Goal scoring options

[dww]

The fear factor is another factor in it, the time of goals I would imagine would have more effect on the chelsea stats given they are more likely to have been cruising in games than us this season making 'icing on the cake' goals more likely for their players.

That is a possibility but their distribution between players is what is important to my point not the number. My point was that some players (even in our team) like Kuyt and Benayoun have shown that they can score goals under pressure if the team is set up right but Ngog hasn't. That lack of those players as well as players who score even if the team play badly has been shown in a lot of games this season IMO.

The main problem for me is that we only have six players with 5 or more goals Torres 22, Kuyt 11, Gerrard 10, Ngog 7, Benayoun 7 and Babel 5. Now I can't imagine we'd play a starting line up with more than 4 of those players in it. The rest of the squad aren't a goal threat; aside from Johnson with 3 goals no one else has more than 1 goal all season.

While we could say that if players hadn't been out injured so much they would have chipped in with more, we still have a decent sized squad of players, and given the number of players we've used you might have expected the goals to have been shared around a little more.

I think one issue that underlies this actually is the poorness of our set pieces - without good freekicks/corners you reduce the threats of a number of players in the squad. Someone who can regularly score or assist from freekicks around the area is really a necessity for top teams these days and with Gerrard out of form and Aurelio not in the team we don't really have it.

[Exiled_red]

That is a possibility but their distribution between players is what is important to my point not the number. My point was that some players (even in our team) like Kuyt and Benayoun have shown that they can score goals under pressure if the team is set up right but Ngog hasn't. That lack of those players as well as players who score even if the team play badly has been shown in a lot of games this season IMO.

I would agree with that.

I think one issue that underlies this actually is the poorness of our set pieces - without good freekicks/corners you reduce the threats of a number of players in the squad. Someone who can regularly score or assist from freekicks around the area is really a necessity for top teams these days and with Gerrard out of form and Aurelio not in the team we don't really have it.

How poor are our set pieces in relation to other teams? I thought I read a while back that our record from set pieces this season was quite good. Which shocked me! But I can recall at least a few goals from set pieces Kuyt 2, Kyriakos and Agger. Although improving set pieces would certainly give us more of a threat probably from the defenders. Personally I more worried about the lack of goals from open play from midfield probably half of Gerrards goals have been penalties, and Mascherano, Lucas and Aquilani who have accounted for our centre mid for 95% of the season have 3 goals between them.

[dww]

How poor are our set pieces in relation to other teams? I thought I read a while back that our record from set pieces this season was quite good. Which shocked me! But I can recall at least a few goals from set pieces Kuyt 2, Kyriakos and Agger. Although improving set pieces would certainly give us more of a threat probably from the defenders. Personally I more worried about the lack of goals from open play from midfield probably half of Gerrards goals have been penalties, and Mascherano, Lucas and Aquilani who have accounted for our centre mid for 95% of the season have 3 goals between them.

I'm not sure that many CMs score big numbers of goals. It is a potential way of getting goals into our game. united have won the title with that sort of level of goalscoring from CM.

I'm not sure how poor our set pieces are but I would guess that we via a limited set of routes from them. At the minute the Kuyt in front of the keeper one working well but most of our corners result in an opposition counter attack.

[Exiled_red]

I'm not sure that many CMs score big numbers of goals. It is a potential way of getting goals into our game. united have won the title with that sort of level of goalscoring from CM.

I'm not sure how poor our set pieces are but I would guess that we via a limited set of routes from them. At the minute the Kuyt in front of the keeper one working well but most of our corners result in an opposition counter attack.

They don't necessarily chip in with big totals but most centre mids probably contribute at least 8-10 goals a season as a pair. Carrick and Fletcher contribute an average of 4 goals each a season to Man Utd, despite not being regarded as prolific. Keane averaged about 4 a season, and Scholes alot more ~10 a season.

For Chelsea Essien averages about 4 a season, Ballack averages about 6-7 a season (although doesn't always play CM and probably has the odd pen in there) Only Mikel and previously Makalele don't really contribute

Denilson, Diaby and Eboue average about 6 each for Arsenal this season Only Song of their regular midfielders doesn't really chip in. When the had Vieira he average 3.5 goals a season and Petit about the same.

Xabi Alonso was around this mark for us but Lucas and Mascherano haven't as yet contributed significantly as a partnership, to the level the other centre mids seem to

[The Birdman]

They don't necessarily chip in with big totals but most centre mids probably contribute at least 8-10 goals a season as a pair. Carrick and Fletcher contribute an average of 4 goals each a season to Man Utd, despite not being regarded as prolific. Keane averaged about 4 a season, and Scholes alot more ~10 a season.

For Chelsea Essien averages about 4 a season, Ballack averages about 6-7 a season (although doesn't always play CM and probably has the odd pen in there) Only Mikel and previously Makalele don't really contribute

Denilson, Diaby and Eboue average about 6 each for Arsenal this season Only Song of their regular midfielders doesn't really chip in. When the had Vieira he average 3.5 goals a season and Petit about the same.

Xabi Alonso was around this mark for us but Lucas and Mascherano haven't as yet contributed significantly as a partnership, to the level the other centre mids seem to

Really??, I'd be surprised if the 3 combined scored more than 6

[Exiled_red]

Really??, I'd be surprised if the 3 combined scored more than 6

According to wikipedia in all competitions

Diaby 7
Denilson 6
Eboue 3

So I should have put average ~5

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arsenal...009%E2%80%9310

[BrianF80]

On a perhaps related point we also have the worst shots to goals ratio of any of the sides around us (Premiership only)

..............Shots.....Goals....Shots per Goal
Man City....355........69..........5.14
Arsenal......429........75..........5.72
Man Utd.....465........77..........6.03
Chelsea......543........84..........6.46
Villa...........310........44..........7.05
Spurs.........429........58..........7.39
Liverpool.....406........54..........7.51

Calculated from stats: http://www.skysports.com/story/0,195...705370,00.html

Another perspective. What stands out?

Player.............Shots/Goal
Dirk Kuyt...........8.7
Steven Gerrard...14.7
Glen Johnson......9.3
Fernando Torres..5.3
Yossi Benayoun...6.0
David Ngog.........7.0
Ryan Babel..........7.2
Sotirios Kyrgiakos.8.0

[Exiled_red]

Another perspective. What stands out?

Player.............Shots/Goal
Dirk Kuyt...........8.7
Steven Gerrard...14.7
Glen Johnson......9.3
Fernando Torres..5.3
Yossi Benayoun...6.0
David Ngog.........7.0
Ryan Babel..........7.2
Sotirios Kyrgiakos.8.0

I guess I shouldn't be suprised considering he hasn't got that many goals this season, and half of them are pens, but I still am!

[BrianF80]

I guess I shouldn't be suprised considering he hasn't got that many goals this season, and half of them are pens, but I still am!

Last year he was 6.8! Quite a fall from grace.

[EwarWoo]

But how many of those shots are speculative efforts purely out of frustration when he's run out of options around him, times ticking and pressures mounting?

I think it's a stat which can easily become stilted.

[Matt]

Think Sky have counted some of Carra's clearances as shots............

It's a good post and interesting stats but I think the underlying fact is that players have been sub-par or injured for the majority of the season, and contributions you'd usually expect from certain quarters haven't been forthcoming.

Having said that if we don't sign another striker this summer I'm going to go absolutely spastic.

[BrianF80]

But how many of those shots are speculative efforts purely out of frustration when he's run out of options around him, times ticking and pressures mounting?

I think it's a stat which can easily become stilted.

It's true like all stats, it's a hint, never definitive. It tells you "what's happening" rarely "why it's happening". You have to put it in context and see if it jives with what you've seen with your own eyes. For me along with goals scored it gives a pretty good summary of his season.

[Exiled_red]

It's true like all stats, it's a hint, never definitive. It tells you "what's happening" rarely "why it's happening". You have to put it in context and see if it jives with what you've seen with your own eyes. For me along with goals scored it gives a pretty good summary of his season.

Is that all goals or goals from open play? Because if they are all goals you can take away the fact that half his goals are from penalties the stats would be alot worse probably close to doubling the number of shots required for a goal

[BrianF80]

Is that all goals or goals from open play? Because if they are all goals you can take away the fact that half his goals are from penalties the stats would be alot worse probably close to doubling the number of shots required for a goal

It's from here (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team/sq...901&leagueId=0) so it includes penalties. If you take all 3 out he has the same as Insua 22 per goal!!!!!

Just as a matter of interest all the top strikers (top 4 teams anyway) are just a little worse than Nando. For example Rooney is around 7, Drogba and Anelka around 6. Then there is Owen 3.7!