Our Defending Is Poop- discuss

[TTS]

Not trying to have a pop at all- though the title was not very subtle I'll admit.

However I would argue that the motion I was carrying is not without some substance. Higher division or not, our defence was atrocious last year. We have also continued to ship goals pre-season against some very lowly teams. Simply going down a division will not make us defend better.

Agreed, the problem is with the two leagues, if on average you make the same amount of mistakes, then the higher you go up, the more yor mistakes get punished. Say for example you make 10 mistakes in a game, in league 2 prob punished 2/3 , league 1 punished 4/5 championship 6/7 premiership 8/9 times out the mistakes you make.

Hopefully the same mistakes can be reduced , thus enabling us to have a strongish type season, however the quality of this league I do feel has improved again from when we was last in it , at least the back bone of the squad have been there and experianced this league (many of them with SUFC).

 

[Rayleigh boy]

as a one time right back for a village 2nd team I know and AB and Peter Clarke know 99% of goals scored against us in open play are because the bloody midfield either give it away or, particularly in the SUFC case, haven't got the legs to get back to cover when the opposition get possession -

 

[Jam_Man]

as a one time right back for a village 2nd team I know and AB and Peter Clarke know 99% of goals scored against us in open play are because the bloody midfield either give it away or, particularly in the SUFC case, haven't got the legs to get back to cover when the opposition get possession -

That point seems to be completely missed, last year our midfield and forwards contributed to our poor record, especially in the first 20 games.

The fact we put Clarke in the midfield shows how overran our midfield were and the lack of Bradbury to hold the ball up meant our defence was under constant pressure.

When Bradbury came back into the side and McCormack went into midfield we became far more solid.

I cant see our midfield being a cause of defensive issues now with either McCormack or Bailey in the middle.

 

[Clinton Baptiste]

We were too gung-ho last season, the front players couldnt hold up the all well enough, and when we got caught on the break our defenders were all painfully slow or out of position.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

That point seems to be completely missed, last year our midfield and forwards contributed to our poor record, especially in the first 20 games.

The fact we put Clarke in the midfield shows how overran our midfield were and the lack of Bradbury to hold the ball up meant our defence was under constant pressure.

When Bradbury came back into the side and McCormack went into midfield we became far more solid.

I cant see our midfield being a cause of defensive issues now with either McCormack or Bailey in the middle.

For our last 6 games of the season with Maher and McCormack in central midfield we conceded 17 goals.

Having a lazy Guttridge or an out of position Clarke or Hunt certainly didn't help earlier in the season, but our problems run much deeper than that. Its also worth pointing out that 9 of those were against Luton, Barnsley and Col Ewe, who are essentially all 3rd division sides.

 

[TTS]

For our last 6 games of the season with Maher and McCormack in central midfield we conceded 17 goals.

Having a lazy Guttridge or an out of position Clarke or Hunt certainly didn't help earlier in the season, but our problems run much deeper than that. Its also worth pointing out that 9 of those were against Luton, Barnsley and Col Ewe, who are essentially all 3rd division sides.

Sorry cant see how comparing the results of the last 3 games is evidence. The first goal conceeded against Col U was a TERRIBLE error by Sodje (whjo has now left the c lub), that goal effecttivaly put us down and affected our performances against Luton and Barnsley.

My arguements is within this thread, that we need to start with a clan slate, what has happened has happened. Personally I think the signing of Gilbert is inspired. I think that the midfield with Macca and Maher is far more protected that when clarke was played (out of position there) and when Gutteridge decided to turn up.

 

[Jam_Man]

For our last 6 games of the season with Maher and McCormack in central midfield we conceded 17 goals.

Having a lazy Guttridge or an out of position Clarke or Hunt certainly didn't help earlier in the season, but our problems run much deeper than that. Its also worth pointing out that 9 of those were against Luton, Barnsley and Col Ewe, who are essentially all 3rd division sides.

No I never said it was solely the midfield at fault, my point was it wasnt solely the defence. Clarke and Hunt were used in midfield to try to address the fact the defence were under so much strain, which didnt work.

As a team we didnt defend at all well but between December and March we were actually pretty good.

The last 6 games need erasing from memory, to do so well to get out of the relagation zone and collapse in such a manner is not good to remember.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Sorry cant see how comparing the results of the last 3 games is evidence. The first goal conceeded against Col U was a TERRIBLE error by Sodje (whjo has now left the c lub), that goal effecttivaly put us down and affected our performances against Luton and Barnsley.

My arguements is within this thread, that we need to start with a clan slate, what has happened has happened. Personally I think the signing of Gilbert is inspired. I think that the midfield with Macca and Maher is far more protected that when clarke was played (out of position there) and when Gutteridge decided to turn up.

I'm sure i could find plenty of other examples of our defence still being poor despite the protection of Maher and McCormack. Having those two together (and Bailey to fill in when McCormack injured/suspended) improves us, but there is a ridiculous amount of improvement needed if people want to contemplate bouncing straight back. Last season we conceded something like a goal every other game from set pieces. That isn't the midfield's fault.

ps Good defences speak to each other. It might have been obvious to clear it, but a shout from the keeper prevents that first Col Ewe goal.

 

[NZamba Legend]

For our last 6 games of the season with Maher and McCormack in central midfield we conceded 17 goals.

Having a lazy Guttridge or an out of position Clarke or Hunt certainly didn't help earlier in the season, but our problems run much deeper than that.

Another good point. It was this run towards the end of last season, when we seemed to have rediscovered our bad habits of October and November that really worries me.

 

[Pubey]

I'm sure i could find plenty of other examples of our defence still being poor despite the protection of Maher and McCormack. Having those two together (and Bailey to fill in when McCormack injured/suspended) improves us, but there is a ridiculous amount of improvement needed if people want to contemplate bouncing straight back. Last season we conceded something like a goal every other game from set pieces. That isn't the midfield's fault.

ps Good defences speak to each other. It might have been obvious to clear it, but a shout from the keeper prevents that first Col Ewe goal.

I mentioned this a few weeks ago... I'm yet to be completely convinced by a maher/macca partnership and apart from Preston, haven't seen them really both play well together

 

[Jam_Man]

ps Good defences speak to each other. It might have been obvious to clear it, but a shout from the keeper prevents that first Col Ewe goal.

No way on earth was that Flavs fault, Sodje was all over the place and committed football suicide at that moment.

You cant account for mistakes like that.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

No way on earth was that Flavs fault, Sodje was all over the place and committed football suicide at that moment.

You cant account for mistakes like that.

You can talk people out of suicide.....

 

[Pubey]

No way on earth was that Flavs fault, Sodje was all over the place and committed football suicide at that moment.

You cant account for mistakes like that.

was this after sodje was apparently dropped and then someone was injured and he was called up... apparently his head was "all over the place" before the game.

i have a crap memory for things like this!:thump:

 

[Jam_Man]

Yep think he just came back.

It was without doubt the worse moment of the season for me.

We were in with a shout of getting out of relegation, against our bitter rivals and within 15 seconds he did that.

Ouch...

 

[Pubey]

Yep think he just came back.

It was without doubt the worse moment of the season for me.

We were in with a shout of getting out of relegation, against our bitter rivals and within 15 seconds he did that.

Ouch...

i know.. i'll just never forget that stoney silence around roots hall.. i couldn't even hear the ewes going bananas in the away end, just everyone was just completely gutted

 

[Birri]

I am only worried that none of our forwards will score.
I hope that Hoops or Mac can get some goals and then one of the rest of our forwards can form a decent partnership with either/or unless they form a partnership I think we will be fine with our defense and Midfield in this league.

 

[Murkey_Mouse]

Luke Gutteridge playing like a headless chickhen and cannot be arsed to put in effort is reason why the Championship team cut right through the defence because we havent got a midfield to protect them until McCormack come along .....

 

[Jam_Man]

Luke Gutteridge playing like a headless chickhen and cannot be arsed to put in effort is reason why the Championship team cut right through the defence because we havent got a midfield to protect them until McCormack come along .....

Thats a bit harsh!, as much as I dislike him if it was all down to him we would have all our problems sorted out when he left.

Our problem was throught the team, not just down to one man. Would have been easy to fix otherwise and we wouldnt be lining up against Orient tomorrow!

 

[Southend_Lady]

I woudnt go as far as saying that our defence is s h i t, but I have to agree, there are definately some worrying signs from pre season.

It has to be said, everyone seems to be concerned with us getting in a proven goalscorer etc, yet to be fair to the strikers they have been banging them in and saving us from embarrassing defeats. However, the fact that we havent kept one clean sheet in preseason against some far weaker sides concerns me.

Im all for having a clean slate and well aware in the drop in standard of football we are going into which means the season may not turn out to be the disaster of last year. We need to remember we competed well against some good teams last year and at times showed glimours of the talent and skill that is needed to survive in the CCC. We have now strengthend the squad somewhat and there is competition for places which we didnt have last year, the team pretty much picked itself if we were ravished with injuries.

But it does have to be said that despite the good points, there is a slight cause for concern more so in defence than in attack. One thing I will say is that we need to give them a chance, give it a few games to see how they perform in a competitive match and then take it from there. However if come late October we are shipping goals galore then questions will be asked again.

 

[Beefy]

I cant see our midfield being a cause of defensive issues now with either McCormack or Bailey in the middle.

Or maybe both....