Chris Martin 'can't play up front alone' - Paul Lambert

[Friendsoffulham]

Chris Martin 'can't play up front alone' - Paul Lambert



Scotland need to play another forward alongside Chris Martin to get the best out of him, according to his former manager Paul Lambert.

Martin's inclusion for the opening two World Cup qualifiers against Malta and Lithuania has surprised many observers.

He narrowly missed the target with a volley and a header as the Scots were held 1-1 by Lithuania on Saturday.

"I had Chris at Norwich and he is not going to run in behind people, he can't do that," Lambert told BBC Sportsound.

"He hasn't got the speed to do it. If you ask him to link play up and get hold of the ball and, if a chance comes his way, he is one of the most natural finishers I have ever worked with. There is no problem with his finishing.

"But, if a team lies deep against you, like Lithuania, there is nowhere for him to run because he hasn't got the pace to run in behind.

"But he can certainly lay it off for someone else - and the guy is a natural finisher."

Martin, 27, scored 23 goals in 48 games in Lambert's first season in charge of Norwich City, 2009-10, before his scoring form tailed off and he spent time on loan at Crystal Palace, Swindon Town and Derby County.

The 2013-14 season, in which he plundered 25 goals in 51 games for Derby, led to a Scotland debut and he has scored 21 and 16 goals respectively - including a first for his country - in the past two seasons.

Although he has yet to score in 12 club games for Derby and Fulham - where he is on loan - this season, and his last 20 in all, Lambert believes he can prosper for Scotland with someone alongside him.

"For me, if Chris is playing up front, I think he needs someone up around him, whether that is Leigh Griffiths or Oliver Burke, who I think is a brilliant talent. Then you have support round about Chrissy.

"He is a natural finisher if you get a service to him with someone in behind him, but he is not going to run over the top of people. No disrespect, but he can't do that."

Lambert, who won 40 caps for Scotland between 1995 and 2003 and played at the 1998 World Cup, believes Scotland will still "have a big say" in their World Cup qualifying group, despite Saturday's setback.

"It may not be the most talented group of players Scotland have ever had, but they have great endeavour and enthusiasm and I do think they will be close," he said.

"They might pick up points where nobody expects them to. I don't think there is much between the teams in the group - and I include England in that.

"Scotland normally need to go away and get a result somewhere and this campaign will be no different."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37602051

[Snibbo]

Very interesting:


"If you ask him to link play up and get hold of the ball and, if a chance comes his way, he is one of the most natural finishers I have ever worked with. There is no problem with his finishing."

[HatterDon]

Been saying that since we signed him.

Start Martin and Woodrow up front for every remaining match in October and see what happens.

[Lighthouse]

I have said the same. He looked good in the time he played part of the game alongside Smith. His link up play is good and his finishing has been awful matching Aluko, Smith etc. But sadly our manager doesn't see it that way and will no doubt continue to play the same way with the same tactics.

[fulhamben]

The award for the best no shhh sherlock goes to Paul Lambert. It would appear that slavisa and Strachan are the only ones in the entire universe that can't see this

[love4ffc]

As stated he points out what should be obvious.  Yet Joka seems to continue with him, or Smith, in the 4-2-3-1 formation.  Agree try Woodrow up top with Matrin or Smith and let's see what happens.  Can't be any worse then what we are doing now. 

If everyone was healthy, and Joka persisted in going with the 4-2-3-1 I wouldn't mind seeing something like.....

[fulhamben]

As stated he points out what should be obvious.  Yet Joka seems to continue with him, or Smith, in the 4-2-3-1 formation.  Agree try Woodrow up top with Matrin or Smith and let's see what happens.  Can't be any worse then what we are doing now. 

If everyone was healthy, and Joka persisted in going with the 4-2-3-1 I wouldn't mind seeing something like.....

Can't see him changing tactics now. It would be an admission that every thing we have done up till now has failed. He bought a squad in to play his formation, he spent all pre season training us to play his formation and we have set up in every game to play his preferred system, is he going to change that because two of our strikers can't play in this system? I highly doubt it.

[Alexis]

Chris Martin in his current position is no better than that bloke from Coldplay.

[EN1 FFC]

You do have to wonder if Jokanovic has watched videos of Martin during his best days with other clubs to assess how to play him. Lone striker he is not. It seems there are a lot of coaches who work to their system rather than to a players strengths. Cairney, LVC, Woodrow & Martin to name a few. But it happens at other clubs too. Players seem to be pushed out to the wings who can't even cross a ball properly on the run.

[MJG]

See I don't think Jokanovic is looking for him to run behind anyone.
The tactic I think is for the central striker to lay off or pass to mainly the three players behind him.
If they are too deep like Lambert days then yes that won't work. But they have to be in and around him to play one twos or take their chance on his own.
It's different if you are playing one up who you are expecting to run direct at defenders while others catch up,  hes not doing that,  nor is Smith.
Aluko or whoever plays that ten role behind him is mainly the second striker anyway.

[fulhamben]

He bought a squad in to play his formation

I think it's pretty clear Joka didn't choose Martin, for the exact reasons you give later in your post. we were Apparently in for several strikers who'd have fitted Joka's system much better. Martin must surely have been a Kline signing and/or all we could get at the last minute , having penny-pinched our way out of all better options.

agreed

[westcliff white]

Aluko shouldnt play 10 he should be wide
When Ayite is Fit our wid eplayes should be Ayite and Aluko
Cairney should play 10 and not drop to much further than the half way line when we dont have the ball
Woodrow, we all like him in some degree but he rarely shows anything in the championship to say he should start, playing 2 up top would be a change for SJ and I just dont see this happening. If we do go that way I wold be tempted to put Ayite up there with Martin

[toshes mate]

Paul Lambert says it, so it must be true???  Nice guy, good manager, but maybe missing the point about Martin.  The evidence I have seen of Martin is that whilst he may be a natural goalscorer when 'confident and on form' when he arrived at Fulham he was 'not confident and not on form' missing easy chances in most games and cussing when tackled out of the game.   Most teams have pulled players behind the ball and defended at Craven Cottage this season and then attacked on the break.  We have supplied at least half a dozen goals from midfield mistakes to the opposition and that, and Martin's misses, have cost us a hat full of points.  When we eliminate midfield mistakes leading to goals and start taking chances up front then quite a few players will start to feel better about life, and so will we.

[H4usuallysitting]

Chris Martin in his current position is no better than that bloke from Coldplay.

The bloke from Coldplay play's up front by himself

[RaySmith]

We certainly created a lot of chances with him up front against QPR and he can lay the ball off, as well as getting on the end of  chances himself, which he's missed.

MJG is right , I think, that that's  meant to be his role, in which case you don't need a second actual striker, just someone  with pace playing behind him, and others running into the box from behind for him to lay  the ball off to.

[Bassey the warrior]

We're too weak in midfield to play 4-4-2. The board should've either signed a destroyer to play centre mid so we can play two up top, or signed a striker that can play the lone striker role. Joka isn't to blame.
We may as well stick with Martin as we know Woodrow is too weak and bad in the air and Smith too slow and bad at passing, Martin may be the best option.

[epsomraver]

As stated he points out what should be obvious.  Yet Joka seems to continue with him, or Smith, in the 4-2-3-1 formation.  Agree try Woodrow up top with Matrin or Smith and let's see what happens.  Can't be any worse then what we are doing now. 

If everyone was healthy, and Joka persisted in going with the 4-2-3-1 I wouldn't mind seeing something like.....

Can't see him changing tactics now. It would be an admission that every thing we have done up till now has failed. He bought a squad in to play his formation, he spent all pre season training us to play his formation and we have set up in every game to play his preferred system, is he going to change that because two of our strikers can't play in this system? I highly doubt it.

Well it has failed so he has to change it, what nonsense!

[epsomraver]

We're too weak in midfield to play 4-4-2. The board should've either signed a destroyer to play centre mid so we can play two up top, or signed a striker that can play the lone striker role. Joka isn't to blame.
We may as well stick with Martin as we know Woodrow is too weak and bad in the air and Smith too slow and bad at passing, Martin may be the best option.

How can we be weak in midfield? we have enough midfielders to fill the team coach on their own!We have Parker, Tunnicliffe LVC, all players who will push up and look for the killer pass.

[toshes mate]

Well it has failed so he has to change it, what nonsense!

I'd agree with you if results are everything and we could play rubbish and still scrape wins.  But the Championship is unforgiving because mistakes are punished as we learned under Magath et al.   SJ's system has us playing well as a team unit, creating chances (several against QPR, Burton, Birmingham, Nottm Forest, and even against Bristol City in a very reasonable first half.  We are not scoring because we are a) squandering easy chances, and b) not getting lucky with more ambitious attempts.   We are guilty of lazy passing in midfield at times which has cost us goals. I just hope Kalas, Ayite, and Fredericks  are all fit for our next five matches because I think this team does have the potential to get results by playing half decent football.  Martin will come good because he has already demonstrated he can be in the right place at the right time, and he just cannot continue to be unlucky with his touch if he is a natural goalscorer as PL says. 

[fulhamben]

As stated he points out what should be obvious.  Yet Joka seems to continue with him, or Smith, in the 4-2-3-1 formation.  Agree try Woodrow up top with Matrin or Smith and let's see what happens.  Can't be any worse then what we are doing now. 

If everyone was healthy, and Joka persisted in going with the 4-2-3-1 I wouldn't mind seeing something like.....

Can't see him changing tactics now. It would be an admission that every thing we have done up till now has failed. He bought a squad in to play his formation, he spent all pre season training us to play his formation and we have set up in every game to play his preferred system, is he going to change that because two of our strikers can't play in this system? I highly doubt it.

Well it has failed so he has to change it, what nonsense!

so do you think he will for the next game then?