What's going on - Why have we stopped scoring goals

What worried me a bit was that we have been struggling against teams who sit deep, understandable to a point as it's tough to break through a compact defence, but today Dundee pressed us and we couldn't cope.

Their full backs were in Tav and Bassey's faces and Kamara and Aribo had no time to get turned in the middle of the park. There was no bravery or desire to try and play quickly around the press and we often ended up going back to the keeper.
 
This extra touch or pass and around the area is becoming ridiculous. It’s almost like we’ve got to score the perfect goal. 92 minutes on the clock and instead of taking a dig inside the area we are trying to shape the ball and move it to the other side of the box.

For me Roofe and Morelos isn’t working, we aren’t moving the ball quick enough, the movement isn’t there through out the team and we’ve got too many players off form.

Roofe trying to score from 40 yards when Sakala is peeling off and making a great run through the right centre of midfield just infuriated me.
 
Bigbluebear said:
We have only scored 2 goals less than after 7 games last season, and we had played 4 home, 3 away, with 3 home and 4 away this season.

So we aren't doing much differently than last year.
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I felt the same but couldn’t be arsed looking for the figures, cheers.
 
SimonLeBon said:
To much tippy tappy pish.
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Just been watching highlights of the EPL games and it would be nice for once in a game, for the team to cut out the few minutes passing the ball across the park or backwards in order to just go hell for leather towards the goal...the speed of the attacks in the EPL regardless of the team involved puts us to shame at the moment.
 
PMB1872 said:
Perhaps but we are playing noticeably poorer.
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Are we?

I can't be bothered going back to check stats to see how the games measured up.

We are giving away more chances for sure, but that could be opposition being better rather than us poorer
 
I think its also worth pointing out that after 7 league games last season we hadn't actually played a European game yet, and when we did it was against utter dross in one legged matches. We had also played 7 league matches before the first international break, and didnt play a league Cup game until the 29th November.

We have played far more games already this season up to the same number of league matches and have had a number of selection problems because of this. I think it's 6 matches more, plus the international break.

That on top of pre season being a shambles compared to last season.

All that has to play a part in things
 
Our comfort blanket is passing it out wide and whipping it in.

Our midfield are far too comfortable passing the buck and playing is sideways rather than going direct.

We're very predictable and slow.

Combination of those things really, but positive is we know we can switch it up - feel it needs another shocker of a result to give us a kick
 
The midfield is rotten, Morelos is coming deep to try and force the play, nobody is gambling on the space he's leaving.

Movement is terrible. We need Jack to come back asap and a big new signing in January or else we'll go backwards.
 
Morelos a
Knightswoodbear said:
Won't be a popular opinion, but Sakala has done more in a few cameos than Morelos has in umpteen starts. Stevie G needs to shake things up and stop going with his favourites.
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Morelos against Lyon was the best I think he’s ever been. He was a monster, unplayable but that’s maybe because of the pre-season speculation. Wish he would do it week-in, week-out.
 
I hate how our tactic seems to be start games really passively almost as if we’re trying to suss out how the opponents have been set up.

Also Morelos was asked to play a different role last season and did it well. In doing so did he have to surrender his superpower of rolling a defender? I don’t think I’ve seen him do it in 2 years. He used to create things out of nothing with it. Surely he’s not lost that ability?
 
Anyone thinking Sakala has been better than Morelos is judging movement rather than purpose, Sakala looks like the first version we had of Kenny Miller, it’s something but not sure where it’s going
 
RangersLad1983 said:
Exactly its training ground stuff we play after we score plus our two most productive attacks came through the middle and one got us the goal, then it's back to Tav and Bassey to cross into our small strikers.
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Cause we haven’t got a number 9 apart from Jermaine Defoe!
 
We’re too slow when moving forward and very hesitant in possession. Difficult to watch at the moment.
 
It's honestly night and day from last season.

We're not even pressing anymore, last season we didn't let teams out of their own halves and peppered shots from all over.

They were finished before the end of the first half majority of the season.

Surely has to be some sort of tactical change by the management? Don't get why though.

Why fix something that isn't broken?
 
Every game now just seems like a dogfight. There's no drive or energy. Very one paced.

Teams are now in our faces, more so away from home and not sitting back as much as they did.
 
I dont like Aribo in the middle 3, for me he has to play further forward

Morelos and Roofe were both coming shirt for the same ball today at times which was infuriating, Roofe is not a number 10, we should play Hagi and Aribo off of Morelos or Roofe and find someone else for midfield

Kamara as well, great footballer but the amount of times he could drive forward or go beyond is phenomenal yet he very rarely ever does it, if he did, he could get to the next level
 
bar72bear said:
We start games at walking pace and before we know it it’s half time
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We seem to up it a bit after a bit of pressure luckily we score today then go down 2 gears when we score and just pass side to side hoping we see the game out 0-1 that seems to be the plan its so frustrating to watch every away game.
 
The balance in midfield is off.

the two ahead of the sitting midfielder are all over the place.

Roofe and Morelos don’t work as a parternship.

We are absolutely miles off the pace
 
Scott-Ger said:
We won and that's all that matters. The performances will
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Morelos again today didn’t look interested . We need to start killing teams off . Also changing the back 4 and keeper every week is madness . The defence need to know and trust who’s behind them . For me I’d make JM my number 1 and would play him on Thursday . Tav again today looked off the pace . Patterson must wonder what he has to do to get a consistent start . Having players who are (favourites ) and who won’t EVER be dropped isn’t on .
Having said all that had a brilliant day today . Bears again in great voice and was a pleasure to be there . Still top and we roll on .
 
Gazzabear v2.0 said:
Balance up top is wrong. When Alfie and Roofe play together, we lose something. Not a go at either player, but when both play, something isn't right and it's not a simple one come short, on goes, etc. It seems to affect the whole team and our pressing isn't as effective.
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Both played and scored in the 4-1 demolition of the Beasts in May.

I think our issues are greater than simple chemistry alone.
 
At times I think we've become overly obsessed with possession football we'd rather keep the ball and go back or wide rather than shoot in good positions.

I don't think our strikers are doing particularly well in front of goal either. Morelos seems to be playing his best stuff 20-30 yards from goal and Roofe hasn't looked anything like the player he was last season.
 
Bearinabluehose said:
This bit us on the arse last week almost again today.
That second goal means we are watching far to much nervous play .

We seem to have lost a cutting edge my own thoughts are the buff is playing a different game on instructions obviously and roofe is off from .

The midfeild looks a bit lost for ideas and a touch killer instinct again playing nervous.

Strangely John Lundstrom has had his best 2 games the last 2 for us and I for one is glad he has picked up .

The defence looks like it's suffering from a lack of communication with each other and when we are not scoring they look like they are barely coping with the pressure.

A couple of times today in the last 15 mins tav was done very easily on the right and Dundee had far to many free headers today !

Overall to many things are off. It's a bit concerning because we maybe getting results but it seems if we lose a bit of luck things can soon change when your playing nervous .

A side note if Dundee put the kind of effort in against us today most weeks they would do a bit better Inc their physical game today lots of late hits on other players.
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From keeper to centre forward we look a step, or more, off the pace.
Add in a drop in confidence and voilà.
At least we're still winning, but SG needs to get us back on track ASAP.
 
Our main goal scorer is tracking back, linking up play rather than hanging about the box to score goals.
Let Alfie do what he does best, Gerrard is ruining him.
 
1914-18 said:
I dont like Aribo in the middle 3, for me he has to play further forward

Morelos and Roofe were both coming shirt for the same ball today at times which was infuriating, Roofe is not a number 10, we should play Hagi and Aribo off of Morelos or Roofe and find someone else for midfield

Kamara as well, great footballer but the amount of times he could drive forward or go beyond is phenomenal yet he very rarely ever does it, if he did, he could get to the next level
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I prefer Hagi and Aribo in swapped roles from today. Hagi has the ability to play the advanced midfield role and Aribo is much better on the right of the front three.
 
Chester Loyal said:
No we aren’t. We were awful with Kent in the team too.
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Tbf we are top of the league and are playing well below par I think once Kent is back and jack we will improve and till then we can't complain about being top of the league the next few games are crucial though with who we have coming up I feel we will have a massive turn if form soon and will be firing on all cylinders and be miles ahead
 
bar72bear said:
We start games at walking pace and before we know it it’s half time
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The first 10 seconds summed up this season guy saunters through about 4 of our players b4 someone wakes up and challenges him. We are sleepwalking into games so far. Pedestrian and painfully slow in everything we do
 
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