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Thread | The Non-Scoring Striker
at 10:26 1 Sep 2022
Yes, I get the idea of the striker being used to create space for other players, just as I get the idea that it doesn't matter who scores the goals as long as the team scores the goals. But you also have to consider the psychological impact on the number nine who trudges off the pitch every week without having done the thing he feels he should be doing (and which everyone watching is willing him to do - stick the ball in the back of the net.
The relief and joy on Ladapo's face when his shot went in against Northampton will show you just how important it is to have a striker who scores regularly. It doesn't have to be 30 a season or 20 a season, but enough to keep him feeling confident and like he's properly playing his part. Because strikers will always be judged on goals - and there will always be a cloud hanging over them if they have a major goal drought. You only have to look at the body language of Pigott and Bonne in the second half of last season to see what happens to a non-scoring number nine.
You also only need a quick glance at what Man City are up to this season to realise that all teams benefit from a natural goalscorer. City have players all across the pitch who score goals and always score loads from midfield, but no one is pretending that Haaland was brought in as a foil to create space for Foden and Gundogan. You can provide good movement and drags defences out of shape, but still get into the right places to score yourself. And whoever we play in the number nine role needs to be doing both those things.
They're hard to find, of course, but a top striker in this league would make us almost unbeatable. But I'm not sure we've had a top striker in years, which is probably why we're where we are now. |
| | PabloReuser
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