Match thread

Think LJL showed his worth today. And that's the point for me, he is the right fit for certain games but he shouldn't be first striker on the team sheet for every game. Bringing him off the bench today seemed a much better move, let someone run their socks off in the striking role then stick Shop on for the last 20-25 and tell him to put himself about.
Perhaps a more pressing concern will now be how to get Jennings integrated into our play more effectively?

Quoted from RoboCod

Think LJL showed his worth today. And that's the point for me, he is the right fit for certain games but he shouldn't be first striker on the team sheet for every game. Bringing him off the bench today seemed a much better move, let someone run their socks off in the striking role then stick Shop on for the last 20-25 and tell him to put himself about.
Perhaps a more pressing concern will now be how to get Jennings integrated into our play more effectively?

Would think he will be going back soon  

I can't remember who wrote it, or on which thread, but someone very recently wrote that all this focus on our 'misfiring' strikers was actually drawing attention away from our recent poor defensive record.  Not that I want Shaun Pearson (hell, no!) or any of our other defenders to become the new scapegoat, but that comment about our defence did plant a question in my mind.  Are we really struggling as a team to score goals this season?  Does it actually matter who scores our goals, as long as they get scored?  Paul Hurst said he wasn't too bothered as long as the goals come from somewhere.

Obviously we don't have a prolific striker like Hearn or Connell, but is that necessarily a bad thing, if other players manage to chip in and do their bit?  If we were relying mainly on Hearn this season to score our goals, wouldn't we be totally in the s**t as soon as he got injured?  

It doesn't feel like we've had a goal drought to me, and I don't remember coming away from many games without having seen us score at least once, but I thought I'd better have a quick look at Rob's wonderful stats, just to confirm.  Interesting to compare this year's 'goal-less games' record to date with that of previous seasons.    

Season           Number of league games (before April 1st) where we failed to score
2004-5              14
2005-6              8
2006-7              16
2007-8              6
2008-9              13
2009-10            13
2010-11            8
2011-12            9
2012-13            11
2013-14            7

Quoted from marinette

I can't remember who wrote it, or on which thread, but someone very recently wrote that all this focus on our 'misfiring' strikers was actually drawing attention away from our recent poor defensive record.  Not that I want Shaun Pearson (hell, no!) or any of our other defenders to become the new scapegoat, but that comment about our defence did plant a question in my mind.  Are we really struggling as a team to score goals this season?  Does it actually matter who scores our goals, as long as they get scored?  Paul Hurst said he wasn't too bothered as long as the goals come from somewhere.

Obviously we don't have a prolific striker like Hearn or Connell, but is that necessarily a bad thing, if other players manage to chip in and do their bit?  If we were relying mainly on Hearn this season to score our goals, wouldn't we be totally in the s**t as soon as he got injured?  

It doesn't feel like we've had a goal drought to me, and I don't remember coming away from many games without having seen us score at least once, but I thought I'd better have a quick look at Rob's wonderful stats, just to confirm.  Interesting to compare this year's 'goal-less games' record to date with that of previous seasons.    

Season           Number of league games (before April 1st) where we failed to score
2004-5              14
2005-6              8
2006-7              16
2007-8              6
2008-9              13
2009-10            13
2010-11            8
2011-12            9
2012-13            11
2013-14            7

We don't have too bad a defensive record, but the problem is that when strikers don't score, it's puts more pressure on the rest of the team to keep a clean sheet. We have drawn many games we should have won and lost games we should have drawn because of a lack of goals. Someone finishing our chances like Gregory at Halifax would not only have secured a play off spot long ago, we'd still be in with a chance of the title.

In 98 we scored intercourse all, but we had a great back five and goals all through the team. IIRC Davison kept a record number of clean sheets that year and yet Donovan excepted, our strikers only just got into double figures.
The point is, if we continue to keep clean sheets we will go up almost in spite of how many we score.

Does anyone know what the problem was with Rodman at the start of the second half ? I only managed to listen to parts of the commentary today and JT said he was going to ask Hurst but it appears he didn't. Any ideas ?

(In response to Ginny and Imp Coroner)
I don't think we were anywhere near top spot with either Liam Hearn or Alan Connell in the team, and I think it's fair to say that we considered them both to be quite prolific.

We came 4th last season.  Last year, after 37 league games we had scored 54 goals.  We have scored 55 so far this season.  That would suggest our goal-scoring skills might be marginally better now.

Our defensive record doesn't seem to have improved, however.  Someone else had probably check the stats as I may have got it wrong, but as far as I can tell, last season after 37 league games we had conceded 30 goals.  This season we have conceded 38.

I am now wondering why everyone is so obsessed with who is scoring goals and how many, and completely ignoring the fact that it might be our defence that is not quite up to scratch.  

Totally agree there Marinette. Last season you felt confident in our defence holding out a 1-0 lead but with this seasons defence you always feel there is an error waiting to happen. Personally I am not concerned who scores but right now we look like having 3 midfielders who have or will potentially hit double figures which is a fantastic return.

Nobody is saying the strikers aren't good enough. They aren't scoring enough, granted.
I don't get how some of you get off on the fact we haven't actually won this league. To win the league it you need aa good pair of strikers scoring goals.
This isnt the third division. One team goes up. One team is guaranteed promotion. We aren't that team, therefore we've failed. The playoffs will give us a lifeline, hopefully well get into them.
The fact is, people are drunk off by the fact that after 3 years the midfield has still not been addressed and the football that's been played this season hasn't been helping the strikers. It was obvious even when we were top last season that the midfield wasn't up to scratch.
The strikers at the club can and will score goals, just not in this team.

Quoted from chaos33

To call people 'haters' is a bit insulting really. Does any fan on here genuinely 'hate' any of their own players? I hope not. There are many who are critical of him and others, but justifiably so I think. Equally, credit where it is due I think - sounds like he did well when he came on, and that Cook didn't do anything particularly special to advance his own cause. Let's be fair and balanced.

Tell that to the people who boo when LJL's name is read out before kick-off and cheer when he goes off!