Striker needed

[michael]

Maybe its in the terminology-steps and tiers.

 

anothers site has us as Step 3

 

http://www.tonykempster.co.uk/gridsindex.htm.

 

Anyway-who really cares-just avoid relegation this season and then shoot for the moon.

 

Up the 'Gate

 

 

[BlueGate Alan]

Yes you are MM

[Andy .]

Ive been saying for the past 3 weeks that we need a good finisher up front . Coleman has not got the legs and build to play up front , Micheal Power maybe started to show what he is capable of on Saturday and i know i have slated Ryan for not playing to his standards but he`s not a frontman and he knows he should be playing behind the 2 strikers , this is where he is at his best, as he proved on Saturday, in the last 20 mins he tore into Hornchuch and thats what he should be doing all the time . And where is Pat Sappleton i thought he had signed for us , i know he`s been injured but i don`t think ive seen him at the ground yet , he would shore up our back 4 and stop these stupid goals from going in . Up the Gate .

[michael]

Yes-Sappleton is all a bit of a mystery.

 

Much as i have no time for England,and am a 4-4-2 advocate, the only way i can see us getting goals is to play 4-3-2-1 as per England;which is risky as you have fewer in midfield; (corbishley can move upfield a bit and pratt and Peters would have to back track aswell to help in midfield -but i am sure we would get goals from the following team:

 

SCS

 

Corbishley Taylor Young Gregory

 

Maskell Wilson Stubbs

 

Peters Pratt

Power

[Chris1]

I agree with most of the above. We need a striker, and I would say someone who can get his head on crosses. Peters is too short and what I have seen of Pratt he has a good attitude but not a jumper. Haven't noticed any soaring headers from Power yet either, but at least he has the height.

 

We are poor on defending crosses to the back post. It happened again on Tuesday, although it didn't lead to goals. Some of it seems to be positioning and giving away free headers. Like others, I would have loved to see Sappleton in there.

 

By the way, did anybody notice last Saturday how we were getting caught out by the short corners? We didn't seem to have a plan for that, and I believe one of the goals was conceded from a passage of play from a corner.

 

Byatt's was a 'wonder goal' in my opinion. The ball sat up for him, the crowd shouted SHOOT and he hammered it into the top corner. We saw two cracking goals, because Ryan's free kick over the wall was one of the best you will see too.

 

Ryan's injury: he looked to have hamstring problems at the previous away game, and on Tuesday he clutched the back of his thigh after stretching to make a shot. Would welcome an official comment and of course on Louis's injury.

 

Finally, apologies for getting the sub's names wrong on Tuesday in my updates. Even michaelmichael corrected me, and he was hundreds of miles away!

[michael]

Hi Chris,

It was not me correcting you-simply expressing surprise that Smith was subbed by Maskell -i.e defender for attacker; but think it was taylor who came on afterall-and although a coupe of inches taller-is not physically unalike Maskell anyway.

 

(i am encouraged that it seems BA does like to get tallish players in _there's always room for a couple of Stubbs types aswell, but you do need a bit of height in the team aswell ).

 

Thanks for the updates that really are valued.

[Porka]

Originally Posted By: Chris1

We are poor on defending crosses to the back post. It happened again on Tuesday, although it didn't lead to goals. Some of it seems to be positioning and giving away free headers.

The goalkeeper has to be dominant in these areas, and SCS really should have claimed the ball from the cross that lead to Tooting's opener. I'm surprised that as a coach himself that Scott isn't better at judging these situations.

[michael]

Seems to be a combination of improvements reqd.

 

as you say Porka:

 

-SCS to be more commanding

 

- the defence generally concentrating more and improving all around-especially at back post

 

-not giving so many free kicks/corners away in first place unless absolutely necessary.(i would say this is the biggest area which will bring improvement.

 

- midfield to retain possession more

 

-Start games with more energy-as opposed to 'seeing how it pans out'-There is a need to start at a higher pace as opposed to build up momentum as the game goes on.

 

 

Just 10% improvement in those 5 areas(and many can be improved by more than 10%) will compound to a big overall improvement.

Improve 5 things by 10% and you get a 61% overall improvement-thats one fewer goal per game conceded.

 

Yep-all theory and actually doing it is something different-thats the management task-to ensure it happens and players are coached and trained to make it happen- but again, if you improve alot of things just a little bit, the result compounds to massive improvement.