Why can't we score?

[RandomJ]

I didn't really like Pep's comments in his press conference saying he can't get the players to score more. It's the managers job to improve every aspect of the team, but the way he was talking sounded like he just wants us to keep creating chances and hope for the best.

 

[JMason1996]

Think we need more ruthless players. Relying too much on Aguero to get the goals. Silva is an unreal player but his finishing is disgraceful, Sterling like Silva isn't known for his goals but has time on his side to improve. I think we are missing yayas goals definitely and the fact gundogan has been out hasn't helped as he was lampard-esque the way he arrived in the box.

 

[alib]

A lot of players such as Silva and Sterling where their first instinct when getting the ball near goal is to pass rather than shoot

 

[BlueAnorak]

Bollocks. None of that has anything to do with the chances and shots we are actually missing.

The above would be an explanation of a lack of chances. And chances are the one thing we don't lack.

Possibly the worst explanation to the OP you could have come up with.

Bollocks to yourself too.
It's patently obvious that the way we attack let's the opposition get men behind the ball. Its also consistently the same method so opposition defenders can practice till they're perfect. Also defenders don't have to worry about marking a man in the box when we have it out wide because there isn't one in the box - they only have to worry about the passing and picking up our players when they make runs.
Serriously, we really have to mix it up more by breaking quickly more frequently than we do and using varrying attacking styles from the flanks.
BTW, we did alot of what I am saying at the start of the season but don't do it now. The only conclusion can be that it has been coached out of them.

 

[Gabriel]

Lack of composure.
The knowledge that another chance will present itself soon.
The knowledge that I'll still be in the team even if I do keep missing.

Perhaps bits of these?

 

[Blue Til Death]

Sergio Is missing chances he would have scored blindfold a few years ago, the rest of our attack are just not clinical enough, we need a Lukaku or similar up front, I'm not suggesting for one minute we buy Defoe but with him up front this season we would be challenging for the PL title not top 4..

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

We put all the pressure on ourselves and very little on the defenders. Even at corners where there's an array of 7ft defenders I'd still opt for an inswinging corner to make the defenders take responsibility to defend rather than looking for a three pass all along the ground goal! We seem to rush things too much when the chance comes along which hasn't been wholly engineered by us. The chance Sergio had was very similar to the one v Monaco but one goes in and the other is ballooned.

It's Sterling's finishing that is the mystery. Although last night it was NewEnglandCap'n Lalaland that missed the sitter's sitter! Sterling was fouled but Lalalalalalalalana was just the usual shite!

 

[cibaman]

Plenty agreeing with you but this simply isn't true at all.

Only 15% of our shots came from the 6 yard box yesterday while 77% were from the 16 yard box and 8% from outside the box. The dippers didn't have a single shot from outside the box at all. In fact the dippers have attempted far less shots from outside the box than we have all season.

The problem is conversion. The dippers are usually ruthless with their chances and lately we've missed 4-5 sitters per game.

Aguero is the chief culprit here, he's attempting more shots per game than any time in his career yet has managed only a startling 13 goals in 92 attempts. That's a marked decline from the Aguero of old and, if he was in keeping with career norms, we should really be doing better than what we are. We rely so much on him. Yes, he scored yesterday, but one goal in four goal scoring opportunities isn't good enough.

Its tempting to stay that Aguero isnt as clinical as in the past. But then he still scores clinical goal as he did yesterday so he hasnt lost that ability. It does seem that he's focusing on quantity of shots rather than finishing. To some extent I think its due to a slight drop in pace which means that he isnt getting clear of defenders to the same extent as before.

Pep obviously wanted him to work harder, and he does seem to have responded to that. Now that he's achieved that objective, perhaps Pep now needs to be a bit more supportive when he's missing chances? It doesnt seem unusual to me that when a natural goalscorer is asked to increase his workrate, it has a negative effect on his finishing. He's playing at a much higher tempo, whereas scoring goals is often about being calm and collected, waiting for chances.

Its also not helping that the players around Aguero (Sterling, Silva, Sane & De Bruyne) are all very erratic finishers, capable of scoring top quality goals but also missing sitters. Which piles the pressure on Aguero.

 

[Gordyola]

Pep's training routine focuses on walking the ball into the back of the net and therefore as shooting training has been banned from the Etihad Campus. The its 'Smoking and Shooting Ban'

I think you've made that up Ive seen plenty of clips on City TV showing them practice shooting and we have 5 mins pre-game doing the same

 

[bellsouth]

It's even worse when you consider we're not even hitting the target with the chances we're creating. Keeper didn't have much to do yesterday.