[quote author=Wizardry link=topic=38216.msg1026532#msg1026532 date=1262647412]
[quote author=Vlads Quiff link=topic=38216.msg1026527#msg1026527 date=1262646727]
[quote author=Wizardry link=topic=38216.msg1026521#msg1026521 date=1262646078]
[quote author=Vlads Quiff link=topic=38216.msg1026296#msg1026296 date=1262631012]
[quote author=Fabio Alrighty-o link=topic=38216.msg1026247#msg1026247 date=1262624618]
So our inability to get the ball upfield by our lack of width/creativity in the centre to get the ball to a striker, should be rectified by a striker. I agree we need more strikers but based on current form we appear to be a bit crap at making chances
[/quote]Not too sure about that Fabio, not often I disagree with a Windever sibling.
We had ten shots at goal against Reading , two of them on target. We do, as I said in another thread somewhere, despite our shortcomings in midfield, usually make a reasonable number of chances, we never have enough bodies in the box though.
A striker first and some decent attacking midfield players next. Maxi sounds like a good opportunity.
Surely Sammy Lee must tell him Dirk and Lucas are not the answer.
regards
[/quote]
I'm a bit surprised by that first part Vlad and even more surprised to find myself disagreeing with you. Do you really think we create that many chances? It's one of my criticisms of our play and the style Rafa used in his first few years and has reverted to this season; we keep possession but do precious little with it. Our play in the final third has, IMO, been atrocious this season. Movement has been limited, execution poor but, mostly, our creativity has been pitiful. Not only do the players appear on different wave-lengths but they seem largely bereft of ideas.
I don't think we create many chances at all - in fact I'm not sure we created more than one genuine chance against Villa. We scored from some fortune in that the ball bounced off a player into the path of possibly the worlds best striker. For me there is huge difference between a shot on target and a chance; ironically I think our best chance was the one for Babel which didn't result in a shot on target.
[/quote]
I don't think we create anywhere near enough chances, but our ratio for converting any chances is appalling.
My point is there is no point creating more chances unless we intend, or have the staff to put them away
regards
[/quote]
That sounds like an overhaul is required up front Vlad; surely Torres and Gerrard aren't candidates for such change. Kuyt seems to be in a different category and I've long thought that the left side was wasted at Anfield but Maxi would surely make the right change for one of those two positions. What else is there to change in our attack? That's where I think a large part of the problem lies - the rest of the team is primarily there to prevent the opposition scoring.
[/quote]
I think it's more about the support around Gerrard and Torres, and that doesn't necessarily have to mean creativity, the problem is we don't get enough bodies forward, and when we do we've got players who are hit and miss in front of goal. Yossi and Kuyt have both weighed in, but we need at least one more other who has a bit of a killer instinct. Someone who makes clever runs from deep, ala Garcia, the kind of runs that are difficult to pick up that will hopefully see us get another 12-15 goals a season. Reading was just one of those games, Torres missed the bulk of the chances and he's usually the main source of goals (along with Gerrard). It'd just be good to have that one extra threat.
