So Ricardo Wasn't Why Our Defence Is So Shoddy

[Trav Le Bleu]

Well he had his chance and in fairness, he made some good saves did Weale, but we conceeded 3, which I don't think we have done with Ricardo in goal. Now I'm not saying that Ric would have done better or that the result would have been different. What I am saying is there has been a lot of blame laid at the goalkeeper's feet (hands?) for recent defensive failings, but I think that yesterday shows that the solution is far more than blaming one man.

In fact, one man is the solution.

One man for one position.

There's far too much chopping and changing in the back line. I really don't think that Sven knows his best back four and the fact he has brought so many defenders in on loan has only served to complicate that. No doubt all of these players have come here to get first team experience, yet we have 5 loanees competing for 4 places or 3 if you see Bamba as being first on the team sheet - even though his initial god-like status he acquired during his first few matches is now a little tarnished. Surely Sven must be pressured to give all these loanees match time when what would be best for the club would be a regular back four when players are not injured. More than any other part of the team it's the defence that plays as a unit.

Myself I'd like to see Sven stick with Naughton, Vitor, Bamba, Mee for a few matches. Yes one of them might slip up or have a bad game, but the more we stick with the same players, the better our defence will be.

Do we really need so many loanee defenders? I feel probably not and I really hope that in the likely event that we are a Championship team next season, Sven looks to sign players properly. I'm not criticising him this season for that due to his late arrival, but with a full pre-season, he will have a much better chance to do this.

Alternatively Sven will carry-on chopping and changing and we'll still get there and I'll look (more) stupid.

[Cat Burger]

I love the way people (not necessarily on here) who have glossed over Weale's mistakes from yesterday, were more than ready to analyse Ricardo's every move when he was in the team. The first goal yesterday had shit goalkeeping written all over it. If we'd kept that clean sheet until half time it would have been a different game, and that's not a fact.

[acooling08]

Constantly changing Bamba's partner hasn't helped.

Playing Ricardo is the first place didn't help.

Playing 2 wing backs who are good going forward but insufficient defensively (Not so much Naughton but PVA) certainly hasn't helped.

[Fox92]

No matter how many threads we have on either Weale or Ricardo, the fact is we need a good solid goalkeeper that will keep us in the game when called upon. We haven't got a good goalkeeper yet some people seem to think Weale is some kind of sensational goalkeeper when he isn't.

Weale should have saved the first one easily and the maybe should have got hands to the second one as well on his near post.

[Guest Mee-9]

Anyone think Bamba's looked slightly shakey over the last few games?

[Al-aLondon-Foxile]

They're all shit. End of.

[Les-TA-Jon]

Sven has tinkered a lot. There's no debating that. The back 5 seems to change every game.

However whether his tinkering has been forced, necessary or unnecessary IS debatable.

Sven has been caught in a few "catch 22" situations. Firstly the defense was awful when he first came in, so he had to change it a lot. Which obviously unsettled things but was completely necessary.

Vitor gets injured against Ipswich in the snow. Change Needed.

Then Cunningham got injured and Curtis Davies did a last minute U-Turn. It changes again.

Bruma and Mee come along. Giving him cover and more options = more tinkering.

Bruma played really well against QPR, but then misses the next game (norwich) through injury. Forcing Sven to change things and put berner back in, where he showed his age and decreasing ability at this level.

For the S****horpe game, he brings back in Vitor, which is seemingly unnecessary tinkering, but it worked with Vitor scoring 2.

Then for the following game against portsmouth, after Vitor being solid and scoring 2, he's dropped and bruma comes back in. Seemed somewhat unnecessary.

Then it changes again from Portsmouth for the Boro game because Van Aanholt is fit again. Unnecessary? Hmm i dunno.

-----------------------------------------

The problem is that we don't have the midfield players for a 4 man midfield, so we have to play 3. This in turn means that you HAVE to play attacking full backs otherwise you'd have no width, but unfortunately you have to look for players like Cole, Evra, Ramos etc to have full backs that can both defend and attack and run all day.

Add on top of this Sven's style of football that he wants: Pace, Passing, Ball Control.

With Weale in goal, a lot of our moves can't start from the back, due to his poor distribution, and also a lot of our defending ends with him hoofing it up, leading to less possession in general.

With Ricardo in goal the opposite is largely true (see the first half against derby). However he unsettles the entire back 4.

Note as well that 2 of the goals we conceded against boro were due to (amongst other factors): Weale's poor distribution and Weale's problem with long shots.

[The Doctor]

Anyone think Bamba's looked slightly shakey over the last few games?

yep, after being moved to the "wrong" side of the centre of defence as it were.

[ajthefox]

The personnel we have are good enough on their day, as TLB says we just need some consistency.

[Itsthejoeker]

No matter how many threads we have on either Weale or Ricardo, the fact is we need a good solid goalkeeper that will keep us in the game when called upon. We haven't got a good goalkeeper yet some people seem to think Weale is some kind of sensational goalkeeper when he isn't.Weale should have saved the first one easily and the maybe should have got hands to the second one as well on his near post.

This thread isn't about either