2019/20 Dominic Calvert-Lewin

[NilSatisOptimum]

He was the number 9 for us when we went from showing hideous form over the winter, to being the 3rd best team in the run in (for the 10/11 games or so). Why wouldn't he start the next game? "Truly shocking" it might be a bit underwhelming, but the levels of hyperbole are incredible.

If he doesn't add goals to his game, Kean will quickly replace him.

The caveats will be that whoever replaces Lewin, will also have make sure the likes of Richarlson and Siggy keep hitting double figures. No point if their goal ratio falls. And with the current formation and style, I await this alien first contact onion bag that plays the line to land on earth...

 

[peteblue]

Even if he had Barcelona's midfield behind him he still wouldn't score. He is getting opportunities with our midfield though anyway and had plenty of chances to score in the pre-season and missed them all including sitters. A striker who cannot score is just as pointless as a goal keeper who cannot save or a defender who cannot defend.

I dont dislike the lad in any shape or form, in fact i like him and love his passion. Just should not be in the first team as our striker until he learns how to be a striker and score goals.

This really. I don’t know what DCL actually is or what he is for. A good striker has a strike rate of one in every two games not one every blue moon. We all wish him well and we would all wish he scores 30 a year, but he won’t.....

 

[BlueInNZ]

I have no idea who you are, but you seem to be a boring little dweeb.

Thank you. Your comment says so much about you too.

 

[yakublue]

Except that's not what the stats say. Expected goals last season 4, actual goals 6. The season before expected goals 5, actual goals 4. The problem is our midfield we are just not creating that many chances, it needed ripping up in the summer and rebuilding. It didn't and that is the problem. Kean will have the same problems as DCL, unless we sort out the midfield.

Nah kean will bang them in because he'll make intelligent runs

 

[Billysgingham.]

Thank you. Your comment says so much about you too.

Do they have Morrison's in NZ.

 

[jaycee]

Do they have Morrison's in NZ.

Maorisons

 

[Billysgingham.]

Maorisons

Nice.

 

[Deleted member 38674]

Except that's not what the stats say. Expected goals last season 4, actual goals 6. The season before expected goals 5, actual goals 4. The problem is our midfield we are just not creating that many chances, it needed ripping up in the summer and rebuilding. It didn't and that is the problem. Kean will have the same problems as DCL, unless we sort out the midfield.

That statistic (which i’d question the accuracy of anyway - no way he only had 4 decent chances last season) could also be explained by a lack of positional awareness, the absence of a predatory “right place, right time” instinct that the best strikers have.

We aren’t a bad side and for DCL to have played as often as he did and only have 4 expected goals, reflects just as badly on him as it does our lack of creativity.

In addition to that, good strikers, those who play for top six sides (where we aspire to be), make chances for themselves.

 

[BlueToff]

Personally I would go for a front 3 of Iwobi, Kean and Richarlison, leave DCL on the bench.

Iwobi hasn't played in over a month. I doubt he's gonna be thrown straight in.

Same goes for Kean. He's still only had a week's training so far and two by the time Wolves comes around.

It's like how people (the divvies on TTV included) were shouting for Gbamin to start yesterday - they just aren't up to speed.

There's so much intensity to a Prem game. You can't just throw players back in.

Look at Arsenal today - Ceballos has been with them for three weeks, not starting. David Luiz has had a full pre-season with Chelsea, but no training sessions with Arsenal - not starting. Pepe - not starting.

We'll need to be patient. The business should have been done sooner to get the players in but unfortunately the two outfield deals that were done that would have given us options are Delph and Gomes - and it's very likely both could be out for this match.

 

[BlueToff]

@jceverton @Keiran It's evidently a mix of both issues.

We don't create enough clear chances.

And when we do, or even create half chances, DCL doesn't have the quality to finish them consistently.

The Bernard example yesterday that I mentioned earlier got to me. It wasn't a full chance, but Bernard drilled in a low cut-back that, had DCL had a goalscoring instinct, could have been tucked in at the near post.

Unfortunately though, we weren't good enough to create that opportunity again and so we never got a chance to see if DCL had learned from that mistake.

 

[Tennessee Blue Mike]

Teams around us seem stronger. If we can't score with what we have it may be a very long year. With the possession yesterday we just didn't create many clean cut chances. Many assume CP would be fighting relegation this season so we should have been all over them. No cut edge finisher at the moment.

 

[okellypj]

We struggled against palace at the end of last season despite generally a great end to the season. It's a mixture of Palace being difficult to break down at selhurst part and the issue we have seeing off worse teams. So yeh we started the same team against them pretty much as we did last season. One would hope Kean and other attacking signings will prove our ability to break weaker teams down.

 

[Joey66]

Nah kean will bang them in because he'll make intelligent runs

Really what intelligent runs did he make? that's our problem we have no midfielder who can cut a defence open with a through ball - DCL did well back to goal,but what service did the pair get yesterday? answers on a postage stamp ........
we crated very little to score how many serious shots on target?
The Sig blew it slicing the best chance....

 

[LouReedwalkonthewildside]

I've not said those points though. He's had a decent run of games and there will be an expectation he delivers goals against poorer teams. That is what he needs to do to remain in this team.

I don't think anybody could have any complaints about his all-round game though. We'd all agree that, but also that he needs to add more end product.

Wouldn't having an all round game mean that he has good movement off the ball as well mate? If so, then he hasn't got a good all round game.

 

[jceverton]

@jceverton @Keiran It's evidently a mix of both issues.

We don't create enough clear chances.

And when we do, or even create half chances, DCL doesn't have the quality to finish them consistently.

The Bernard example yesterday that I mentioned earlier got to me. It wasn't a full chance, but Bernard drilled in a low cut-back that, had DCL had a goalscoring instinct, could have been tucked in at the near post.

Unfortunately though, we weren't good enough to create that opportunity again and so we never got a chance to see if DCL had learned from that mistake.

Broadly speaking as a team we score as many goals as you’d expect from chances we create. The fundamental problem is we don’t create enough chances. It’s ludicrous to blame that on DCL who is a half decent finisher. The problem won’t be solved by Kean, the problem will be solved by sorting out our midfield.