15 Jan 2018 09:49:47
People are asking questions about who chooses which players to sign and who is in charge etc. People also blaming the current manager. I know I haave banged on and on too much about replacing players like we had under Moyes. But here are some statistics that backup what I have annoyed everyone by repeating. My point being that under Moyes we had players who scored in most positions whereas over the last 4 seasons we have signed players without goals and assists within them in all positions. Baines, Coleman, Pienaar, Osman, Arteta, Gravesson, Carsley, Billy, Donovan, Naismith, Barkley, Saha, Fellaini, Jelly, AJ, Cahill, Mirallas, Anichebe and others during that period had at least 5 goals a season in them. I will now list our current players without a league goal this season: Holgate, Kenny, Keane, Shneids, Vlasic, Lennon, Davies, Besic, Baningeme, Klaasen, Bolasie, Ramirez, McCarthy. There are also a few with just 1 or 2 goals: Williams and Gueye. That is 15 players with only one or two goals! Whilst you can make any statistic work in your favour, I think it is pretty obvious that none of those players will make many assists nor score more than a couple a season. Wheras, the players from 4 years ago all had a handful of goals. Lukaku and Barkley's goals glossed over the signing of this bunch of non creative players by providing the bulk of goals and assists. But now they are gone we need a big bunch of creative players for our squad. What we have now is bang average when compared even to the likes of Arsenal. never mind Man City and dare I say Liverpool! I will add that without Rooneys goals we would be in deep trouble. We have just done our 4th consecutive game without registering a shot on target. That equals the premier league worst record. There is no quick fix and Allardyces tactics are not to blame. The signing of non creative players is to blame. Even the likes of WBA, West Ham, Burnley, Bournmouth, Stoke have creative goalscorers in their squads. we do not. the stats show this.

1.) 15 Jan 2018
15 Jan 2018 10:17:00
I get what you are saying and I believe you have a point, but there's no need to start bringing the likes of Baningime's lack of goals into it when he's only played 3 games and is a defensive midfielder.

Of those players you listed Baningime, Vlasic, Klaassen, Sandro and Keane have only played a handful of games (not that I'm saying they are all goal machines) . Davies, Kenny and Holgate are young lads, Schneiderlin is poor. Of all those listed only Bolasie should be scoring more goals (I suggest that 2-3 per season for McCarthy would suffice if he played a full season but he's always injured) .

I think that the major issue is that we are not performing to the level of Moyes' Everton, or even Bobby's worst season for that matter.

If the players were playing well and we find a winning formula amongst them, then you can look at it like this: Rooney will probably score at least 15 this season with a few assists, we know Sigurdsson is capable of 10 goals and 10 assists as he did better than that last season at Swansea. Lookman can probably get 5 with a run in the team. We still have Coleman, Niasse has already got 7 and Tosun is yet to be tested. By my reckoning we only need someone like Walcott to weigh in with a few and we will be okay.

2.) 15 Jan 2018
15 Jan 2018 10:44:55
I knew I would get picked up by including Baningime. and Lookman for that matter. but we also had kids in Moyes time who added a few. Vaughn, Anichebe. and yes I do accept he has only had a few games and may do well. I just listed the lists as they were to make an overall point. I also said at the time that it scared me how we would be when Lukaku left. some thought I was just going on and on about Osman and Pienaar. I also accept that Walcott would be a good addition. but our problemnow is that when a squad needs overhauling, it takes time to gel. We have just had a load of signings and we need more in my view. I don't see Rooney longer than this and maybe next season. so there is our main threat gone again. we really are nearer the bottom than the top. It will also take 3 or 4 seasons to get to the top 6 in my view. The one positive is that we are at last loading the squad with youth. With some good signings we will also have some good youth coming through.

3.) 15 Jan 2018
15 Jan 2018 11:12:49
Lets also take into consideration the change information DM played a 4-5-1 or a 4-4-2 with at least 4 attack minded Mid/ Fwd players we currently play with 3 at most. DM also had full backs that could attack and chip in with a few goals assists both are currently injured. The fact that the players we have are under performing doesn't help either.

4.) 15 Jan 2018
15 Jan 2018 11:23:26
Id like to accept that really this season is almost a right off now in terms if positions and performances (even though we are basically only half way through) , but if we cam get maybe 2 or 3 first team signings in January (which I know can be tricky) , but then we'd have helped somewhat more come the start off next season than we did this.

5.) 15 Jan 2018
15 Jan 2018 12:12:23
To be honest, I think we sometimes watch through blue tinted glasses. The players I see are poor to average. Thsquad is poor to average. I didn't really know Klaasen and Schneids but from what I have seen so far neither are better than Cleverly/ Barry/ McCarthy. Besic is poor. Gueye is good at what he does. but offensively is poor. As are all our midfielders Sig aside. He is the one player who can shoot and score. with Rooney of course. The rest. average at best. Keane seems poor and Williams is at the end now. As are Coleman, Baines and Jags. We are exactly where I thought we would be. what I hadnt bargained for was a policy of signing 4 or 5 average number 10s. and no left back nor forwards until Tosun. We will need to replace Rooney, Niasse, Coleman, Jags and Baines as well as back up for certain positions. This is a lot of change and will take 18 months for players to bed in. I expect us to be mid table at best for the next 3 seasons.

6.) 15 Jan 2018
15 Jan 2018 12:20:54
I agree with all of you. I think the additions of a few hungry players. Walcott, maybe someone like Batshuayi, and a left back who can do a job now but will be a genuine successor to Baines in a year or two, and we will feel a lot more positive. I also think that, providing we can obtain safety we should look at giving our talented youngsters as much game time as possible. This will mean in a couple of years, providing most of them have fulfilled their massive potential, we could have a really good squad of players.

7.) 15 Jan 2018
15 Jan 2018 13:05:49
Good post Degsy. For productivity we need to get the ball and keep it, once we can keep it, we can attack. When we attack, we will have shots on target, once we get a decent number of shots on target we will get goals and with those goals will come assists.
Koeman alluded to the fact the team needed productivity in the summer and bought players to resolve that.

Sams job is to take the players he has and find a way to play football with them. He can add some this month and HOPEFULLY things will improve. But I'm not buying the argument i hear a lot on here and that is the majority of the squad is not good enough.

I've seen quality from Rooney, Siggy, Kenny, Holgate and Gana.
On their day i've seen Lookman, Davies and Bolasie be unplayable.
Williams and Holgate have looked unbeatable in half a dozen matches this season. Mccarthy is showing glimpses of his best even though he is not fully fit. Pickfords distribution is spot on as long as he isn't asked to kick it 60yds every time.
Add to that Vlasic, Klassen and Sandro and i think we have enough quality for Sam to field a team that can compete week in week out with productivity. he just needs to find the right balance. Oh and a LB.

One thing for sure though, is if we play with too many defensive minded players or, too many players out of position the productivity will never come especially against teams outside the top 6.

8.) 15 Jan 2018
15 Jan 2018 14:12:00
degsyp very surprised you think Coleman is past it baring in mind his form before his injury.

9.) 15 Jan 2018
15 Jan 2018 14:14:20
Well SA has basically admitted that he came out of defend at all costs mode too early so expect plenty more boring football. Right now whether we had Moyes team or the current one we will still be playing the football being served up now. I just hope we can nick a goal a game to benefit the clean sheets that the team will be all set out to achieve.

I’m not Pro SA at all but I have stated that he needs this window to prove he’s not just a relegation fighter specialist. Time will tell.

10.) 15 Jan 2018
15 Jan 2018 16:28:40
Good posts Degsy and Smit.

11.) 15 Jan 2018
15 Jan 2018 17:37:21
Just to be clear I was not writing off Coleman just yet. but when he has made a full recovery he will be in the latter days of topflight football. Hopefully he will be back soon. He is already 29 tho. so not many more seasons even when he gets back.

12.) 16 Jan 2018
16 Jan 2018 05:21:35
Regarding Coleman, depending how much pace he has lost (he may make a full recovery) he's probably got 2-3 years at top level so no need to panic just yet. We have the perfect replacement in Kenny, he only needs a year or two.