OK: Now what about our Defence?!!?

[Branston Pickle 3,634]

Everyone seems to have been concentrating on our goalscoring, which is certainly a problem that''s needed sorting - and with Dean Ashton that will hopefully be the case - but what about the defence?

We have now not kept a clean sheet for 15, yes 15, games - and the sad thing is that nor have we looked like doing in most of those.  There''s little point in signing anyone up front if for every goal they score we are letting in two.  Now that we have the decent striker we need, we badly need to look at the back four - there is clearly something not quite right if we can''t keep more than 3 shut-outs in 25 games, especially given that we have one of the best keepers in the league.

[Left Testy 0]

Excellent point Pranston Bickle. There''s no point splahing out £3m on Ashton if for every gaol he scores (we hope) we conceed one the other end.

The question is do we have any cash left, although we have room for another loanee

Any thoughts.... I like jaghelka (spelt wrong but the Sheff Utd Centre Back) although he might cost a quid or too.

Henchoz is still floating about and might be a suitable loan target but his wages might be a problem.

Who else is out there, Harry Rednapp seems to have bought every premier league defender not currently playing!

[Brum Uni Canary 0]

Absolutely right. Of all the games I have been to and watched on MotD, most of the goals we concede can be attributed to defensive errors from any of the back 4. They seem to take turns at being at fault...at the beginning it was Drury, then Fleming and Charlton gave a few away, then Doherty added his contribution, then Eddy had a small bad spell while today it sounded like the middle two again.

Despite this criticism, they have all improved which was evident at the Liverpool match - a bit of weak marking but not schoolboy concession of the ball in the box. Doherty has added a bit of height which the others lack, but we still need more especially at set pieces. Can anyone find Peter Crouch''s long lost brother to play in defence?

[olster 0]

How about dean richards or is he past it?

[Tacklebury 0]

I think as a unit we''re defending better for 95% of matches. Then, for some bizarre reason, one moment of lapsed concentration at the back and suddenly we''re losing. Take the Liverpool game - we were the better side just before the first goal, but for once we decided not to track Luis Garcia and the rest is history. Similarly, Flem''s sloppy clearance led to the second goal. We have to learn that at this level we will get punished. It''s just that for some reason someone will get a little too casual (Helveg and Doc vs Chelsea) for one second and we end up making things harder for ourselves. With the FA Cup now out of the way and Ashton coming in, let''s hope it gives everyone a little confidence boost for the second half of the season.

On the subject of Henchoz, I believe that he''s available for free as he''s now not even considered for Liverpool''s games. He''s experienced, more than capable at this level and would give us more height at both defensive and attacking set pieces. If he''s interested in coming this way, I''d snap him up!

[AJ 1,218]

Another fact out of the jar

Yep, Doherty and Fleming need to sort it, that was a very very very soft goal we conceeded..... We let Chadwick run and who on earth was marking Harewood? i mean Harewood just ran straight through two defenders to tap it in........ green had no chance........

But saying that, if our foward would have put our chances in the net........ well we might have been 2 or 3 up....... SO the goal we conceeded with 6 minutes to go, might not have changed anything........

[3pmkickoff 0]

Obviously defence needs strengthening but I can''t really say who''d you''d replace. The Doc has got better every week and done a decent job on Harewood yesterday. I''d like to see Helveg instead of Eddy as the Liverpool game showed he''s a class act at right back. Charlton''s been iffy in the past two games but mainly solid, Fleming hasn''t done a lot wrong either.

Part of it comes from midfield, Mulryne''s poor control let West Ham in yesterday

[chicken 0]

I watched the sheffield untd Vs Villa match yesterday and I can agree with you about Jagger! But the other player at the back that really impressed was none other than our old friend Leigh Bromby. Why oh why did we not sign the guy in the first place. We would have got him for peanuts as he was out of contract at the end of the season!

The other thing I would like to see is our very own Shackel given a chance. Mainly because he is capable of playing very good football and has pace to burn inwhich to keep up with the faster strikers in this league.

I think a lack of pace is one of the key weaknesses about the defence and the slowness of reacting. Perhaps a younger head in their would sort it out a little. Mind you saying that Doherty is only 24 . . . . . .

[Branston Pickle 3,634]

A lot of it is down to concentration; it was interesting seeing Lee Dixon on MOTD talking about one of Bolton''s goals yesterday, as the defender was keeping them onside - he said George Graham would have been furious if his Arsenal side had done that.

I would have thought Henchoz, as a proven Premier performer would fit the bill in strengthening at the back, he is surplus at Liverpool and would be on a ''free'' in the summer - maybe he could be the second loan - though is being linked with all and sundry at the mo.

I have to confess to a degree of bemusement that Worthy is still apparently interested in Harewood, he seems to not have noticed how many goals we''ve leaked - and him an ex-defender, too!!!!

[Helsinki canary 240]

Or does the problem infact stem from lack of defensive cover from the midfield? so many times this season there has been a blackhole between our midfield and defense - about 15-20yds of space for opposition to run riot - look at the chelsea goals 3 out of the 4 from the blackhole area and also the 2nd goal v spurs - the list goes on - to me its down to poor team work and tactics - too little cover - maybe a sweeper is what we need?

[Tacklebury 0]

A sweeper''s an interesting thought, Helsinki. Perhaps Helveg would be well equipped to play there? I think the easier suggestion is someone to sit in front of the back four, in the mould of Hamann at Liverpool or Nicky Butt. I think Safri could prove the man to do that, and his passing ability could make him a useful playmaker from deep. However, whilst midfield protection is an issue, it becomes irrelevant when we give away sloppy balls from the back or let a runner go unmarked. If concentration was maintained for a full ninety minutes we''d suddenly be a lot more solid at the back. We need to stop giving away sloppy goals - we''re just making things even harder for ourselves.

[Branston Pickle 3,634]

I don''t know what it is that we need, but we have let in far too many this season and need to do something; other sides seem to manage it!!  Actually, although he was being moaned at a lot early in the season, we do seem to have let a more goals in since Holt got injured, so we could be lacking his defensive capability (Mullers sadly hasn''t quite seemed up to it).

Maybe with Ashton''s signing we''ll be able to put a bigger ratio of chances away, and Holt will hopefully be able to come back and fill the defensive midfeld role, and we''ll be tougher to score against like we were for much of the early season (Arsenal/Liverpool excepted!).

[ZLF 271]

I am just glad its not me that started this thread. Had our defence cut out half the soft goals we have conceeded we would be sitting comfortably mid table.

I think our midfield sits deep enough thank you so dont think it is down to a lack of defensive cover from the midfield (Left wing excepted when Hux was there in the 4-4-2) and under 4-5-1 we do look more solid.

However we only have 1 true prem defender in the squad and play him in midfield currently. Charlie and Drury are closer to the mark than anyone else and Doc I could cope with if he was our weakest defender. We do have one player who has the potential but wont be risked because of his age.

My question has been will we score two goals in a game? Our games since Dec have seen us score just 5 times (3 against a poor Bolton) and conceed 15 with the vast majority of these have been soft defensive errors.

Hux was the best defensive signing city ever made (converted our defence from a poor 2 goals a game unit by stretching opponents defensively put ourselves under less pressure) - unfortunately I cant see Ashton having the same effect in the prem (although I can seee him taking some chances) so a defensive signing or two HAS to be made

OTBC