Having A Midfield That Doesn't Score Goals

[PaulWinch again]

We definitely need the midfield to contribute goals to the team.

[eastie]

We definitely need the midfield to contribute goals to the team.

If Gardner gets a run in the team the goals will come - he alone is like having a new signing , Westwood , sylla, and Delph have all shown goods signs this year but i don't see any of them chipping in with much as far as goals are concerned.

[Karl Bridges]

I can't recall seeing our midfielders even in the box last season.  Don't mind Westwood not scoring, but if we keep the 4-3-3 formation then the two either side of him need to start chipping in.

N'Zogbia does when he plays, but his lack of tracking back mean the other two with him rarely do.   When it's Sylla, then the onus is on him and Delph, which is an area they need to improve on.  Presuming we play the same way next season, then you'd have to expect 20 from Benteke, 10 each from Gabby and Weimann and then 10 from the rest of the midfield.

Didn't Gabby get 13 and Weimann get 12 this year though. I'd hope Weimann with a years more experience takes a few more chances next season.

[olaftab]

Terribly  negative thread. Why worry when you have attackers who can score?

[Toronto Villa]

Terribly  negative thread. Why worry when you have attackers who can score?

I don't think it's negative or that anyone is worried. It's a legitimate topic which I don't think is as pressing as midfielders that can keep the ball, create and defend. But that's just my opinion. I certainly agree that if we can find a midfield that can do all of that and score then even better.

[Hoppo]

Of course Delph is worthy of a new contract when due. You cant exclude Westwood from critisism and lay it all on Delph. The whole team needs to chip in.

[SoccerHQ]

This will become a problem for us the higher we go in the league.

No problem in 08-09 when Milner, Barry and Young were all in there.

I would like to think Lambert will sign a central midfielder who can get in the box and score sometime this summer (preferably after a defender or two has signed) otherwise play N'zogbia there.

I feel it will be a choice of Sylla/Delph before too long, Westwood is a must pick for me.

[Matt Collins]

We definitely could do with goal scoring options from midfield, which I imagine is where the Murphy, Tonev and Popov rumours are coming from.

Gardner is clearly that type of player, though I'd send him on loan to rejuvenate I think.

I could see Delph getting a couple, though not really Westwood or Sylla.

[petegoldring]

Rather than obsess specifically about the midfield, I'd be far more interested to know what is being done about our relatively poor conversion of set-piece opportunities. We win corners but rarely core from them; we get free-kicks in the final third but I don't remember many conversions from last season; we seem to have no throw-in routines that cause opponents problems.
Set pieces are scoring opportunities and Lambert needs to get us much sharper for them.

We need to stop floating the ball in there and start whipping it in....so many times last season we just floated it up in the box which is so easy to defend against.

[PaulTheVillan]

We should have signed Lampard

[supertom]

Delph potentionally. Gardner too. Albrighton if he can recapture his form of 2 years ago. He chipped in with a few in his first full season.

[N'ZMAV]

We need to sign Peter Whittingham. Midfield goal machine. 73 goals in 7 seasons for Cardiff.

[oldhill_avfc]

Terribly  negative thread. Why worry when you have attackers who can score?

We need to score more goals than last season and there's no guarantee the front three will be as prolific.   

Why is negative to analyse ways of improving the team?

[Salsa Party Animal]

goalscoring midfielder will open the defence and help to win tight games. We also need a Martin Laursen type for goalscoring from set pieces as well.

[supertom]

With a 3 man midfield, we can afford one of them to be attack minded and break into the box.