Feast and Famines

[Revolution]

Billy Sharp has settled in very well and, whilst it's early days, looks a good bet to score a lot of goals this season. He's now scored in 6 straight league games, which by my reckoning is our longest run since, er, Ched Evans scored in 7 games in a row in 2011-12 - his final 7 games as it happens (so I suppose it's possible he can extend the run, but let's not think about that).

Billy has some way to go before the club record is in danger: Jimmy Dunne scored in 12 straight league games back in the 1931-2 season.

At the other end of the spectrum, Chris Basham's great volley on Saturday broke his league goal duck for United in his 46th game (he has of course scored in the playoffs) - so he just avoided playing a season's worth of games without a goal.

Our scoring record is good this season, for the first time in a while - we are joint top scorers - but the lack of goals from some midfielders is still notable. The following midfielders have gone 10 league games without scoring:

Jamal Campbell-Ryce - 10 games - last goal v Preston last January
James Wallace - 13 games - never scored
Stefan Scougall - 19 games - last goal v Crewe last October
Paul Coutts - 21 games - never scored
Louis Reed - 26 games - never scored
Ryan Flynn - 28 games - last goal vs Colchester last September (to be fair, he has scored 3 cup goals since then)

Billy can't score every goal we need. More production from midfield will be needed at some point: this hurt us last year.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

Billy Sharp has settled in very well and, whilst it's early days, looks a good bet to score a lot of goals this season. He's now scored in 6 straight league games, which by my reckoning is our longest run since, er, Ched Evans scored in 7 games in a row in 2011-12 - his final 7 games as it happens (so I suppose it's possible he can extend the run, but let's not think about that).

Billy has some way to go before the club record is in danger: Jimmy Dunne scored in 12 straight league games back in the 1931-2 season.

At the other end of the spectrum, Chris Basham's great volley on Saturday broke his league goal duck for United in his 46th game (he has of course scored in the playoffs) - so he just avoided playing a season's worth of games without a goal.

Our scoring record is good this season, for the first time in a while - we are joint top scorers - but the lack of goals from some midfielders is still notable. The following midfielders have gone 10 league games without scoring:

Jamal Campbell-Ryce - 10 games - last goal v Preston last January
James Wallace - 13 games - never scored
Stefan Scougall - 19 games - last goal v Crewe last October
Paul Coutts - 21 games - never scored
Louis Reed - 26 games - never scored
Ryan Flynn - 28 games - last goal vs Colchester last September (to be fair, he has scored 3 cup goals since then)

Billy can't score every goal we need. More production from midfield will be needed at some point: this hurt us last year.

Reducing the goals against column would help.

 

[PeteBlade]

Reducing the goals against column would help.

Agreed. It's a lot easier when we don't need to score 3 goals to win every match.

 

[James Boreman]

Reed looks like he's due one, I reckon he needs one to give him the confidence to go for goal a bit more often.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

With Sharp scoring plenty, Sammon and Adams chipping in and Collins getting chances on set pieces, I think we have enough goals in the team. We have McNulty and Baxter who can also contribute and Done to return. Like others say, it's about not letting them in the other end.

In terms of league position, we are looking very similar to how we were under Clough but it's a hell of a lot more entertaining with goals at both ends of the pitch. Hopefully we can cut out some of the mistakes at the back whilst still putting them im at the other end.

It'd be nice to see young Reedy get off the mark soon though. I don't mind Coutts not scoring if he play like he did saturday (which he didn't do enough of last season). He assisted a goal, was involved in the build up for another and set up a chance for Sammon with a delightful lofted through ball.

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

Reed looks like he's due one, I reckon he needs one to give him the confidence to go for goal a bit more often.

Technical point but I think Reed is trying to score.by shooting instead of passing a lot of the time.

A lot of goals are scored with the ball on a downward trajectory as it crosses the line.

There have been a number of times where I reckon he could have passed the ball over the keeper, out of his reach, and into the far corner.

It's not really a chip but the ball is definitely on the way down as it goes in.

There are plenty of much more recent examples but Matt le Tissier scored a couple of famous goals like this.

 

[Grecian2000]

He's now scored in 6 straight league games, which by my reckoning is our longest run since, er, Ched Evans scored in 7 games in a row in 2011-12 - his final 7 games as it happens (so I suppose it's possible he can extend the run, but let's not think about that).

Billy has some way to go before the club record is in danger: Jimmy Dunne scored in 12 straight league games back in the 1931-2 season.

Didn't Sir Keith break some sort of "consecutive games" scoring record in his first spell at the club. Pretty sure he did it in a defeat at Burnden Park, although not the most important goal in defeat that he scored at that particular ground.

 

[Dkc]

How disappointing. I though this was going to be a thread about development aid and over-consumption in the West

 

[Revolution]

Didn't Sir Keith break some sort of "consecutive games" scoring record in his first spell at the club. Pretty sure he did it in a defeat at Burnden Park, although not the most important goal in defeat that he scored at that particular ground.

He tied Doc Pace's post war record in his first spell I think.

 

[Revolution]

Coutts, Basham, Reed, Flynn.

Not a midfield with many goals in it...

 

[Darren]

He tied Doc Pace's post war record in his first spell I think.

He actually beat the little known Peter Wragg's post war record by scoring in 8 consecutive games in March-April 1977.

 

[Revolution]

He actually beat the little known Peter Wragg's post war record by scoring in 8 consecutive games in March-April 1977.

Wragg shared the record with Pace (and possibly someone else) I think.

 

[Darren]

Wragg shared the record with Pace (and possibly someone else) I think.

I am 99% certain Wragg had the record on his own

 

[Silent Blade]

I am 99% certain Wragg had the record on his own

The Star wrongly thought it was Mick Jones who had the post war record when they were reporting the possibility of Edwards breaking his record.At the Blackpool game (we lost 5-1) at the Lane we all cheered at Edwards goal and gave him a good round of applause when he scored even though we were 3-1 down at the time

 

[Revolution]

Billy's league scoring form this season continues to be feast and famine like:

1. No goals in the first 3 games
2. Goals in 6 straight games
3. A barren run of only 1 goal in 11 games
4. And now goals in 5 straight games

12 goals in 25 games is very good - but what an odd way to do it.

Another oddity - he hasn't scored twice in the same game yet this season. By contrast, all of Che's league goals have come in pairs.

 

[Revolution]

Bumping this thread again to note that our midfielders are still pathetic at scoring goals. Indeed, the situation has got worse, not better, since I last looked at this in September.

There are now a mind boggling 8 United midfielders who have not scored in their last 10 league appearances. The full list:

Dean Hammond - 11 games - last (and only) goal v Shrewsbury in November
Martyn Woolford - 13 games - last (and only) goal vs Colchester in September
James Wallace - 14 games - never scored (he managed 10 minutes of league football for us since September - well done him)
Jamal Campbell-Ryce - 21 games - last goal v Preston in January 2015
Stefan Scougall - 25 games - last goal v Crewe in October 2014 (he has scored in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy since)
Louis Reed - 32 games - never scored
Paul Coutts - 37 games - never scored (Coutts last scored in 2013 in the league for Derby. He hasn't scored a league goal in 68 appearances)
Ryan Flynn - 39 games - last goal vs Colchester in September 2014 (he has scored 3 cup goals since then)

These players have scored twice between them in the league this season. We lost both games.

Chris Basham (3 goals) and Jose Baxter (4 goals) have scored from midfield this season.

The dread Woolford-Hammond-Basham-Coutts midfield carries less goal threat than any United midfield I can remember. I thought that it was bad enough that Warnock played Monty and Leigertwood together, or that Speed played Britton and Monty together and somehow expected them to create something, but this is a whole new level.

And, as I am sure people are sick of me saying, 3 of those 4 are here next year, with Hammond a strong favourite to sign permanently. If this is our first choice midfield next season, I would love Adams to explain what he proposes to do for goals if Sharp gets injured.

Collecting this bunch of non-scorers could be evidence of a trait that successive managers/decision makers seem to possess at the Lane - a tendency to focus on a transaction in isolation rather than look at the wider picture. For example, if you have no goals or pace in midfield, will Hammond really improve the situation? If you sell Jamie Murphy, who is going to pick up the slack?

Hurry back, Billy.

 

[wizadry]

Bumping this thread again to note that our midfielders are still pathetic at scoring goals. Indeed, the situation has got worse, not better, since I last looked at this in September.

There are now a mind boggling 8 United midfielders who have not scored in their last 10 league appearances. The full list:

Dean Hammond - 11 games - last (and only) goal v Shrewsbury in November
Martyn Woolford - 13 games - last (and only) goal vs Colchester in September
James Wallace - 14 games - never scored (he managed 10 minutes of league football for us since September - well done him)
Jamal Campbell-Ryce - 21 games - last goal v Preston in January 2015
Stefan Scougall - 25 games - last goal v Crewe in October 2014 (he has scored in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy since)
Louis Reed - 32 games - never scored
Paul Coutts - 37 games - never scored (Coutts last scored in 2013 in the league for Derby. He hasn't scored a league goal in 68 appearances)
Ryan Flynn - 39 games - last goal vs Colchester in September 2014 (he has scored 3 cup goals since then)

These players have scored twice between them in the league this season. We lost both games.

Chris Basham (3 goals) and Jose Baxter (4 goals) have scored from midfield this season.

The dread Woolford-Hammond-Basham-Coutts midfield carries less goal threat than any United midfield I can remember. I thought that it was bad enough that Warnock played Monty and Leigertwood together, or that Speed played Britton and Monty together and somehow expected them to create something, but this is a whole new level.

And, as I am sure people are sick of me saying, 3 of those 4 are here next year, with Hammond a strong favourite to sign permanently. If this is our first choice midfield next season, I would love Adams to explain what he proposes to do for goals if Sharp gets injured.

Collecting this bunch of non-scorers could be evidence of a trait that successive managers/decision makers seem to possess at the Lane - a tendency to focus on a transaction in isolation rather than look at the wider picture. For example, if you have no goals or pace in midfield, will Hammond really improve the situation? If you sell Jamie Murphy, who is going to pick up the slack?

Hurry back, Billy.

Good post. It's the first time I've seen this thread due to not being able to keep up with them all nowadays and it's a good one.

Lets hope Adkins realises your points and also makes sure we sort a couple of defenders out, this will go along way to sorting our troubles out. We need midfielders who can keep the ball and attack more, this will then mean we're doing less defending which will be very helpful indeed.

 

[Bladesway]

I just assumed the thread title was our proposed targets in the loan window.

 

[Pollingtonblade]

Bumping this thread again to note that our midfielders are still pathetic at scoring goals. Indeed, the situation has got worse, not better, since I last looked at this in September.

There are now a mind boggling 8 United midfielders who have not scored in their last 10 league appearances. The full list:

Dean Hammond - 11 games - last (and only) goal v Shrewsbury in November
Martyn Woolford - 13 games - last (and only) goal vs Colchester in September
James Wallace - 14 games - never scored (he managed 10 minutes of league football for us since September - well done him)
Jamal Campbell-Ryce - 21 games - last goal v Preston in January 2015
Stefan Scougall - 25 games - last goal v Crewe in October 2014 (he has scored in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy since)
Louis Reed - 32 games - never scored
Paul Coutts - 37 games - never scored (Coutts last scored in 2013 in the league for Derby. He hasn't scored a league goal in 68 appearances)
Ryan Flynn - 39 games - last goal vs Colchester in September 2014 (he has scored 3 cup goals since then)

These players have scored twice between them in the league this season. We lost both games.

Chris Basham (3 goals) and Jose Baxter (4 goals) have scored from midfield this season.

The dread Woolford-Hammond-Basham-Coutts midfield carries less goal threat than any United midfield I can remember. I thought that it was bad enough that Warnock played Monty and Leigertwood together, or that Speed played Britton and Monty together and somehow expected them to create something, but this is a whole new level.

And, as I am sure people are sick of me saying, 3 of those 4 are here next year, with Hammond a strong favourite to sign permanently. If this is our first choice midfield next season, I would love Adams to explain what he proposes to do for goals if Sharp gets injured.

Collecting this bunch of non-scorers could be evidence of a trait that successive managers/decision makers seem to possess at the Lane - a tendency to focus on a transaction in isolation rather than look at the wider picture. For example, if you have no goals or pace in midfield, will Hammond really improve the situation? If you sell Jamie Murphy, who is going to pick up the slack?

Hurry back, Billy.

We have Sammon as well .... Oh

 

[raul]

I just assumed the thread title was our proposed targets in the loan window.

I thought it was a Bash-handed attempt to tell us all what ice -cream he gets when he goes to the pub now known as the Lord Nelson.