[Albion] The annual NSC summer striker thread

[b.w.2.]

We'll see if another one will come, depends a lot on what happens with Maupay. Welbeck, Undav, Maupay + another one is not realistic, someone would seriously struggle for game time.

Never like it was the main problem however. The goal production from the strikers over the last two seasons was alright and not any different from most teams. Yes, wasted a bit more chances but nothing spectacular. The big problem has been the goal production from midfielders and wing backs which unlike the goal production from the strikers has been way below average during (and before?) the GP years. But I'm quite optimistic this issue could largely be a thing of the past.

A goal is a goal Swanny, but the lack of a prolific striker was correctly pointed out as being our primary issue for the umpteenth time by a pundit who knows a shed load more about football than you or I ever will.


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[Hugo Rune]

Next season there are 5 subs allowed so, yes, we do need another striker. Someone to what Welbeck does when he's injured, knackered or off-form.

That’s the gap in the squad.

 

[Stat Brother]

That's quite a high bar, isn't it?

From this season the 1-in-2 or better in the PL...

Salah 23 / 35
Son 23 / 35
Ronaldo 18 / 30
De Bruyne 15 / 30
Vardy 15 / 25

Some of those who didn't reach that, all of whom I suspect we'd find a place for...

Kane 17 / 37
Mane 16 / 34
Jota 15 / 35
Bowen 12 / 36
Toney 12 / 33
Raphinia 11 / 35
Antonio 10 / 36
Richarlison 10 / 30

That'll be why I clearly didn't say 1 in 2.
Instead saying 1 in 2 ish.

Also what I didn't say and probably should have done is by 1 in 2 ish, I was alluding to scoring consistently.

What I feel the other strikers need is a:-

'its ok X will slot one in soon'.

As opposed to what we had for long periods of this season:-

"Shite if I miss this we might not score at all this month'.


I firmly believe Maupay would be 4 or 5 more, open play goals to the good, this season if he knew someone, anyone, else was there to take some pressure off.

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

During my many debates with B.W.2 last summer over a striker, he used Burnley as an example of a team who had the right number of strikers and showed we were lacking.

That worked out well.

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

According to transfermarket we have signed the 20th highest goalscorer in Europe in Undav, we have tried hard to sign Nunez (one goal above him) who does not want to sign for Brighton. I reckon we will sign another young striker with promise and send them off to USG or loan in the Championship to keep the conveyor belt going.

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/statistik/goldenerschuh

 

[SweatyMexican]

Finishing 9th shows off the Brighton project A LOT MORE to potential players than 15th/17th does.

Hopefully widens our available market.

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

Finishing 9th shows off the Brighton project A LOT MORE to potential players than 15th/17th does.

Hopefully widens our available market.

And with Tony having a shot at Champions league and guaranteed Europa league football next year with USG in Belguim, an amazing selling point to any strikers we sign and send out on loan for a year.

 

[stss30]

Ferguson?

Ferguson surely needs a loan to a Championship club next season for his development, wouldn't be confident in him playing a run of games in the starting line up instead of Welbeck in the Prem presently.

 

[Bold Seagull]

That'll be why I clearly didn't say 1 in 2.
Instead saying 1 in 2 ish.

Also what I didn't say and probably should have done is by 1 in 2 ish, I was alluding to scoring consistently.

What I feel the other strikers need is a:-

'its ok X will slot one in soon'.

As opposed to what we had for long periods of this season:-

"Shite if I miss this we might not score at all this month'.


I firmly believe Maupay would be 4 or 5 more, open play goals to the good, this season if he knew someone, anyone, else was there to take some pressure off.

Since the Norwich debacle ( and I call it that because no team should have 30 chances and not score), we have had 9 different scorers in 8 games.

Trossard x4
Welbeck x3
Gross x2
Mwepu
Bissouma
MacA
Caicedo
Cucurella
Veltman

As if to take your point, some mystical event happened from scoring 1 goal in the preceding 8 games, turned the team into having 9 different scorers and 15 goals in the next 8, half of those games being teams above us.

In that desolate period I joined in many arguments about the manager not being able to coach finishing, that we needed a dedicated striking coach etc. I don't recall us hiring anyone who started Monday 4th April?

Hence the mystical element of goal scoring. You know, same as a snooker player feeling the pocket is suddenly the size of a bucket, something happens across a team when, let's be honest in these last 8 games, scoring becomes a fairly habit forming part of the game. Hell, even Veltman can do it.

It would be easy to conclude that omitting Maupay bought this about, however I wouldn't agree with that. Caicedo and Mwepu flooded the team with belief with 2 fine goals at Arsenal. Trossard then got what I would say was our first slice of genuine good fortune in a while with the way the ball fell to him. Confidence then spread through the side, Maupay unable to dislodge the quality of performances from his team mates, not in-spite of him not being there, just without him.

Maupay made a big difference yesterday. He was sharp, made really clever runs, high energy and pace. It enabled others time and space, the focus went off the likes of Gross who started to pull the strings. In a side humming with confidence he still is a very good player. What we need though, is a player who grabs you a goal when you aren't humming with confidence, when the side is struggling. That is the pressure a PL striker has to bare.

 

[Wardy's twin]

Since the Norwich debacle ( and I call it that because no team should have 30 chances and not score), we have had 9 different scorers in 8 games.

Trossard x4
Welbeck x3
Gross x2
Mwepu
Bissouma
MacA
Caicedo
Cucurella
Veltman

As if to take your point, some mystical event happened from scoring 1 goal in the preceding 8 games, turned the team into having 9 different scorers and 15 goals in the next 8, half of those games being teams above us.

In that desolate period I joined in many arguments about the manager not being able to coach finishing, that we needed a dedicated striking coach etc. I don't recall us hiring anyone who started Monday 4th April?

Hence the mystical element of goal scoring. You know, same as a snooker player feeling the pocket is suddenly the size of a bucket, something happens across a team when, let's be honest in these last 8 games, scoring becomes a fairly habit forming part of the game. Hell, even Veltman can do it.

It would be easy to conclude that omitting Maupay bought this about, however I wouldn't agree with that. Caicedo and Mwepu flooded the team with belief with 2 fine goals at Arsenal. Trossard then got what I would say was our first slice of genuine good fortune in a while with the way the ball fell to him. Confidence then spread through the side, Maupay unable to dislodge the quality of performances from his team mates, not in-spite of him not being there, just without him.

Maupay made a big difference yesterday. He was sharp, made really clever runs, high energy and pace. It enabled others time and space, the focus went off the likes of Gross who started to pull the strings. In a side humming with confidence he still is a very good player. What we need though, is a player who grabs you a goal when you aren't humming with confidence, when the side is struggling. That is the pressure a PL striker has to bare.

I think we saw 'The Good, The Bad and The Sh*thousery' of Maupay yesterday.

Potter changed the balance of the team to more attacking and to be fair to Biss he was not playing well (though that might be because he was sick) he got stuck in running at defenders and creating room for others. He also got physically stuck in with both his challenges and he also took a few for the team while holding up the ball. But he also got in the way in the 6 yard box on more than one occasion and looked clumsy with his first (and second) touch. He is not an out and out striker but he certainly was a big positive yesterday.

I would keep him if he is happy to play second fiddle (at least at start of season) to Undav because we know what we have a guy who will get 8 goals , Undav is not proven at this level. IF we can find someone who is better then fine but if you look at Toney and Armstrong neither were brilliant . One other key attribute is that if you physically want to play him 38 games you could he is a very fit character he also fits our style of play.

 

[Stat Brother]

Since the Norwich debacle ( and I call it that because no team should have 30 chances and not score), we have had 9 different scorers in 8 games.

Trossard x4
Welbeck x3
Gross x2
Mwepu
Bissouma
MacA
Caicedo
Cucurella
Veltman

As if to take your point, some mystical event happened from scoring 1 goal in the preceding 8 games, turned the team into having 9 different scorers and 15 goals in the next 8, half of those games being teams above us.

In that desolate period I joined in many arguments about the manager not being able to coach finishing, that we needed a dedicated striking coach etc. I don't recall us hiring anyone who started Monday 4th April?

Hence the mystical element of goal scoring. You know, same as a snooker player feeling the pocket is suddenly the size of a bucket, something happens across a team when, let's be honest in these last 8 games, scoring becomes a fairly habit forming part of the game. Hell, even Veltman can do it.

It would be easy to conclude that omitting Maupay bought this about, however I wouldn't agree with that. Caicedo and Mwepu flooded the team with belief with 2 fine goals at Arsenal. Trossard then got what I would say was our first slice of genuine good fortune in a while with the way the ball fell to him. Confidence then spread through the side, Maupay unable to dislodge the quality of performances from his team mates, not in-spite of him not being there, just without him.

Maupay made a big difference yesterday. He was sharp, made really clever runs, high energy and pace. It enabled others time and space, the focus went off the likes of Gross who started to pull the strings. In a side humming with confidence he still is a very good player. What we need though, is a player who grabs you a goal when you aren't humming with confidence, when the side is struggling. That is the pressure a PL striker has to bare.

Let's not forget of those 30 shots only 4 were on target.

It's hard to point to the biggest outlier in those scorers, either:-
The amount of first (or second) goals of the season.
Or
Trossard with 4.


Irrespective they both say what we're all saying which is - that's just not good enough.
Say to someone 'Begium international Trossard has scored 4 (top quality) goals in the last 8 games', you can expect the response to be 'how many for the season, 16?'...



... 'no 8'.

 

[Acker79]

Don't forget, Aaron Connolly will be back next season, too!

 

[JBizzle]

Let's not forget of those 30 shots only 4 were on target.

It's hard to point to the biggest outlier in those scorers, either:-
The amount of first (or second) goals of the season.
Or
Trossard with 4.


Irrespective they both say what we're all saying which is - that's just not good enough.
Say to someone 'Begium international Trossard has scored 4 (top quality) goals in the last 8 games', you can expect the response to be 'how many for the season, 16?'...



... 'no 8'.

I think your point about Trossard is precisely why we face issues throughout the season. If I were to describe ALL of our goalscorers in one word in would be "patchy".

- Maupay was superb for 3 months, then couldn't trap a bag of sand for 3;
- Welbeck has been in and out of the side and performed slightly worse than last season with 6 in 27;
- Trossard started well, disappeared for two months from a goalscoring perspective and then re-emerged at his very best in the last 6 games;
- Everyone else simply hasn't been consistent enough.

The last few matches has proven that we can score goals, but I would suggest that (although this may be very obvious) we score more goals when we score more goals because the load spreads and the pressure eases on everyone, meaning that people make better decisions.

So there's the secret: You want to score goals? Score more goals.

 

[The Fits]

What I’d say about this is the necessity for another striker has, I think, shifted from a goals thing to a how we play thing. Welbeck being fit has really highlighted how good we can play if we have that kind of player up front. His work rate, touch, vision, hold up play etc are all excellent. So now it becomes about finding a long term successor to him. Maupay and Undav can do the rest, but if Welbeck gets injured again we have nobody else in the squad like him.

 

[Stat Brother]

I think your point about Trossard is precisely why we face issues throughout the season. If I were to describe ALL of our goalscorers in one word in would be "patchy".

- Maupay was superb for 3 months, then couldn't trap a bag of sand for 3;
- Welbeck has been in and out of the side and performed slightly worse than last season with 6 in 27;
- Trossard started well, disappeared for two months from a goalscoring perspective and then re-emerged at his very best in the last 6 games;
- Everyone else simply hasn't been consistent enough.

The last few matches has proven that we can score goals, but I would suggest that (although this may be very obvious) we score more goals when we score more goals because the load spreads and the pressure eases on everyone, meaning that people make better decisions.

So there's the secret: You want to score goals? Score more goals.

Yep gotta put an end to Patchy & Hove Albion.

Do that and who knows how this moment in time ends.

 

[Ding Dong !]

Don't forget, Aaron Connolly will be back next season, too!

Oh

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

Don't forget, Aaron Connolly will be back next season, too!

Thank you, it took 32 posts for someone to get excited about the return of Aaron Connolly

Totally seriously, I still think he will become a star one day

 

[Bold Seagull]

Yep gotta put an end to Patchy & Hove Albion.

Do that and who knows how this moment in time ends.

Patcham & Hove Albion?

 

[Bold Seagull]

Thank you, it took 32 posts for someone to get excited about the return of Aaron Connolly

Totally seriously, I still think he will become a star one day

I’m a Celebrity or Strictly?

 

[chaileyjem]

That'll be why I clearly didn't say 1 in 2.
Instead saying 1 in 2 ish.

Also what I didn't say and probably should have done is by 1 in 2 ish, I was alluding to scoring consistently.

Harry Kane scored 17 goals this season ("1 in 2ish") - tick !!
4 of them in the first half of the season and 13 in the second half. So inconsistent. - Keep looking scouts !!