1 goal in more than FIFTY efforts – Spurs and Norwich men two of the most wasteful

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Andros Townsend, Phillipe Coutinho and Ross Barkley are three of the most wasteful forwards in the Premier League.

But there is someone even worse!

Indeed, Opta stats indicate which players have taken the most shots in the Premier League this season with the least amount of goals to show for it.

Townsend, Coutinho and Barkley form three of the top four – but there is one man who has been even more wasteful this season.

That man is Norwich City’s Nathan Redmond, who has taken six more shots than Townsend but scored the same amount of goals: just the one.

A look at all six in the above list, though, shows that the difference between them is marginal. As a unit, there is no one more wasteful in England’s top-flight.

Coutinho’s appearance might be the most surprising, with the Brazilian usually dazzling the Kop with brilliant performances for Liverpool. However, his sensational passing ability and skill on the ball might lead you to forgive him.

It is a similar story with Barkley, who’s three goals in 60 shots is hardly something to write home about, though what he brings to the Everton team overall is undisputed.

But Townsend’s strike rate of just one goal in 50 perhaps explains why the 22-year-old has only played 989 minutes for Spurs this season. And a comparison of the other aspects of his game show no improvement.

Indeed, while Redmond proves slightly more wasteful than Townsend in front of goal, the Norwich winger has created more than double the big chances this term and, frankly, obliterated Townsend’s cross total.

Southampton’s Jason Puncheon, meanwhile, has created the same amount of big chances but, again, has easily surpassed the Tottenham man’s crossing stats.

The only area in which Townsend seems to excel is dribbling. But that alone is nowhere near enough to succeed at the top level.

What do you make of Townsend’s performances this season?

image: © Allison Pasciuto