MOT player of the season

[HarryofOz]

You shouldn't ever build a team around a striker IMO. There will always be players who can come in and score goals (as Blackstock did earlier in the season).

Really? Why is that high scoring strikers demand such high wages and transfer fees. Why didn't every striker in a team above Leeds score close to thirty goals this season?

[Martyn]

You shouldn't ever build a team around a striker IMO. There will always be players who can come in and score goals (as Blackstock did earlier in the season). More important to have a solid foundation at the back and at least one leader in the middle of the pitch.

That said, I think we have the spine of our team sorted in Kenny, Pearce, Murphy, McCormack and Smith. Just need to add the others around them.

I think Kenny will definitely be leaving this summer

[lufc1304]

I think Kenny will definitely be leaving this summer

Might depend on whether or not the Egg remains at the helm. Lost his place to Butland, and perhaps rightly so, but saved us quite a few points in the early part of the season. With Ashdown going, we will be incredibly light between the sticks. Kenny could still do a job, but needs to remain focused and shed some timber

[The Subhuman]

Ross McCormack - 101
Matt Smith - 69
Jason Pearce - 48
Luke Murphy - 32
Michael Brown - 11
Mowatt - 2
Tom Lees - 1
Paddy Kenny - 1
Stephen Warnock - 1

[Genghers]

Really? Why is that high scoring strikers demand such high wages and transfer fees. Why didn't every striker in a team above Leeds score close to thirty goals this season?

What I mean is that if you base the way you play around one striker, if he hits a bad patch you'll need others to step up. It's been noted lots of times on here (certainly in the earlier part of the season), that Ross didn't really fit into the formation we were playing, but we persisted with him as a lone striker for much of the time, despite Smith being a better fit for that role...

I'm not bashing McCormack by any means, I just think you need to build from the back, and a team should be based around a solid back four and strong midfield. If you have those then your strikers should be able to do their job and win you matches.

I think Kenny will definitely be leaving this summer

As do I, but currently he's the only goalie we have under contract! I think he can still do a fair job, but if we can bring in a young(ish) replacement then I would.

[HarryofOz]

What I mean is that if you base the way you play around one striker, if he hits a bad patch you'll need others to step up. It's been noted lots of times on here (certainly in the earlier part of the season), that Ross didn't really fit into the formation we were playing, but we persisted with him as a lone striker for much of the time, despite Smith being a better fit for that role...

I'm not bashing McCormack by any means, I just think you need to build from the back, and a team should be based around a solid back four and strong midfield. If you have those then your strikers should be able to do their job and win you matches.


As do I, but currently he's the only goalie we have under contract! I think he can still do a fair job, but if we can bring in a young(ish) replacement then I would.

I know you weren't bashing Ross and you right you do need to build from the back. But quality goal-scorers are not easy to find. That is the point that I am making.

[theleedsmango]

I know you weren't bashing Ross and you right you do need to build from the back. But quality goal-scorers are not easy to find. That is the point that I am making.

Exactly, we didn't build our team around McCormack, other than saying McCormack is on form and should be starting. The only reason Smith would have suited is because our team wanted to play the ball in the air more times than on the floor. But whether or not McCormack remains, I think we'd all like to see a more passing game and use a midfield.

Everybody said Chelsea needed a goalscorer this season. Liverpool may have went into trouble if their goalscorer was injured. Man City had goalscorers galore. Goal scorers. Or at least someone who is going to create goals galore for the rest of the team.

Take Chelsea. I consider Torres and Ba to be two different styles (though both arguably equally rubbish)... but their inclusion in the team never dictated who else started or what formation they played. If Jose had the same team and a McCormack and a Smith as options, he's probably still play 4-2-3-1 and play whoever is on form; potentially choosing Smith over McCormack against taller defenders. Schurrle, Hazard, Oscar etc would all have the footballing sense to cross high into Smith and play the run ons for McCormack. They'll be expecting a one-two from McCormack and a flick-on from Smith. But they don't change the way they set up.

The trouble is, our players can't confidentally play the ball along the ground, hence two up top was probably our best option; use the height of Smith and the pace of McCormack to run on. In a roundabout way, that led to us preferring 2 up front, but nothing to do with McCormack.

The players we had available and their abilities dictated how we would play. If anything, Smith was a great signing to try and get the best out of what we had whilst using and developing a new style of football; one in which Smith could still play a part.