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Skuse: Midfielders Need to Score More
Saturday, 22nd Feb 2014 06:00

Cole Skuse may still be looking for his first Town goal but admits it is hardly preying on his mind.

But Skuse, signed on a free transfer last summer after his contract at first club Bristol City had expired, is not trying to hide from the fact that he and his midfield colleagues could do more to help the cause.

He said: “The strikers are not just going to score on their own. We have to try and do our bit in wide areas and from midfield. We’ll try our utmost. We can’t just rely on them for the goals.

“I’ve been saying it for about 10 years now that I’ve got to get more goals. It’s not for the want of trying. We will try and do our bit.

“I wouldn’t be absolutely distraught if I didn’t score and we got promoted. I don’t think I’d lose any sleep. I’ve said it for years that I’d like to get more goals but I also try and do my bit defensively, trying to cover a lot of ground. I would like more goals, though.”

Skuse admitted to extra practice sessions after training but grinned: “It’s not usually very successful. I’m usually fetching balls out of the fences and hedges! I do try and do bits, though. TC does put on extra sessions and I’m working on it.”

Bristol-born Skuse has drawn a blank in his 32 Town league and cup appearances this season and scored just nine times in 339 outings for his previous employers.

He admitted the lack of goals has been the subject of a conversation with manager Mick McCarthy, who has continually praised the player and even insisted he could hold his own in the Premier League.

Skuse said: “He and TC have mentioned it. We’ve had a meeting about it but I’ve played 350-odd games and only scored nine goals. It’s not as if I’m a prolific goalscorer and I don’t lose sleep over it.

“The manager’s not pinning me up against the wall saying ‘You’ve got to score on Saturday or that’s you done’. But don’t get me wrong, he might ask ‘Any chance?’ and I’d love to answer with at least one.”

McCarthy says adding goals from midfield is something which he and assistant Terry Connor have been working on with the Blues’ engine room having totalled only six between them so far this season.

“We need more goals, we work at it all the time,” he said. “Wingers getting in the box at the far stick, tucking in, people shooting, midfield players getting in the box.

“And despite that we’ve scored a shedload more than we did last year and where are we in the league in terms of goalscoring? We’re up there.”

McCarthy says his midfielders probably could have netted up to 20 goals given their opportunities: “Tunners when he was here had plenty of chances, Tabby has had plenty of chances to get more than he’s got, Ando has, Carlos has.

“Skusey not so much as generally he’s been the security in the team, the holding one, but he’s been unlucky a couple of times with shots. We’d like more goals from there.”


Photo: Action Images



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Karlosfandangal added 08:07 - Feb 22
We need another Matt Holland playing along side Another John Wark
We have been so spoil with having the Muhren and Thijssen,
1

ormey75 added 08:32 - Feb 22
You don't say
2

ormey75 added 08:42 - Feb 22
They can start by getting rid of you and Hyam and Anderson and replacing the 3 of you with Holland, Magilton and Ambrose
0

LordMamu added 09:03 - Feb 22
9 goals in 329 games - some goalkeepers have got a better return than that...
3

Mark added 09:47 - Feb 22
Hyam, Skuse, Tabb, and Tunnicliffe all had very poor goal scoring records going into the season, so it was unlikely they would get many goals. That is a key reason we won't make the play-offs.

Anderson (10 in 121 for Forest and Bristol C) and Wordsworth (35 in 177 at Colchester) do have better scoring records at previous clubs, but they don't play much for valid reasons.

Perhaps Green (14 in 166 for Derby and Leeds) can chip in with a few.

Compare the above to a few ITFC goalscoring midfielders of recent years:

Holland: 46 in 314
Garvan: 15 in 165
Miller: 45 in 204
Reuser: 19 in 114
Walters: 32 in 146
Westlake: 17 in 121

0

ChrisFelix added 09:48 - Feb 22
Its simply if you want to score goals you need to carry the ball forward, as well get into the penalty area. Sound defensively, but lacks any of the aforementioned
He needs to watch the videos of Wark or Holland
1

Wickets added 09:58 - Feb 22
Is it anything to do with the fact that our midfielders tend to sit back,perhaps been told too, instead of making runs into the box?
1

battyblue added 11:04 - Feb 22
You don't usually score many goals when your playing in your own half.
1

TimmyH added 11:45 - Feb 22
Yawn...this story rearing it's ugly head again I think for the third time this season and the reason why? nothing has changed, talk is cheap.
1

silkcutblue added 11:48 - Feb 22
No sh*t sherlock
0

thebeat added 12:59 - Feb 22
I dont hold anything against Skuse on this. He is your typical sit in front of the back four type player, neat and tidy mopping up. Its not his job to get up the pitch and score.
0

Dissboyitfc added 13:21 - Feb 22
LordMamu... you beat me to it,lol. He should be losing sleep over it, and yes it his job to score more, everyone should contribute in scoring...coyb
0

1966 added 14:05 - Feb 22
He really annoys me, gets into good position and then plays a crab like pass everytime....
1


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