“Bobby Zamora,” a typical argument will go, “is rubbish. He can’t score for toffee. A striker’s job is to score goals, and as Zamora is appalling at doing this, he is not doing his job properly, and should be out of the team.”
I believe that there is a key distinction between a striker and a forward, and I shall explain why this is important in the Bobby Zamora saga.
A striker, in my opinion, is somebody who has no other role in the team other than to score goals. If you have a good one, and an excellent side around him that creates a plethora of chances every game, he can be invaluable. A prime example of this is Michael Owen – an excellent finisher, but a player who offers absolutely nothing else to his side. Even Erik Nevland could fall into this category.
On the other hand, I view a forward rather differently. Unlike the striker, his role isn’t to score goals. That’s not to say that he is told not to score (although some scallywags might argue that Zamora could well have been, given his reluctance to put the ball in the back of the net), merely that scoring is not his primary role in the team. A forward gives defenders a torrid time, bullying them and dragging them out of position whilst winning flick-ons to his team-mates. A forward provides an outlet to his team when they are on the defensive, playing the ball up to him and hoping that he will retain possession for them (or winning free-kicks, corners, throw-ins etc.), whilst his team-mates get into more advanced positions. A forward plays much of the game with his back to goal, linking up play with his midfield and striking partner.
A forward should be viewed as a player who is at his most effective in the final third of the pitch – not as a player whose sole job is to score. Bobby Zamora is definitely a forward, not a striker. The equally-maligned Emile Heskey also falls into this category, and these two players are both rated very highly, not only by their own managers and players, but also by the opposition managers. Opposition managers certainly praised the jobs Zamora (and indeed AJ) played last season many, many times. It is a selfless job being a forward, one which brings not only a lack of praise from the fans, but often disdain from them.
Obviously, there are examples of forwards who are marvelous finishers – forwards and strikers are categories that are certainly not mutually exclusive. Players such as Drogba, Adebayor, and Ibrahimovic, for example, but these are all fantastic players who are certainly out of our reach. The last one we really had was Louis Saha, who left us for Manchester United. McBride wasn’t bad either. If he can get more consistency, Carlton Cole has the attributes to also become a goal-scoring forward.
Obviously, everybody would like it if Zamora would (or rather, could) score more often. There is little doubt however that Fulham often play a lot better when he is in the side. Against Arsenal, he showed exactly what he, and any good forward, offers to the side with one moment in particular in the first half. A ball was played upfield to him. Zamora, running towards the corner of the pitch to get the ball, dragged Vermaelen out away from the centre with him, barged into the Belgian and used his strength to retain the ball. He held onto the ball until players got into advanced positions, before he laid the ball off for Zoltan Gera to cross. As Zamora was occupying the largest of Arsenal’s defenders by the corner flag, the diminutive Johnson was able to win the header, and only an excellent stop from Mannone prevented a goal. Zamora, isolated in the corner of the pitch, a) held onto the ball until options came, and b) used his physical threat to draw the largest of the opposition centre-backs away from the danger area. He played well throughout the game, and only his finishing and an excellent save denied him a well-deserved goal.
I will readily admit that Bobby Zamora is a rubbish striker. But he is an excellent forward.
I think that’s a very important distinction that isn’t often drawn. Jonathan Wilson in Inverting the Pyramid made the very point about Owen that you do, suggesting that the changes in tactics over the past ten years or so, had made him more peripheral in games and obviously Owen no longer has the pace with which he frightened defenders earlier in his career.
Just as important, though, is the realisation that two out and out ‘poachers’ hardly work well together. Nevland alongside Johnson wouldn’t be particularly effective for us as they are too similar and we’d lack an aerial/physical presence up front. Zamora’s a fine foil for Johnson but he’s a poor poacher for this level. With money seemingly tight, it’s difficult to see where the upgrade on Zamora would come from – so let’s hope he can turn in a fine performance against his former side on Sunday.
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Nick, nice piece and you are spot on BZ is not going to score goals. He does often bring much more to the team. So the question is who is to score out goals?
I’ve not read Jonathan Wilson’s book, but I will get on that pretty soon, it sounds essential reading.
As for a pair of poachers up front, I agree with you. Although Kamara got a goal in Sofia, it was noticeable how with him and Nevland up front, the ball simply would not stick in the final third. Balls upfield and clearences were simply gathered up, and the opposition would continue to play in our area. With Zamora, he can hold the ball up for team-mates to help, or win a set-piece of some kind in the opposition half, enabling us to have possession, and to have it further up the field.
Alan raises an interesting point. Who is out to score goals? I think the onus really is on the wide players and AJ to score. It was promising to see AJ looking sharp for the first time since his injury, forcine Mannone into two excellent saves. I think AJ could well be a poacher, but he has obviously been instructed to work hard in the channels and to hassel defenders, rather than to simply stay on the shoulder of the last man, Owen-style.
The lack of goals is certainly a major issue, but I just feel that we dominate games more and create more chances with Zamora in the side. Not entirely sure what the solution is though. Kamara deserves more playing time for sure, and Elm needs to play games to show that he’s up to the challenge.
The Wilson book also has a few interesting insights into Hodgson’s tactical evolution from before he became Fulham manager.
On Zamora, he’s definitely an asset to the team. I believe he has in him to score goals too as he seems so adept at finding space. AJ should be scoring more as well but his drifting into wide areas does irritate me. It must be under instruction but we need him in the box to put away the chances.
As for other goalscorers, I think the midfield needs to share the load. Dempsey has a happy knack of finding the net (although he’s been woefully unsuccessful with his efforts this season) and you can see him contributing. Murphy and Etuhu should be encouraged to have a crack more often from around the box and you get the sense that both Duff and Davies could weigh in with goals.