Champagneblade
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This doesn't seem to come up anywhere near as often in interviews as it should do, for some reason. No specific agenda to this post, just laying out what the stats say for a discussion point.
Cup form aside, which has been against lower league opposition plus Burnley 2nd XI vs our 2nd XI this is how we've done in front of goal:
13/25 matches we have failed to score at all
9 matches we have scored 1 goal.
3 matches we have scored 2 goals.
We have 15 from 25 matches. GD-26.
Last season:
12/38 matches we failed to score at all.
17/38 matches we scored 1 goal.
5/38 matches we scored 2 goals.
4/38 matches we scored 3 goals.
We had 39 from 38 matches. GD0.
So we've already failed to score in more matches than the whole of last season and rather worryingly from scoring in 68% of matches last season we have scored in 20% fewer games i.e. 48%. Less than half.
We hear a lot of talk about not opening up and yes it isn't fun to see your team take a doing but I'm more concerned about goal scoring.
If we're going to be losing most matches then I'd rather we go down somewhat cavalier if possible 3-2, 3-1 than a series of meagre 1-0s.
The reason why is simple. We will have defenders who will be back next season and will be against weaker attacks. We can be confident our defence will be stronger than it is right now.
However goalscoring is a habit. It isn't like some sort of tap we can just turn on in August in the Championship.
Of the 12 games where we have scored, these have been the forward pairings:
McGoldrick/Burke 4
McGoldrick/Sharp 2
McGoldrick/Brewster 2
McGoldrick/McBurnie 1
McBurnie/Burke 1
McBurnie/Brewster 1
On balance, here are the partnerships in the games we failed to score:
McBurnie/Sharp 3
McGoldrick/Burke 2
McBurnie/Brewster 1
McBurnie/Burke 1
McGoldrick/McBurnie 1
McGoldrick/Brewster 1
McGoldrick/Mousset 1
McGoldrick/Mousset/Brewster 1
Burke/Brewster 1
McGoldrick/Sharp 1
So, McGoldrick/Burke has resulted in goals in 5/7 matches, followed by McGoldrick/Sharp and McGoldrick/Brewster in 2/3 though in the case of the latter it was also a dud when Mousset was added v Burnley for a trio.
By far the most unsuccessful partnership has been McBurnie/Sharp, tried on 3 occasions and failed to produce on all 3.
As individuals:
McGoldrick 16 starts 9 produced goals (56%)
Burke 10 starts 6 produced goals (60%)
Brewster 6 starts 3 produced goals (50%)
Sharp 6 starts 2 produced goals (33%)
McBurnie 9 starts 3 produced goals (33%)
So a few options are available. Do we go with a more attacking line up? 3-4-3, 3-4-1-2, 4-3-3 for instance?
Do we try pairings that haven't been given much of a go?
The McBurnie/Brewster pairing some have spoken of for next season has a 1 in 2 goals production but hardly nay minutes together. Likewise McBurnie/Burke similarly. We've also never tried the pace and unpredictability of Burke alongside Sharp.
One thing is for sure in my opinion is that goalscoring should be top of the agenda and be getting far more focus as a problem to solve. We should be acknowledging those pairings that simply don't work and either experimenting with new ones or reenforcing those that did work.
What are your thoughts on how to get more potency out of the team?
Cup form aside, which has been against lower league opposition plus Burnley 2nd XI vs our 2nd XI this is how we've done in front of goal:
13/25 matches we have failed to score at all
9 matches we have scored 1 goal.
3 matches we have scored 2 goals.
We have 15 from 25 matches. GD-26.
Last season:
12/38 matches we failed to score at all.
17/38 matches we scored 1 goal.
5/38 matches we scored 2 goals.
4/38 matches we scored 3 goals.
We had 39 from 38 matches. GD0.
So we've already failed to score in more matches than the whole of last season and rather worryingly from scoring in 68% of matches last season we have scored in 20% fewer games i.e. 48%. Less than half.
We hear a lot of talk about not opening up and yes it isn't fun to see your team take a doing but I'm more concerned about goal scoring.
If we're going to be losing most matches then I'd rather we go down somewhat cavalier if possible 3-2, 3-1 than a series of meagre 1-0s.
The reason why is simple. We will have defenders who will be back next season and will be against weaker attacks. We can be confident our defence will be stronger than it is right now.
However goalscoring is a habit. It isn't like some sort of tap we can just turn on in August in the Championship.
Of the 12 games where we have scored, these have been the forward pairings:
McGoldrick/Burke 4
McGoldrick/Sharp 2
McGoldrick/Brewster 2
McGoldrick/McBurnie 1
McBurnie/Burke 1
McBurnie/Brewster 1
On balance, here are the partnerships in the games we failed to score:
McBurnie/Sharp 3
McGoldrick/Burke 2
McBurnie/Brewster 1
McBurnie/Burke 1
McGoldrick/McBurnie 1
McGoldrick/Brewster 1
McGoldrick/Mousset 1
McGoldrick/Mousset/Brewster 1
Burke/Brewster 1
McGoldrick/Sharp 1
So, McGoldrick/Burke has resulted in goals in 5/7 matches, followed by McGoldrick/Sharp and McGoldrick/Brewster in 2/3 though in the case of the latter it was also a dud when Mousset was added v Burnley for a trio.
By far the most unsuccessful partnership has been McBurnie/Sharp, tried on 3 occasions and failed to produce on all 3.
As individuals:
McGoldrick 16 starts 9 produced goals (56%)
Burke 10 starts 6 produced goals (60%)
Brewster 6 starts 3 produced goals (50%)
Sharp 6 starts 2 produced goals (33%)
McBurnie 9 starts 3 produced goals (33%)
So a few options are available. Do we go with a more attacking line up? 3-4-3, 3-4-1-2, 4-3-3 for instance?
Do we try pairings that haven't been given much of a go?
The McBurnie/Brewster pairing some have spoken of for next season has a 1 in 2 goals production but hardly nay minutes together. Likewise McBurnie/Burke similarly. We've also never tried the pace and unpredictability of Burke alongside Sharp.
One thing is for sure in my opinion is that goalscoring should be top of the agenda and be getting far more focus as a problem to solve. We should be acknowledging those pairings that simply don't work and either experimenting with new ones or reenforcing those that did work.
What are your thoughts on how to get more potency out of the team?