paddy wrote:sallian wrote:Ashley Grimes is not responsible for the goal drought, he has beeen played out of position all season...blame the manager....also Grimes has been given lots of 10 minute slots to turn things around......not enough time
If you want to blame any of the players, I would point more towards Sawyers who is too slow in delivering the simple pass into space....or loses possession, but again the manager is to blame for always preferring him and not correcting his errors
Very convenient for managers to let the blame fall on low tally strikers who haven't been given a fair run....when in reality the problem is a tactical/formation one
Totally agree
I've just had a look at the games we've played this season without Sawyers in the team, some of these we played a 4-4-2 and others we stuck with a 4-2-3-1.
Leyton Orient away: 0-0 D (4-2-3-1)
Scunthorpe away: 2-1 L (4-4-2)
Colchester home: 0-0 D (4-4-2)
Oldham away: 2-1 L (4-2-3-1)
Preston away: 1-0 L (4-2-3-1)
Chesterfield away: 1-0 L (4-4-2/4-2-3-1)
Now I know 6 games isn't exactly a comprehensive guide to how we fair without him in the team, but it's hard to ignore that in those 6 games we've scored just two goals drawn two and lost four. And having watched most of the games where has hasn't played we do look even less toothless (if that's possible) than usual.
The problem is you can't centre your whole teams play around a player who has only scored 4 goals this season. It's vital in the summer that Deano signs a striker who will genuinely change a game off the bench, or have the ability to play as a two up front with Bradshaw. Just so teams have something different to think about each week, we're not exactly difficult to play against, stop Sawyers and stop Bradshaw and you've stopped Walsall. I really think Sawyers has a big part to play for us going forward, but everything just needs freshening up in the summer!