Exeter’s Striker Issue
Football is an unpredictable game. We all know that. But sometimes it’s unfortunately all too predictable.
We all know when an ex-player returns to play against his old club it always seems to end in a goal and Sean Canham’s return to St James Park on Saturday resulted in, not only a goal, but a 94th minute equaliser to deny Exeter all three points.
Ironically Canham has scored more League goals in his three substitute appearances for Notts County than any of our six forwards have managed in nine starts in all competitions.
It’s predictably the forward line where our goal scoring issues have been so far this campaign. After nine games our defence had scored two goals between them. Our midfield had managed five. But our string of 6 strikers could only muster Ben Watson’s smart finish a fortnight ago at home to Accrington.
Ex-Premiership top goal-scorer Marcus Stewart and last season’s 19-goal hero Richard Logan join Adam Stansfield (one of the worst culprits so far unfortunately), Craig McAllister and Steve Basham in the forward line of shame.
On the positive side, some of our strikers have put in some superb performances. Marcus Stewart was easily man of the match against Accrington while Stansfield’s performance at Bradford last week was described by some as his best game for the club.
Paul Tisdale has tried a three man striker force on most occasions this season, with two players dropping deep to play almost attacking midfield positions out on the flanks and one striker (usually Stansfield) as the central striker.
But Stansfield’s main talents are his ability to chase down the flanks, hustle and scare defenders but not his finishing in front of goal. (11 Goals in 40 starts last season for example in contrast to Logan’s 19 in 32). With the other two strikers playing very deep in the 4-3-3 formation it’s not surprising that 5 of the forwards are yet to open their accounts for the season.
I think that Stewart has long been a midfielder (albeit a very competent one for Yeovil last season) and that’s where I see his future at the club. McAllister and Watson both seem like good impact players while Basham has had little chance to impress this season.
Richard Logan is one hitman who hasn’t yet been given a real chance in the position where I believe he is most dangerous this season – as the central striker. His assist for the second goal on Saturday shows what a danger he can be in the box and he could be the out-and-out goal-scorer to compliment some pace on the wings. (Moxey, Stansfield, Watson)
I think a return to a 4-4-2 formation with Moxey returning in midfield with Harley, Gill and Edwards or Stewart with Logan and Stansfield or Watson as the two strikers offers City the greatest potential for attack in the coming weeks.
I have complete faith in Paul Tisdale (Play Off’s in successive seasons have definitely earned him that) to solve our striker riddle and I’m confident that eventually our goal-scoring crisis will ease and the team who scored almost 100 goals last season will start scoring by the hatful.
But if only that was as predictable as that Sean Canham goal….
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