Least shots at goal since records began

[LondonBristolian]

3 hours ago, M.D said:

I personaly think that Chris Martin was a big loss for us.

he should have been used for a game and a bit a week but he was playing very well and then got flogged to death until he broke down through injury.

His early season form transformed us IMHO, his link up play was something we have not had for a long time.

He needed to be used correctly with his game time but we pushed him into a long term injury 

Absolutely agree. We have no focal point in attack without him.

I’d also mention Dasilva. Rowe deputises as best as he can - as does Sessegnon when did, but we then lose competition for Hunt - but not having a natural full back has a knock on effect both defensively and in terms of attacking width. 

If we stuck Martin and Dasilva in the team then, whilst it would not solve everything, I honestly think we’d be getting more shots.

[Davefevs]

1 hour ago, Sleepy1968 said:

Agreed.

And the laughable thing is I wasn't that bothered when we let Matty Taylor go. But pound to a penny he'd  have outperformed Wells if he stayed (and we'd have saved a shed load on money into the bargain). The recruitment strategy has been second to none. And I don't mean that in a good way.

I grew to really appreciate Taylor’s contributions over his time here.  Unfortunately, injuries (niggly ones) stopped him probably becoming a key player.  He was a better player than I thought.

But it’s just more examples of our CEO’s incompetence in the “market” he knows so well (so he tells us).  We let players with a year left, run out that year.  Suggesting he doesn’t understand the player’s psyche that well.  So much for DNA!

Diedhiou, Hunt, Baker, Walsh, etc this season.

Wright, Taylor, Smith, Maenpaa, etc last summer.

Hardly adhering to the Sustainable strategy, more like pissing money down the drain.

[ExiledAjax]

2 hours ago, LondonBristolian said:

Absolutely agree. We have no focal point in attack without him.

I’d also mention Dasilva. Rowe deputises as best as he can - as does Sessegnon when did, but we then lose competition for Hunt - but not having a natural full back has a knock on effect both defensively and in terms of attacking width. 

If we stuck Martin and Dasilva in the team then, whilst it would not solve everything, I honestly think we’d be getting more shots.

Trouble is we'd still not get enough. We'd get more, but not lots.

Dasilva played a fair amount of last season, we averaged just over 10 shots a game. Martin played earlier in this season, as did Dasilva. At no point this season have we been averaging more than 11 shots per game.

They may improve us, maybe we'd be looking at a total of 460 shots for the season instead of 360...but that still puts is well in the bottom 5 or 6. 

Those two alone are not the answer.

[The Gambler]

Dean Holden’s 2 goals a game target at the start of the season for promotion wasn’t quite met.

[LondonBristolian]

39 minutes ago, ExiledAjax said:

Trouble is we'd still not get enough. We'd get more, but not lots.

Dasilva played a fair amount of last season, we averaged just over 10 shots a game. Martin played earlier in this season, as did Dasilva. At no point this season have we been averaging more than 11 shots per game.

They may improve us, maybe we'd be looking at a total of 460 shots for the season instead of 360...but that still puts is well in the bottom 5 or 6. 

Those two alone are not the answer.

That was pretty much what I was saying. Sorry if not clear. I'm not suggesting for a minute they are the solution and I agree we'd still be struggling. However I do think those two absences have hurt us more than any others. 

[WarksRobin]

2 hours ago, Harry said:

I don’t have any problem with selling players. Elliason in particular in the last year and at least we get a fee.
The problem I’ve always had is the person responsible for bringing in decent replacements. 
Last summer we lost Eliasson, Taylor, Wright, Korey. 
Who did we replace them with?? Nothing. 
 

The season before we lost Webster, Pack, Brownhill & Kelly. 
Who did we replace them with? Nothing. 

That’s the issue. 

We replaced quality with quantity and everything went to sh1t

[Cardy]

An astonishing stat for a team that was supposedly targeting 90 league goals. As much as Pearson has struggled to change the notes this tune has been composed by MA, LJ & DH. A team supposedly built on the ethos of a tight defence & trying not to lose - with the faint hope of nicking one nil wins here & there.
This stat alone shows third parties just how poor & boring it has been watching City this season which ultimately is a culmination of atleast the previous two seasons in terms of recruitment, mentality & style of play. Quite frankly it is a miracle we have not been relegated this season & sadly this was all so predictable when the club in their wisdom decided to appoint a ‘good human’ as head coach last August.

[ExiledAjax]

35 minutes ago, LondonBristolian said:

That was pretty much what I was saying. Sorry if not clear. I'm not suggesting for a minute they are the solution and I agree we'd still be struggling. However I do think those two absences have hurt us more than any others. 

I'm with you on Dasilva. Huge miss for us.

I've said the last few seasons that I want to see us getting shots per game of around 12-15, with 4-5 on target. Combine that with allowing about 10 shots each game and we'd be able to begin to be confident of a top 6 finish. We are light-years away from that, and have been for years now.

I see the Snake has just bagged his 16th* of the season for Oxford.

*Edit 17th now.

[Davefevs]

1 minute ago, ExiledAjax said:

I'm with you on Dasilva. Huge miss for us.

I've said the last few seasons that I want to see us getting shots per game of around 12-15, with 4-5 on target. Combine that with allowing about 10 shots each game and we'd be able to begin to be confident of a top 6 finish. We are light-years away from that, and have been for years now.

I see the Snake has just bagged his 16th of the season for Oxford.

Snake v Johnson in playoff semi?

[ExiledAjax]

2 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Snake v Johnson in playoff semi?

Mate you watch whichever 'special interest' videos you like.

[ExiledAjax]

Just to update this.

We have managed to get to 352 shots. Remember the record low is 409.

We need 58 shots against Brentford to avoid setting the record, and need 49 just to get over the 400 mark.

In our last 8 games we have managed 59.

A truly embarrassing record to hold.

[Swede]

I am not in the least surprised by this "revelation" especially considering we were averaging one shot on target over at least half a dozen matches towards the end of Northern Streaky's reign. 

There's a lot of work to be done between now and the start of next season to completely reverse this mind set.

[Super]

Just be grateful we havent been able to go to games.

[Robbored]

Really no need to remind us of how shit we’ve been this season...............

Its not just down to the strikers tho - not even Thierry Henry could score without the ball. Like all forwards they need service and that tells me that the rest of the team are not creating enough especially the midfielders.

That’ll be the first area that  Nige addresses I imagine.

 

[spudski]

16 minutes ago, Robbored said:

Really no need to remind us of how shit we’ve been this season...............

Its not just down to the strikers tho - not even Thierry Henry could score without the ball. Like all forwards they need service and that tells me that the rest of the team are not creating enough especially the midfielders.

That’ll be the first area that  Nige addresses I imagine.

 

I see it differently Robbo...the understanding of movement to either receive the ball, create space or an angle from our forwards is absolutely sure and has been for a few seasons. More often than not they are happy to stand still,  to not try and get rid of their marker or be pro active in coming for the ball or a run into space. 

You watch our midfield...the Ball is continually recycled as their is no movement or option in front of them.

Even when we do seem up for it, they try miracle moves trying to break down lines that need precise weighted balls into hardly any space.

We continually lose possession when offensive in the last third.

And this started under LJ and hasn't changed since.

[Carey 6]

45 minutes ago, spudski said:

I see it differently Robbo...the understanding of movement to either receive the ball, create space or an angle from our forwards is absolutely sure and has been for a few seasons. More often than not they are happy to stand still,  to not try and get rid of their marker or be pro active in coming for the ball or a run into space. 

You watch our midfield...the Ball is continually recycled as their is no movement or option in front of them.

Even when we do seem up for it, they try miracle moves trying to break down lines that need precise weighted balls into hardly any space.

We continually lose possession when offensive in the last third.

And this started under LJ and hasn't changed since.

As @Davefevshas mentioned quite a bit this season, with the defence often so deep, the midfield also drop back & then you have a big gap between them and the forwards & it's a struggle to get up the pitch. 

I don't think the strikers are without blame, but it starts from the back & a higher defensive line with more pace is definitely needed next season. 

[Robbored]

51 minutes ago, spudski said:

I see it differently Robbo...the understanding of movement to either receive the ball, create space or an angle from our forwards is absolutely sure and has been for a few seasons. More often than not they are happy to stand still,  to not try and get rid of their marker or be pro active in coming for the ball or a run into space. 

You watch our midfield...the Ball is continually recycled as their is no movement or option in front of them.

Even when we do seem up for it, they try miracle moves trying to break down lines that need precise weighted balls into hardly any space.

We continually lose possession when offensive in the last third.

And this started under LJ and hasn't changed since.

I was trying not to be too specific Spudski.............................

[bcfcredandwhite]

I blame Lee Johnson. We should sack him again.

[italian dave]

4 hours ago, spudski said:

 

 

 

And this started under LJ and hasn't changed since.

Well, it has changed since: we were never top (or bottom, whichever way you look at it) of the 'shots at goal' table under LJ. That's changed.

That's not to disagree with the point you make: it's certainly been a feature of our play for a good couple of years. But there were also spells under LJ when the opposite was the case and we had players who worked very hard for each other, and made those runs off the ball, created options.

We all know that LJs ideal goal was a 40 pass move (as at Blackburn) and ideally culminating in us walking the ball into the net (as at Fulham). There were times under him when we could do that, and times when (for reasons we'll no doubt continue to debate endlessly, even though he's long gone!) it didn't work out. But having the least shots at goal wasn't something we achieved under him. So, even if it started with him, it's got worse, and that may be about lots of factors other than just LJ.

[spudski]

49 minutes ago, italian dave said:

Well, it has changed since: we were never top (or bottom, whichever way you look at it) of the 'shots at goal' table under LJ. That's changed.

That's not to disagree with the point you make: it's certainly been a feature of our play for a good couple of years. But there were also spells under LJ when the opposite was the case and we had players who worked very hard for each other, and made those runs off the ball, created options.

We all know that LJs ideal goal was a 40 pass move (as at Blackburn) and ideally culminating in us walking the ball into the net (as at Fulham). There were times under him when we could do that, and times when (for reasons we'll no doubt continue to debate endlessly, even though he's long gone!) it didn't work out. But having the least shots at goal wasn't something we achieved under him. So, even if it started with him, it's got worse, and that may be about lots of factors other than just LJ.

I agree...the rot started when Fan was introduced and we tried to fit him into our way of playing...it then just became confused.

[Swede]

5 hours ago, spudski said:

I see it differently Robbo...the understanding of movement to either receive the ball, create space or an angle from our forwards is absolutely sure and has been for a few seasons. More often than not they are happy to stand still,  to not try and get rid of their marker or be pro active in coming for the ball or a run into space. 

You watch our midfield...the Ball is continually recycled as their is no movement or option in front of them.

Even when we do seem up for it, they try miracle moves trying to break down lines that need precise weighted balls into hardly any space.

We continually lose possession when offensive in the last third.

And this started under LJ and hasn't changed since.

We did start to see the beginnings of this when we had Benik Afobe. A mobile striker with intelligent movement for the midfielders to pick out. A different type of striker to Dhiedhiou. When he played it just showed up even more the the lack of movement and control that Dihedhiou gave us.

[Davefevs]

1 hour ago, spudski said:

I agree...the rot started when Fan was introduced and we tried to fit him into our way of playing...it then just became confused.

Interesting we went from a team that went unchanged at the end of 6 games (W4 D1 L1)

Fielding

Little / Flint / Wright / Bryan 

Brownhill / Smith / Pack / Paterson

Taylor

Abraham

(bombing out Tomlin in the process)

to bringing in Reid for Taylor (inj) and Fam for Tammy.  Fam for Tammy was always gonna be different.

Then it morphed to the that 3 month utopia.

[marmite]

Slightly off tangent but relating to the OP. I walked past a park the other day and there were about 10 youngsters about 10 years old having a kick about, proper football, jumpers for goalposts etc. What struck me was when one team had the ball, they all charged towards the other goalie en masse until they lost the ball then the other side did the same. I watched for about 10 minutes and witnessed about 20 shots at goal, not all on target admittedly.  But not once did I see anyone play the ball backwards away from the opposition goal, not once. Now I know its only kids having a kickabout but at what age does a coach tell them they are doing it wrong by constant attacking and shooting at the opponents goal?  If they play that way without coaching at 10, then surely that is what is instinctive. Davefevs may have the answer.

[cityal]

20 hours ago, ExiledAjax said:

Just to update this.

We have managed to get to 352 shots. Remember the record low is 409.

We need 58 shots against Brentford to avoid setting the record, and need 49 just to get over the 400 mark.

In our last 8 games we have managed 59.

A truly embarrassing record to hold.

Was chatting online to a Brentford season ticket holder mate at work today.

He said the only goal they conceded in the last 7 games was a penalty.

I am not sure we will get to 355 even!

[ExiledAjax]

46 minutes ago, cityal said:

Was chatting online to a Brentford season ticket holder mate at work today.

He said the only goal they conceded in the last 7 games was a penalty.

I am not sure we will get to 355 even!

If it's a better scoreline than the 4-1 v Millwall I think we take it and then erase all video and written evidence that this season ever happened.

[Mr Popodopolous]

Eliasson wasn't just the top assist maker for us but the 2nd or 3rd highest in the League last season.

Was following the stats for a little while, albeit I use Footcharts- slight differences but about the same- 357 as opposed to 352 according to that.

I remember we were bumping along the bottom two with Sheffield Wednesday but they seem to have overtaken us!

To make matters worse, shot shy sides can at least be that way because they prevent a lot or maybe through possession at the expense of creation and a sort of boring stability.

Except we appear to have conceded the most as well!!

Doubt we break 50% possession either, as an average- below it I'd have thought.

[Mr Popodopolous]

We had 106 in the first 10 games.

Conceded 126.

Those numbers when taken as a collective are in and around bottom 3rd, lower midtable area based on other clubs.

Shots on Target were reasonable though- had a quick look and from my quick calcs, 43 for vs 33 against.

That is a significant efficiency rating when Shots vs Shots on Target factored in and surely unsustainable over time. That said I quite enjoyed us in those first 10 games.

[City exile 79]

Didn’t Preston get 100 penalties though