Here's an interesting stat...

[Rout-Ledge]

Concerning our recent bad performance in the PL being blamed exclusively on the strikers...

In the 3 month period since February during which we have won 1 game, the much maligned strike force has scored...9 goals. (and counting)

In the 6 month period before February they scored...7 goals.

The strikers have scored more goals during our very poor run than during our good run in half as much time. They are obviously not great, but equally, they are not the cause of this problem.

So from now on, when people are asked what our problem has been recently, think twice before you reply with total conviction...'the strikers'

(I only included league goals)

 

[kishman]

So when our strikers are playing better, the results worsen. :lol:

 

[Bulletspur]

Concerning our recent bad performance in the PL being blamed exclusively on the strikers...

In the 3 month period since February during which we have won 1 game, the much maligned strike force has scored...9 goals. (and counting)

In the 6 month period before February they scored...7 goals.

The strikers have scored more goals during our very poor run than during our good run in half as much time. They are obviously not great, but equally, they are not the cause of this problem.

So from now on, when people are asked what our problem has been recently, think twice before you reply with total conviction...'the strikers'

(I only included league goals)

I agree. Our strikers have been shit from day one, but they are the easy targets for our recent failures as most refuse to blame Harry's mismanagement and / or tactics among other things.

 

[sigma7]

Concerning our recent bad performance in the PL being blamed exclusively on the strikers...

In the 3 month period since February during which we have won 1 game, the much maligned strike force has scored...9 goals. (and counting)

In the 6 month period before February they scored...7 goals.

The strikers have scored more goals during our very poor run than during our good run in half as much time. They are obviously not great, but equally, they are not the cause of this problem.

So from now on, when people are asked what our problem has been recently, think twice before you reply with total conviction...'the strikers'

(I only included league goals)

Or to look at it another way .
Thankfully we didn't need to rely on our strikers to actually score the goals they're paid to in the 6 months before feb because the rest of the team were all scoring more than we should really expect them too. Only since feb normal service has resumed the goals have dried up from midfield and the strikers are still not pulling their weight.
Because if you're suggesting that 9 goals in 3 months from our strike force is anywhere near acceptable I am truly astounded!

 

[Bulletspur]

Or to look at it another way .
Thankfully we didn't need to rely on our strikers to actually score the goals they're paid to in the 6 months before feb because the rest of the team were all scoring more than we should really expect them too. Only since feb normal service has resumed the goals have dried up from midfield and the strikers are still not pulling their weight.
Because if you're suggesting that 9 goals in 3 months from our strike force is anywhere near acceptable I am truly astounded!

I dont thnk he was suggesting that to be honest. Like I said there are other problems that has caused the slump which have not been adddressed IMO. Of course the strikers performance is just not acceptable by a long way.

 

[Bobbins]

I would suggest that pair of stats simply shows just how much it is the striker's fault. Earlier in the season, the rest of the team was managing to cover for them and make up the difference.

Now, when we've got a few injuries, some players aren't on top form and many of the squad are probably simply tired, the strikers are still not doing their job and our form has become even more obviously bad.

It also shows that when the rest of the team is on even halfway-decent form, if only we had some strikers who could score then we'd be challenging for the title.

This is why I have/had no real problem with Redknapp's comments after Christmas. We'd had an excellent holiday period of results, which is unusual for us, and with players like Defoe coming back into the side Redknapp had every right to expect him to score 10-12 league goals before the end of the season. Those goals would've fired us comfortably into the top four.

It really is the strikers that's the problem. It just so happens that the rest of the team, Bale and VDV in particular, managed to cover for them for quite a long time with their earlier fantastic form and our fairly decent defensive record (despite not keeping many clean sheets, we haven't conceded that many goals either).

 

[BringBack_leGin]

Wait, so you think that 9 goals between 3 strikers over a 3 month period playing in the side who put the ball into the box more than every other in the league is a good return?

 

[Legend10]

For all his poor form Defoe has scored 4 in his last 5 premiership starts and 9 goals in 21 starts this season which I believe is a better ratio than Tottenham 'legend' Robbie Keane's club stats. Throw in England and it's 12 in 23 with no penalties in those numbers either, I agree Defoe has played poorly but his numbers aren't that bad.

IMHO Harry has to take a fair amount of the blame for the poor performance of our front players, strikers more than anybody thrive on confidence and rhythmn. We've swapped and changed our front players so often that none of them have found the confidence and form to do consistently well. Dropping front players when they are scoring is a mystery to me, especially when they are streaky ones.

 

[kevinfish]

only one goal of the last 10 goals scored have been scored from a shot inside the area (not including headers) in open play...just another stat

 

[RJ1882]

OUr poor strikers are not Harry's fault. They simply are not good enough. Going into this season we all knew Pav was dross. We all knew Crouch was limited, but a good alternativ to have when required. Defoe is the only one that has disappointed this season. Crouch has been below average, but Defoe has been awful. He hasn't played well in many games at all. His running of the ball has been awful, his link up play has been awful and his general presence in most games has been non-existent.

In a many games we have drawn or gone on to lose this season, we have had opportunities to have put the game to bed in the first 20 or 30 mins. Look at the weekends draw with Blackpool. Bale put across two wonderful crosses which any striker worth his corn would have been on the end of. 2-0 Spurs - game over.

Pav is terrible, Defoe has peaked and Crouch is only ever good enough to be a squad player. We need to invest heavily in the striker department above all other. Infact, two good strikers and I'd be happy enough with no other signings this window, though Ashley Young and Gary Cahill on top would be ideal.

 

[nedley]

Concerning our recent bad performance in the PL being blamed exclusively on the strikers...

In the 3 month period since February during which we have won 1 game, the much maligned strike force has scored...9 goals. (and counting)

In the 6 month period before February they scored...7 goals.

The strikers have scored more goals during our very poor run than during our good run in half as much time. They are obviously not great, but equally, they are not the cause of this problem.

So from now on, when people are asked what our problem has been recently, think twice before you reply with total conviction...'the strikers'

(I only included league goals)

Just because they are scoring doesnt mean they are playing well.

Since Milan, we have decided to change formation and play alot of 442-

leaving us in theory with 9 players on the pitch.

Our forwards have still been shocking.

 

[Rout-Ledge]

Wait, so you think that 9 goals between 3 strikers over a 3 month period playing in the side who put the ball into the box more than every other in the league is a good return?

Where did I say that?

It's a terrible return.

I was merely suggesting that the performance of the strikers has been much worse when we were actually getting results. So how can we blame our current form on them when they have actually been scoring more goals now than when we were winning?

They've been shit all season, but more than 2 times less shit in our bad run than they were in the rest of the year. That must mean the rest of the team is playing really really shit.

Why just blame the strikers then, as many have been? I'm guessing it's because they're the players people are most inclined to get rid of so it makes sense to pin all the blame on them. It's a false conclusion. We do need to replace them, don't misunderstand me, but it's not a case of just replacing them and everything's suddenly hunky dory again.

I'm not convinced by those aimless floaty balls we put into the box either. The kind of crosses we tuck away are low hard ones, usually from Lennon.

 

[bubble07]

How many clean sheets have we kept this season? I can think of 4 - both Manchester clubs, west spam and Newcastle all at home. There must be a couple more but that is just shocking. The Gallas Dawson partnership is not as great as people want to believe. Fair enough our strikers are shit but it's not like were keeping them out the other end is it?

 

[jondesouza]

How many clean sheets have we kept this season? I can think of 4 - both Manchester clubs, west spam and Newcastle all at home. There must be a couple more but that is just shocking. The Gallas Dawson partnership is not as great as people want to believe. Fair enough our strikers are shit but it's not like were keeping them out the other end is it?

City, Newcastle, Fulham, Utd, West Ham at home
Blackburn and Wigan away

 

[Rout-Ledge]

Just because they are scoring doesnt mean they are playing well.

Since Milan, we have decided to change formation and play alot of 442-

leaving us in theory with 9 players on the pitch.

Our forwards have still been shocking.

See my post above (in response to BBLG). I never said they're playing well.

 

[ravo]

Wait, so you think that 9 goals between 3 strikers over a 3 month period playing in the side who put the ball into the box more than every other in the league is a good return?

This. Strikers are still the main problem. Yes, tactics haven't been great, but the big issue is up front.

 

[Rout-Ledge]

This. Strikers are still the main problem. Yes, tactics haven't been great, but the big issue is up front.

The strikers are definitely a massive problem. I never said they weren't. I'm just concerned that when we sign one or two great new strikers they might not magically solve our problems like some people think they will.

This thread isn't really about the strikers. It's about the rest of the team.

 

[mattstev2000]

For all his poor form Defoe has scored 4 in his last 5 premiership starts and 9 goals in 21 starts this season which I believe is a better ratio than Tottenham 'legend' Robbie Keane's club stats. Throw in England and it's 12 in 23 with no penalties in those numbers either, I agree Defoe has played poorly but his numbers aren't that bad.

IMHO Harry has to take a fair amount of the blame for the poor performance of our front players, strikers more than anybody thrive on confidence and rhythmn. We've swapped and changed our front players so often that none of them have found the confidence and form to do consistently well. Dropping front players when they are scoring is a mystery to me, especially when they are streaky ones.

This is the kind of biased post that makes you look like a fool and makes people question your motives.

Not only do you suggest that 4 goals (scored against wolves, west brom and blackpool btw) from Defoe in a premier league season isn't that bad (frankly couldn't give a toss whether they were scored in the last 5 games, the first 5 games or across the whole season) but you also feel the need to bring up Keane who really doesn't have any relevance to Spurs or the discussion in this thread and do the daft inverted commas 'legend' thing.

If you really think Defoe's performances this season (and the second half of last season to be honest) have been anything other the very poor then you're nuts. He needs to be shipped out or benched for the foreseeable future.

And as I say, we get it, you don't like Keane but he isn't relevant to this discussion so stop beating the drum.

 

[Rout-Ledge]

For all his poor form Defoe has scored 4 in his last 5 premiership starts and 9 goals in 21 starts this season which I believe is a better ratio than Tottenham 'legend' Robbie Keane's club stats. Throw in England and it's 12 in 23 with no penalties in those numbers either, I agree Defoe has played poorly but his numbers aren't that bad.

IMHO Harry has to take a fair amount of the blame for the poor performance of our front players, strikers more than anybody thrive on confidence and rhythmn. We've swapped and changed our front players so often that none of them have found the confidence and form to do consistently well. Dropping front players when they are scoring is a mystery to me, especially when they are streaky ones.

When have we ever had to worry about Defoe scoring a penalty? :wink:

 

[Paxtonite]

Has anyone not bothered to check how many goals we have been letting in at the other end over those two periods?