Sharp vs Clarke vs Done vs McNulty

[Champagneblade]

Given the debate about strikers I thought it might be interesting to compare statistically how they all stack up.
Assumptions:
1. I've taken minutes on the pitch divided by 90 to give equivalent full games to avoid unfair comparisons
2. I've looked at 4 comparators - Total goals per equivalent full game, Total goals per equivalent full game from open play, Total overall contribution goals + assists per equivalent full game and total open play contribution including assists.
3. I've taken comparable periods i.e. Sharp's last year, Clarke's last year, Done's 2014/15 when he played up front and McNulty last 2 seasons given he played at differing levels.

Findings:
Goals per equivalent full game overall
1. McNulty 2015 0.57
2. Done 2015 0.53
3. Clarke 2016 0.50
4. Sharp 2016 0.48
5. McNulty 2016 0.46

Goals per equivalent full game open play only (- pens)
1. Done 2015 0.53
2. McNulty 2015 0.53
3. McNulty 2016 0.46
4. Clarke 2016 0.45
5. Sharp 2016 0.36

Contribution per equivalent full game overall (goals + assists)
1. Done 2015 0.79
2. McNulty 2015 0.75
3. McNulty 2016 0.74
4. Sharp 2016 0.63
5. Clarke 2016 0.53

Contribution per equivalent full game open play only (goals + assists - pens)
1. Done 2015 0.79
2. McNulty 2016 0.74
3. McNulty 2015 0.70
4. Sharp 2016 0.52
5. Clarke 2016 0.47

Raw Data
Sharp - Goals 21 Pens 5 Assists 7 Minutes 3,978 (actual matches played in 48)
Clarke - Goals 18 Pens 2 Assists 1 Minutes 3,223 (actual matches played in 37)
McNulty16 - Goals 13 Pens 0 Assists 8 Minutes 2,548 (actual matches played in 42)
McNulty15 - Goals 13 Pens 1 Assists 4 Minutes 2,051 (actual matches played in 43)
Done - Goals 22 Pens 0 Assists 11 Minutes 3,740 (actual matches played in 47)

What struck me was how much of an all round contributor Done can be. Outscored all in goals despite not being a penalty taker. He is the only one to have double figure assists.

McNulty you could possibly argue was able to show more unselfish play by doubling his assist ratio though marginally at the expense of his goals per game.

Clarke appears more dangerous than Sharp from open play though, perhaps depending on formation at Bury didn't really do much for his team mates in terms of assist.

Billy is obviously more than useful from the spot and weighs in with reasonable assists despite his niche as a selfish goal poacher.

Now I'm not sure if this makes you feel any better or not, but hopefully provides some food for thought!

UTB.

 

[Bladesince59]

Shame we don't have similar data for Ched.

 

[Champagneblade]

Evans 2016 Goals 0 Pens 0 Assists 0 Minutes 0

Evans 2012 Goals 35 Pens Assists 11 Minutes 3,335 (overall games played in 42)
Goals per equivalent full game overall - 0.95
Goals per equivalent full game open play - 0.89
Contribution per equivalent full game overall (goals + assists) - 1.24
Contribution per equivalent full game open play only (goals + assists - pens) - 1.19

Evans Current season Goals 4 Pens 0 Assists 1 Minutes 358 (overall games played in 4)
Goals per equivalent full game overall - 1
Goals per equivalent full game open play - 1
Contribution per equivalent full game overall (goals + assists) - 1.25
Contribution per equivalent full game open play only (goals + assists - pens) - 1.25

Now that doesn't make anyone feel better....

 

[Bladesince59]

Evans 2016 Goals 0 Pens 0 Assists 0 Minutes 0

Evans 2012 Goals 35 Pens Assists 11 Minutes 3,335 (overall games played in 42)
Goals per equivalent full game overall - 0.95
Goals per equivalent full game open play - 0.89
Contribution per equivalent full game overall (goals + assists) - 1.24
Contribution per equivalent full game open play only (goals + assists - pens) - 1.19

Evans Current season Goals 4 Pens 0 Assists 1 Minutes 358 (overall games played in 4)
Goals per equivalent full game overall - 1
Goals per equivalent full game open play - 1
Contribution per equivalent full game overall (goals + assists) - 1.25
Contribution per equivalent full game open play only (goals + assists - pens) - 1.25

Now that doesn't make anyone feel better....

Thank you - no surprises there.

Shows how astute Wilson and Morgan were.

 

[Fulwood Blade]

Sharp is Wilders captain

Clarke is one of Wilders key signings

Wilder has to now eat some humble pie and say he is wrong - or continue down the same path and hope it works - with this so called hard work on the training ground.
If it doesn't work in lets say 10 games or at least show signs of working - he'll look a massive berk.

They can only work - in fact any forward combination can only work, is if the midfield works and the defence doesn't concede.

If Wilder and Knill don't address the major problem of defence then we might as well have Ronaldo ad Messi up top.

We need to keep it clean at the back, solid in midfield and win a few games 1 nil..............then move on a bit.

UTB

 

[DronnieBlade]

Proof positive that my eyes, do not in fact, deceive me.

Add the assists and the goals together. These are the most consistently used stats for offensive players.

Divide by number of minutes.

Who is the most / least effective ??

UTB

 

[Dellas Cowboys]

I have no axe to grind with any of our strikers and think they all have some great attributes. However, I think it's worth considering that there is probably a "Murphy" factor from the Done and McNulty 2015 ratings in setting up play and assisting that has been missing since he left and McNulty 2016 was to an extent at League 2 level.

 

[HolmesfieldBlade]

Further evidence done should only be deployed as a striker...

 

[BladeInIreland]

id like to see one of the other lads start, maybe not both. Clarke and done maybe.

 

[PokerBlade]

Nice work, interesting to look at how they line up, but I couldn't keep my username if I didn't point to the sample size.

 

[Bartleby]

Sharp is Wilders captain

Clarke is one of Wilders key signings

Wilder has to now eat some humble pie and say he is wrong - or continue down the same path and hope it works - with this so called hard work on the training ground.
If it doesn't work in lets say 10 games or at least show signs of working - he'll look a massive berk.

They can only work - in fact any forward combination can only work, is if the midfield works and the defence doesn't concede.

If Wilder and Knill don't address the major problem of defence then we might as well have Ronaldo ad Messi up top.

We need to keep it clean at the back, solid in midfield and win a few games 1 nil..............then move on a bit.

UTB

he said in the latest snippet of the post-match interview they just released about reviewing partnerships so I wouldn't be surprised to see a change up front.

I must say I do find those interviews straight after a game a bit unfair on managers though, and they are quite lengthy as well. People saying CW looks ill etc, I think it's just bad timing, the guys all wound up after the game what would you expect?

 

[Cerberus Blade]

Further evidence done should only be deployed as a striker...

Or a programme seller?

He's crap! Had one good season in his entire career and guess who bought him on the strength of it?

He's about as good as Donald Peattie.

 

[Cerberus Blade]

Clarke and McNulty is the answer. But we'll never know unless Wilder grasps the nettle and drops puffing Billy and gives it a try.

 

[sitwell]

Clark and Sharp have played together 3 times ? Is that enough for all the nerds keyboard warriors and amateur armchair managers to decide 2 of the best strikers in the league cant play in the same team ?

 

[Ted Hemsleys chads]

Don't like Clark, never have done but used correctly, those 4 players should have plenty of goals in them. If the service is crap it doesn't matter how good they are. I'm more concerned that we can't keep clean sheets. Every game it's bad luck, a worldie, a mistake etc. Sick of hearing it to be honest, we're struggling to score at the moment so giving goals away is killing us. We're so slow to attack the second ball it's embarrassing. As soon as we concede the heads drop and the lack of character shows. What we'd give for a Stuart McCall, did the simple stuff really well, we can't even do that with this lot.

Oh and I'd give Billy and McNulty a go up front, bollock anybody who lumped it to 'em and try to get us playing that fast, pressure football that we were supposed to be playing.

 

[Bergen Blade]

Clark and Sharp have played together 3 times ? Is that enough for all the nerds keyboard warriors and amateur armchair managers to decide 2 of the best strikers in the league cant play in the same team ?

5 times + a short spell vs Derby. I think it would be possible to make them work together, but we'd probably need to do a lot more rebuilding in midfield. Put Sharp and Clarke in Wilson's team thad had Evans and Cresswell up front and they may have done well.

In the current team, so far, they haven't clicked at all and if anything they've played worse for every game, both looking very much out of sorts at Millwall.

 

[Grizzly blade]

Great bit of work by the OP.
Don't know how you can be arsed....I couldn't!

It is all down to tactics and the appropriate use of these players. All of them have individual attributes that the others do not. People say Sharp and McNulty are similar...or Sharp and Done.
But they aren't.

What I have seen from McNulty on occasion is some very slick interplay when given to feet early. He likes the ball given to him with runners making movement and invariably lays it off quickly....which I like a lot. Fulham away in the cup springs to mind.
He's also a decent finisher, and put some good goals away.

Done is a grafter, good at closing teams down by knowing when to do it and when it's on. McNulty does it but isn't as economical at it, because he often gets nowhere near the defender. Whereas Done when left to think for himself (ie not running around like a madman cos directed to by the manager/fans) will close down if he has a chance of getting the ball, or if it is the right time to do so as the only only ball for the defender is a long one.
McNulty also isn't as fit...so he's always blowing out of his Arse when he has been made to run and run.

Sharp is a finisher. It's his biggest attribute. He has got considerably stronger over the years and can now hold the ball well, but he's lost pace...and didn't have a lot before. Needs service, good service at that. He's not tall and won't score goals that he makes himself. But generally a try hard.

Clarke is a unit, big and strong and is the typical forward that is dificult to play against. Finishing is hit and miss mind. Also questions over attitude and apparently gets a bit mardy.

But from this four we have enough variety to suit different game situations, different tactics and different styles of play. It really is down to Wilder to use it more effectively. He does point out and I agree completely we lack raw pace. It would be a huge advancement if he could bring some in. So if we were looking at having 4 forwards we should lose someone. Who is the least effective, or less useful in a 4 man forward team?? How do the u decide.

Age? History? Record?Closest type to the new faster player?

If it were me....Sharp. Probably bring a bigger fee, and probably the highest paid. Getting older too, and offers much the same as the others away from putting the ball in the net. I don't believe he's a significantly better finisher than either Done or McNulty.