What about the defence?!

[Patches OHoolahan 0]

I''m all for us playing open attacking football, but I''m getting increasingly concerned that our defensive organisation will suffer to an extent which will tip the balance in the favour of our opponents come the start of the season. I''m not for one minute calling for a return to "Hughton-ball" but I for one am not sure that we are placing adequate emphasis on the defensive side of the game. Hopefully I''ll be proven wrong with an exciting season full of goals that ends in promotion, but today was the first real test our defence has faced this pre-season, and while we did not lose, I can''t say I''m inspired with confidence.

[KeiranShikari_2 0]

Good thing we aren''t going to be playing top half La Liga teams every week.

[Branston Pickle 4,150]

You are right Patches - it is good to see attacking intent but we do need to have a solid base. We have some good defenders - this side was in the PL last year - but I do have a concern about depth, and one thing is that we need the Bassong situation sorted, if he''s going it should be done sooner rather than later.

[Guest]

I think we need another centre back for strength, BUT Ollsson came in to the squad tonight having not played for a long time and ultimately you cannot read too much into a pre-season friendly. We''ve got to be scoring plenty of goals in this division to have any chance of automatic promotion, so I''m not too despondent at this stage that we''ve focused more on that aspect given our utterly miserable return last season.

And to be honest with you, I would happily take high scoring draws and victories this season over the **** we''ve seen in the last two years anyway.

[grefstad 0]

I think Adams will fall in the same trap that many rookie managers have done before him.

He will play an attacking style, to get both players and supporters on his side. But doing so without having defenders with pace is self destructive.

If you play a high line, due to pressing high up the pitch, you will be caught out when playing the Turners, Martins, Whittakers, etc in the back line.

And if you allow your defenders to drop off a bit, it will stretch your team (when attacking), leaving none in midfield.

I´m also worried by our lack of quality defenders.

I have never seen Martin as a good defender, and this "Norfolk Cafu" thing is beyond me. He is not quick enough, and tend to make slow decisions, especially when playing as a RB. Maybe better as a central defender, but his lack of pace is worrying.

We need at least 2 defenders, rather quick ones.

[yoda 0]

Bennett should be our 1st choice centre back

[GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary 2,035]

Tonight''s match merely confirmed to me that Martin is our weak link at the back and unfortunately ,I feel that his captaincy will cloud Adams; judgement resulting in him not strengthening that area.

As far as I''m concerned ,if Bassong is on our books and our payroll on August 10th he should play....(and the same goes for Fer)

[Sussexyellow 55]

We need a commanding centre back, a leader of the defence that provides confidence and a feeling that we are impenetrable.

Needs to be our top priority for the remainder of this window.

Who? - no idea!

[Surfer 1,547]

Agree with that... our defense does sound rather fragile, so I''d look to at least play E. Bennet at RB, to match up with Olsson''s pace over at LB, even if the two CB''s stay as they are at the moment.

[Yelloow Since 72 56]

I agree that we need a sound defence, but what has changed since last year. No defenders have left except Yobo who was only here for 6 months. I think we''ll see a replacement for Bassong at least but much of defending takes place in midfield.

[tom cavendish 0]

Martin speaks well to the media and he seems a nice person but his defending is terrible.The central-midfield is poor too. Fer and Tettey have some quality but Johnson struggles to pass the ball and Howson struggles to create anything.

[Mr Jenkins 0]

This whole thread seems to assume that the defence is about 4 players and a keeper. Russell Martin will be fine at centre half but like any other defender he, needs the guys in front of him to do their defensive duties too.

[Rogue Baboon 0]

Didn''t we play Surman in front of the back 4 last night?

If so, great for attacking football, not so much for defending. It''s something Adams needs to look at - if he wants to play uber attacking football to get fans on side then I think we will have a problem. Teams that get promoted often have one of the best defences and can grind out results - us under Lambert for example.

[Sussexyellow 55]

The whole team have a role and job to do in defending. However if we are going to commit to attacking football then the back 4 will get more exposed, which is why my priority now would be to get a commanding centre back.

Particularly with Bassong showing no signs of wanting to be rehabilitated.

[kingsway 101]

Bemused by all the Russell Martin bashing on this thread!

Yes he isn''t a world beater but he''s the ultimate steady Eddy (apart from Marc Edworthy himself!). He''s never that good but he''s never that bad!

I think Russell Martins better at CB where his lack of pace doesn''t get exposed so much but I also think he''s a better RB than Whittiker who''s even slower. There I would suggest is our problem!

[GJP 79]

To be fair Martin has had some very bad games and actually had a poor season.

But because he always speaks well etc he removes himself from the firing line. Unlike Bassong who doesn''t say the right things.

[# 0]

I do fear a Gunnyesque Col Who against Wolves. [URL=http://www.sherv.net/][IMG]http://www.sherv.net/cm/emoticons/football/soccer-player-smiley-emoticon.gif[/IMG][/URL]

[Dubai Mark 0]

Really, seriously Wiz? Why? Sure, i would be much happier with Bassong in the frame, but that just isnt going to happen, and I think we should also expect another CB signing.....but what we have is certainly good enough at this level.........No Suarez or Aguerro to worry about.

[Molly Windley 76]

[quote user="Jenkins"]This whole thread seems to assume that the defence is about 4 players and a keeper. Russell Martin will be fine at centre half but like any other defender he, needs the guys in front of him to do their defensive duties too.[/quote]Admittedly I wasnt at the game and only saw the highlights package on  Sly Sports but I do agree with most of what you say. We left open spaces in front of the 18 yard box and let the opposition have time and space on the ball there. Hallmark of how we defended last year allowing teams to shoot unchallenged from just outside the box or play through balls to un tracked runners.It doesnt matter who the central defenders are if we allow teams that time and space, they will just pass through us. Lets hope that the opposition play lower league style football crossing from wide areas, if they try and go through the middle then we will come unstuck playing just Johnson as the only defensive minded midfielder..__________________________________________________________________________Haggerty F, Haggerty R, Tomkins, Noble, Carrick, Dobson, Dewhurst, Crapper, McIntyre, Treadmore and Davitt. "Neville Davitt scored two in`t last minute and Frank Haggerty saved a penalty."

[barclay_boy111 0]

Are these the same defenders that conceded 62 goals last season?

Last night only confirmed that our defence is still poor and the the fact we''ve only spent time trying to hang on to our player rather than buy some reinforcements at the back is rather worrying

[Snakepit Ric 0]

Russel Martin and bassong quiet frankly were awful last season. The championship they maybe ok. Get a quick skillfull striker and they will get ran raggered.

IMO I think we need two new centre backs

[Salopian 1]

A very good question. Last year''s defence was slow to close down and block, outpaced, and needed at least one player in front to "protect" them.

I share the fear that new attacking policy is both attractive and efficient (so far), but it is essentially the same defence as last year minus Bassong and Yobo.

With all due respect to the players, Whittaker, Martin, Turner and Garrido are troubled by pace, and there seems no-one to organise them. The two goals scored on Friday night showed the weaknesses - no-one picked up the quick movement of the opposing player for the first goal, and no-one closed down or blocked the second scoring shot - I thought that Ruddy was a little slow as well, but he didn''t have much chance. We may not meet the same pace and movement each week during the season, but we shall meet them often enough. We need a new central defender with some pace and quickness of thought, and we need a right back. Is Adams hoping to sign these on loan?

Otherwise, we shall be as generous at the back as we were last season!

[Luv The Board. 0]

Kyle naughton will be coming for a years loan .

So that is one position covered.

[Guest]

Salopian, how many defences don''t need a player in front to protect them?

You could have Thiago Silva, Hummels, Lahm, and whoever else in your defence, but if they''re getting no protection from the midfield they would still ship plenty of goals.

I do agree that we could do with a Leon Barnett style CB with a bit of pace, but in my opinion, last season we conceded many goals because we were unable to hold onto the ball further up the pitch and therefore invited huge amounts of pressure onto ourselves and were effectively in disarray defensively a lot of the time. Whilst I believe we probably need another full back and centre back to add depth to the squad, I certainly don''t think we are poor defensively for this division.

[Mr Jenkins 0]

Would love to see a pacey right back coming in, would add more options in attack and also improve the back four.

[Bill 1,788]

[quote user="I.S."]Salopian, how many defences don''t need a player in front to protect them?

You could have Thiago Silva, Hummels, Lahm, and whoever else in your defence, but if they''re getting no protection from the midfield they would still ship plenty of goals.

I do agree that we could do with a Leon Barnett style CB with a bit of pace, but in my opinion, last season we conceded many goals because we were unable to hold onto the ball further up the pitch and therefore invited huge amounts of pressure onto ourselves and were effectively in disarray defensively a lot of the time. Whilst I believe we probably need another full back and centre back to add depth to the squad, I certainly don''t think we are poor defensively for this division.[/quote]or stuck to some absurd rigidity that meant defenders sat off any opposing player with the ball if he was a foot or more outside of the box... you cannot give PL players that amount of time on the ballunfortunately too many are obsessing over individual players rather than how the team plays as a whole - the importance of which was ably demonstrated during the ''Lambert years'', where most players could be found fault with, as individuals

[Highland Canary 78]

RB is our weakest position. Bennett is a better centre half than Martin. Turner would be my captain.

[York Canary 29]

[quote user="Luv The Board."]Kyle naughton will be coming for a years loan . So that is one position covered.[/quote]

We can dream

[Syteanric 1]

[quote user="barclay_boy111"]Are these the same defenders that conceded 62 goals last season? [/quote]

 

against the likes of Suarez, Hazard and djeko....

[Salopian 1]

I. S. asks rightly , "Salopian, how many defences don''t need a player in front to protect them? "

I confess that I don''t know the answer, although there are clearly variations on the theme. Some Premiership teams play 4-3-3, with wing backs who get forward, and wasn''t it Wet Spam who played for a while with 4-6-0, and no strikers?

Our problem now is that if we play the diamond, with two strikers, and the tip player in close attendance, we effectively have a three man midfield, with one playing back and the other two both speedy wingers. This means that we created relatively little through the middle last season, and we now have two young wingers whose defensive qualities are not yet fully developed.

We have a porous defence, and the failure to close down, block or mark cost us two goals in the last pre-season game. We are ripe for picking if opponents have any pace in the middle. If the central three , or four, contain two attacking wingers, and the remaining midfielder(s) have to play a significant defensive role, there will be relatively few creative movements down the centre. The two "lines of four" is a good defensive posture, and is difficult to break down, but it requires a good back four with quick movement to deal with defence splitting passes, and with the exception of Olsson we are lacking in this.