EFL League One 2023/24: Why Cheltenham Town can’t buy a goal and where their first will likely come from – scout report

Weve seen several high-scoring teams after nine fixtures across EFL leagues in the 2023/24 season. Weve had Barnsley setting the bar early in League One by scoring 20 times in those nine games and Swindon Town leading the way in League Two with an astonishing 24 goals in eight games. Still, weve also seen the polar opposite in a few teams, but one in particular – Cheltenham Town.

The Robins started the season with former Championship player Wade Elliot in charge, with the ex-wide midfielder joining the club at the end of the 2021/22 season. Last season, Elliot guided Cheltenham to finishing 16^th in League One – a respectable effort in a tough league. This season, after eight games, Elliot was dismissed with a horrific start to the campaign – seven defeats, one draw, zero wins, and perhaps the most shocking – zero goals scored. Their luck hasnt changed under caretaker manager Kevin Russell (Assistant manager under Elliot), as the club suffered a 3-0 defeat at home to Stevenage. The search for the clubs next permanent manager is still ongoing.

This scout report will look at Cheltenhams various attacking statistics to identify any glimmer of hope – any positives in attack that could be of use to the clubs next gaffer as they look to start scoring goals. The analysis will look at both team and individual data while assessing their weak areas in attack and a tactical analysis of any promising elements of their play.

The numbers behind their goalless form

Considering their current managerial situation, there is little point in diving into the deep details of Cheltenhams attacking tactics. Instead, the aim here is to look at the areas where Cheltenham really struggled to try and highlight the areas the new manager will need to improve upon. From their performance at the end of attacking moves to the statistics behind their earlier possession phases, several data points help us understand why they find themselves in the place they are.

Looking at their xG map, part of the problem already starts to reveal itself. An xG register of 6.19 suggests that Cheltenham have gotten themselves into good attacking positions on occasions but just havent been able to finish chances off – but the chances themselves werent of high quality in terms of xG value. Their xG register is currently the lowest in the division, so carving out better chances on goal inside the box is a must – the same can be said of their need to take more shots in general, as they rank lowest for both shots per 90 (6.78) and shot accuracy (26.8%).

Another issue in their attacking tactics is the tendency to take unnecessary shots from range – the majority of their long shots have been off target, with a good chunk of them being the wrong decision, which is mirrored in the example below.