Is there another striker available in that mould on the free agency market? Lack an absolute killer up top.

I don't think it's an issue with personnel. It's more to do with a lack of chances.

Rowls wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 15, 2025 3:02 pm

I don't think it's an issue with personnel. It's more to do with a lack of chances.

There were three great chances and should have been more but for poor passing. Not bringing in a goalscorer was a mistake.

Lack of chances is not something that you can say about today. What you could say today is that we missed some easy chances.
We do not have a natural goalscorer and that has been the case all season

DCWat wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 15, 2025 3:07 pm

There were three great chances and should have been more but for poor passing. Not bringing in a goalscorer was a mistake.

Today, yes.

Generally, no.

We don't create chances.

Rowls wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 15, 2025 3:09 pm

Today, yes.

Generally, no.

We don't create chances.

We do seem to be starting to create a few more.

Two issues for me, the first being that we are still guilty of picking a poor option / making a poor final pass.

The second that we don’t really have someone in the box whose instinct is to find great positions and finish opportunities that their movement / timing could create.

Rowls wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 15, 2025 3:09 pm

Today, yes.

Generally, no.

We don't create chances.

We’ve created loads in our last three league games and wasted most of them.

The issue is that a stiker replaces Flemming who does a lot of work in picking the ball up deep, closing lines down and that sort of defensive work. We play an out and out goalscorer and those gaps open up. It's a trade off and like others I see the issue more of us not finishing chances as opposed to not creating them. Foster had two such chances today, Antony an easy pass to create another and Flemming/Humphries got into a mix up.

Lyle Foster could have a had a hat trick but it's fine margins that we lacked today
It was a shame SP didn't gamble on Ashley and Jonjo with 20 mins to go

Let's just hope that today was a blip

burnley007 wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 15, 2025 3:57 pm

Let's just hope that today was a blip

Had to many blips this season, if we had a decent striker with good movement he would have buried them chances today, someone like Armstrong on loan at WBA who as scored plenty in the Championship ..

scamander wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 15, 2025 3:49 pm

The issue is that a stiker replaces Flemming who does a lot of work in picking the ball up deep, closing lines down and that sort of defensive work. We play an out and out goalscorer and those gaps open up. It's a trade off and like others I see the issue more of us not finishing chances as opposed to not creating them. Foster had two such chances today, Antony an easy pass to create another and Flemming/Humphries got into a mix up.

Barnes is more of a nuisance than Flemming and possibly more of a goal threat. I don't really see any reason to start Flemming over him apart from age.

Still plenty of games to go, and many twists and turns, for all the draws to not matter in the end. But a pattern is developing and it's hard not to say that we're not gonna have enough for automatic the way things are panning out. Too many times already we've said 'we've should've won today'.

Goliath wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 15, 2025 4:10 pm

Barnes is more of a nuisance than Flemming and possibly more of a goal threat. I don't really see any reason to start Flemming over him apart from age.

Very different players. Barnes is much older and therefore an option to come on and try to disrupt their defence. Flemming is a deeper player, ideally he'd play behind the front man but we don't have one. Parker's team presses high and Barnes is far too slow at his age, we couldn't press as easily with him (today Flemming would often drop and have Hannibal lead the closing down).

I don't see it as a simple swap, we'd have to change our setup and looking long term having Flemming getting more used to the system and refining his game is probably better than Ashley (who I love dearly) looking to annoy a couple of centre backs.

scamander wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 15, 2025 4:14 pm

Very different players. Barnes is much older and therefore an option to come on and try to disrupt their defence. Flemming is a deeper player, ideally he'd play behind the front man but we don't have one. Parker's team presses high and Barnes is far too slow at his age, we couldn't press as easily with him (today Flemming would often drop and have Hannibal lead the closing down).

I don't see it as a simple swap, we'd have to change our setup and looking long term having Flemming getting more used to the system and refining his game is probably better than Ashley (who I love dearly) looking to annoy a couple of centre backs.

Is Barnes slower than Flemming, I'm not convinced. Personally I think Barnes pressed better against Southampton than I've ever seen from Flemming.

I don't think the way we are playing Flemming there is any reason not to compare them, he's being asked to be a number 9 with his back to goal so the direct comparison is fair.

Rowls wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 15, 2025 3:02 pm

I don't think it's an issue with personnel. It's more to do with a lack of chances.

Do you mean like the one Foster missed on half time? How many more should he require?

Rowls wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 15, 2025 3:02 pm

I don't think it's an issue with personnel. It's more to do with a lack of chances.

Or putting the personnel into their correct roles.

Andre Gray isn't a good example of the type of striker we're missing, although he'd more than do.

Give me an Andy Payton/ Charlie Austin any day, my God just imagine?

Rowls wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 15, 2025 3:02 pm

I don't think it's an issue with personnel. It's more to do with a lack of chances.

There have undoubtedly been games when that’s been the case, but not today. Most definitely not today. Poor finishing, poor refereeing and a lack of composure is the reason we haven’t scored today.

Goliath wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 15, 2025 4:10 pm

Barnes is more of a nuisance than Flemming and possibly more of a goal threat. I don't really see any reason to start Flemming over him apart from age.

Good grief. We really do see some nonsense posted after a disappointing result.

Goliath wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 15, 2025 4:10 pm

Barnes is more of a nuisance than Flemming and possibly more of a goal threat. I don't really see any reason to start Flemming over him apart from age.

I’d say the 8 goals in the last 12 games or whatever it is disagrees with you

CharlieinNewMexico wrote: ↑

Sun Feb 16, 2025 5:09 am

I’d say the 8 goals in the last 12 games or whatever it is disagrees with you

Flemming has scored 6 of his 7 league goals since the Norwich game. 6 in 13 isn't bad, not prolific but he's definitely getting into better positions as a 9. I'm not sure Barnes gives us a better return than that as a starter.

Inc the cup his ratio is a little better with his brace against reading

equinox wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 15, 2025 5:53 pm

Andre Gray isn't a good example.

FTFY

Rowls wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 15, 2025 3:09 pm

Today, yes.

Generally, no.

We don't create chances.

Have you watched the last three games? We’ve created loads of goalscoring opportunities!

Rowls wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 15, 2025 3:02 pm

I don't think it's an issue with personnel. It's more to do with a lack of chances.

Wrong way around. It's an issue with finishing the many chances we are creating.

helmclaret wrote: ↑

Sun Feb 16, 2025 5:30 pm

Have you watched the last three games? We’ve created loads of goalscoring opportunities!

I really don't know what to say about this Helm.

The acknowledgement that we created a half decent amount of chances is very literally in the post of mine you've quoted. Literally is literally overused these days but it's literally there in the quote.

This is one of the most bizarre things you've ever posted.

kwwden wrote: ↑

Sun Feb 16, 2025 5:38 pm

Wrong way around. It's an issue with finishing the many chances we are creating.

Foster was guilty of missing a clear chance and one decent chance. Flemming and Humphreys got in each other's way to snuff another potential chance.

Three chances to score, one a clear cut chance.

That's not a glut of chances. Under the best sides we had with Kompany, Dyche or Coyle we could create five or six chances in a half. We're undoubtedly slowly getting better at creating chances (as I've acknowledged) but it's still not enough.

I'm of the opinion Dara Costelloe would have finished one of them yesterday.

ralph8 wrote: ↑

Sun Feb 16, 2025 7:41 pm

I'm of the opinion Dara Costelloe would have finished one of them yesterday.

Lou Costello would have buried at least one!

ralph8 wrote: ↑

Sun Feb 16, 2025 7:41 pm

I'm of the opinion Dara Costelloe would have finished one of them yesterday.

I would have finished one of them and I’m 71 years old with two knee replacements.