2021/22 Dominic Calvert-Lewin

[davek]

And I don’t think 32% is an especially large proportion. Especially for a guy who leaps higher than anyone I’ve ever seen on a football pitch.

...he actually should score more with his head given the chances he gets from the ton of crosses coming his way.

And is 32% of goals scored with the head not a little high for a PL stirker? It feels like it. I dont know how Ild find that answer so I'll hope others provide it, but it seems very high as a proportion.

Overall my question is about varying our attack and not crossing as much. Class teams will deal with that easy enough and we need another string to our bow. Doucoure running at them from midfield and a CM who can thread a forwatrd pass would help us no end.

 

[Eggs]

15 out of the 47 goals he's scored for Everton with his head. Almost one third.

Is that proportion a good sign, or does he overly rely on crosses?

Genuinely I dont know what proportion other PL strikers have of head to foot goals scored, but I always feel there's an imbalace with DCL - not literally, as he scores with both feet and head - but just maybe an over reliance on crosses to get his goal totals up.

Yes, they all count etc, but does it mean we are forced to play overwhelmingly in a certain way, attacking wise?

….ironically, I don’t think he’s that good at heading the ball. I’d say Richarlison is better because he controls his headers. Cahill was a master of controlling headers.

His physicality gets him on the end of things aerially and on the ground. He reaches crosses others can’t but he doesn’t then come down a gear to control with his head or his feet. Everything is about reaching the ball. he doesn’t have the goalscorers picture in his mind of where he is, where the near post is & where the keeper is.

Answering your question, I think his greater conversion rate in the air is because he’s so supremely dominant in that perspective, Not many defenders can live with his aerial power, imagine how good he’d be if he controlled his headers (like he did with that goal in the Goodison Derby last season).

 

[allen]

...he actually should score more with his head given the chances he gets from the ton of crosses coming his way.

And is 32% of goals scored with the head not a little high for a PL stirker? It feels like it. I dont know how Ild find that answer so I'll hope others provide it, but it seems very high as a proportion.

Overall my question is about varying our attack and not crossing as much. Class teams will deal with that easy enough and we need another string to our bow. Doucure rinning at them from MF and a CM who can thread a forwatrd pass would help us no end.

Benitez has said that he wants to maximise the number of crosses because we wants to play to our forwards’ strengths. So expect more, not less.

 

[maccavennie]

….ironically, I don’t think he’s that good at heading the ball. I’d say Richarlison is better because he controls his headers. Cahill was a master of controlling headers.

His physicality gets him on the end of things aerially and on the ground. He reaches crosses others can’t but he doesn’t then come down a gear to control with his head or his feet. Everything is about reaching the ball. he doesn’t have the goalscorers picture in his mind of where he is, where the near post is & where the keeper is.

Answering your question, I think his greater conversion rate in the air is because he’s so supremely dominant in that perspective, Not many defenders can live with his aerial power, imagine how good he’d be if he controlled his headers (like he did with that goal in the Goodison Derby last season).

His all round game is why I think he's terrific. I was a massive critic of him a couple of seasons ago whwn I felt he was too scared to get into positions to miss. I'm delighted for the lad when he's scored so many goals inside the 6 yard box.

He's definitely not a natural finisher in the Kane mould but his all round game has come on leaps and bounds.

Hopefully he has another good solid scoring season.

 

[davek]

….ironically, I don’t think he’s that good at heading the ball. I’d say Richarlison is better because he controls his headers. Cahill was a master of controlling headers.

His physicality gets him on the end of things aerially and on the ground. He reaches crosses others can’t but he doesn’t then come down a gear to control with his head or his feet. Everything is about reaching the ball. he doesn’t have the goalscorers picture in his mind of where he is, where the near post is & where the keeper is.

Answering your question, I think his greater conversion rate in the air is because he’s so supremely dominant in that perspective, Not many defenders can live with his aerial power, imagine how good he’d be if he controlled his headers (like he did with that goal in the Goodison Derby last season).

I defo agree with that. I said above that he should convert more headers given the volume of very good crosses he gets. The galoot would have hit 30 a season with the quality of crosses DCL has had over the last 3 seasons.

 

[banno]

I actually thought that his goal would have been downgarded to an own goal

 

[n01efc]

I actually thought that his goal would have been downgarded to an own goal

You been drinking?!!!! It was on target

 

[davek]

Benitez has said that he wants to maximise the number of crosses because we wants to play to our forwards’ strengths. So expect more, not less.

Well that may well be. But I was asking the forum not Benitez about how wise that is.

 

[banno]

You been drinking?!!!! It was on target

Yes it was on target but the keeper saved it and came back off his leg.....................it was a great diving header which reminded me of Andy Gray from a Peter Reid cross v Sunderland but I just thought that it could be taken away from him and classed as an own goal

 

[banno]

You been drinking?!!!! It was on target

I have been drinking as it goes but nevertheless

 

[Encoder]

...he actually should score more with his head given the chances he gets from the ton of crosses coming his way.

And is 32% of goals scored with the head not a little high for a PL stirker? It feels like it. I dont know how Ild find that answer so I'll hope others provide it, but it seems very high as a proportion.

Overall my question is about varying our attack and not crossing as much. Class teams will deal with that easy enough and we need another string to our bow. Doucoure running at them from midfield and a CM who can thread a forwatrd pass would help us no end.

We also have Richarlison who can play back up striker if needed and is great in the air. I feel like even top class CBs hate seeing balls whipped in with pace. May as well pay to our strengths! Leicester won the league playing one way after all.

That said I take your point, and its for reasons like that it is essential we keep ahold of James.

 

[davek]

We also have Richarlison who can play back up striker if needed and is great in the air. I feel like even top class CBs hate seeing balls whipped in with pace. May as well pay to our strengths! Leicester won the league playing one way after all.

That said I take your point, and its for reasons like that it is essential we keep ahold of James.

The James thing: not really.

Yes, we need a player who sees a pass and can execute it, but they also have to contribute in other ways in this league...and he doesn't.

Overall, playing 2 up front might encourage better passing from deep if we got a strike partner for DCL who could slot regularly in the box.

 

[allen]

Well that may well be. But I was asking the forum not Benitez about how wise that is.

You’re asking how wise it is to play to our striker’s strengths? It’s pretty wise.

 

[davek]

You’re asking how wise it is to play to our striker’s strengths? It’s pretty wise.

Yes. It is. But my point was to ask whether overall for the team in this instance that can work against us and make us predictable and one dimensional in attack.

It's in no way a criticism of DCL. He might not be a fox in the box but he is a well rounded player in terms of his talent to score with both feet and his head; it's just that the delivery to him picks out his heading ability and that means - as he's our principal striker - that we revert to more crosses than other teams.

It's a legitimate debating point as it brings up issues about formation and players we need to add to the attack and CM.

 

[allen]

Yes. It is. But my point was to ask whether overall for the team in this instance that can work against us and make us predictable and one dimensional in attack.

It's in no way a criticism of DCL. He might not be a fox in the box but he is a well rounded player in terms of his talent to score with both feet and his head; it's just that the delivery to him picks out his heading ability and that means - as he's our principal striker - that we revert to more crosses than other teams.

It's a legitimate debating point as it brings up issues about formation and players we need to add to the attack and CM.

At any given time, success in football is about playing to the team’s strengths.

Benitez has signalled that’s what he intends to do, by pinging more balls at Dom and Richy’s heads.

Personally, I’m all for that simple pragmatism. Especially if there’s such little room for manoeuvre in the transfer market this term.