Our attacking issues in recent years (especially this one)

[Fred Andrews]

One of our main issues over the last season, and at times the seasons before, has been a lack of goals and attacking play. Now I know scoring goals is a team game, and not just reliant on our forward players, but the lack of goals we have scored up front, has been a huge issue. Due to our mainly very defensive play our attacking players have been very restricted with a lack of chances (wing back alert).

- In the 2021/22 season we scored 51 and conceded 67.
- In the 2022/23 season we scored 57 and conceded 79.
- In the 2023/24 season we scored 39 and conceded 67 (the joint 3rd lowest scoring side in the entire football league).

Looking through the attackers and wingers we've had over the last three seasons, we've had some quality players, but they just haven't (bar a couple of players), scored anywhere near enough, we've only had one player in three seasons who has managed to hit double figures, I've made a list of all of them (I'll only include attacking players).

In the 2021/22 season:

- Daniel Jebbison: (20 appearances, 7 goals)
- Kane Hemmings: (18 apperances, 4 goals)
- Jonny Smith: (29 appearances, 4 goals)
- Lucas Akins: (22 appearances, 3 goals)
- Gassan Ahadme: (14 appearances, 3 goals)
- Oumar Niasse: (12 appearances, 3 goals)
- Louis Moult: (10 appearances, 1 goal)
- Christian Saydee: (18 appearances, 0 goals)
- Omari Patrick: (7 appearances, 0 goals)
- Amari Holloway: (6 appearances, 0 goals)

- So out of 156 appearances between them all, we scored 25 goals, which equals an average of one goal every 6.24 appearances. John Brayford was our second highest league scorer with 6.

In the 2022/23 season:

- Victor Adeboyejo: (26 appearances, 11 goals)
- Dale Taylor: (20 appearances, 5 goals)
- Davis Keillor-Dunn: (19 appearances, 5 goals)
- Gassan Ahadme: (13 appearances, 4 goals)
- Jonny Smith: 32 appearances, 3 goals)
- Sam Winnall: (16 appearances, 3 goals)
- Bobby Kamwa: (17 appearances, 2 goals)
- Josh Walker: (16 appearances, 2 goals)
- Charlie Kirk: (14 appearances, 2 goals)
- Mustapha Carayol: (23 appearances, 0 goals)
- Joe Dodoo: (7 appearances, 0 goals)
- Louis Moult: (4 appearances, 0 goals)

- Out of the 207 appearances between them all, we scored 37 goals, which equals and average of one goal every 5.5 appearances (an increase on the previous season, largely due to Victor's early season scoring, before he left us in the January transfer window, also DKD scoring 5 in 19 before he left in the same month for Mansfield).

- In the 2023/24 season:

- Beryly Lubala: (20 appearances, 5 goals)
- Mason Bennett: (34 appearances, 3 goals)
- Bobby Kamwa: (25 appearances, 2 goals)
- Kwado Baah: (20 appearances, 2 goals)
- Mustapha Carayol: 30 appearances, 1 goal)
- Joe Hugill: (18 appearances, 1 goal)
- Ade Ola-Adebomi: (14 appearances, 1 goal)
- Josh Walker: (13 appearances, 1 goal)
- Josh Gordon: (18 appearances, 0 goals)
- Cole Stockton: (10 appearances, 0 goals)
- Antwoine Hackford: (6 appearances, 0 goals)
- Kyle Hudlin: (5 appearances, 0 goals)
- Dylan Scott: (3 appearances, 0 goals)
- Jonathan Leko: (1 appearance, 0 goals)

- Out of the 216 appearances between them all, this season we scored 16 goals, a huge decrease on previous seasons, with an average of one goal every 13.5 appearances. The only other goal scorers of any note in the squad being Joe Powell and Mark Helm both on 5 goals.

One thing we need to do next season, is look at our attacking play, and start creating more chances and taking them. We know at times we are defensively wobbly and can concede silly goals, but we haven't had any counter to that by putting the ball in the net ourselves. We've looked dangerous the few times we've played four at the back with wingers, like against Reading, but once we reverted to type with five at the back, our attacking play was non-existent again.

20 goal strikers don't come on a plate, but we need to at least be getting a couple of players on double figures, or close to it, if we aren't going to be in another serious battle next season. Or at least be much defensively stronger, like we were back under Gary/Jimmy in our title/promotion winning squads, where we didn't need to score that many goals to bring results home.

As a comparison, in the 2015/16 side that got promoted to the Championship, our attacking players played 212 games and scored 38 goals, and average of a goal every 5.5 appearances, but we only conceded 37 goals all season, scoring 57.

[sinfinbovril]

It's been said a couple of times but it's worth reiterating:

1) Our recent (this last season gone) style doesn't have an attacking side to it. As someone pointed out, Lionel Messi would struggle to score goals for Burton Albion. We don't play attacking football.

2) We need to sign a player like Cole Stockton....eye for goal, lower leagues.

[keggy]

But goal scorers cost money

[Fred Andrews]

I do feel we could've got 10/15 goals out of Stockton if we'd have played with wingers and been more attacking this season. Using him as a target man and having to chase hopeless balls was a complete waste of his talents.

The same goes for Powell, I think he could've got into double figures or close to it if we'd have played him just off the striker, rather than sat just infront of the back four.

We need to use what we've got to our strengths, and stop misusing players and then wonder why it's not working.

[sinfinbovril]

Apr 30, 2024 18:15:11 GMT Fred Andrews said:

I do feel we could've got 10/15 goals out of Stockton if we'd have played with wingers and been more attacking this season. Using him as a target man and having to chase hopeless balls was a complete waste of his talents.

The same goes for Powell, I think he could've got into double figures or close to it if we'd have played him just off the striker, rather than sat just infront of the back four.

We need to use what we've got to our strengths, and stop misusing players and then wonder why it's not working.

...and how long have we all been saying this?!!

[mikeyboy]

Sorting out the manager situation is the starting point surely?

[Fred Andrews]

Apr 30, 2024 18:17:47 GMT sinfinbovril said:

Apr 30, 2024 18:15:11 GMT Fred Andrews said:

I do feel we could've got 10/15 goals out of Stockton if we'd have played with wingers and been more attacking this season. Using him as a target man and having to chase hopeless balls was a complete waste of his talents.

The same goes for Powell, I think he could've got into double figures or close to it if we'd have played him just off the striker, rather than sat just infront of the back four.

We need to use what we've got to our strengths, and stop misusing players and then wonder why it's not working.

...and how long have we all been saying this?!!

As long as I can remember!

Unfortunately our managers have other ideas. I'm not sure why three managers this season played Joe so deep, unless we are missing something. Then we play Deji in the role he should be in!

[strettonbrewer]

Apr 30, 2024 18:12:07 GMT keggy said:

But goal scorers cost money

Not when you already have one and decide to loan him out

[Fred Andrews]

Apr 30, 2024 18:20:30 GMT mikeyboy said:

Sorting out the manager situation is the starting point surely?

Mikey I suspect given the silence so far, every day without any news means he's likely staying.

Other teams are already releasing retained lists.

[sinfinbovril]

Apr 30, 2024 18:43:23 GMT Fred Andrews said:

Apr 30, 2024 18:20:30 GMT mikeyboy said:

Sorting out the manager situation is the starting point surely?

Mikey I suspect given the silence so far, every day without any news means he's likely staying.

Other teams are already releasing retained lists.

No news is bad news!

[annable]

Apr 30, 2024 18:43:23 GMT Fred Andrews said:

Apr 30, 2024 18:20:30 GMT mikeyboy said:

Sorting out the manager situation is the starting point surely?

Mikey I suspect given the silence so far, every day without any news means he's likely staying.

Other teams are already releasing retained lists.

Or an alternative view is that there is some truth in this Ben selling the club rumour. I think that if MP was definitely staying it would have been announced and our retained list released by now but maybe the silence is to let this takeover going through. I don't know and maybe it's jumping to conclusions. Still very early I guess with the season only finishing a view days ago but would expect to have heard something by the end of this week or beginning of next for sure.

Also, great initial post, Fred and analysis. You must have some time on your hands to put that lot together!!

[mikeyboy]

May 1, 2024 7:44:36 GMT annable said:

Apr 30, 2024 18:43:23 GMT Fred Andrews said:

Mikey I suspect given the silence so far, every day without any news means he's likely staying.

Other teams are already releasing retained lists.

Or an alternative view is that there is some truth in this Ben selling the club rumour. I think that if MP was definitely staying it would have been announced and our retained list released by now but maybe the silence is to let this takeover going through. I don't know and maybe it's jumping to conclusions. Still very early I guess with the season only finishing a view days ago but would expect to have heard something by the end of this week or beginning of next for sure.

Also, great initial post, Fred and analysis. You must have some time on your hands to put that lot together!!

Don’t count on it annable - being this week or next. I’d say it would be more likely to be this month or next. Which will of course leave us in a bad place with regards to recruitment. I hope I’m wrong, but Ben doesn’t usually move quickly.

[annable]

May 1, 2024 7:51:19 GMT mikeyboy said:

May 1, 2024 7:44:36 GMT annable said:

Or an alternative view is that there is some truth in this Ben selling the club rumour. I think that if MP was definitely staying it would have been announced and our retained list released by now but maybe the silence is to let this takeover going through. I don't know and maybe it's jumping to conclusions. Still very early I guess with the season only finishing a view days ago but would expect to have heard something by the end of this week or beginning of next for sure.

Also, great initial post, Fred and analysis. You must have some time on your hands to put that lot together!!

Don’t count on it annable - beingthis week or next. I’d say it would be more likely to be this month or next. Which will of course leave us in a bad place with regards to recruitment. I hope I’m wrong, but Ben doesn’t usually move quickly.

Maybe so Mikeyboy. Or if there's the chance of several million coming his way he might be moving quickly!! I would! If, and it's a big if, a sale of the club is happening, and let's be honest there have been several rumours from different sources to say it's a possibility, then it would be up to new owners to make a decision on the manager(get your coat, Martin) and then a new manager re the players. All contracted to the end of June as a minimum and as mentioned on another thread most seem to be off on holiday or off on the p**s to care one way or another. Time will tell.

[superbrewer]

In past seasons we always seemed to announce our retained / released list within a couple of days of the season ending, but nothing so far .Hopefully something will happen soon.

[Fred Andrews]

Its certainly a risky time if any takeover/investment rumours are true. This summer is one of the most important in a long time given how poor last season was, and the need for a fresh start, managerially and squad wise being paramount.

Personally I'm unsure if the rumours hold any truth, as much as it would tickle my interest, and the silence since the last game of the season is probably just typical Burton Albion. You'd think Ben will already know the future of the manager by now.

Any 'takeover' if true needs to happen soon because as others have said its easy to fall behind other sides, who will have already planned budgets for next season and have a rough idea of who is leaving (many retained lists have come out). Whether anything like that would affect who we release I don't know, but either way we still need a big clearout.

[bornandbrewed]

Apr 30, 2024 18:06:14 GMT sinfinbovril said:

It's been said a couple of times but it's worth reiterating:

1) Our recent (this last season gone) style doesn't have an attacking side to it. As someone pointed out, Lionel Messi would struggle to score goals for Burton Albion. We don't play attacking football.

2) We need to sign a player like Cole Stockton....eye for goal, lower leagues.

A potential suggestion for next Brewers manager... how about taking a look at hiring Barrow's manager (Pete Wild)? Decent reputation and Stockton certainly scored more out on loan than he did for us.

Get the feeling Paterson is a done deal for next season though...

[Fred Andrews]

Ben probably knows the backlash him staying that will result in, so either won't announce it until later on or like with Dino won't even say anything.