Barn Doors, Missed Tricks and a Throw of the ‘Dyce’

Dean Smith commented that he wasn’t concerned over our failure to convert 27 shots into a single goal on Thursday night and said ‘My concern is when you’re not getting chances’

I beg to differ – for a one off game OK – but the failure to hit a barn door over a number of games now has resulted in the loss of at least five if not more points.

The telling stat is that only 25% of our shots were on target whereas 67% of Burnley’s required a save from Martinez – in real numbers 7 to 4 on target. West Ham beat us because they converted the only two chances they had in the whole game!

A number of those misses came from so called big chances. El Ghazi (8 shots) seems to have inherited Trezeguet’s wild shooting of late, although he was unlucky with the free kick, brilliantly saved by Pope and Hause hit the post when perhaps he should have scored.

It’s the ability to clinically finish that matters not the number of pot shots taken, so did Smith miss a trick when he brought on Davis for Traore?

As has been pointed out, many of our big chances came down our left side where El Ghazi and Grealish linked well yet Smith chose to play Davis wide right. Watkins has played left side for Brentford on many occasions so why not take off El Ghazi move Watkins to the left and play Davis down the middle – and do it earlier?

Positives were the overall performance missing three players that would normally start in defensive positions. Elmo rarely lets us down and Hause was commanding in the air.

So onto the Baggies tomorrow night and the reappearance of ‘Big Sam’ – desperation or a smart move? He’s never yet relegated a team from the top division but this might just be his biggest challenge. Albion will be missing Periera who is suspended and they have a number of injuries, particularly up front but come away from a draw at Citeh and have an 8 game unbeaten home run against the Villa.

Cash and Luis will be back strengthening the side and there’s a chance that Barkley will be fit as well. Hopefully, Konsa will have recovered but if not Hause has demonstrated he’s a worthy replacement. I would like to see Davis start up front with Watkins playing on the left hand side with Grealish continuing in the number ten role but I can’t see Smith being so adventurous.

Albion, like Burnley, do not offer a big threat up front and so expect Allardyce to have them organised defensively and seek to nick a goal on the break.

I should go for a Villa win here (and really we should win) but its a local derby and with the potential of ‘new manager bounce’ I’m going for a draw.