We aren’t creating a lot of chances for Doucoure at all, but he is finding himself where the ball drops and importantly hitting it firmly on target. Dom hasn’t been forcing saves. Headers (difficult ones) flashing wide and over, the low balls coming in are getting stabbed wide instead of glanced on target, that one the other week where he looked offside controlling it in the centre of the goal and lashing it over from about 5 yards. Old fashioned, but needs to put his head down and his boot through his next few half chances.
It is tough being our lone striker. You aren’t allowed to saunter about pulling defenders around, making them hand responsibility for marking you back and forth, getting on their blind side. We make them come short, chase down channels, back into grocks trying to win Pickfords punts, and we rarely win any free kicks. Rom could barrel through a few challenges himself, could score the big number 9 goals, and pick up scraps and tap ins. Dom is going to get 1 big chance per game, but needs to score at least half of them.
For decades it’s been said that good strikers can barely touch the ball, get one chance and bury it. Not long ago there was genuine talk of teams like Arsenal wanting him for massive money. Needs to find something. I do think he could catch fire if he gets a scruffy one or we somehow get a penalty or 2.