Striker

[wivelgull]

Jamie Ndah! I never thought I'd hear that name again. Certainly in the Top 20 all-time useless United players.

[Bristol_Gull]

Are the strikers the problem or is it a lack of chances or BOTH? I'd be interested to see a comparison of our total shots / shots on target vs goals scored compared to the rest of the league

[Dockers Pal]

Our strikers compared to strikers in relegation threatened clubs in the National League at 13 Dec 17 (Data from BBC and Google)
I’ve selected the bottom 7 clubs as currently relegation threatened – Eastleigh, Barrow, Orient, Chester, Torquay, Guiseley, Solihull
As a measure of strikers effectiveness, I’ve applied the following minimum threshold in goals per mins on the pitch – 1 goal in 360mins which equates to 1 goal in 4 games. Which if applied across a full season would be 11/12 goals a season. Not a high total.
Also consider 1 goal in 270mins or 15/16 goals in a full season; or
1 goal in 180mins or 23 goals a season
These are the results for each of the seven teams. I’ve excluded players who’ve played less than 360 mins this season, and leavers where I’ve established it.

Eastleigh
Ben Williamson 1 in 139mins 9 goals scored
Paul Mccallum 1 in 208mins 3 goals scored
Craig McAllister 1 in 278mins 2 goals scored
Sam Matthews 1 in 349mins 2 goals scored

Orient
Macauley Bonne 1 in 179mins 11 goals scored
Matt Harrold 1 in 226mins 3 goals scored
Romuald Bocu 1 in 263mins 2 goals scored

Guiseley
Rowan Liburd 1 in 128mins 3 goals scored
Mike Fondop-Talom 1 in 184mins 2 goals scored
Barrow
Byron Harrison 1 in 217mins 6 goals scored
Jordan White 1 in 241mins 5 goals scored
Ali Yussuf 1 in 260mins 5 goals scored
Harry Panayiotou 1 in 305mins 2 goals scored

Chester
Ross Hannah 1 in 232mins 6 goals scored
James Akintunde 1 in 336mins 4 goals scored


Solihull
Ola Afolayan 1 in 202mins 8 goals scored



Torquay United
Jon-Paul Pittman 1 in 233mins 3 goals scored
Ruari Keating 1 in 340mins 4 goals scored

Note Eastleigh and Barrow have 4 strikers who can be expected to score at least 11 goals each and mostly 15/16, Orient have one ace striker, and Guiseley have potentially two if they can keep producing. Torquay’s two haven’t played half the seasons time so far either.

[Hammdog2601]

Hoping and praying we sign a player like Kieffer Moore. He was the reason we stayed up last season: his little spell was the reason. We need a goal scorer ASAP! Gary Owers knows that.

[SBP]

I think we need more than just a striker, we need attacking options from wide and midfield. The manager/head coach appears to have prioritised fitness, formation and shape. The attacking options he has brought in hasn't worked for whatever the reason.
However we are still no better, we are still conceding goals and never look like scoring. This makes the games completely dull and who hand on heart wants to pay and watch that. Because we lose anyway. Gates are decreasing and we are going from one low to another.
I mentioned on another thread that I don't believe that Harrop and Hedges are working hard enough.
What ever happened to going out with an attacking mentality, if the opposition score 1 we will score 2. We are set up and go out not to concede, its not working.

[merse btpir]

I think we need more than just a striker, we need attacking options from wide and midfield. The manager/head coach appears to have prioritised fitness, formation and shape.

Having played in so many struggling sides; I would say that the first 'trick' is to compartmentalise things so that fitness, formation and shape ARE indeed the first things you need to infuse.

The season needs to be broken down into three or four game programmes with targets set as to results, points and league position. What is achieved or not achieved in the first is then factored into setting targets for the next and so on.

The defensive discipline that has been there but now seems to have evaporated with the need to field an unbalanced back three ~ playing Davey out of the middle of it and incorporating two left footers ~ needs to be re-established with urgency.

Players need to be encouraged into getting their shots off and taking chances because the painfully obvious truth is that they have not been doing that have they ~ the contributions from midfield have been nothing short of pathetic on that score.....you don't by tickets you don't win lotteries!

I spoke to some Orient fans of long standing acquaintance yesterday, and they highlighted how (compared with their team) Torquay United appeared confident and trusting in one another when they lost at Plainmoor recently; NOT bitching on the field and all singing off the same hymn sheet which (they say) their team has patently not been doing!

The next stage is to discover who is up for the challenge and who isn't; and hopefully ship out those that aren't and bring in the types who will be....as I said previously the next few weeks and what transpires on the player movement side of it will be crucial. That is something that Kevin Nicholson did get right two years ago and set the field for his particular 'great escape' although it came at a greater cost to the board because a financial injection was taken on that ultimately cost them their ownership; which only serves to underline the pressures and desperation that relegation prospects bring to the table

[SBP]

If you think the next stage is to discover who is up for the challenge, that's way too late for me. I would figure that out after a couple of games. If we wait for another 3-4 games it will be too late.
Things are made very complicated these days with all sorts of analysis and philosophies and stuff.
Nothing has changed, successful teams are the teams that score more goals than the opposition. We are going out on the pitch, we are more organised(that's debatable)we are fitter(well that's helping) and everybody know theirs jobs and responsibilities, however we don't look like scoring in a month of Sundays with the players and system that is being employed.
So what is GO going to do?? Stick with it and hope it works or make some radical changes?? I know what I would do.

[nickbrod]

Sitting in Bristows yesterday for a change as I wanted to see/hear Owers and Kuhl. Whilst I wasn't surprised by the amount of coaching both do I was amazed by the need for Kuhl in particular to shout out basics. For example when Maidstone had a free kick on the edge of our box and the 'wall' (four players) had to be shouted at to turn round to see where Clarke wanted them. The sort of thing you shout at your Under-11 team.
This sort of thing confirms what I've posted several times in the past - these players need a proper leader on the pitch. Making McGinty captain has improved his game but he, like Luke Young, is not a "in your face" guy which most of these players need.

[merse btpir]

.....these players need a proper leader on the pitch. Making McGinty captain has improved his game but he, like Luke Young, is not a "in your face" guy which most of these players need.

I agree with that!

[Teigngull]

Yes absobloodylutely agree too, a proper leader a mean hard bastard in the mold of an Alan Little or a Sean Joyce, someone who will get rid of this namby pamby after you Claude attitude that's crept back in .

[budegull1954]

It all comes back to money though - guys like that are hard to find and cost a lot of money. Someone like Gary Jones (Rochdale, Southport etc), pushing 40 now and not sure if he's even playing now. But a heck of a player and leader in his day.

[Dutchgull]

Danny Racchi

[nickbrod]

I think we'd all agree that every manager would love to have a 20+ goals a season striker in their squad or certainly someone (at least one) who can get into double figures.
So it was rather sobering to be reminded of our top scorers over the last 9 years when McGinty gave his interview last week after the Gateshead match standing in front of the 'honours' board at the club:
2016-17 Brett Williams 11
2015-16 Nathan Blissett 8
2014-15 Ryan Bowman 19
2013-14 Jordan Chapell 5 (Yes FIVE)
2012-13 Rene Howe 15
2011-12 Rene Howe 14
2010-11 Chris Zebroski 15
2009-10 Elliot Benyon 13
2008-09 Tim Sills 21

[Dazza]

Just how many points do we wish to throw away while we play without any hold up players. I thought United played okay yesterday and were clearly the better side. It means however nothing if we are unable to hold the ball up long enough to turn possession into chances and goals. It's a farce frankly. Harrop says it's really difficult to sign such a player and so we have gone a year without one. In that time we have narrowly survived and now have effectively got ourselves relegated. The inability or seeming couldn't care less attitude behind not signing such a player is a complete insult to those paying their hard earned money at the gate. I call on someone at the club to fully explain what and why we play without a hold player for over 12 months THE factor why imv we are in the position we are in.

[Yorkieandy]

Ryan Brunt from Exeter. Said it before. Surely something can be sorted with both clubs as a bit of goodwill and on a short term loan until the end of the season. He's in the area already and doesn't get a look in at Exeter.

Has Owers ever even heard of the lad?

It's a no brainer for me and i'm sure something can be done to get him down to Plainmoor for 4 months. He's made 1 appearance for the Greeks. He's a big lad, physical, holds it up, brings others in, a real handful at set pieces and scores now and again. Does Owers even speak with managers of other local clubs to build links?