“Shoooooooot”. We hear it every week whenever a skillful midfielder gets a ball on the edge of the area.
It’s the sort of moment that sees thousands of fans hammering an imaginary ‘O’ button on their PlayStation controller, hoping to see something rattled in from 25 yards. However, shooting is also fundamental to the game. If you don’t have any shots, you won’t score any goals. It’s a simple equation, and as it transpires, it is mainly struggling teams across the EFL who are a little shot shy.
In the Championship, Rotherham, QPR, and Sheffield Wednesday make up the bottom three, and they’re also in the bottom four in terms of shots taken. Remarkably, Preston have the second-fewest number of shots in the division, and they’re sixth. They’re lethal right now, but if the luck runs out, that promotion charge is going to look awful fragile.
League One doesn’t follow the same pattern and it isn’t the points deductions making a difference. Burton (17th), Wycombe (13th), and Cambridge (16th) are among the top five for the fewest shots taken, whilst only Cheltenham (23rd) are in the bottom four of both the actual table and shots taken. Wigan are the third tier’s Preston North End – they’re 18th, but were it not for the points deduction, they’d be ninth, despite ‘only’ taking 172 shots in their 18 fixtures.
Into League Two, and of the bottom two, only Sutton are there based on how few shots they take. They’re not the most shot-shy; that’s Harrogate Town on 168. Morecambe (12th) and Gillingham (9th) both hold lofty positions despite not getting many shots away.
Here are the five teams in each division with the fewest shots.
Championship
Rotherham United – 121
Preston North End – 140
Sheffield Wednesday – 142
Queens Park Rangers – 151
Swansea City – 163
League One
Burton Albion – 160
Cheltenham Town – 163
Wycombe Wanderers – 171
Wigan Athletic – 172
Cambridge United – 182
League Two
Harrogate Town – 168
Morecambe – 175
Sutton United – 191
Tranmere Rovers – 201
Gillingham – 203
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