Forwards who can't score goals

Borotommo

Borotommo

Well-known member
I really can't get my head around this. It baffles me. I played most of my years as a centre forward. In my early years, I used to be o miss a lot of chances, snatching at shots, shooting too early or overthinking. I didn't play at much of a level, but a coach at county league gave me some very simple words and techniques to improve. From my mid-twenties I began scoring much more heavily, and that only really reduced proportionate to chances being reduced at the higher levels against better defenders.
I really don't understand how so many forward players, normally in a Boro shirt it seems, have such dreadful technique when it comes to finishing chances. You have to expect they spend hours a week working on the way technical element, so I can only surmise it's down to their losing their bottle at the key moment.
Saville's feeble effort was also down to his right foot only being useful to stand on, but even so, they should not have such blatant weaknesses. They can be overcome with practise.
Makes be boil
 
I don't want to defend the finishing from yesterday, and I'm not going to. We should have had 3 if not 4 by the end of the match.

More generally, I think fans have unrealistic expectations about how a good finisher performs. If you are scoring 1 shot in 3, you are up there with the most efficient finishers on the continent. Obviously some adjustment to that figure needs to be made, penalty takers will, for example, be expected to be more efficient than those who don't take them. Those who take freekicks and longshots may be less efficient.

However, I guess the point is everyone who scores a lot of goals misses many more chances. It's not that they are all rubbish, it's the nature of the job. The notion of a ruthlessly efficient, dead-eyed striker who scores more often than he misses is a fantasy.

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I fully expect Britt to score 20 goals next season if the signs for a champo side. You just know it will happen😕

To think in recent champo years we've signed Braithwaite 9mil/ Hugill 2mil loan / Britt 15mil / Fletcher 7mil and Akpom 2.8mil. These are stunning figures for a champo club looking for a forward to do the biz.

Also let's not forget Rudy who manged 7 league goals in 4 years.

The worst part is the only decent one we've had is now at Leeds on the verge of an England call up👏

It's going to be a very interesting summer. We need to bring in 2 forwards whilst losing 2 for no fee. That's gonna be difficult (although big wages freed up). I am not sure if this 'Jewell' is a CF?
 
We have been devoid of decent strikers for years! I take the point of the OP. Frankly, our conversation rates are so poor there should be additional training sessions for the strikers.

it is often said we don’t create much. Surely if this is the case we need strikers capable of upping their conversion rate/ ability?
 
Young Kavanagh could develop into the real deal. I believe he is a 1 in 2 merchant. I really would like to see him fast tracked next season
 
But even with a system which favours a target man up top, who plays with his back to the goal. This doesn't surely excuse his not being able to take an acceptable proportion of the chances provided for him. Obviously, the better strikers also create more chances for themselves from making great runs, anticipating opportunities and using great skill. I understand those much better strikers play at the highest level, but a player playing in the front 4 or 5 of all teams should be proficient
 
I enjoy watching the NFL documentaries on Amazon and you see the depth of preparation with offensive coaches, special teams, etc and the orchestration which goes into simulating play during training.

I wonder if many football teams would consider a similar setup, given how much is wasted on fees and wages for players that yield little to no return on the investment: spend it on better coaching and scouting to get players who in your system.

Training as it is is clearly not that effective at providing opportunities to improve when so many of our forwards seem stunned at this round thing appearing near their feet in a game.
 
Borotommo said:
I really can't get my head around this. It baffles me. I played most of my years as a centre forward. In my early years, I used to be o miss a lot of chances, snatching at shots, shooting too early or overthinking. I didn't play at much of a level, but a coach at county league gave me some very simple words and techniques to improve. From my mid-twenties I began scoring much more heavily, and that only really reduced proportionate to chances being reduced at the higher levels against better defenders.
I really don't understand how so many forward players, normally in a Boro shirt it seems, have such dreadful technique when it comes to finishing chances. You have to expect they spend hours a week working on the way technical element, so I can only surmise it's down to their losing their bottle at the key moment.
Saville's feeble effort was also down to his right foot only being useful to stand on, but even so, they should not have such blatant weaknesses. They can be overcome with practise.
Makes be boil
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Is it because they keep their great jobs with huge salaries regardless of how they perform in said jobs.
It's not just a Boro thing.
Week in week out commentators remark about some players stats who hasn't scored for 2 years or similar .
Clubs seem to put up with duds.
Carroll at Sid James ?
 
goal scoring isn't really a physical thing, it's all in the mind, like putting.

Apart from the actual physicality of goal scoring...

In short, it's difficult.
 
Robbie Keane certainly worked some magic on the training field:)
I'm convinced Akpom is a 'striker' in name only.
Adjusting your footballer CV job description to 'centre forward' trebles your salary.
 
WoodallServices said:
What always puzzles me is why doesn’t the academy produce any strikers?
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We do produce plenty of strikers at youth level it’s just that we convert them all into wingers as it’s the easiest route into the first team.

Downing
AJ
Reach

All spent time up top at youth level but then went out wide.

it’s true the last true academy striker we brought through is now a coach in his own right namely Andy Campbell
 
You'd have to have the arrogance of a Boksic, Zlatan or a Nicklas Bendtner....... to say as a young player judge me purely on my goal scoring record.

I suppose that's why we don't produce them from the academy, much easier to be a 'forward' who can play accross the front than be an old fashioned number 9.
 
You simply don't see forwards who are 'fox in the boxes' or just finishers.

The role has changed completely since the days of tap in merchants. A side simply can't 'carry them'. You could get away with it in when you had an actual front 2 (usually one big and one small or pacy).

I remember Rhodes in his absolute prime. He scored over 100 goals in 3 seasons (40 odd in one season at Huddersfield). Despite that hardly any prem side showed interest. He was branded 'just a finisher'. A term that always makes me chuckle when taking about forwards.

Then you get forwards who score 5-10 goals a season in 40 odd games. They are usually talked about as 'gives so much more than goals' or grafts. Give me a goal scorer anyday😉

You have to wonder how Britt only has 5 goals and its February. The law of averages suggest you'd score more.
 
Fewster was supposed to develop - is he at Whitby now? I have no confidence in either Walker or ONeil making it, sadly

As I mentioned Kavanagh is the one I think has a great chance. When we will see him who knows?
 
Nosmo-King said:
Fewster was supposed to develop - is he at Whitby now? I have no confidence in either Walker or ONeil making it, sadly

As I mentioned Kavanagh is the one I think has a great chance. When we will see him who knows?
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That’s the problem Boro always seem too reluctant to give them a chance. Could he honestly be any less effective than Britt? It’s as if they’re too reluctant to break up good youth teams.
 
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