Brian Graham


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I would be happy to have big brian next season . Always gives 100% . For me Faddy and Croft can go . And would like the young lad from queens

Reilly?

I thought he was a good shout to.

Someone pointed out to me his goal record is no better than Kanes overall at that level. Albeit a different style of striker.

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I'm confused by Graham.

His goals tally means he doesn't deserve half the stick we on here give him, myself included. To score that many goals in such a dreary team as ours is no mean feat.

However, I do feel like having him in the team leads everyone to (possibly subconsciously) play to his strengths - humping long balls and forgetting about playing football. So while he is scoring goals it does feel like it is at the expense of our team play and perhaps the goal tally of other players.

The only, and fairly major, flaw in my theory is that the proper footballers in our team - McFadden, Swanson, Spoony and in a more subtle sense MacLean are all so out of form as to give the impression that the flowing football I imagine us playing in Grahams absence may be nothing more than a pipe dream.

I'd rather have flowing attacking football than Graham and his admittedly impressive goal tally, but I'd rather have Graham and his goals than having sweet FA.

At the moment I'm not sure what the real and actual choice is between but I fear its the latter, in which case we should be looking to sign him.

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However, I do feel like having him in the team leads everyone to (possibly subconsciously) play to his strengths - humping long balls and forgetting about playing football. So while he is scoring goals it does feel like it is at the expense of our team play and perhaps the goal tally of other players.

I don't believe that does play to his strengths. He's not that good in the air and constantly screams for the ball to be played into his feet. He's decent at chest height or if the ball is on the ground but those long punts to him are useless. That's not his strength at all, he's far more of a football player and much less of a target man than I think anyone gives him credit for, myself included. I think MOH is the only player who gets that about Brian Graham.

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I don't believe that does play to his strengths. He's not that good in the air and constantly screams for the ball to be played into his feet. He's decent at chest height or if the ball is on the ground but those long punts to him are useless. That's not his strength at all, he's far more of a football player and much less of a target man than I think anyone gives him credit for, myself included. I think MOH is the only player who gets that about Brian Graham.

Agreed. Usual 'big man so must be a target man' fallacy.

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Some interesting stats on Brian Graham's career goalscoring record provided by https://twitter.com/stjohnstone1884. Looking at his minutes per goal ratio over the last 5 seasons he's 1 goal every 2 games. I don't know what we're expecting from a Striker but we're not going to find much better. Something isn't right with him though, maybe it's his personality, as he's hardly a first pick despite his record. 

 

CCY-JrCWgAAllcx.jpg

 

If you extrapolate that into playing every game you're looking at at least 15-20 goals from the guy in a season! Obviously, stats don't work like that but the picture is fairly clear - he scores goals. 

Edited by Broon
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Some interesting stats on Brian Graham's career goalscoring record provided by https://twitter.com/stjohnstone1884. Looking at his minutes per goal ratio over the last 5 seasons he's 1 goal every 2 games. I don't know what we're expecting from a Striker but we're not going to find much better. Something isn't right with him though, maybe it's his personality, as he's hardly a first pick despite his record.

CCY-JrCWgAAllcx.jpg

If you extrapolate that into playing every game you're looking at at least 15-20 goals from the guy in a season! Obviously, stats don't work like that but the picture is fairly clear - he scores goals.

Or maybe he's been unfairly left put when Macca came back?

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I see what you're getting at but I still hold his style of play is detrimental to other players, e.g. he almost always shoots even when it isn't on, but then benefits team with his goals leading to dilemma outlined above

So would you rather he played tippy tappy with the rest of them who seem too scared to shoot?

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