Our Defense As A Team

[Anonymous]

Very poor.

I'm not singling out defenders here, I think the attacking players and midfielders are as much to blame. Our overall defensive record will continue to cost us our league position until we tighten up and stop shipping goals. We need better work rate from the midfielders across the park in terms of getting behind the ball, closing down and pressing in our own half.

Play as a unit. Our midfielders can't just expect the Defenders to manage on their own, our center backs aren't dominant enough to manage without support.

The strikers need to be the first line of defense - pressing hard without the ball and when we do get the ball making runs into the channels and making space to allow the defense and midfield some relief. When they get the ball they need to be more effective at holding it up and linking the play as well.

 

[memoman]

Sadly we don't have a real menacing defensive midfielder to sit in front of the back four and cover a lot of ground. Until we do get one we'll always be struggling to keep clean sheets.

 

[Alistair20000]

We have never properly replaced The Doc.

 

[Snoop Fog]

I was thinking exactly this the other day. I don't think our defence is that poor, other than at Left back, but we don't defend well as a team. Why this is I have no idea. Alex Nicholls is pretty good at tracking back and Tillson has played holding midfield a fair few games this season but it doesn't seem to make much difference.

I have thought recently that our defence plays quite high and tight , thus allowing us to be exposed easily on the counter, particularly when facing pace as lets be honest only Ribiero has any speed in our back 4.

 

[On the up]

Sadly we don't have a real menacing defensive midfielder to sit in front of the back four and cover a lot of ground. Until we do get one we'll always be struggling to keep clean sheets.

Defensive midfield is important. But wingers and forwards need to track runners and get tackles in. Our non defensive players seem to try to block passing lines at best. Very little effort is applied to actually trying to get a tackle in, knock the man to the ground etc., Players like Harley and Oakley try to flick ball off attackers toes. Holmes looks like he just can't be asked to defend. I always find it amazing how many of our players seem to find lots of energy to charge forward when we break, but seem unable to keep up with an opposing player when they run straight through us with the ball.

Really need to develop a way of playing where getting stuck in, all over the park is simply part of what we do, when not in possession. Said it before, too many of our players are allowed to duck out of the "dirty work" with the caveats such as " that's not what he's good at etc.." It's a cop out and key to why we under achieving. Watch Barca playing, such skill and pace, but boy do they get stuck in and press across the whole park.

Hope this gets addressed going forward. Pity we had a good squad this year and a real chance for auto. IMO

UP THE CITY

 

[Grecian Max]

We don't have ball winners. Sercombe had his faults but covered a lot of ground and broke up the opposition's play. In retrospect I think we've missed him a lot.

 

[Grecian O'Grecian]

We have never properly replaced The Doc.

Ahh... He was classy as ****

 

[Mogga]

It's a result of Tisdale's insistence on playing four or five forwards for most of the season, leaving us with barely a midfield at all. We have very little control of games and offer the defence no real protection. We have a very good goalkeeper, a very good right-back, two very good centre-backs and a left-back who isn't as bad as people would like to think. With a three man midfield in front of them we could have quite some unit. Instead the shape of the team has been an utter mess and the defence is hopelessly exposed time and time again.

 

[arthur]

We have never properly replaced The Doc.

Absolutely. The legendary Arsenal back four had Petit and Viera in front of them - that's what made them look so good...

Tilson seemed to carving out a role for himself there, but seing as he was slotting into what was a natural position for him it was imperative that he was dropped....

 

[On the up]

We don't have ball winners. Sercombe had his faults but covered a lot of ground and broke up the opposition's play. In retrospect I think we've missed him a lot.

Totally agree