

Cisse crosses it from near the goal line usually...

[dodgy1]

Quite clearly we've been struggling to score goals ever since we sold Heskey

 

I still think we lack a quality no.10 playmaker, but that's just me

 

I think we have that in Crouch, its the Owen type of player we are missing.

[DanielS]

we are just having our blip, every team apart from chelsea have one. We are just having it at precisely the wrong time.

 

Even when we got 37 points from a possible 39 in that amazing run that only ended a couple of weeks ago we were struggling to find the net. Our goalscoring record is more than just part of a blip. Unlike some I don't think it is entirely down to our strikeforce - I think it is where we are taking most of our efforts from.

[crisps]

definitely missing a QUALITY 9 and 10 full Schtop.

[DanielS]

Cisse crosses it from near the goal line usually...

 

...but he hasn't played that often down the right. We look so much more likely to create havoc and proper chances when he does that though. It also means we don't have to rely on getting the ball in at height to beat the first defender as we open up options for pulling the ball back and putting it in flat as well.

[Cooldude]

I think we have that in Crouch, its the Owen type of player we are missing.

 

Crouch is not a playmaker, he just holds up the ball and occasionally comes up with a good flick on either with head or feet, not the type you'd rely on getting a good amount of the ball in the hole, sliding good throughballs and occasionally run at defenders or even score

 

Luis is our best no.10, but he's way too inconsistent to play there consistently

 

We can keep buying good strikers, but at the end of the day the goals won't come if the quality of the service is still as crap as it is now.

[Earl Hafler]

It's also down to a lack of movement from central midfield..players who are natural at getting into the box etc. Sissoko and Xabi don't get forward enough so the forwards get isolated and we end up crossing from outside the 18 yard line, which also leads to us not being in a position to pick up the knock down / 2nd ball.

 

And when Kewell / Gerrard / Cisse do get to the byline, how many times does someone make a run to the near post ?

Edited February 9, 2006 by Big Stuff

[Kvarme Ate My Food]

it's a number 7-type player, not a number 10, at this club

[Guest Anders Honoré]

it's a number 7-type player, not a number 10, at this club

 

and kewell could do a good job in that role.

 

Would have loved to see gonzalez here now, but maybe his arrival will change a few things.

[Gilps]

and kewell could do a good job in that role.

 

Would have loved to see gonzalez here now, but maybe his arrival will change a few things.

 

A fit Zenden would've helped in allowing Kewell to play that role more often.

[uppsala]

Ball to crouch - control and lay off from crouch - fowler goal

[boohog]

Did anyone notice last night that after Alonso's shot towards the end, there was only one player running in on goal to pick up a rebound (which there was, albeit a small one). That was of course Robbie Fowler. Everyone else, Morientes included, just watched the flight and stood still. We should aggressively hound goalkeepers when we shoot from distance. Other teams do it to us - just look at the number of goals that get scored against us from keeper spills.

 

I was particularly not impressed by Morientes not even moving from the spot when that happened. he's supposed to be a poacher. What has happened to him?

[Pam]

Did anyone notice last night that after Alonso's shot towards the end, there was only one player running in on goal to pick up a rebound (which there was, albeit a small one). That was of course Robbie Fowler. Everyone else, Morientes included, just watched the flight and stood still. We should aggressively hound goalkeepers when we shoot from distance. Other teams do it to us - just look at the number of goals that get scored against us from keeper spills.

 

I was particularly not impressed by Morientes not even moving from the spot when that happened. he's supposed to be a poacher. What has happened to him?

 

Aggression is the key for me. Crouch looks like he doesn't believe he is going to get the header. He seems to lack the instinct and determination to get the goals. I never really saw him play for Southampton - how did he manage to score 16(?) goals last year???

 

It is just not happening for our strikers and they don't seem capable of making it happen.

[Ombudsam]

Agree with the initial poster and the poster who said that cisse is exempt from this. I do think the oppositon actively stop us doing this though. They know that crouch and mori may cause them pronlems in the air so they push up. we don't really have anyone smart enough to get in behind.

[Knox_Harrington]

it's a number 7-type player, not a number 10, at this club

Is right.

[dorgie]

Cisse crosses it from near the goal line usually...

 

Yes he does....but the ball generally ends up going for a throw in on the opposite side as he always seems to overhit it........high, & with too much pace instead of low(ish) & with direction.

 

On the original point.....Finnan's cross for Kewell v Spurs was from 20+ yards, but it was intelligent, perfectly placed and had the right person on the end of it, so it's not always the wrong option.