Why don't we score from corners?

[Curtis]

Our second goal against Stratford by Putts came from Mpi getting his head on a long throw from Guy which caused them some panic and failing to clear properly.

 

It's the long looping throw toward the penalty spot that opposing defences seem to cope with comfortably.

[Matt]

Dan Hicks almost scored from a long throw against Biggleswade I think, but put it wide when he probably should have done better.

[3spirit]

My reference to Guy Hollis long throw isn't for him to stop doing them but not to be so pedestrian about them.

 

It's like when the ball comes off the field, a shout goes to Guy [where ever he is on the pitch ! ] to make his way to the ball for the long throw, then up trundles our taller players.

By the time we take it, all the opposition defensive line/their midfield know exactly what's going to happen and the same can be said for the majority of our crosses, as we favour that long lofted ball, which the majority of times goes over everybody's head.

 

My feeling is that we should just mix it up more, instead of calling for Guy in obvious long throw situations, try the odd short one or a long throw not straight into the penalty area by other players, not just Guy.

 

My main bone of contention, though, isn't the long throw or our crosses/corners but is that we don't shoot enough.

I don't know the statistics but how many goals are scored by a shot being parried by the goalie or bouncing off a defender for a player to follow up and score?

This to me is where goals are scored a lot but if we don't shoot, we won't get these chances, will we?

 

I'm not bothered about players missing the target, it's the willingness to have a go that matters. 

[Windsor Rebel]

Did we not score from a shot on Saturday?

[Curtis]

Premier League averages over the last few seasons are about 26 shots per match, 8 to 9 on target, and 2.6 goals per match (all excluding penalties).

 

On Saturday I only seem to recall us having two shots on target and scoring one of them (not including the penalty), and four or five shots in total...... I'm probably completely wrong though, I'm sure Neil will have the precise match statistics.

[3spirit]

Did we not score from a shot on Saturday?

 

It's not about scoring one goal from a shot. It's about how many shots we have per game !

[Irishadrian]

Not too sure how we score our goals is especially significant. We've got 40 and only 3 teams out of 24 have more Im happy with our total however they went in.

Edited December 7, 2015 by Irishadrian

[Sloughboy]

Agree with that Irishadrian, that's what I meant about nitpicking! There is obviously areas we should do better or we would be top like Poole, even they will have areas to improve!

[3spirit]

Well, it is nit picking Sloughboy but we are not the best team in this division, so we need all the advantages we can get.

 

I want to watch Slough play the best football they can, regardless of where we finish in the table.

 

Forgetting the goals we've scored, how many will we get if we shoot more ? ! !

How many more will we get if our crosses are better and we were less predictable in our general play and set piece moves.

Law of averages says all these things would help.

 

I don't suppose we have the financial clout of many in this division, and we know that there are no pushovers concerning the league teams we have to play, so we must utilise our efforts to get us the points we need to become a regular top10 outfit.

Otherwise we will just languish nearer the bottom of the table, or become relegation fodder, if we don't add to our efforts.   

 

Watching dull, run of the mill football isn't a pleasure in my book.

Also I wouldn't think it is a great attraction to improve our attendances either.

 

So at least, if we offer a good brand of football, you will get fans that will come back to watch. Even if it is only the odd one or two.

I know of three supporters who stand by me, who started regularly watching Slough because of Steve Bateman's attacking team, so why not try to enhance our attacking play?

 

What's wrong in mentioning that ? !   

[Sloughboy]

Nothing, just the same as nothing wrong in mentioning previously that Scotty makes too many errors but I got slaughtered for that comment.

 

We all want the team to be the best it can be. I'm simply pointing out that it's not routines that get you goals, it's desire to get on the end of a good delivery wih a powerful run and good header!

 

Nothing wrong in having opinion.

[Windsor Rebel]

Its all about getting the points. Whether  we play boring, defensive football, or

exciting, attacking football makes no difference as sides are set up to win games.

If it is exciting to watch then that is a bonus

Edited December 8, 2015 by Windsor Rebel

[Neil Baker]

Some stats on shots during a game for you:

 

St Neots 5 shots on target 3 off

Biggleswade 8 on 5 off

Dunstable - Don't have them for

Stratford - 6 on 4 off

Frome 9 on  5 off

Marlow (don't have but plenty)

Kings Lynn 2 on 4 off

Chippenham 6 on 3 off

Cambridge 13 on 4 off

Romford 12 on 1 off

Redditch 3 on 3 off.

 

One thing you can usually say about us is there are usually goals in our games, with only Dunstable and Histon having more in their games this season.

 

Does that make it exciting, not always, there have been times when plenty of people have said it was a really good performance, and other times where the exact opposite has been said.

 

We are always looking to improve as a side and a management team, but as Windsor Rebel says the points are the thing that counts, plenty of times people have said on the forum it is no good playing well if you lose the game .

 

Since we made our changes to the squad after the Basingstoke/Leamington games we have taken 23 points from 12 league games which is over a quarter of the season (this is matched only by Dunstable and Hungerford and bettered by Poole 28 points and Hitchin 24 points)

 

Contrast that to our awful start of 9 points from 11 games, where there were only a few teams with worse records, and if continued would have been a relegation battle on our hands.

 

We just need to keep picking up points and get to the first target of 46/47 points which I believe is enough to avoid relegation, then we can keep pushing and see how high up the table we can finish.

[Sir Rebel1965]

I don't think corners are the issue, as we score enough goals in most games, only 5 out of 30 games without a goal, and 57 in the 25 games with goals

 

The problem is giving away silly soft goals.

Edited December 8, 2015 by Rebel1965

[Stuntman Mark]

 

 

The problem is giving away silly soft goals.

 

Yep. That's what is stopping us becoming the "regular top 10 outfit" 3spirit wants at the moment. I've been pretty pleased with how we've played since October - Stratford match aside - it just gets very frustrating when all the hardwork comes undone because of sloppy, avoidable goals. TBH I think we need to spend more time on defending set pieces than attacking them.

[Reading Rebel]

Well, it is nit picking Sloughboy but we are not the best team in this division, so we need all the advantages we can get.

 

I want to watch Slough play the best football they can, regardless of where we finish in the table.

 

Forgetting the goals we've scored, how many will we get if we shoot more ? ! !

How many more will we get if our crosses are better and we were less predictable in our general play and set piece moves.

Law of averages says all these things would help.

 

I don't suppose we have the financial clout of many in this division, and we know that there are no pushovers concerning the league teams we have to play, so we must utilise our efforts to get us the points we need to become a regular top10 outfit.

Otherwise we will just languish nearer the bottom of the table, or become relegation fodder, if we don't add to our efforts.   

 

Watching dull, run of the mill football isn't a pleasure in my book.

Also I wouldn't think it is a great attraction to improve our attendances either.

 

So at least, if we offer a good brand of football, you will get fans that will come back to watch. Even if it is only the odd one or two.

I know of three supporters who stand by me, who started regularly watching Slough because of Steve Bateman's attacking team, so why not try to enhance our attacking play?

 

What's wrong in mentioning that ? !   

 

 

3spirit, in general do you think you've been watching dull, run of the mill football this season?

 

Would you be happy playing exciting attacking football at the cost of getting relegated?

[3spirit]

3spirit, in general do you think you've been watching dull, run of the mill football this season?

 

Would you be happy playing exciting attacking football at the cost of getting relegated?

 

No, I wouldn't say Bakes and Unders, Steve Bateman or come to that, Derek Sweetman's team played dull football but all of them have/had levels of success and failure.

 

The team Bakes and Unders are building is ,in general, a good one to watch. I enjoy the product they offer.

 

For me, there's no rush to get promoted from this division, though things may change when we're in a new stadium.

I just like watching flair sides and the thought of playing 'the long ball game' and predictable football irks me.

 

In the years since I've been a regular at Slough, our most successful season in terms of where we sat in the league, was that of the Conference team under Dave Kemp's guidance that run Wycombe close but in good football terms, I found it boring in the extreme, as his side played long ball football.

The only game that I saw that season, that I enjoyed watching, was a 0-2 victory away at Woking.

 

Kemp's side was built on solid foundations in defence, which is not the wrong way of going but to me isn't the be all end all. His most exciting players to watch then was Mark Fiore and Ian Hazel, who when allowed had a cracking shot on him.

It's no co-incidence that Tony Pulis has that same reputation for dull football, given Dave's his right hand man.

 

As Bakes has pointed out our statistics for shots per game, I feel we should have at least 10 shots per game, whether on target or off.

 

My philosophy to the game is to score more goals than the opposition ! 

 

Of course, I don't want to be relegated Reading Rebel !  That's got nothing to do with shooting more. 

 

        

[3spirit]

Nothing, just the same as nothing wrong in mentioning previously that Scotty makes too many errors but I got slaughtered for that comment.

 

We all want the team to be the best it can be. I'm simply pointing out that it's not routines that get you goals, it's desire to get on the end of a good delivery wih a powerful run and good header!

 

Nothing wrong in having opinion.

 

Every now and again we all get slaughtered for saying something that is deemed wrong by the consensus.

 

While I don't agree with you about Mark Scott, you are entitled to your opinion. This forum would be as dull as dishwater, if everyone agreed all the time.

 

You are right that you need the desire and commitment to create opportunities to score.

 

We do have to take in to context that we are a non-league team, and not a professional one, and that sometimes we expect too much from amateurs.

Having said that,all teams work to the level they are at, and endeavour to play beyond the boundaries that are set, to be as good a team as they can.  

[3spirit]

Its all about getting the points. Whether  we play boring, defensive football, or

exciting, attacking football makes no difference as sides are set up to win games.

If it is exciting to watch then that is a bonus

 

Yes, it is about getting points but it does make a difference to me. 

[3spirit]

Yep. That's what is stopping us becoming the "regular top 10 outfit" 3spirit wants at the moment. I've been pretty pleased with how we've played since October - Stratford match aside - it just gets very frustrating when all the hardwork comes undone because of sloppy, avoidable goals. TBH I think we need to spend more time on defending set pieces than attacking them.

 

Human culpability/failings will always be there and I'm not expecting us to be perfect in defence all the time, although, as you say Stuntman Mark, we do have a habit of giving soft goals away.

 

Things have improved in this area from the start of the season and changes of personnel have certainly helped.

 

My focus, though, is not on defence, it is our attacking play. 

[Reading Rebel]

No, I wouldn't say Bakes and Unders, Steve Bateman or come to that, Derek Sweetman's team played dull football but all of them have/had levels of success and failure.

 

The team Bakes and Unders are building is ,in general, a good one to watch. I enjoy the product they offer.

 

For me, there's no rush to get promoted from this division, though things may change when we're in a new stadium.

I just like watching flair sides and the thought of playing 'the long ball game' and predictable football irks me.

 

In the years since I've been a regular at Slough, our most successful season in terms of where we sat in the league, was that of the Conference team under Dave Kemp's guidance that run Wycombe close but in good football terms, I found it boring in the extreme, as his side played long ball football.

The only game that I saw that season, that I enjoyed watching, was a 0-2 victory away at Woking.

 

Kemp's side was built on solid foundations in defence, which is not the wrong way of going but to me isn't the be all end all. His most exciting players to watch then was Mark Fiore and Ian Hazel, who when allowed had a cracking shot on him.

It's no co-incidence that Tony Pulis has that same reputation for dull football, given Dave's his right hand man.

 

As Bakes has pointed out our statistics for shots per game, I feel we should have at least 10 shots per game, whether on target or off.

 

My philosophy to the game is to score more goals than the opposition ! 

 

Of course, I don't want to be relegated Reading Rebel !  That's got nothing to do with shooting more. 

 

 

'I want to watch Slough play the best football they can, regardless of where we finish in the table' 

 

Probably not quite what you meant then 3spirit?

Edited December 9, 2015 by Reading Rebel