The enigma that is Didsy

[Woodwardfan]

Forget that, look how we struggle when he steps off the pitch! We need a like for like understudy ASAP.

That's exactly how 3-4-1-2 evolved. Answer - Baldock or Fleck!

And it's exactly the stage of the season Wilder will be wondering whether to be more expansive with an 'easier' run of fixtures. Very dangerous.

Second half tactics at the most.

 

[Woodwardfan]

According to P.L. statistics McGoldrick has missed 9 'big chances', amongst the most in the Division. The point is he has scored 0, but the big question is why all the chances are falling to him when our other players have personally missed the following numbers of 'big chances':

Lundstram 3, McBurnie 2, Clarke 1, Fleck 1, Moose 1, Robinson 1, Sharp 1. McGoldrick 9.

Our goalscorers are: Moose 5, Lundstarm 3, Fleck 2, McBurnie 2, Baldock 1, Robinson 1, Sharp 1, McGoldrick 0.

WE are 12th in the Stats League for 'goals scored'.

Assists: Moose 3, Baldock 2, Stevens 2, Fleck 1, Lundstram 1, McGoldrick 1, O'Connell 1, Robinson 1.

Obviously the Moose has been outstanding, So has McGoldrick in his own way but my question is whether he takes his chances too early and that applied to Fleck last Sunday too. There were opportunities to pass the ball to a better placed colleague and indeed to better their own opportunities.

McGoldrick needs to have more composure ( actual composure, not the 'casual, cool-dude stuff), size up the options and if taking the opportunity at goal then make sure he misses the keeper. Of those 9 chances I reckon he has hit the target but, more than that, he has hit the keeper and with fairly weak shots to boot.

Having said all that I think McGoldrick, Fleck, Lundstram and obviously Moose have been outstanding amongst our forward players; they just deserve more for their endeavour.

 

[Woodwardfan]

Just a footnote to the above post.

Sharp has 1 goal, 0 assists and 1 'big chance missed' in 190 minutes played.
Clarke has 1 'big chance missed' in 13 minutes played.

Make of those what you may.

Some know where the goal is, some don't get near. Personally I don't mind players missing chances, it's those who never get near that bother me.

 

[blademark]

Like everyone else, I appreciate many parts of his game, but if Chris Wilder is the man I think he is, he will be looking for his replacement right now. We are 7th in the biggest and best league in the world, and if we have ambitions to compete with the top 10, we have to do better in his position.
Harsh but true.

James Shield says he expects our interest in Ollie Watkins to build in the January window. Would be direct competition for Didzy I would have thought.

 

[Tony_Kaufman]

I love Didsy to bits and we are certainly a better side with him in the team, but it isn't half frustrating watching him shoot or make the wrong decision.

It's almost like he is so conscious about not scoring that he tries to make sure that if it doesn't go in, then it's on target. Every shot/header goes for the centre of goal, straight at the keeper.

He often seems to make the wrong choice when he has options.

For example, against Burnley we had a good attack going and Didsy had three choices.

A) pass to Sharp to his left who would have to bend his shot around a defender and the keeper into the far corner with his right foot.

B) Take an extra touch to the side and have a pop himself.

C) Lay the ball off to the right for Lundstram to score another goal like his other two.

Options B and C were the better options so he went with A, albeit Sharp should've finished better.


Against Wolves he was running at goal and had time on his hands but he rushed and shot with his left foot, it went straight at the keeper again. If he had waited one more stride he could've used his right foot to try bend it round the keeper in to the far corner.

I'm not knocking the bloke but his decision making was like this last season, but the Championship is more forgiving as you'll get plenty more chances. In the Premier League the decision and chance has to be nailed on.

I want to see him still in the team for everything that he brings in general play both on and off the ball, but I'd give my left testicle to see him have a shot that goes wide if it doesn't go in, instead of straight at the keeper in the middle.

I'm convinced that Didsy wouldn't score in a one on one if Warwick Davis was in goal.

 

[SittingontheBall]

Scanned this thread so apologies if I’ve got this wrong.
Seems that most on here agree (and I’m one) Didsy is involved in creating the opportunities for moose and others but isn’t scoring himself. The not scoring leads a few to suggest that sooner or later CW will have to drop Didsy.

If you really believe that I have two questions for you -
1. who is definitely going to do the creating as reliably as Didsy?
2. If the main striker stops scoring the chances Didsy creates, why change Didsy rather than the striker?

One other point for the dewdrops suggesting Didsy is playing safe by aiming for the ‘keeper. Alan Woodward once said in an interview when asked how he scored so many goals (admittedly from distance) that he aimed for the ‘keeper and hoped he’d miss.

 

[blademark]

Scanned this thread so apologies if I’ve got this wrong.
Seems that most on here agree (and I’m one) Didsy is involved in creating the opportunities for moose and others but isn’t scoring himself. The not scoring leads a few to suggest that sooner or later CW will have to drop Didsy.

If you really believe that I have two questions for you -
1. who is definitely going to do the creating as reliably as Didsy?
2. If the main striker stops scoring the chances Didsy creates, why change Didsy rather than the striker?

One other point for the dewdrops suggesting Didsy is playing safe by aiming for the ‘keeper. Alan Woodward once said in an interview when asked how he scored so many goals (admittedly from distance) that he aimed for the ‘keeper and hoped he’d miss.

I hate to break this to you SOTB, but he hasn't actually created any goals either, directly.

 

[Blend-it-like-Harris]

Like everyone else, I appreciate many parts of his game, but if Chris Wilder is the man I think he is, he will be looking for his replacement right now. We are 7th in the biggest and best league in the world, and if we have ambitions to compete with the top 10, we have to do better in his position.
Harsh but true.

For certain Chris Wilder will not be looking to replace the player who is obviously the most talented and creative footballer in our squad. He is not an out-and-out striker in the Gary Lineker/Alan Shearer/Harry Kane mould and for sure these type of strikers would not be nearly as effective without players like Didsy. Without him we'd be in a relegation battle. You might think replacing him with Harry Kane would make us more competitive? It wouldn't.

 

[blademark]

For certain Chris Wilder will not be looking to replace the player who is obviously the most talented and creative footballer in our squad. He is not an out-and-out striker in the Gary Lineker/Alan Shearer/Harry Kane mould and for sure these type of strikers would not be nearly as effective without players like Didsy. Without him we'd be in a relegation battle. You might think replacing him with Harry Kane would make us more competitive? It wouldn't.

Are you absolutely certain that he is our most creative and skilful player ? There is very little evidence for him creating much at all this season. I know he is a very good cog in the well oiled machine, and he looks very nice when he is controlling a ball in midfield, turning, and passing to a colleague, but we have others who could do that. He has to contribute more. He has the highest miss rate of clear chances in the division. I have a feeling that opinions would be quite different if we were in the bottom 5. I do like him, and I hope he comes good. I'm not expecting him to turn into Harry Kane, but he has to do better, otherwise all the good work he does will be overshadowed .

 

[BladesMadGreeny]

 

[BushBlade]

For certain Chris Wilder will not be looking to replace the player who is obviously the most talented and creative footballer in our squad. He is not an out-and-out striker in the Gary Lineker/Alan Shearer/Harry Kane mould and for sure these type of strikers would not be nearly as effective without players like Didsy. Without him we'd be in a relegation battle. You might think replacing him with Harry Kane would make us more competitive? It wouldn't.

Have you seen Kane play? He’s nothing like Lineker. He often drops into the 10 position and creates. If we had Kane instead of Didsy we’d be top four.

 

[Blend-it-like-Harris]

Have you seen Kane play? He’s nothing like Lineker. He often drops into the 10 position and creates. If we had Kane instead of Didsy we’d be top four.

I deliberately put Kane's name into the mixer knowing some would throw that back at me. Yes - Kane is Able (pardon the poorly disguised pun there) to drop back and be more creative than the out 'n out No 9's, but often that's down to him being forced back into those positions because of a lack of service where he needs it. I've seen several games where he's been anonymous, again because of a lack of creative and incisive talent behind him. If Blades fans imagine CW simply has to put Billy in alongside the Moose instead of Didsy in behind, then they are the Cuckoos flying through the clouds. Quite frankly, if Wilder bothered to read some of the crap spouted on this forum he'd laugh his red & white socks off. Talking about Mark Duffy in that role is "Pie in the Sky" stuff too; much as I loved Mark Duffy he chose to join the crew of the good ship "Delusion" also, and we all know where that particular boat hit the shores.

 

[Blend-it-like-Harris]

Are you absolutely certain that he is our most creative and skilful player ? There is very little evidence for him creating much at all this season. I know he is a very good cog in the well oiled machine, and he looks very nice when he is controlling a ball in midfield, turning, and passing to a colleague, but we have others who could do that. He has to contribute more. He has the highest miss rate of clear chances in the division. I have a feeling that opinions would be quite different if we were in the bottom 5. I do like him, and I hope he comes good. I'm not expecting him to turn into Harry Kane, but he has to do better, otherwise all the good work he does will be overshadowed .

If you believe he missed easy chances in the Wolves game you need to watch MOTD and see some of the chances missed by the Prem's top strikers. If there are more talented ball-players and play-makers in our squad you should be prepared to name them so that Chris Wilder is aware of them too, because he seems, as yet, not to be, or is making wrong team-selection choices. I'm sure we'd be well capable of a higher League position if Wilder consulted with you and all the other Didsy-Knockers on this forum before making his team selections. Pardon me while I laugh......

 

[blademark]

If you believe he missed easy chances in the Wolves game you need to watch MOTD and see some of the chances missed by the Prem's top strikers. If there are more talented ball-players and play-makers in our squad you should be prepared to name them so that Chris Wilder is aware of them too, because he seems, as yet, not to be, or is making wrong team-selection choices. I'm sure we'd be well capable of a higher League position if Wilder consulted with you and all the other Didsy-Knockers on this forum before making his team selections. Pardon me while I laugh......

Try not to attribute statements I have never made, it kind of spoils your argument. He had to do better. When his manager feels the need to defend him publicly, it's a problem.

 

[Blend-it-like-Harris]

Try not to attribute statements I have never made, it kind of spoils your argument. He had to do better. When his manager feels the need to defend him publicly, it's a problem.

Not so outlandish really. All Managers are constantly looking to upgrade, but Didzy, much as we love him, is currently a glaring weak link, at least in the goal scoring department. We can't rely on Mousset alone. Imagine if he had taking just half of the glaring misses, we could be 2 or 3 places higher.

You say he's a "glaring weak-link" and say "we can't rely on Mousset alone" and that he has made numerous "glaring misses" - poppycock quite frankly. Chris Wilder probably feels the need defend him publicly simply because fans like you want to hang him out to dry. If Mousset was our only goalscorer this season we'd be bottom of the Prem. Mac is class, and we are successful beyond our wildest dreams thanks in no small part to him. Get off his back and try to be objective instead of whittling on about him not being a goal-scorer.

 

[blademark]

You say he's a "glaring weak-link" and say "we can't rely on Mousset alone" and that he has made numerous "glaring misses" - poppycock quite frankly. Chris Wilder probably feels the need defend him publicly simply because fans like you want to hang him out to dry. If Mousset was our only goalscorer this season we'd be bottom of the Prem. Mac is class, and we are successful beyond our wildest dreams thanks in no small part to him. Get off his back and try to be objective instead of whittling on about him not being a goal-scorer.

Ok chum, we clearly disagree. No problem with that. I hope he gets a hat trick tonight.

 

[1889]

That is the challenge for CW/AK, keeping Didsy & Moose.
I think our style of play would suffer without him in the team.

Lets hope you’re wrong

 

[SittingontheBall]

BUMP

 

[Woodwardfan]

Big Chances Missed - Premier League Player Stats

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[Cerberus Blade]

James Shield says he expects our interest in Ollie Watkins to build in the January window. Would be direct competition for Didzy I would have thought.

I don’t think so. Watkins striker, McGoldrick midfield. Taker and Maker.

 

[CaptainMorgans]

Big Chances Missed - Premier League Player Stats

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If he'd buried even just 3, or 4 of them we'd probably have about 6 more points by now. He's been excellent though.