single striker, chances created and ugly sisters final

[Greenbank2]

I didn't see the match on Saturday and so don't know how representative the BBC highlights are......but.....here are a few stats.

 

The BBC show 8 "chances" to score for hearts. Of these 8 chances, on 2 occasions we had 3 players in the box when the ball was delivered. On 3 occasions, we had 4 players in the box. Once we had five, and once we had six. On a single chance (the Bamba sending off) all Hearts players were outside the box.

 

Contrast this. Hibs had 4 "chances" On the first there were 2 players in the Hearts box, on the second 3 (their goal), on the third (the Balloch tackle) none and on the fourth one.

 

None of the above came from corners, and only the Mickey Stewart free kick from a set piece.

 

Now, and I know it's only one game, these stats don't suggest to me that playing with a single striker is prohibitive. What it does suggest is that, as Csaba points out, we are not converting the chances. Maybe what we need first and foremost is a better striking option instead of more strikers on the pitch.

 

Interestingly, contrast this with the uglys diddy cup final. In 90 minutes, Celtic 3 chances, the first from outside the box with nobody in, the second, 3 in the box and the third, from a corner with 4 in the box. Der Hun had 2 chances, the first with 2 in the box and the second from a set piece, with 5 in the area.

 

So, based on the above, out of these 4 teams, Hearts were the most adventurous and creative in getting men forward, we simply couldn't convert the chances.

 

thoughts?

[Groot]

1) you have too much time on your hands

 

2) it's an interesting point and what makes it criminal whenever a cross is put in the box and it is either blocked by the first man or straight to the keeper. We only put 3 decent crosses in the box on Saturday that I can remember and from them Stewart flicked it just wide, the one where Nade hit the bar and Eggert almost got on the end of one where the slightest touch would have probably been a goal. Quality into the box is the key, not how many we have up front