Defence

[Samwam27 532]

4 x games weve shipped goals. It worries me deeply that should we get over the finish line will this defence be good enough in Premiership?

[Capt. Pants 4,290]

It won't be, but then again we're vulnerable in midfield too. Stiepermann and McLean aren't Premier League quality.

[Disco Dales Jockstrap 1,899]

9 minutes ago, Samwam27 said:

...should we get over the finish line will this defence be good enough in Premiership?

No.

[ricardo 7,409]

The defence hasn't been good enough all season. The prolific amount of goals scored has covered this up to a large extent.

Looking at the last four games against moderate opposition we have been behind in three of them with under ten minutes to play.

If people aren't seriously worried the ought to be.

[All the Germans 1,084]

Not sure I really blame the defence, what could they do against Hernandez losing the ball there for example?

[Disco Dales Jockstrap 1,899]

1 minute ago, All the Germans said:

Not sure I really blame the defence, what could they do against Hernandez losing the ball there for example?

Its the team as a defensive unit really, which, of course, the back 5 is a big part of. I don't think we've been as solid since Tettey has been out of the team; for all his limitations, he's the best defensive midfielder we have. 

OTBC

[Canary Wundaboy 1,360]

Against Wednesday didn't think there was much to fault. Today we gave one of the main aerial threats a free header and then all Hernandez has to do it boot the frigging thing and instead he tries one of his tricky changes of pace, gives the ball away and bang it's in the back of the net. 

[Christoph Stiepermann 1,153]

If we could just tighten up from set pieces and concentrate for the last minute before half time it wouldn't be so bad. We're decent enough at keeping the ball out in open play in most circumstance. This has got to be what Farke works on over the summer, just drilling set piece organisation into them and making sure we play till the whistle. 

 

We're conceding too much again the moment because our play up top has become too rushed so we're getting hit on the turnover too often with fullbacks pushed too high. I don't think the issue lies in individual defenders or the intended playing style.

We're at our best being extremely patient in possession, not giving the ball away and looking for low risk attacks. Only breaking quickly when on the counter. At the moment we're attacking like we did in the first few games of this and last season. Where the ball bounced around like a pinball between players too close together not making runs, no one looking after the ball and holding off defenders before moving it

Not even Man City can play at that speed so i don't know why we're trying it. I don't think its an instruction, I think the players are just too desperate to score at the moment. Cooler heads are needed. 

[JF 694]

Whatever happens we’re going to be up against it in the PL. we could spend £50 Milland still we would be up against it! Let’s just get there first!!

[Thirsty Lizard 3,183]

Kind of ironic that people are laying into our defence on this thread and slaughtering Chris Hughton on another thread.

I imagine that this season could go on the way it has from now until the end of time and some people wouldn't realise that THE WAY WE PLAY means we're going to score more and concede more than your average team. 

[Ward 3 372]

11 minutes ago, All the Germans said:

Not sure I really blame the defence, what could they do against Hernandez losing the ball there for example?

Agreed

[Capt. Pants 4,290]

We're  not scoring more than we concede against average teams at the moment. 

[Aggy 766]

The defence isn’t good enough defensively. Godfrey isn’t a natural centre back and so positionally gets caught out (the cross which led to Fletcher’s handball goal vs Wednesday should never have reached him, but Godfrey had left his man and then failed to attack the ball as well).

Zimmerman is decent and solid but I’m not sure necessarily prem standard. The two full backs are excellent going forward but I would say there is room for both to improve defensively. 

Without Tettey we don’t have enough bite in defensive midfield. Klose is also our strongest and best defender. However, neither of those have the ball playing ability of their alternatives. 

Yes we will concede goals because of the way we play, but there are also a lot of goals which are soft imo. 

For me, next season, a tough central midfielder who can also retain possession and a quality centre half could be the difference.

 

[Christoph Stiepermann 1,153]

3 minutes ago, Thirsty Lizard said:

Kind of ironic that people are laying into our defence on this thread and slaughtering Chris Hughton on another thread.

I imagine that this season could go on the way it has from now until the end of time and some people wouldn't realise that THE WAY WE PLAY means we're going to score more and concede more than your average team. 

The way we play should mean we conceded less than your average team, we're just not playing the correct way at the moment, we score a lot of goals because of our quality players who have been well coached into a cohesive unit, we're not usually exactly gung ho. I wouldn't even describe our usual playing style as attack oriented. These last few games though we have thrown the kitchen sink at it trying to break down well drilled teams camping in their box. The correct approach would have been to pass them to death and try to nick the odd goal. Farke looks frustrated so I'm guessing this isn't the intention. The players are just trying to force it too much. When we go back to playing our usual way and if we tighten up on set pieces we won't let that many in, even in the PL imo, 

Also, people were laying into Hughton because he was at the extreme end of that spectrum and had no plan off attack bar give it to snodgrass to fall over with. Defensive football? fine. That dross? No thank you. 

[Midlands Yellow 4,094]

Leeds looking very nervous. All not lost . 

[Thirsty Lizard 3,183]

3 minutes ago, Christoph Stiepermann said:

The way we play should mean we conceded less than your average team, we're just not playing the correct way at the moment, we score a lot of goals because of our quality players who have been well coached into a cohesive unit, we're not usually exactly gung ho. I wouldn't even describe our usual playing style as attack oriented. These last few games though we have thrown the kitchen sink at it trying to break down well drilled teams camping in their box. The correct approach would have been to pass them to death and try to nick the odd goal. Farke looks frustrated so I'm guessing this isn't the intention. The players are just trying to force it too much. When we go back to playing our usual way and if we tighten up on set pieces we won't let that many in, even in the PL imo, 

Also, people were laying into Hughton because he was at the extreme end of that spectrum and had no plan off attack bar give it to snodgrass to fall over with. Defensive football? fine. That dross? No thank you. 

Er.................okay....................really?????????????..............................right.............................................

[Fuzzar 1,705]

25 minutes ago, ricardo said:

The defence hasn't been good enough all season. The prolific amount of goals scored has covered this up to a large extent.

Looking at the last four games against moderate opposition we have been behind in three of them with under ten minutes to play.

If people aren't seriously worried the ought to be.

I'm not seriously worried because you've said in the not too distant past that we're going up. I'm beginning to think you don't know any better than the rest of us 🤔?! 

[Making Plans 942]

No doubt somebody will be along in a minute and tell us that all this tippy tappy stuff in our own penalty area is how we play and it's that which has got us to where we are.

Whilst that may be true there does come a time in matches, and today was not the first, when players need to engage the brain, forget what they have been told, think for themselves and hoof the ball into row Z.

We've got away with it on numerous ocassions but eventually your luck runs out.

At times, there is far too much p*ssing around at the back when the simple and most obvious option is usually the safest choice.

You do not dribble in your own penalty area.

Edited April 22, 2019 by Making Plans

[Boris 56]

to score 90+ goals mean we can conceded is because of style that we play but still think Klose is our most experienced player and Swiss international so may be is time for old heads to step.

Onel and Jamal was very poor today as they lost 85 % of his duels...

[pete 320]

Let us get there and worry about the defence just hope they are good enough to get promoted at the moment we look jaded and might miss out. This will affect everyone and might never be in this position again. Worrying times.

[Alfie54 76]

45 minutes ago, Aggy said:

The defence isn’t good enough defensively. Godfrey isn’t a natural centre back and so positionally gets caught out (the cross which led to Fletcher’s handball goal vs Wednesday should never have reached him, but Godfrey had left his man and then failed to attack the ball as well).

Zimmerman is decent and solid but I’m not sure necessarily prem standard. The two full backs are excellent going forward but I would say there is room for both to improve defensively. 

Without Tettey we don’t have enough bite in defensive midfield. Klose is also our strongest and best defender. However, neither of those have the ball playing ability of their alternatives. 

Yes we will concede goals because of the way we play, but there are also a lot of goals which are soft imo. 

For me, next season, a tough central midfielder who can also retain possession and a quality centre half could be the difference.

 

Agree with this, why not push Godfrey forward to make the midfield more solid and bring back Klose or Hanley. 

[ricardo 7,409]

Canos you gorgeous little ****

[K Lo 230]

I've got Brentford Vs Leeds on BBC London on Freeview !!!
I'm in Norfolk.

[glory.win or die. 270]

The defence has struggled a bit lately but to be fair I'm not sure they get enough help from the central midfielders.

We need a quality specialist defensive midfielder, to plug the gaps we leave just by how we play and protect the back 4 who are often quite stretched.

Godfrey could still be that player, I'd like to see the dynamic of the team with him as the dm and klose back in defence.

 

[Samwam27 532]

We all thought Godfrey was Tetteys natural defensive midfield replacement. Still think he could be big in that role but someones gotta persuade Farke if that. Long way to go before next season but we need a stronger defensive unit if we can get that point

[king canary 7,680]

Godfrey is a real prospect but recently his awareness of where his man is has been lacking. 

[Gordon Bennett 792]

I expect there to be a more pragmatic approach next year and also players to improve as the season progresses. There will be players who probably won’t be good enough for the PL but none of us can say who they might be at this stage.

Wouldn’t be surprised if Farke plays three centre halves next season. 

[SwindonCanary 455]

Don't worry, our defence will get a lot of experience in the Premiership !

[Well b back 3,282]

Timm Klose is far more suited to the PL than the championship. New contract for him I suspect will be of high importance to the club.

[king canary 7,680]

I'd expect a more pgragmatic midfield set up next season also- more of Leitner sitting deep next to a defensive midfielder.