Will the failure to strengthen the central defence cost.....

[jimbo 0]

us promotion?

I feel it may. The centre of defence was by far the worst area of the team last season and the one area that virtually everyone seemed to agree was in need of strengthening.

Now just 6 days from the start of a new season in which the transfer window closes untill January at the end of August we are looking at the prospect of going into the new season with the same central defence that was so woefull in the Premiership. What is going on? yes, we will be up against lesser opposition but their are still plenty of decent players in the Championship who will exploit defensive weaknesses. Fleming nor the Doc fill me with confidence and Charlton is too short to play CB due to the long ball merchants that inhabit this league.

Maybe i am wrong but i would not be surprised if in a couple of months time letters are flooding in to the Evening News, callers are queing up on Canary Call, and these message boards are full of fans asking the question "why was the centre of defence not strengthened?" when it was blantantly clear from last season that it was not up to scratch.

We will score loads of goals but will we keep enough out to keep us ahead of our rivals Palace, Wolves, Leeds and Southampton? cos make no mistake it is going to be very tough. I am concerned.

Your thoughts?

[ZLF 274]

There is a strong possibility you are right Jim - however I am one of the few that feel we do not need to strengthen the defence for several reasons - some of which are mentioned in your post.   As the end of the day our defensive players SHOULD be good enough for this league.

The other is that I do think that a lot of the defensive problem can be coached out of the team - which assumes our management team can coach them in!    The defence must play further up the pitch and the midfield must provide a more consistent shield slight further up the pitch too.   Charlie was right when discussing this last week stating that the team must defend as a unit which mustbe compact without getting under each others feet.   Last year there were too many people in our own penalty box, getting in each others way and ultimately it led to players abdicating responsibility to others rather than attacking the ball themselves.

Worthys biggest challenge is how to cover our exposed left flank when hux is attacking.  Getting hux to become a defender is like asking Rooney to become a left back - he may be able to do it but it wastes the talents of a player whos'' strength is being in the opponents half not our own.    I dnt think worthy is half way there to solving this conundrum and that more than solving the central pairing is likely to see our down fall.

OTBC

[beelsie 0]

ZLF, good post in support of Jim''s main points. Almost my sentiments entirely, and regularly voiced on these boards. The Huckerby bit as you say, could in my opinion, with good coaching be ironed out, because when Huckerby is in attacking mode the defence must move within reasonable defending distance into the gap created, at this time filling and protecting the space left.

When we are attacking it is the defence that must be mobile enough to move into the gap. I feel there was not enough movement in our defence, and Greens lack of 18 yard area command does not help build up the confidence of defenders who have been falling over one another to scramble anywhere in disarray.  In my opinion he could be much more ready to come into that area and take command and be responsible enough to play a sort of sweepers role.

[Salopian 1]

I agree that the central defence needs strengthening. We conceded four goals in pre-season to teams from lower divisions, following the abject record last year.

Loyalty to long serving players is one thing, but we have to ask whether Flem still has it and whether the slimmer Doherty ever really had it, in terms of pace and positioning.

I have a feeling that after a few games of leaking goals, we might see Colin or Charlton tried there. Most of us are agreed that Shackle should be there, after his performances last season, but so far has he, even, been outstanding? Perhaps the mumps took more out of him than we realised. He has been steady, but would you call it brilliant?

The presence of two central back with height and pace is the ideal. At the moment we have no more than one, and if he is injured....

Apart from the acquisition of Colin, we have done nothing to remedy what was the major problem last season. There are quick players in the Championship, and those who claim that Fleming did a good job "last time" have to realise that he is older now, and with no Malky to support him.

[jimbo 0]

Yes, there are indeed players who can exploit any defensive weaknesses. Hulse, Healy, BLAKE!, Webber and Ifill, Miller and Kennedy, AJ and Macken, Pahars and Ormerod in particular are all more than capable of doing so.