Last night Bradley Wright-Phillips scored his second brace of the season to take his tally up to 10 goals. This is a fantastic achievement and, if he could keep it up throughout the season would put him on track to be our first 30 a season man since Derek Hales in 1975/76. Whilst, this is a fantastic proposition, it is surely too much to hope for, especially as BWP has a history of knees. So as wonderful as it is we still need others in the team who can score goals.
The table below was put together to see how we compare with other teams (the top six in League 1 and the top two in the other three divisions) to see if we have the sort of fire power needed in the event of Bradley being out for part of the season.
So what does it tell us?
Firstly we have been highly dependant on BWP's goals to date. Only Gary Madine and Wayne Rooney have scored a higher percentage of their teams' goals this season.
More importantly though, I think it tells us that we could cope (if not quite as well) if we had to do without Wright-Phillips for a while. Although our number of 8 scorers is the lowest out of all the teams considered, 7 of those players have scored 2 or more goals. And then there's something that the stats doesn't tell. It's the quality of the goals. I can't remember too many scruffy goals this season. Our goals have not been accidental goals from goalmouth melees. No matter who has scored them, our goals have been deliberate and well worked and were created by people who knew exactly what they are doing. That tells me that they'll be able to do it again.
Worrying unnecessarily? I think I probably was.
Stig
Moderator
Comments
We've been crying out for a goalscorer like BWP and when we get him you start to worry that we are too dependent him.
Take it to an extreme ... it would be impossible for an unchanged side to have as many as 15 different scorers.
We are dependent on BWP's goals. Which team wouldn't be? If he was out for a month or so, I think we'd see the impact. He scores the type of goal that you can't see others scoring.
Norwich - Holt
Southampton - Lambert
Peterborough - CMS
Milwall - Morison
Murray - Brighton
i wouldn’t say we are over depended on him. I have worked out the 26 of our 34 points would have been won without BWP scoring.
<?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Bournemouth = 3-0 [no goals for BWP]
Notts County = 2-1 [no goals for BWP]
Bury = 2-1 [no goals for BWP]
Exeter = 2-0 [should BWP not have scored it would have been 1-0 so 3 points]
Rochdale = 3-2 [no goals for BWP]
Chesterfield = 3-1 [should BWP not have scored it would have been 2-1 so 3 points]
MK Dons = 1-1 [no goals for BWP]
Sheff Utd = 2-0 [should BWP not have scored it would have been 1-0 so 3 points]
Tranmere = 1-1 [no goals for BWP]
Carlisle = 4-0 [should BWP not have scored it would have been 3-0 so 3 points]
I know he provides assists and link up play too, but without his goals so far we would comfortably be in the promotion chase. We can win games with him scoring and win without.
I don't think the goals alone tell the story. I'm happy that Kermo and Hayes can get a few and Jacko and Green/Waggy will weigh in with few. The central midfielders too.
The thing with BWP is that he makes space that defenders at this level can't cope with. He stretches play out and makes space for others. It's notable that he had poor performances in our games against Tranmere and Stevenage. I think that any team will have a hard time if it loses its most prolific scorer, but I just reckon that the team with Bradley in it has something extra, so we'd miss him more than Wednesday would miss Medine, for example.
Do you remember when Curbs reckoned having five strikers who might get you six goals a season each (Bartlett, Pringle, Svensson etc) was a more realistic option for Charlton than looking for a 20 goal a season man?
Well I never quite bought that, except on the purely pragmatic basis that 20 goal strikers cost millions we didn't have - and if perchance we found one, Man U/Chelsea/Arsenal or whoever would immediately poach him and double his wages.
Well now we've got one (albeit in div three). I'd guess he's our most reliable goalscorer since Darren Bent, and I reckon he can do it in the championship next season, too. So let's just celebrate the fact. But thanks for starting the thread - very interesting and thought-provoking stuff.
I think that people are overlooking one simple fact, whoever plays in that "striker" role for Charlton this season is going to score a lot of goals simply because the team is creating a huge number of chances because of the quality we have in midfield.
Even if Benson were in the number 10 shirt he would still be scoring goals - not as many as BWP - but still a reasonable number because we are creating quality chances.
Beware my friends.
Our biggest problem will be that bigger fish will be looking at him in the January transfer window and to catch and net a few pennies Charlton will sell.
What a shame that will be
What about super Clive ?
Oh dear!
Do you honestly believe that, for example, the second goal in a 2-0 win never has an effect on the outcome? So, if BWP didn't score at Bramall Lane, there was no way that Sheff Utd might have got a 1-1 draw?
Makes you wonder why teams bother to score 'unnecessary' goals.
Agree with this and I would expect a striker who has started the vast majority of our games to be chipping in with at least a third of our goals.
I think that we are not too reliant on BWP, I believe that we will create chances that any of our current squad would score from, the thing with BWP is that we have no one else in the squad that is a full on out and out striker , his instinct to sniff a goal has def been passed on from wright,
BWP goals are proper strikers goals his first wasc about his ability to sniff an opportunity, his 2nd was pure striker no other thought than to shoot across the keeper low and hard and early
That's what we are reliant on
Through thinking about it, i think we are probably less reliant than what i originally thought in terms of goals. BWP has got 10, whoever is partnering him has got 7. That ratio continues then we are looking like finishing the season with 50+ goals provided by our front pairing.
We also have 4/5 players across the midfield who all contribute on the goals front.
Where we definately are reliant on BWP is our attacking approach. If he gets injured, we have no like for like style replacement, so we automatically have no striker who is comfortable with working the channels, getting behind and getting the defenders facing their own goal. Defences will naturally play a higher line against us and we would have to change our style of play.
How much impact that would have on us, i really don't know.
excellent thought provoking post - which really has no answer or conclusion !!
Early in the season I said a couple of times that i didn't think we would get promoted with the strikers we had at that time (BWP, Hayes, Benno & Euell) - Now that Kermit has joined us I am starting to change my views. As someone said above, a front 2 pairing of BWP & either Hayes or Kermit can get 40+ between them then I think we should be able to get promoted.
You can't ask for a 20+ a season goalscorer then moan that we rely on him too much, unless you have 2 other players getting 20+ a season,,,,,,,,,,,,,and that never happens.
All I say at the moment is enjoy !
If we didn't have hime we would all be saying that we need a striker like madine rhodes etc...
For once we've got a great striker we've lacked since bent and we're all complaining...
Brighten up fellow fans.
All great players's teams rely heavily on them and comparatively speaking BWP is our great player (for league one anyway)
Please remember!!!!!!!!
We have a good team. Remember we are top of the league. Remember we can beat most teams in this division, Remember we were rubbish last season. Please please remember we were the first club ever to go from the third division to the first and finish runners up in the top flight.
I don't know about you lot but i have a feeling in my water that good times are around the corner and BWP has helped to make this happen.
COYA and COYR
Onwards and Upwards. Put them to the Sword