Rangers manager Neil Warnock wisely opted to boost his attacking options with the signings of Jay Bothroyd (29 appearances and three goals for Charlton Athletic/Blackburn Rovers Charlton Athletic, Blacin the Premier League) and DJ Campbell (14 league goals for Blackpool last season), but the former’s profligacy thus far suggests that he may struggle this season.
Swansea boss Brendan Rodgers lured Danny Graham and Leroy Lita to the Liberty Stadium, but their combined Premier League record (prior to this season) of 59 appearances and nine goals is hardly prolific.
It would be churlish to place undue reliance upon one such player, and there’s nothing to suggest that the aforementioned players will not adapt to the top tier, but history denotes that the presence of a consistent goalscorer is essential in the quest for Premier League survival.
Last season’s surviving promoted sides, Newcastle United and West Bromwich Albion, both scored 56 league goals (1.47 goals per game). Newcastle’s top scorer Kevin Nolan bagged 12 goals (constituting 21.4% of his side’s league goals), whilst West Brom’s Peter Odemwingie chipped in with 15 Premier League strikes (constituting 26.8% of his side’s league goals).
The percentages are similar for the season prior to that one too – Wolves’ leading scorer Kevin Doyle struck nine times (28.1% of his side’s league goals) and Birmingham’s Cameron Jerome scored 11 goals (28.9% of his side’s league goals) in 2009/10.
Going back, the examples of Sunderland in 1999/2000 and Ipswich Town in 2000/01 further illustrate the importance of a single prolific goalscorer. Although those clubs’ Premier League campaign finishes of seventh and fifth may be regarded as somewhat anomalous, there is no doubt that they were boosted by the exploits of Kevin Phillips (30 league goals; 52.6% of Sunderland’s league goals) and Marcus Stewart (19 league goals; 33.3% of Ipswich’s league goals).
In each of the last three seasons, two out of the three promoted sides has avoided an immediate return to the Championship. Both West Brom and Newcastle managed this respectable feat last season, finishing in 11th and 12th respectively, so the omens do look good for Norwich, QPR and Swansea. However, the ability to rely upon a consistent goalscorer is crucial, and all three sides will be hoping that someone steps up to the plate over the next seven months.
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Written by Zarif Rasul for FootballFanCast.com
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