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The impending forward crisis

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CielosGrises said:
Is it really surprising that Dyche has had 1 game and chose a PL forward in Maupay over an inexperienced Simms ?

Not sure if a whole derby game is fair on the young man to be honest - maybe some minutes at the end.

Perhaps they need more time with Simms and adapt our play accordingly - I don't think he would be able to lead the line like Dominic Calvert-Lewin did (even though his finishing was poor, he lead the line well).

Transfer window was a disaster but we all know that.
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Not surprising at all - Simms at this level is untested and we were holding on to a 1 goal lead against the league leaders for a desperately needed win.

Don't blame Dyche at all for the substitute as almost any experienced manager in their first game would have done the exact same.

Maupay had the experience to get in and totally disrupt Arsenal in any way whatsoever.

He wasn't brought on to seal the deal with a hat-trick (let's be honest he wasn't great from our perspective - time wasting aside).
 
TheAlmightyFloater said:
Not surprising at all - Simms at this level is untested and we were holding on to a 1 goal lead against the league leaders for a desperately needed win.

Don't blame Dyche at all for the substitute as almost any experienced manager in their first game would have done the exact same.

Maupay had the experience to get in and totally disrupt Arsenal in any way whatsoever.

He wasn't brought on to seal the deal with a hat-trick (let's be honest he wasn't great from our perspective - time wasting aside).
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I thiught he did well getting behind the ball...and deep in our own half on occasion too.

But if we'd signed a like for like forward for Calvert-Lewin in January Maupay would have been on the bench.
 
As mad as it sounds, i would start immediately coaching Mina how to be a striker. He is going to get injured again anyway so it may as well be while trying to score goals. He has all the attributes for it and would probably be better than Calvert Lewin tbh.
 
davek said:
I thiught he did well getting behind the ball...and deep in our own half on occasion too.

But if we'd signed a like for like forward for Calvert-Lewin in January Maupay would have been on the bench.
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Definitely agree based solely on Calvert-Lewin's fitness record. He's obviously not a guaranteed goal-a-game player but you can't deny when fit he genuinely does seem to cause issues for defenders.

If Calvert-Lewin was much more robust and reliable I could see the sense in an alternative type of player like Maupay (but one who can actually score) to bring on from the bench to provide a bit more tactical flexibility.
 

Simms has to be tried. Maupay is no replacement for DCL, we’ve seen that all season. Simms has been playing men’s football for a while now so he’s not a kid or a novice and he’s got the physical side to not be bullied. The PL is a big step up for him, but that would also be the case if we’d signed Gyokeres, Ben Brereton Díaz or that big lug from Belgium, and if we’d have signed them they’d have been given their chance.
 
In terms of keeping DCL available for selection - Simms and DCL as a front two.

I dont think that obvious option has been discussed so far.

Against teams we have to get three points from - especially at home - we could go that way and it'd be very Dyche-Burnleyesque.
 
Cometh the hour...

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TheAlmightyFloater said:
Definitely agree based solely on Calvert-Lewin's fitness record. He's obviously not a guaranteed goal-a-game player but you can't deny when fit he genuinely does seem to cause issues for defenders.

If Calvert-Lewin was much more robust and reliable I could see the sense in an alternative type of player like Maupay (but one who can actually score) to bring on from the bench to provide a bit more tactical flexibility.
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Maupay needs to be in the box. It's as simple as that. Outside of the box he can jog about and maybe wind up the opposition and get a foot in now and then, but using him to play up front on his own is like buying a Terrier and then telling it to chase rabbits.
 
Simms is 22.

Older than Anthony Gordon. Dwight McNeil is 23.

It has to be Simms. If he's not good enough, then lash Michael Keane upfront as a target man. He played development football/represented England as a striker, and has a good finish on him.

Incredible that's how negligent those running this club have been,
 
We don't have the depth in quality or numbers in attack. We need to be solid defensively, and be lucky with injuries. If we get injuries in attack, it will probably be too much to overcome.

We will need DCL to stay fit for probably at least a dozen of the 17 games, and we will need Maupay to add some goals either off the bench or when he is asked to start or fill in. Clean sheets at home will be essential due to our lack of goals.

I'm more optimistic after Saturday, but we still have massive issues in attack, and are unlikely to put a string of results together.
 
davek said:
I think we all know that Dominic Calvert-Lewin wont be a reliable feature of this team over the 17 games to come. He played close to peak performance on Saturday for an hour and couldn't manage more than that. The scandal that was the January transfer window cant be rectified now, and it doesn't look like the club are eyeing up any incoming players from the free transfer lists. So we're looking at having to be creative for the remaining games.

Maupay cant lead the line, as we know. He can play in a two or 4411 and maybe Dyche puts someone alongside him / on Saturday if the opposition wasn't as good as it was. I'm not sure though that Dyche will want to break up the three in midfield and two wide men. Those three looked very good together. If that's the case then maybe Simms is the other option to play a loan striker role, but there's no evidence he can do it at this level. Failing that we have Gray who can play in the middle and link up with Iwobi and McNeil in a more fluid attack when we have the ball. He's not great in the air though and I think we need more of a physical presence in the middle with any Dyche game plan. With that in mind Onana could be stripped out of midfield and replaced by Garner, although he seems some way off fitness. Onana looks as though he has the physicality for the role of target man though. To me he looks like he can be adapted to stand in until Calvert-Lewin gets back in if he's out just a few games.

What are people's views on this issue concerning solving this looming problem? Is there anyone else who can play up there or can find a likely partner in a 442? Is Dyche versatile enough to look at these players and play a different way to conjure up a few goals?
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I think he might play Maupay to unsettle the rs centre halved at corners and free kicks in the hopes he can make space for the big lads to power through and score a header. Not ideal, but nor is playing Simms up top on his jacksie in such a big game. If he fluffed a few chances it could destroy the lads confidence. When he does get his start (as I am sure he must given our lack of alternatives) I would like to see him in a 442 with Maupay to take the pressure off him of having to play the lone striker role. With regards to Dyche being versatile enough to find a different way to play, his options are limited by the playing staff at his disposal, but I think he will do what he can to get us the points we need.
 

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