Qwiss I mean, him scoring is pretty important given the limitations of his link-up play (I've acknowledged this was better today but I don't think anyone would argue it was better than what we'd get from Havertz). And in terms of shooting, for all his 6 shots, I don't think a single one of them tested Pope if I recall.
Today was a tight game, where we weren't getting the rub of the green. Fortunately we got the result in the end from a couple of set pieces but over the course of the season, we need our attackers to be providing more game-breaking moments. For a player whose reputation was sold on the basis of his goalscoring exploits, I don't think it's unreasonable to expect more. The chances he got today, didn't result in anything that was likely to impact the scoreline.
So in terms of the low bar I referred to, it feels like how we compartmentalised Laca was never going to be a serious goal threat for us but that he developed a capacity to help in the build-up.
In mitigation, this was the first game this season where I felt we played with the handbrake off, so my hope would be that the more we play like this, the more chances we will create, the more shots he'll take and the more goals he'll get. And hopefully that will build his confidence, making him a threat in those tight in-game moments where we need a goal. But at the moment, I'm not seeing anything that has surprised me about him versus my original assessment. Season is long though, so plenty of time to change my mind.
