Goalwatch 21/22: 10 games in, goals scored

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Balham Blade

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10 games into the Championship season I thought I'd have a look at our 13 goals scored and 14 conceded to see if there are any patterns or conclusions. As an aside, nearly a third of the goals in our games this season came in the 6-2 win over Peterborough.

Goals Scored
Huddersfield (H) - lost 1-2
Billy Sharp, 90+2 (made it 1-1): long ball up to McBurnie who flicks it on. McGoldrick gets the faintest touch as the ball drops to Sharp who's cleverly leaned on Pearson (#4, RCB) to put him off balance. Sharp swivels and hits a low left footed effort which goes past the wrong-footed Nicholls in the Huddersfield goal. Not much to see here, we got lucky with a flick on and then Sharp used all his nous to create the opportunity
1633005397068.png

Peterborough (H) - won 6-2
Iliman Ndiaye, 14 (1-0)
Long, crossfield ball from Norrington-Davis finds Gibbs-White on the corner of the Peterborough area. He checks back inside, bides his time then picks out the onrushing Ndiaye who's not tracked by the Peterborough players (sound familiar??). Ndiaye scuffs it slightly but places it into the net past the unsighted keeper. The quick switch of play was the key to this - Peterborough panicked and ended up with their LWB and three centre halves on the edge of the six yard box
1633005505199.png

John Fleck, 51 (2-1)
We press the Peterborough centre halves and force a turnover. Sharp plays a clever ball through to Fleck who's made a great run past him; Fleck's right footed effort sneaks in. Once again, Peterborough's defence is all over the place
1633005732782.png

Ben Osborn, 53 (3-1)
Quick one-touch passing in the midfield allows Ndiaye to thread a ball through to Sharp who holds it up in the Peterborough area before getting enough space to put a low cross to the near post where Osborn has arrived, once again not followed by the Peterborough defence.
1633005894590.png

Morgan Gibbs-White, 68 (4-1)
Fleck intercepts a poor clearance and heads the ball to Ndiaye whose attempted return pass is blocked. However, he's able to recycle the ball to the now-unmarked Gibbs-White who lashes a great shot into the near top corner
1633006045468.png

Iliman Ndiaye, 70 (5-1)
Norrington-Davies, Sharp and Osborn combine down the United left before a clever flick from Osborn sends Sharp to the byline. His clever clipped cross is headed in from 6 yards out by Ndiaye, who's peeled off his marker. Shot below is just below Sharp crosses; #3 (LCB Dan Butler) has no idea where Ndiaye is
1633006183757.png

Ben Osborn, 90+3 (6-2)
Sharp plays the ball into McBurnie in space; McBurnie's first touch pass is into the path of Osborn who sweeps home. Once again, Peterborough's defensive shape is completely absent
1633006328884.png

Preston (H), D2-2
Morgan Gibbs-White, 7 (1-0)
Cross from Norrington-Davis, Ndiaye challenges at the near post and a weak defensive header is seized upon by Gibbs-White 10 yards out. His shot is into the ground and that takes it past the Preston keeper and into the top corner
1633028307545.png

Sander Berge 84 (2-1)
Great ball from Fleck into Sharp whose subsequent ball across the box isn't great but a deflection takes it into the path of the unmarked Berge who stroke it home through Iversen's legs
1633028465467.png

Hull (A) W3-1
Sharp, 17 (1-0)
Great play between Baldock, Fleck and Gibbs-White gets the latter free. He stands a great cross up for Sharp at the back post
1633028735023.png

Egan, 50 (2-0)
Egan shakes off his marker (Wilks) with the help of Sharp, heads the ball home from Hourihane's corner
1633029061126.png

Egan, 61 (3-0)
More ridiculous grappling in the Hull area could have resulted in a penalty for Honeyman pulling Gibbs-White to the floor but instead Egan steals a yard on Wilks and flicks Hourihane's corner home at the near post

Derby County (H) W1-0
Sharp, 89 (1-0)
Penalty, hit straight down the middle.
1633029284713.png

Conclusions
Not easy to draw, frankly.
  • We seem to be good at punishing poorly organised defences (Peterborough; Preston, Hull at corners) but we're not consistently doing anything to unlock packed or organised back lines.
  • Set pieces have provided two goals so far (out of 13) and as both were corners in the same game there's clearly an opportunity to improve there. It's probably no coincidence that both set piece assists have gone to Conor Hourihane who's dead ball ability is miles ahead of Norwood or Fleck's.
  • Morgan Gibbs-White has featured prominently when we have scored (two goals, two assists) which isn't surprising; his movement and combinations with Ndiaye in particular seem to be causing problems for defenders.
  • As yet, we've not had any assists or goals in the league from the full backs, although Norrington-Davies has been involved in the build up a couple of times
  • We need to try and get to the byline more as there's more panic in Championship defences than Premier League ones and the midfielders aren't as hot on tracking (Preston, Peterborough)
 

Reallyice assessment, agree with almost everything except getting to the byline more part.

We did that numerous times against derby ( in fact it seems that's where they wanted to usher us over to) and let Davis and Jags head away all crosses which was really meat and drink to them.
 
I think we all know the problems on the field. No creativity or heart from the midfield. Period. Give us a dominating midfield we go up. Period. Won't get fixed this year. Period.
 
Reallyice assessment, agree with almost everything except getting to the byline more part.

We did that numerous times against derby ( in fact it seems that's where they wanted to usher us over to) and let Davis and Jags head away all crosses which was really meat and drink to them.
I was thinking more of us getting to the byline and pulling the ball back rather than putting high crosses in. That's how we scored loads of goals under Wilder and it's been successful a couple of times so far this season.
 
I was thinking the other day that we don’t seem to have a ‘type’ of goal. I know the last few years with Wilderball we’ve had a prescribed pattern of play and it’s yielded similar-ish goals. This season we haven’t got patterns of play yet and we’re scoring a variety of goals as a result.

The problem being that with our lightweight midfield and defence we need to put away pretty much every chance we get in order to be a promotion contender.
 
10 games into the Championship season I thought I'd have a look at our 13 goals scored and 14 conceded to see if there are any patterns or conclusions. As an aside, nearly a third of the goals in our games this season came in the 6-2 win over Peterborough.

Goals Scored
Huddersfield (H) - lost 1-2
Billy Sharp, 90+2 (made it 1-1): long ball up to McBurnie who flicks it on. McGoldrick gets the faintest touch as the ball drops to Sharp who's cleverly leaned on Pearson (#4, RCB) to put him off balance. Sharp swivels and hits a low left footed effort which goes past the wrong-footed Nicholls in the Huddersfield goal. Not much to see here, we got lucky with a flick on and then Sharp used all his nous to create the opportunity
View attachment 122000

Peterborough (H) - won 6-2
Iliman Ndiaye, 14 (1-0)
Long, crossfield ball from Norrington-Davis finds Gibbs-White on the corner of the Peterborough area. He checks back inside, bides his time then picks out the onrushing Ndiaye who's not tracked by the Peterborough players (sound familiar??). Ndiaye scuffs it slightly but places it into the net past the unsighted keeper. The quick switch of play was the key to this - Peterborough panicked and ended up with their LWB and three centre halves on the edge of the six yard box
View attachment 122001

John Fleck, 51 (2-1)
We press the Peterborough centre halves and force a turnover. Sharp plays a clever ball through to Fleck who's made a great run past him; Fleck's right footed effort sneaks in. Once again, Peterborough's defence is all over the place
View attachment 122003

Ben Osborn, 53 (3-1)
Quick one-touch passing in the midfield allows Ndiaye to thread a ball through to Sharp who holds it up in the Peterborough area before getting enough space to put a low cross to the near post where Osborn has arrived, once again not followed by the Peterborough defence.
View attachment 122004

Morgan Gibbs-White, 68 (4-1)
Fleck intercepts a poor clearance and heads the ball to Ndiaye whose attempted return pass is blocked. However, he's able to recycle the ball to the now-unmarked Gibbs-White who lashes a great shot into the near top corner
View attachment 122005

Iliman Ndiaye, 70 (5-1)
Norrington-Davies, Sharp and Osborn combine down the United left before a clever flick from Osborn sends Sharp to the byline. His clever clipped cross is headed in from 6 yards out by Ndiaye, who's peeled off his marker. Shot below is just below Sharp crosses; #3 (LCB Dan Butler) has no idea where Ndiaye is
View attachment 122006

Ben Osborn, 90+3 (6-2)
Sharp plays the ball into McBurnie in space; McBurnie's first touch pass is into the path of Osborn who sweeps home. Once again, Peterborough's defensive shape is completely absent
View attachment 122007

Preston (H), D2-2
Morgan Gibbs-White, 7 (1-0)
Cross from Norrington-Davis, Ndiaye challenges at the near post and a weak defensive header is seized upon by Gibbs-White 10 yards out. His shot is into the ground and that takes it past the Preston keeper and into the top corner
View attachment 122048

Sander Berge 84 (2-1)
Great ball from Fleck into Sharp whose subsequent ball across the box isn't great but a deflection takes it into the path of the unmarked Berge who stroke it home through Iversen's legs
View attachment 122049

Hull (A) W3-1
Sharp, 17 (1-0)
Great play between Baldock, Fleck and Gibbs-White gets the latter free. He stands a great cross up for Sharp at the back post
View attachment 122050

Egan, 50 (2-0)
Egan shakes off his marker (Wilks) with the help of Sharp, heads the ball home from Hourihane's corner
View attachment 122051

Egan, 61 (3-0)
More ridiculous grappling in the Hull area could have resulted in a penalty for Honeyman pulling Gibbs-White to the floor but instead Egan steals a yard on Wilks and flicks Hourihane's corner home at the near post

Derby County (H) W1-0
Sharp, 89 (1-0)
Penalty, hit straight down the middle.
View attachment 122052

Conclusions
Not easy to draw, frankly.
  • We seem to be good at punishing poorly organised defences (Peterborough; Preston, Hull at corners) but we're not consistently doing anything to unlock packed or organised back lines.
  • Set pieces have provided two goals so far (out of 13) and as both were corners in the same game there's clearly an opportunity to improve there. It's probably no coincidence that both set piece assists have gone to Conor Hourihane who's dead ball ability is miles ahead of Norwood or Fleck's.
  • Morgan Gibbs-White has featured prominently when we have scored (two goals, two assists) which isn't surprising; his movement and combinations with Ndiaye in particular seem to be causing problems for defenders.
  • As yet, we've not had any assists or goals in the league from the full backs, although Norrington-Davies has been involved in the build up a couple of times
  • We need to try and get to the byline more as there's more panic in Championship defences than Premier League ones and the midfielders aren't as hot on tracking (Preston, Peterborough)
That really backs up the 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️ nature of our attacking performances. We don't have anything you coukd say is "what we do"
 

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