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Robert911

Our Defence

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Last Season we conceeded 3 goals or more only 6 times and really only got thumped by Man City (twice). So far this season we''ve conceeded 3 goals or more on 8 occasions and been thumped a few times more. With 2 games to go we''ve only conceeded 10 less than last year which is hardly a rock solid improvement. The slight improvement can''t explain the dramatic decline in every other area of the team can it? Just putting it out there.

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Things could have been much different.

 

 Ruddy was out for five months and the other keepers had slightly shaky starts. Turner took a few games to settle in, probably not helped by criticism he subsequently came under. We committed more offences worthy of penalties (in the poor eyesight of referees), some of which even came close to criticism on MOTD!

 

We developed a good defensive shape, with two lines of four, which generally worked well but was undone by two or three of our defenders not able to close down and block adequately. I exempt the central defenders from this criticism.

 

The signings of Bassong and Turner were excellent business, and our defensive record should have been much better but for the thigns I have mentioned.

 

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I think we need a little more competition at center back, Bassong and Turner get their starts on default at the moment. Bennet has looked better since he has come in, but we need another Bassong/Turner quality center back to be adding competition and really bring the best out of our back pairing as average performances then wont be acceptable. Ruddy being out is a huge deal, excellent distribution and just in general possibly in the top 3 keepers when on form. Goals against Wigan away, the two against Villa and a few others I think he might have saved. Im still a firm believer that attack is the best form of defence, we need to be more of a threat to the opposition so as not to invite so much presure onto our defence next season.

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our defence is better - ie our defenders are significantly better than last year. The improvement is not so clear once when bassong is absent.

Our defending in central midfield is significantly worse.

And we have only lost by two goals or more when howson Johnson has played in the centre - including the cup qf defeat. Those games give us a -22 goal difference, the rest balances out.

We have a soft middle - and thats what we need to improve next season

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Bassong has been carrying an injury for the past few games & it shows.

I think on the whole our defence has been better....Bassong is a rock, Turner has looked good(& chipped in with a few goals) R Benno since his return has been good, although I thought Howson deserved MOM against Vile.

One of the things that really frustrates me. Spurs game we are all over them & they don''t even look like scoring all of as sudden Bale picks the ball up in his own half, runs & runs & runs, low shot  right hand side of Bunn 1-1.  IMO Tetty shoud have taken one for the team & taken Bale out on half way line. Learn from it....did we? Reading 2-0 up crusing McCleary picks the ball up half way line runs & runs & runs low shot to right hand side of Bunn 2-1 squeaky bum time. Learn from it....did we? Villa 1-1 City on top looking much the better team Agbonlahor picks the ball up half way line runs & runs & runs low shot to right hand side of  Bunn 1-2....will we learn from it????

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quote user="Bunn''s Armpit"]

Bassong has been carrying an injury for the past few games & it shows.

I think on the whole our defence has been better....Bassong is a rock, Turner has looked good(& chipped in with a few goals) R Benno since his return has been good, although I thought Howson deserved MOM against Vile.

One of the things that really frustrates me. Spurs game we are all over them & they don''t even look like scoring all of as sudden Bale picks the ball up in his own half, runs & runs & runs, low shot  right hand side of Bunn 1-1.  IMO Tetty shoud have taken one for the team & taken Bale out on half way line. Learn from it....did we? Reading 2-0 up crusing McCleary picks the ball up half way line runs & runs & runs low shot to right hand side of Bunn 2-1 squeaky bum time. Learn from it....did we? Villa 1-1 City on top looking much the better team Agbonlahor picks the ball up half way line runs & runs & runs low shot to right hand side of  Bunn 1-2....will we learn from it????

[/quote
Wasn''t Tettey on a yellow already though?

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[quote user="priceyrice"]quote user="Bunn''s Armpit"]

Bassong has been carrying an injury for the past few games & it shows.

I think on the whole our defence has been better....Bassong is a rock, Turner has looked good(& chipped in with a few goals) R Benno since his return has been good, although I thought Howson deserved MOM against Vile.

One of the things that really frustrates me. Spurs game we are all over them & they don''t even look like scoring all of as sudden Bale picks the ball up in his own half, runs & runs & runs, low shot  right hand side of Bunn 1-1.  IMO Tetty shoud have taken one for the team & taken Bale out on half way line. Learn from it....did we? Reading 2-0 up crusing McCleary picks the ball up half way line runs & runs & runs low shot to right hand side of Bunn 2-1 squeaky bum time. Learn from it....did we? Villa 1-1 City on top looking much the better team Agbonlahor picks the ball up half way line runs & runs & runs low shot to right hand side of  Bunn 1-2....will we learn from it????

[/quote
Wasn''t Tettey on a yellow already though?
[/quote]and AVBs comment after tha game that Bales career could have been finished by Tettys challenge was ludicrous. Tetty pulled out, wrongly, and never touched him. he should have gone through with his challenge and brought him down.

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tettey did try to take is legs out, but was too soft, although given bambis usual tendency to collapse in the wind he prob thought it was enough...

compare that to howsons efforts against reading or pilingtons effort against villa and you realise tetteys effort was robust. and thats before we look at the manu goals for watching players and so many more all season - starting with the ajax equaliser in the pre season friendly - we seem to have an obsession with watching what opponents midfielders are up to. Too much respect?

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Bunn''s Armpit :

"Spurs game we are all over them & they don''t even look like scoring all of as sudden Bale picks the ball up in his own half, runs & runs & runs, low shot right hand side of Bunn 1-1."

Swansea demonstrated, when conceding their 2nd, how foolhardy it is to let someone have a free run at the defence, even when there doesn''t look much danger.

Here''s hoping Hughton has drummed it into them before Sunday!

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Weve had a lot more shut outs this season which is a good thing.

Whitaker is also an excellent player who has missed 90% of the season through injury.

I believe hoots has made bennett a better player as well.

You have to give hoots time to build his team. Judge him this time next season.

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[quote user="ZippersLeftFoot"]tettey did try to take is legs out, but was too soft, although given bambis usual tendency to collapse in the wind he prob thought it was enough... compare that to howsons efforts against reading or pilingtons effort against villa and you realise tetteys effort was robust. and thats before we look at the manu goals for watching players and so many more all season - starting with the ajax equaliser in the pre season friendly - we seem to have an obsession with watching what opponents midfielders are up to. Too much respect?[/quote]

 

You''d also have to ask where Bradley Johnson was when some of these goals went in. He''s seemingly meant to be a bit of a midfield enforcer but quite often these goals occur on his side of the midfield.

 

I think he''s had a pretty good/solid season for us but he''d be the first central midfielder I''d look to replace.

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The improvement in our defence this season is quite clearly huge.

Even with our best player in Ruddy out for the majority of the season, we''ve still been defensively sound for the most part.

Imagine how many we''d have shipped last season if Ruddy got injured for the period of time he has been out this season!

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[quote user="Olly"]The improvement in our defence this season is quite clearly huge. Even with our best player in Ruddy out for the majority of the season, we''ve still been defensively sound for the most part. Imagine how many we''d have shipped last season if Ruddy got injured for the period of time he has been out this season![/quote]

 

This point is often overlooked. I still think season to season comparisons are irrelevant but I do believe we''d be comfortably safe if Ruddy had stayed fit. It''s not just that he''s our goalkeeper. He''s also our most valuable player. Our star player. We couldn''t expect to have his equal warming the bench or available for loan. We had to take it on the chin.

 

 

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its not better is itwe arent really any better at defending, in truth we just sit deeper and dont take risks because the man in charge is scared to take chancesweve traded off attack for defence, we dont score because we dont play attacking football, and when we do score we try and shut up shop and hold on, which inevitably fails.

52 goals scored last season, 66 conceded34 goals scored this season, 56 conceded

goals win games

hughton out

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[quote user="GJP"]

You''d also have to ask where Bradley Johnson was when some of these goals went in. He''s seemingly meant to be a bit of a midfield enforcer but quite often these goals occur on his side of the midfield.

 

I think he''s had a pretty good/solid season for us but he''d be the first central midfielder I''d look to replace.

[/quote]

 

 

Completely agree with this - and reflected the same last night.

 

 

Personally i would have tettey and a new signing for next season.        For me tettey has to start on sat - for him not to is almost inviting defeat. 

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An apparent improved defensive record is pretty much the only aspect of play that supporters of Hughton wheel out to defend their man, amazing really when we see opposition teams walking straight through our defence week after week, in successive games at home we see very similar goals from Reading and Villa and have cearly not worked on this aspect of play.

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But we have yet to play Man City who put 6 past us last year.

 

I don''t think anyone can say we have not imporved our defence, but without Ruddy we look that bit weaker. I am not confident in Bunn being our No1, should Ruddy go in the summer.

 

I have to ask though have we really gained in the bigger picture by improving our defence?

 

It has to be noted that we don''t really have a left back, Tierney is not really rated by Hughton and Garrido will go back after his loan ends. So we need to think of who Hughton will bring in to strengthen this area next term.

 

Overrall certainly an improvement in the back line but not a significant one in all reality.

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Quite right Indy, yet the myth will continue to run.

The Ruddy loss was a Huge blow, no doubt and I can''t wait to see him back in goals. I was devastated on Saturday when I heard the team news, I was convinced that if he was fit, which as far as I am aware he was, Hughton would undoubtedly play him, alas I was wrong. The real shame is that goalkeeper error was a factor in at least one of the goals, would Ruddy have done any better, who knows, but he should definitely have been given the chance.

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