Does Will Swan change games?

Might be pointless stat of the day, but no team away from home in the EFL has scored fewer goals from the 61st to the end of the game than City.

So far, we have a bunch of folk who can't find a way to positively alter a game. Swan had a decent spell early infront of goal but couldn't hit a barn door with a banjo since, which is fitting with his career. We recruited names but maybe not styles for me so far.

 

I think we need the 2 up top from time to time, with one player being the focus to put the ball in the back of the net. Alternatively if we had an Andy Cook but 10 years younger, we could play Humphrys on the left and Sarcevic on the right. What we have at the moment is a makeshift 9 that isn't creating much in terms of chances for others. We don't have a strike force that combines well at all, certainly not as well as earlier in the season.
Going back to Swan, if he starts he's ineffective and recently coming off the bench he hasn't done much either. Oh for a Billy Sharp type striker who creates and scores a lot of goals for himself.

 

Bring Cook back. Move Humphreys to the left on Sars on the right with Pointon behind.

 

I’d drop Pointon for away games to the bench. Go with Swan/Cook with Humphyrs and Sarc until we get to the transfer window

 

It's worthwhile remembering that three of Swann's goals out of the 4/5 he scored consisted of a two yard tap and two where there was no goalkeeper between him and the goal.

 

That’s what goalscorers do isn’t it ? The knack. One from years ago , Allen Clarke, yes him. I’d love to know how many he scored from outside the six yard box? Nickname was “ Sniffer” wasn’t it ?

 

Some called Robbie Fowler 'sniffer' for different reasons.

 

lol!

 

It is , but they do it on a consistent basis, swan never as.

The "easiness" of those chances weren't going to be replicated week in week out, and now albeit with limited game time he isn't showing anything like you'd expect a goalscorer to show.

As the original post stated, his substitutions are like for like and you know there isn't going to be any dramatic difference in playing style or substance.

You could even argue the goal threat is less as you lose the "maverickness" that humphrys can offer of say dropping a shoulder and smashing an effort from 30 yards.

Swann is kavannagh esq, just a nuisance value with his press, at least Humphreys can win an occasional header, swann just stands off and hopes for a mistake

 

The only disagreement is that Swan isn’t a like for like swap for Humps , Bobby yes , Humps / Swan the difference is chalk and cheese for me.

Apologies if I misunderstand

 

It's like asking if any substitution changes games. Sometimes it does but it depends on whether the tactics change at the same time. Like for like can work depending on individual ability but at the same time it's usually the tactics that dictate improvement or otherwise. Some players can fit a particular tactical play better than others but like anything else in the game it comes down to how the opposition deal with it. Both Swan and Neuville were pretty ineffective when they came on yesterday but I didn't see any notable difference in tactics largely because Orient didn't allow us to settle into any particular pattern. We were on the back foot and hoofing the ball out of defence to nowhere or no one in particular and we didn't really pressure them until the last few minutes.

 

Not sure how any sub can come on in those circumstances like the second half yesterday and make any difference. By that stage there was no game plan other than to hoof the ball forward with no thought as to where it was going. As you allude to fair play to Orient for hanging in there first half, by the end of the game they were the better side and just about deserved the win. One thing this teams lacks is a player who can put in the performance Ballard did yesterday, when was the last time we can truly say one of our midfielders or attacking options ever dominated a game like did second half? Could and should have had three or four goals to his name. We are a workmanlike unit but would be happy to squeeze in that sort of quality, could be at the expense of any of the midfield or attack probably with the exception of Sarce

 

Yeah, I thought Ballard was great, not afraid to dribble in the box and have a pop at goal. If Humphries was a lot more composed on the ball he could emulate that but he's not as assured with the ball at his feet and loses possession a lot of the time.

 

Oddly enough before joining Orient in the summer his EFL career was a mere 6 goals in 45 league one games . Who knew ?

 

If I’m honest I wouldn’t judge him on yesterday. When he had the ball he was given all the time in the world and he had two of the easiest goals going. I’m always dubious from one off games.

 

He's equal second with Salech in league 1 on 10 goals.

 

He looked excellent all round. If he'd missed them chances or even if those chances hadn't occurred, I'd still be saying he looks a player.

 

Agree but clearly Orient spotted something in him …Scoring goals wasn’t one of them !
Good scouting, thereagain he could be one of those one season wonders? Look at Lowe last season at Walsall for example .

On current form he looks like an excellent recruit.