Is it any wonder we don't score many goals when we are so poor at testing the goalkeeper?
Check these stats out, an average per game of total shots and shots on target. It doesn't make very good reading for us at all. The table is sorted by average Shots on Target, most to least.
Team | Total Shots per game (mean) | Shots on Target per game (mean) |
Blackburn | 14.88 | 5.5 |
Norwich | 16.55 | 5.23 |
Bournemouth | 13.43 | 4.78 |
Reading | 10.26 | 4.35 |
Brentford | 12.68 | 4.09 |
Cardiff | 11.78 | 3.91 |
Preston | 10.00 | 3.91 |
Swansea | 10.71 | 3.71 |
Barnsley | 11.25 | 3.58 |
Middlesbrough | 11.74 | 3.48 |
Millwall | 11.64 | 3.41 |
Derby | 11.00 | 3.39 |
Huddersfield | 10.75 | 3.38 |
Bristol City | 9.48 | 3.30 |
Watford | 11.04 | 3.30 |
Coventry | 9.87 | 3.26 |
Luton | 9.45 | 3.23 |
Rotherham | 11.14 | 3.14 |
QPR | 10.95 | 3.14 |
Nottingham Forest | 11.92 | 3.00 |
Wycombe | 10.30 | 2.96 |
Stoke | 9.42 | 2.75 |
Birmingham | 9.88 | 2.71 |
Sheffield Wednesday | 8.43 | 2.61 |
The average of the entire league is 11.19 shots, 3.58 on target. We are currently running 16% and 23% respectively below the league average.
If you then sort the table by total shots on goal then we are next to the bottom, with only a Pulis ravaged Sheffield Wednesday below us. Had they kept their average they had under Monk then we would be clear bottom.
Tyrese Campbell effectWith Campbell in the side we are averaging 9.68 shots, with 3.00 on target. With Campbell in the side
AND the team in a 4-2-3-1 shape we are averaging 11.125 shots, 3.75 on target. That puts us around average for total shots on goal, above average for hitting the target, but still way, way off the big hitters in the league. I think there is a bigger clue in that that goes further than 'we're missing Tyrese Campbell'.
The downward trend under O'NeillIt's quite fascinating that under O'Neill we have trended downwards over time.
Pre lockdown last season our averages were 11.32 shots per game, 4.27 on target. This season, that would put us 5th in the league.
Post lockdown last season our averages were 11.11 shots per game, 3.56 on target. This season, that would put us 10th and around the league averages.
The worrying part of this is the high points of last season, pre lockdown, were with Sam Vokes leading the line. Since then, the manager has added a number of players to the team and we are going backwards as an attacking force.
Going forwardsIt will be interesting to see what difference the additions of Norrington-Davies, Clarke and Matondo make, along with the return to fitness of Fletcher. My fear is that as a team we are quite frugal and are setup to not concede goals first and foremost, which hampers us as a team when we are relying on Vokes, Gregory (when fit), Brown and Fletcher (who is not that prolific). We are asking average to below average strikers to hit performance levels that are above and beyond their abilities.
As a minimum, I still think we are a right back and a centre forward short of having a very balanced starting line up that can genuinely challenge, but I also think we need the manager to be a bit more expansive in his setup.