[Albion] Maupay stats vs other PL strikers this season

[Blue Valkyrie]

Maupay this, Maupay that.

Plenty of PL teams are doing or would do just fine with a striker with his numbers. But how on earth could that be, when Brighton are in a relegation battle?

Because their midfielders and wide players (whether wingers or wing backs) got a decent goal production. I know, I know "midfielders should chip in but ultimately...", I've heard it. But plenty of the midfielders in the top and mid table teams are "chipping in" with 15-25 goals, which results in a shit load of points compared to the 10 (and I'm including Trossard, 4 goals, who is not rarely playing up front) scored by Brighton midfielders.

As plenty have said, the goal production from strikers leaves much to be desired, but it really is a team issue. Great, find a better striker, scoring closer to xG, than Maupay and maybe you have another five goals next season. Should result in a handful more points. But if the midfield scores somewhere closer to lets say Leeds, you have about 15 more goals, most likely resulting in a number of points you would probably require an entire bag to carry!

The whole "just get a better striker and we would be in the top 6" thing is a lie, aside for one or two freak instances over the years you dont come anywhere near the top 6 with this kind of midfield production.

Luckily, there is a good possibility of improvement in both areas. Maupay is one of the youngest starting strikers in the PL (and Connolly / Zeqiri are both very young) and from midfield Moder looks like he could be a Soucek kind of guy and while Mac Allister so far has been quite point shy he is still very young and I think he could turn into someone who frequently scores in the PL in the not too distant future. For Alzate, the jury is out and next season will be important for him, same (but different) for Trossard who got some good stuff in him but needs to provide more consistently.

Add one or two new players - one striker and one midfielder/winger - and the return of the infinitely (compared to BDB & Veltman) more threatening March / Lamptey and this squad wide issue could very well solve itself naturally without too many pounds spent.

I think we'll sign 4 players this summer - the 2 you mention along with a left sided defender ( Naylor has talked about this ) and another GK as Walton and Ryan will leave.

 

[RandyWanger]

Bayo looks good. What's his WAG look like though?

 

[KeegansHairPiece]

Oh I quite agree, his choices are very limited at the moment. Hopefully we might be able to do something about that in the summer. And yes we should be getting more goals from midfield. But this thread is about Maupay and is it not worth just trying something different at the moment because we're not getting the goals from Maupay despite the countless simple chances he's presented with?

I know I will get jumped on by those who think that criticising any individual player is out of order, but whether it is a confidence thing with Maupay like some suggest, or like I think, technique and decision making, surely he is due a spell out of the side to see what other combinations can do with a decent run in the side? 1 goal in his last 14 games, and that goal coming when the game was already won, is really not filling me with any hope that he is going to be our goal scoring solution for the rest of this season.

My big issue with Maupay, Trossard, Welbeck, Connolly is that none of them send enough panic through the opposition. I think most teams are happy to maintain their shape and go 1 to 1 with them if necessary. That means if no one is on the cover or doubling up, then the spaces for the likes of Lallana, Gross, Moder, Bissouma coming into the gaps isn't happening. That isn't to say our play is sometimes very good and creates good chances, but it takes a lot of work to earn them, then of course we don't finish.

We had a bit of that panic with Lamptey, he basically destroyed team's shape in the first part of the season, Newcastle away he pretty much did it single handedly. He has been a massive miss in terms of the type of player that makes you panic. Which of course is generally pace, but not always, for Burnley Wood sends panic when he is on form and in the mood.

It's a shame we have had the injuries, because someone like Lallana playing in a bit more of a no.10 attacking role I think has enough to panic opposition. At present he's had to play next to Biss and more responsibilities as a result, but he has that skill and vision to do things that mean you simply don't leave him any space in your third. In that first half against Leicester thought Lallana showed the panic he can cause a team.

 

[Milano]

I think we'll sign 4 players this summer - the 2 you mention along with a left sided defender ( Naylor has talked about this ) and another GK as Walton and Ryan will leave.

I agree with this.
I’d also add that just because a team has been relegated doesn’t mean all their players are shite, as example Liverpool bought Robertson from Hull the summer they were relegated.
If the table stays as it is today (and I think it will) then Robinson from Fulham at LB would be a great signing IMO.
Likewise Perriera(sp) from WBA as a wider/creative player would give Potter another option. We’ve not had a real pacey goal scoring midfielder since AK. We need one. Bonus that the guy can take a set piece too.

Then we just need that elusive striker......
Abrahams would be amazing but I can’t see it. Origi from Liverpool wouldn’t be complete fantasy though IMO.

 

[essbee1]

I agree with this.
I’d also add that just because a team has been relegated doesn’t mean all their players are shite, as example Liverpool bought Robertson from Hull the summer they were relegated.
If the table stays as it is today (and I think it will) then Robinson from Fulham at LB would be a great signing IMO.
Likewise Perriera(sp) from WBA as a wider/creative player would give Potter another option. We’ve not had a real pacey goal scoring midfielder since AK. We need one. Bonus that the guy can take a set piece too.

Then we just need that elusive striker......
Abrahams would be amazing but I can’t see it. Origi from Liverpool wouldn’t be complete fantasy though IMO.

Agree totally about Robinson and Bartley from WBA always plays well.

 

[rippleman]

I think we can all agree that Maupay did extremely well last seaason. He started this season on a roll until he was suddenly and inexplicably dropped. He hasn't been the same player since.

I can only "suspect" that his dropping hit his confidence badly and he is certainly struggling to regain his goalscoring touch. I don't recall seeing anywhere that his dropping from the squad was due to injury.

I think he is similar to Knocky in that he is the kind of player where you need to put an arm around him and have a whisper in his ear. Not the kind of player who is going to react well to being shouted at and made to sit on the naughty step.

I just hope he can regain some form before the season ends. He does make a lot of runs and at times has been shuttling left and right to close the opposition down whilst Welbeck stands around and watches.

I agree with others that he plays better as a pair up top but for me, Welbeck certainly isn't the partner Maupay needs.

 

[GT49er]

The problem with Maupay is not so much that he misses too many chances, it's when he misses them. Nearly all our matches this season have been very tight (I can only remember two defeats by more than one goal - Everton and Leicester), so misses in the last few minutes have really cost us - just think how different the table would look if Maupay had gobbled up late chances at crucial potentially game changing moments against Sheffield and Everton.

The getting things wrong at the wrong times is, I guess, not just Maupay (the team seem to specialise in conceding at crucial moments - Palace and ManU for example) but it just seems to stand out time and again when we're pushing for an equaliser or a winner - ".....and Maupay - in the penalty area - a chance to shoot .................... oh!"

Yes, I know a goal is a goal whenever it is scored, but one knocked in at the end after good pressure is more likely to be decisive.

 

[Jeremiah]

I feel its a bit unfair picking out Maupay solely for criticism in this area. Apart from the Sheff U chance , which was blasted across goal and behind him ,I am struggling to remember some really glaring misses. I think his trouble is he is greedy and never lays the ball off to a better placed player.

I can remember Connolly missing 3 clear cut chances (Sheff U & Spurs - home & West Brom away) . Ali J (Sheff U - home) . Lallana has recently missed some good chances etc.etc It happens to all players.

 

[Jimmy Grimble]

My big issue with Maupay, Trossard, Welbeck, Connolly is that none of them send enough panic through the opposition. I think most teams are happy to maintain their shape and go 1 to 1 with them if necessary. That means if no one is on the cover or doubling up, then the spaces for the likes of Lallana, Gross, Moder, Bissouma coming into the gaps isn't happening. That isn't to say our play is sometimes very good and creates good chances, but it takes a lot of work to earn them, then of course we don't finish.

We had a bit of that panic with Lamptey, he basically destroyed team's shape in the first part of the season, Newcastle away he pretty much did it single handedly. He has been a massive miss in terms of the type of player that makes you panic. Which of course is generally pace, but not always, for Burnley Wood sends panic when he is on form and in the mood.

It's a shame we have had the injuries, because someone like Lallana playing in a bit more of a no.10 attacking role I think has enough to panic opposition. At present he's had to play next to Biss and more responsibilities as a result, but he has that skill and vision to do things that mean you simply don't leave him any space in your third. In that first half against Leicester thought Lallana showed the panic he can cause a team.

I think this is very good point and one I hope we address in the summer. Someone with pace who can carry the ball would benefit the rest of the side massively.

When is Lamptey back anyway?

 

[Machiavelli]

There's a lot (sadly) to unpack here

[tweet]1386271199630594050[/tweet]


An awful lot of poor judgement.
Maupay seems keen to extra touch/second guess himself.

Again I contend the mantra of '500+ misses = shite strikers' doesn't really cover it.

Yes there are a few Connolly v Spurs, but they are normal throughout every season for every club.
They just look much worse when added to the extra passes, missed headers, woodwork hit and crucially defenders having the time to make a saving block.

It's extraordinary watching this, and keeping in mind that we've managed to score 33 goals this season.

 

[Stat Brother]

Bizarrely enough my takeaway from this table isn't Maupay and Trossard's numbers it's:-

Once again, and for so many of these, not a single palace player features