Goals.

[Punk Blade]

The OP didn't mention the future, just that he wants to see 3 or 4 goals scored against teams around us... Burnley was one such occasion where this happened and they were a team around us.

You could also argue that Brighton, Norwich, West Ham, Watford and Bournemouth aren't sides around us either....

In that case let me have a go with your time machine when you’re done watching that Burnley game!

 

[Guesty]

It would be nice to have a comfortable end to a match (how many have there been? Burnley and arguably Villa) and more ruthlessness upfront would help with that but we can have no complaints with the results.

As I said in the shoutbox, we had to hold on against AFC Fylde. That was annoying on the day but down the line we're now in the FA Cup Quarter Finals. Sometimes you have to dig in and grind out results. Do that enough and you end up in a good place.

 

[Charlieblade]

Pork

That’s a bit harsh mate.

Our best finisher is currently 34 years old and still scoring for fun, now he is our first choice striker again. TBF he doesn’t have a lot of competition on the goal scoring front.
Ollie is working hard but not scoring. Didsy has been out injured and broke his duck against a championship side. Moose can’t be explosive and finish unless he’s limited to 45 minutes.

Pardon me for having raised expectations. As we are well placed in the league, and otherwise performing well, I still think our lack of goals could hurt us this season. Thank fuck it’s not my problem.

 

[YES Blade]

That’s a bit harsh mate.

Our best finisher is currently 34 years old and still scoring for fun, now he is our first choice striker again. TBF he doesn’t have a lot of competition on the goal scoring front.
Ollie is working hard but not scoring. Didsy has been out injured and broke his duck against a championship side. Moose can’t be explosive and finish unless he’s limited to 45 minutes.

Pardon me for having raised expectations. As we are well placed in the league, and otherwise performing well, I still think our lack of goals could hurt us this season. Thank fuck it’s not my problem.

I agree with what you are saying, I think expectations is maybe the wrong word, we don’t expect anymore than we are currently achieving.

I just want the best for our club and I’ll never be 100% happy, there will always be areas of improvement. I’m sure Wilder will be looking at the team and thinking about how we can improve, I don’t see any issue with us fans doing the same.

 

[PokerBlade]

We’re in with a great chance of Champions League but I do think that because Man U and Chelsea have more comfortable wins than us, we will miss out.

Yesterday was a prime example, Man U would’ve scored at least one more when Norwich opened up in the second half. But on the flip side our defence is better so you can’t have everything.

I’d like to see us sign a top class replacement for Duffy in the summer to give us something different and make us a little bit more attacking.

Someone said similar about Wolves and I made the point then that Wolves aren't doing better than us in terms of point. Man U are point behind us.

We had no expectation of the kind of results we have and continue to be getting. I really can't see the rationale of now thinking that we should somehow not only be getting these results but getting them comfortably.

 

[Charlieblade]

Someone said similar about Wolves and I made the point then that Wolves aren't doing better than us in terms of point. Man U are point behind us.

We had no expectation of the kind of results we have and continue to be getting. I really can't see the rationale of now thinking that we should somehow not only be getting these results but getting them comfortably.

Should you be accused of lacking ambition now, or at the end of the season, when we finish ninth on goal difference?
Sorry, can’t find the sarcasm smiley.

 

[Davalon]

It's not an unreasonable observation as long as you keep in mind what is realistic and reasonable with the squad we have.

If we want to improve or at least do well again next season, a goal scorer has to be a priority.

And that's before you consider that Billy will be 35 next season and Didzy in his 30's too. Mousse fitness and form a little concerning too.

We're all delighted and impressed with how we've done but I'm very confident that the people who matter will be very keen to address this in the summer.

 

[finlaytheblade]

Whether the OP is pork or not, for me it's a valid question.

We NEARLY let Norwich back in the game yesterday but our LOAN goalkeeper kept another clean sheet. What happens if he isn't our GK next season.

We should have put the game to bed by half time and didn't allowing Norwich the thought that at only 1 down the they had a chance.

We did a similar thing v Reading - coasting at 1 nil and we allowed them back in the game.

The Prince has talked/mentioned quality players in the summer - one of those should be a goal scorer - as expensive as that is, we have to find one.

UTB

I'm sure a lack of goals will be on CWAK ,s
Wish list and will be working on it but we have to be carefull we dont throw away the resilience built into the team ,we are getting results but we have to improve as Wilder has said often enough.
We have to be cute with transfers picking up bargains gets harder the higher we go.
The wage structure we have at present limits the players we can go for. That's not a criticism as the budget is slowly getting bigger .

 

[8lade]

We’re in with a great chance of Champions League but I do think that because Man U and Chelsea have more comfortable wins than us,

Should you be accused of lacking ambition now, or at the end of the season, when we finish ninth on goal difference?

Agree with both of these and will reiterate what I've said on other threads; 2 of our 4 strikers have lost form (I'll go a bit further with that comment to stop complaining), the form that saw them at least work the keeper hard to keep the ball out of the net. Our third striker (again 'justification') i'm not sure he is a Premier league goal scorer but yes he does make up for it in his approach play. Moving onto Zivkovic maybe next year maybe never, just like Morrison.
For now we are what we are but what a great day it will be when our guys regain their scoring form and we get the result the OP and all of us want.
We've got Billy Sharp.

 

[8lade]

Should I start a Facebook meme to get a hundred thousand likes to make Billy Sharp 10 years younger?
(That's just me thinking aloud).

 

[Fulwood Blade]

We have to be cute with transfers picking up bargains gets harder the higher we go.

Agreed - and it's Ollie Watkins for me if Brentford don't go up.

Not quite a bargain but should still be within our reach - especially if lets say Robinson goes to WBA

UTB

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

We would all like a striker who could score lots of goals- trouble is, just about every club in the world thinks the same. Top-class strikers cost eye-watering sums of money, and it is easy to spend a fortune and still end up with a striker who rarely scores - think Villa, Newcastle, West Ham this season. All 4 strikers for Utd this season have contributed, very much to their credit, but they have their limitations; by fortune or design, though, they all contribute in different ways, which has given us options.

 

[TheDevonBlade]

Sign Ollie Watkins £30m . Problem solved.

 

[Fulwood Blade]

Sign Ollie Watkins £30m . Problem solved.

yep - with Robinson going to WBA in the summer too - nett £20m outlay

UTB

 

[benn5712]

Just an observation from yesterday. I know nowt anyhow, CW/AK do know about footy.
Moose would have been a good option as a sub (nearly was, Berge was brought on to not lose what we had).
Norwich were attacking with space behind.
A ball to to moose would have caused them problems.

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

Sign Ollie Watkins £30m . Problem solved.

Possibly. But no guarantees, as he has never played in the Premier League. There is always a possibility that the step-up in level doesn’t work.

 

[tincan]

The issue is more about our style of play allowing Billy and Oli out of the box and rotating through the team as the play develops and the defenders take their positions.
The 20goal a season strikers have proven they know where to make the space in the box, others don't get the chance to. Billys' Norwich 2 steps back goal is a prime example. Had it been the other way round Lunny perhaps would be in the box but wouldnt have the nouse to step back to get space.
I think that's why CWAK went for Callum, essentially a winger who can score, if he comes back with the consistency and nouse from the Baggies perhaps he'll be the difference next season.

 

[Charlieblade]

I think that part of the problem is the workload our strikers are expected to get through. Didsy and McBurnie seem to spend plenty of time playing deep, and sharing the defensive workload.
It’s a major contribution to our strong defensive record.
We defend as a team, and our midfield have produced as many goals as our strikers, suggesting that we attack as a team too, and we make it hard for the opposition to play against.
All our strikers bring something different to the game, giving Wilder more options in attack.
Baldock and Stevens scored 4 between them, so maybe Bash and JOC owe us a few?

We are where we are because of our miserly defence, which includes significant input from our strikers, and a world class keeper. We didn’t get there by our strikers scoring double figures.
Is this Wilders version of total football?

 

[Tarqs]

Award for most apt username

 

[Ricky]

We've very rarely had big wins under Wilder. It's not about to change now. Even when we batter teams we like to stop at 2 or 3.

Nor have we had too many great matches, to be honest. Loads and loads of 7/10 matches, barely any 9s or 10s.

 

[Ricky]

Just an observation from yesterday. I know nowt anyhow, CW/AK do know about footy.
Moose would have been a good option as a sub (nearly was, Berge was brought on to not lose what we had).
Norwich were attacking with space behind.
A ball to to moose would have caused them problems.

I think it was blatantly obvious to everybody but Wilder was more keen on playing one of his 'teach Moose a lesson' games.

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

We've very rarely had big wins under Wilder. It's not about to change now. Even when we batter teams we like to stop at 2 or 3.

Blades 4-0 Port Vale
Chesterfield 1-4 Blades
Blades 4-0 Swindon
Southend 2-4 Blades
Blades 4-0 Wimbledon
Swindon 2-4 Blades

Sheffield Wednesday 2-4 Blades
Blades 4-1 Hull
Blades 4-5 Fulham

Blades 4-1 Aston Villa
Blades 4-2 Wigan
Blades 4-0 Reading

 

[BushBlade]

Blades 4-0 Port Vale
Chesterfield 1-4 Blades
Blades 4-0 Swindon
Southend 2-4 Blades
Blades 4-0 Wimbledon
Swindon 2-4 Blades

Sheffield Wednesday 2-4 Blades
Blades 4-1 Hull
Blades 4-5 Fulham

Blades 4-1 Aston Villa
Blades 4-2 Wigan
Blades 4-0 Reading

Just over 8% then.

 

[blade too long]

swfc 0 mcfc 1 80 per cent possession
man u 2 man city 0 72 per cent

city cant score either without debreune
but they have 5 50m plus forwards