Strikers

[Esmond Million's Bung]

Maynard is our top scorer with 11 goals, I would be interested to know actually how many of these goals were scored from inside the box (fox in the box type) from memory a very high proportion of Maynards goals have been spectacular outside the box type.

in saturdays game 3 of the 4 goals were inside the box goals and 2 of which were follow ups, the Haynes goal was a proper strikers goal, getting on the end of an dangerous low angled ball into the box.

So could we be missing a fox in the box, who feeds on scraps?.

[BCFC_Dan]

I certainly don't think we have a player like that at the moment. Maynard is excellent but as you say he doesn't score too many from inside the area and he's not one of those strikers who looks certain to score whenever he gets the ball.

The trouble with the "fox in the box" type striker is that in general they tend not to go anywhere else and can appear lazy. From my own personal perspective I would always want to have such a player; a Tony Thorpe or Michael Owen type because I think their finishing ability is a price worth paying for the low work rate outside the box. However I think Johnson and his preferred style of play requires hard working strikers who can't simply hover around the 6 yard box waiting for tap-ins. Therefore I don't think City could make use of one even if they had one.

[Robbored]

I certainly don't think we have a player like that at the moment. Maynard is excellent but as you say he doesn't score too many from inside the area and he's not one of those strikers who looks certain to score whenever he gets the ball.

I don't agree at all. Maynard is very capable of goal poaching. The reason he hasn't 'tapped' many in is because of the type of service he's been getting. No striker is likely to get many tap-in when most of his service comes from balls over the top or from deep poor angled crosses.

Untill saturday City hadn't played a style that creates close range chances. That changed when Johnson went 4-4-2 and City created more in that game then in pretty much any other all season and scored two close range goals.

If City stay with 4-4-2 then I can see Maynard getting lots more chances - and being a natural finisher he'll take many of them.

[Esmond Million's Bung]

I certainly don't think we have a player like that at the moment. Maynard is excellent but as you say he doesn't score too many from inside the area and he's not one of those strikers who looks certain to score whenever he gets the ball.

The trouble with the "fox in the box" type striker is that in general they tend not to go anywhere else and can appear lazy. From my own personal perspective I would always want to have such a player; a Tony Thorpe or Michael Owen type because I think their finishing ability is a price worth paying for the low work rate outside the box. However I think Johnson and his preferred style of play requires hard working strikers who can't simply hover around the 6 yard box waiting for tap-ins. Therefore I don't think City could make use of one even if they had one.

Tony Thorpe was indeed lazy but you could'nt argue against his scoring record, the problem we have is only one striker is scoring on reasonably regular basis, to be successful you really need two strikers breaking well into double figures.

The fox in the box type, works on instinct and knows where to be pick up the second ball, deflections or goalkeeping mistakes, I don't think Maynard has that ability and believe me I am not knocking Maynard, he is indeed a talent, whose best is yet to come.

[Red Rag]

Not quite sure I get this. You ask are we missing a fox in the box?

Then go on to argue with your own point following a reply that seems to agree with you.

Am i missing something here?

[Esmond Million's Bung]

I don't agree at all. Maynard is very capable of goal poaching. The reason he hasn't 'tapped' many in is because of the type of service he's been getting. No striker is likely to get many tap-in when most of his service comes from balls over the top or from deep poor angled crosses.

Untill saturday City hadn't played a style that creates close range chances. That changed when Johnson went 4-4-2 and City created more in that game then in pretty much any other all season and scored two close range goals.

If City stay with 4-4-2 then I can see Maynard getting lots more chances - and being a natural finisher he'll take many of them.

i'm sure you maybe correct about Maynard goal poaching ability, hopefully it will improve when he learns the correct time to gamble and positioning and I agree about service and I agree about the positives from saturdays line up, however you keep harping on about balls over the top and I think that is inaccurate, I only ever see it late in games from our full backs.

Also it would be interesting to know how many times this season Orr, Carey, Fontaine, Nyatanga, Mccalister & Sproule have actually been available at the same time this season.

[BCFC_Dan]

I don't agree at all. Maynard is very capable of goal poaching. The reason he hasn't 'tapped' many in is because of the type of service he's been getting. No striker is likely to get many tap-in when most of his service comes from balls over the top or from deep poor angled crosses.

Untill saturday City hadn't played a style that creates close range chances. That changed when Johnson went 4-4-2 and City created more in that game then in pretty much any other all season and scored two close range goals.

If City stay with 4-4-2 then I can see Maynard getting lots more chances - and being a natural finisher he'll take many of them.

Maybe you're right but I just don't see Maynard as being a natural finisher in the same way as Thorpe was. If Tony Thorpe got himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper he was always going to score. Maynard doesn't give that impression and he's missed a few chances which back that up.

I think Nicky's a very talented player and you're obviously right in saying that more high quality crosses from the byline will lead to more goals, but I don't think he'll ever be what you would call a "clinical" finisher.

[Esmond Million's Bung]

Not quite sure I get this. You ask are we missing a fox in the box?

Then go on to argue with your own point following a reply that seems to agree with you.

Am i missing something here?

i'm questioning why we don't appear to score that many goals in and around the six yard box, I hope it is mainly to do with supply, but could it be Maynard is not that type of player, perhaps we need that type of striker to compliment Maynard, i'm really trying to broaden the Akinde debate, there are many who don't like playing with a big target man.

[southy354]

The close range chances we scored from were from set pieces, we certainly need a poacher in as we didn't take up the chances in normal play. Saborio didn't seem comfortable in the area, rather just standing outside, a lot of play from Sproule was wasted at that point in the game, it's time like those that we could do with a poacher to bring on and increase the lead.

[Esmond Million's Bung]

The close range chances we scored from were from set pieces, we certainly need a poacher in as we didn't take up the chance. Saborio didn't seem comfortable in the area, rather just standing outside, a lot of play from Sproule was wasted at that point in the game, it's time like those that we could do with a poacher to bring on and increase the lead.

interesting point, perhaps Saborio and Maynard are to similar and are strikers who score most of their goals from outside of the box.

[southy354]

interesting point, perhaps Saborio and Maynard are to similar and are strikers who score most of their goals from outside of the box.

I know GJ likes different clubs in his bag, and I feel like Saborio is a copy of Maynard, just without the experience of the Championship. I guess we'll have to make do with him now. Get a poacher signed in the summer, as well as a left winger, then we'd have a team good enough for Play-Offs.

[Liverpool 0 Bristol City 1]

I know GJ likes different clubs in his bag, and I feel like Saborio is a copy of Maynard, just without the experience of the Championship. I guess we'll have to make do with him now. Get a poacher signed in the summer, as well as a left winger, then we'd have a team good enough for Play-Offs.

We dont need a poacher - Maynard and Saborio are capable , Maynards crewe goals were largley close range see youtube.

Good wing play is whats missing.

[CliftonCliff]

Interesting debate, this one.

When we won 3-0 at Leicester, Millen gave the post-match interview and was asked to comment on the goals, which of course included Sproules extraordinary run past four defenders and Skuse's even more improbable 30 yard left foot screamer. He conceded they were great goals, but added that he wished we'd score a few more tap-ins, which practically had me screaming at my TV that we'd score tap-ins if they'd change the bloody tactics so we weren't dependent on people having to perform miracles like doing George Best impersonations or striking the ball like Bobby Charlton from just inside their half. (I exaggerate, I know, but like the rest of us I was feeling a bit exasperated at the time and you get my drift. You'll be glad to know I've calmed down since).

Anyway, the fox-in-the-box, Maynard/Thorpe question is an intriguing one. Nicky and Thorpey certainly have very different styles. Thorpe didn't have the benefit of Maynard's pace and neither could he strike a ball venomously from distance like Nicky, at least not that I ever saw, so he had to come by his goals in other ways. What he did have in spades was an absolutely ice-cool temperament that meant he responded to scoring opportunities with complete composure. He was one of the best I've seen at AG in that particular regard.

I think the jury has to be out on whether Maynard can do the poaching thing, simply because our approach (prior to Saturday) hasn't allowed this to be put to the test with any regularity. (You could argue that he probably should have scored from relatively close range against Preston, when the keeper saved and Fonts pounced on the loose ball, but that's just one chance and a fairly isolated example).

What I would say is that if Nicky does turn out to have that side to his game as well, then he will be one hell of a player and pretty much the complete striker, able to use his pace to latch on to balls played down the channels or over the top, to strike long-distance shots with power off either foot, or to take the "sniffer" role feeding off scraps in the six-yard box. If he can do all that and end up with 20-plus in a season, we will have a striker worth a very great deal of spondulix. A lot to ask of him, but he's young, still developing, and the potential is certainly there.

[bangers]

In my opinion Maynard is class and the reason he hasn't been scoring sitters is due to the poor service he had been getting. The fact is we are far more dangerous playing 442 with wingers.

[CliftonCliff]

In my opinion Maynard is class and the reason he hasn't been scoring sitters is due to the poor service he had been getting. The fact is we are far more dangerous playing 442 with wingers.

Exactly.

[Bris Red]

As others have said it simply boils down to service, if Maynard was getting cross after cross or threw ball afret threw ball he would be putting them away.

this video quashes anyone of the opinion that he is not a natural born finisher, ok its all at League one level, but it still proves that he can finish when given the direct service. Just to prove the point watch the second goal he scores, great ball whipped in by the RB i think and Maynard has a free header in the box, when was the last time you saw a good ball from the wings delivered into the box.

You see a completly different Maynard when he was playing for Crewe..

[CliftonCliff]

As others have said it simply boils down to service, if Maynard was getting cross after cross or threw ball afret threw ball he would be putting them away.

this video quashes anyone of the opinion that he is not a natural born finisher, ok its all at League one level, but it still proves that he can finish when given the direct service. Just to prove the point watch the second goal he scores, great ball whipped in by the RB i think and Maynard has a free header in the box, when was the last time you saw a good ball from the wings delivered into the box.

You see a completly different Maynard when he was playing for Crewe..

You're right. Just checked out the youtube footage and there is plenty of evidence there that Nicky has the 'sniffer' instinct, with lots of tap-ins from scraps, loose balls, knock-downs, etc., as well as his trademark speed-merchant stuff and long distance efforts. As I said before, he has the potential to be the complete striker with the ability to score from all sorts of different chances.

[Robbored]

Listening to Talk Sport this morning and David Gold was saying how they needed to sign some strikers at West Ham. I immediately had a 'sixth sense' feeling that they would make a bid for Nicky Maynard. The brilliant goal he scored at QPR would have raised his profile and PL teams would have noticed him.

The good news is that my 'sixth sense' has been wrong many times. I once put £20 on Willie Thorn to win the snooker World Championship....

[CliftonCliff]

Listening to Talk Sport this morning and David Gold was saying how they needed to sign some strikers at West Ham. I immediately had a 'sixth sense' feeling that they would make a bid for Nicky Maynard. The brilliant goal he scored at QPR would have raised his profile and PL teams would have noticed him.

The good news is that my 'sixth sense' has been wrong many times. I once put £20 on Willie Thorn to win the snooker World Championship....

Sounds like your betting instincts are about as good as mine.

I would guess we can probably relax about the January window; I don't think any of our better players will be going anywhere just yet, but I will be worried come the end of the season.

Can you remember how long his contact has to run?

[BCFC_Dan]

Again, I don't want to be overly negative because I think Nicky is an exceptionally good player but I don't think you can judge his finishing ability from a Youtube clip. Not unless it contains his misses as well. I've seen him miss enough chances to say that right now I wouldn't put him in the same category as someone like Thorpe.

[CliftonCliff]

Again, I don't want to be overly negative because I think Nicky is an exceptionally good player but I don't think you can judge his finishing ability from a Youtube clip. Not unless it contains his misses as well. I've seen him miss enough chances to say that right now I wouldn't put him in the same category as someone like Thorpe.

Fair point: YouTube footage is highly selective and does tend to flatter.

[Alex_BCFC]

He is miles better than Thorpe for me- even at being a clinical finisher. Thorpe only really scored well at League 1 and Maynard is now doing it at this level which Thorpe failed to do.

Maynard is also a more complete player than Thorpe was. Tony used to go missing for long periods whereas at least Nicky is more of a threat even when he isn't scoring.