Stating the obvious

[beaglebum]

If only we had a 15 goal a season striker, we'd be in the playoffs now. Our goalkeeper, defence and midfield are not bad for this division. It's just the frustrating lack of goals and taking our chances that have cost us points all season. The teams in the playoffs are no better than us, other than being more consistent in front of goal and consistent results throughout the season.

If, we can somehow keep the nucleus of this team together and can find a striker or 2 then next season could be a much better prospect and prove that the re-building of QPR is working. And of course that Holloway and the board are doing a good job after all.

U'R'sssssssssss

[dm]

You're not wrong. We're 3rd highest in shots per game yet are only 15th when it comes to goals scored.

[UxbridgeR]

15 goal a season strikers are quite hard to come by though. Only 4 players in the current Championship season have managed it, and none of them play for the top two.

The ability to grind out consistent results is what makes the teams in the Top 6 better than us. We can beat anyone on our day, but rarely maintain that level.

[deadendjob]

We can speculate about hypothetical situations with players all we like. For every players strength, there's a weakness.
We simply can't afford a 15 goal striker in today's market - although, I agree, we certainly needed something better up front than Smith/Conor.

[deepseahoop]

We have a number of 15 goal a season strikers its just the goalkeepers,defenders and midfielders don't play the right balls at the right time to them. Its a team game.

[222gers]

Our strikers seem to have a poor ratio of goals scored to chances created. Sylla still remains a slightly unknown quantity due to never having a real run in the side due to injuries and a seeming lack of commitment. Someone posted a youtube clip of Washington rattling in about 20 goals for Peterborough and it doesn't look like the player we have. Admittedly Posh are in a lower league but the back of the net is the back of the net wherever you are.

[old pauline]

I agree with Uxbridge. We should play like Barcelona. No. 9's, bah, who needs them ?

[Satch]

Our strikers seem to have a poor ratio of goals scored to chances created. Sylla still remains a slightly unknown quantity due to never having a real run in the side due to injuries and a seeming lack of commitment. Someone posted a youtube clip of Washington rattling in about 20 goals for Peterborough and it doesn't look like the player we have. Admittedly Posh are in a lower league but the back of the net is the back of the net wherever you are.

I really think this idea about Sylla's commitment is massively overblown, he's not Jamie Mackie but he works hard enough. He's far more effective than Smith in a lone role and works just as hard imo (with it amounting to a bit, thanks to the added mobility). A fit Sylla, in this system played week in, week out would have got 15 goals this season imo.

I agree with Uxbridge. We should play like Barcelona. No. 9's, bah, who needs them ?

I actually think Eze as a false 9 would be more effective than Smith for starting games until Sylla is fit. Does anyone remember Taarabt playing a absolute blinder in such a role when we beat Chelsea 1-0 at their place?

[stainesranger]

Matt Smith has more goals than any other player in the squad and more assists than any other player bar Freeman (who i keep hearing has the most assists in the league) and even then Smith only has 4 assists fewer assists than Freeman. He’s been very, very good for us this season. If the BBC stats are accurate, he has three more assists for the season than Sylla, Washington, Luongo, Scowen, Manning and Mackie combined.

Dropping him for Sylla would be madness.

I don’t think his hold up play is great and I don’t think he’s brilliant at bringing others into the game (other than when winning headers in the box) but I also don’t think having him in the team means we have to play solely route 1 football either. He’s a danger at set pieces, he thrives off crosses and we need to play good football to get into promising positions to cross the ball from. And he’s obviously good for us when we’re defending set pieces.

[Esox Lucius]

Dropping him for Sylla would be madness.

I don’t think his hold up play is great and I don’t think he’s brilliant at bringing others into the game (other than when winning headers in the box) but I also don’t think having him in the team means we have to play solely route 1 football either. He’s a danger at set pieces, he thrives off crosses and we need to play good football to get into promising positions to cross the ball from. And he’s obviously good for us when we’re defending set pieces.

All things that Sylla is better at. My biggest criticisms of Matt Smith are the amount of chances he needs to goals scored ratio is poor IMO and his 50p heading style. Watch how many times a header he has won is directed to a QPR player or how often his attempts at goal are weak efforts with no neck muscles involved. He is much better at meeting crosses that already have some power on them. I am not going to be too critical of him as he has scored a good few goals but, IMO, I don't think Sylla would have been any worse and is a lot more mobile.

[old pauline]

Matt Smith has more goals than any other player in the squad and more assists than any other player bar Freeman (who i keep hearing has the most assists in the league) and even then Smith only has 4 assists fewer assists than Freeman. He’s been very, very good for us this season. If the BBC stats are accurate, he has three more assists for the season than Sylla, Washington, Luongo, Scowen, Manning and Mackie combined.

Dropping him for Sylla would be madness.

I don’t think his hold up play is great and I don’t think he’s brilliant at bringing others into the game (other than when winning headers in the box) but I also don’t think having him in the team means we have to play solely route 1 football either. He’s a danger at set pieces, he thrives off crosses and we need to play good football to get into promising positions to cross the ball from. And he’s obviously good for us when we’re defending set pieces.

Absolutely spot on in my opinion. I'd even go so far as to say stonewall.

[dm]

I actually think Eze as a false 9 would be more effective than Smith for starting games until Sylla is fit. Does anyone remember Taarabt playing a absolute blinder in such a role when we beat Chelsea 1-0 at their place?

As much as I like Eze I'm not sure he's ready to play the false 9 and, in any case, he seems to revel in the classic no 10 role.

As for Taraabt in the flase 9 role v Chelsea, enjoy...

[deadendjob]

Dropping him for Sylla would be madness.

I don’t think his hold up play is great and I don’t think he’s brilliant at bringing others into the game (other than when winning headers in the box) but I also don’t think having him in the team means we have to play solely route 1 football either. He’s a danger at set pieces, he thrives off crosses and we need to play good football to get into promising positions to cross the ball from. And he’s obviously good for us when we’re defending set pieces.

My biggest criticisms of Matt Smith are the amount of chances he needs to goals scored ratio is poor IMO and his 50p heading style. Watch how many times a header he has won is directed to a QPR player or how often his attempts at goal are weak efforts with no neck muscles involved. He is much better at meeting crosses that already have some power on them.

This exactly. It's not that he has been utterly awful, it's the number of chances he fluffs.