24-07-2019, 13:48
We seem to be pinning our goal scoring hopes on Scott Boden, who is certainly capable of notching twenty in a season, BUT, in my opinion, ONLY in certain circumstances.
Throughout his career Scott has proved capable in the supersub' role of grabbing a goal in the dying minutes of a game, when having played only twenty minutes or so himself.
He also proved his capacity to score regularly for Gateshead last season when starting games.
Some players like Luis Suarez can score at any role at any point in a game .... even when injured or half-fit. I don't think Scott Boden is anything like that.
I think Scott was finding Gateshead's style last season similar to how many teams only play at the end of a game when desperate for a goal. Until Christmas Gateshead had Rigg, Boden and was it Armstrong (on-loan from Middlesbrough) pulling teams around up front and all capable of scoring. Boden liked it and scored. Now that is very similar to normal teams in the final ten minutes - you watch them and think why didn't they do this earlier, suddenly the opposition defence is struggling to keep its shape. In those circumstances Boden is very good at losing his marker, getting free, getting on the end of that loose ball and grabbing a goal.
My simple opinion is that if we want to score goals we have to re-create those conditions, provide threats on goal from several players and Boden will register plenty. Otherwise he's a player who will always score a few, especially towards the end of a game, but he probably won't do that much to help you win a league.
Similarly whichever club we ditch Lee Shaw to might look at how the team played and his role in it for whom he scored 65 goals in two seasons. One thing's for certain marooning him out on the wing is unlikely to be the answer. Goalposts very rarely seem to be located on either wing of a football pitch.
Interestingly Sam Scrivens who we've had on trial scored 27 for Penistone from out on the wing. That fact alone makes me think a gamble on a contract for him might not be the daftest move for someone at our level.
Throughout his career Scott has proved capable in the supersub' role of grabbing a goal in the dying minutes of a game, when having played only twenty minutes or so himself.
He also proved his capacity to score regularly for Gateshead last season when starting games.
Some players like Luis Suarez can score at any role at any point in a game .... even when injured or half-fit. I don't think Scott Boden is anything like that.
I think Scott was finding Gateshead's style last season similar to how many teams only play at the end of a game when desperate for a goal. Until Christmas Gateshead had Rigg, Boden and was it Armstrong (on-loan from Middlesbrough) pulling teams around up front and all capable of scoring. Boden liked it and scored. Now that is very similar to normal teams in the final ten minutes - you watch them and think why didn't they do this earlier, suddenly the opposition defence is struggling to keep its shape. In those circumstances Boden is very good at losing his marker, getting free, getting on the end of that loose ball and grabbing a goal.
My simple opinion is that if we want to score goals we have to re-create those conditions, provide threats on goal from several players and Boden will register plenty. Otherwise he's a player who will always score a few, especially towards the end of a game, but he probably won't do that much to help you win a league.
Similarly whichever club we ditch Lee Shaw to might look at how the team played and his role in it for whom he scored 65 goals in two seasons. One thing's for certain marooning him out on the wing is unlikely to be the answer. Goalposts very rarely seem to be located on either wing of a football pitch.
Interestingly Sam Scrivens who we've had on trial scored 27 for Penistone from out on the wing. That fact alone makes me think a gamble on a contract for him might not be the daftest move for someone at our level.