Defensive record

[broughtonblue]

Anyone would think we hadn't let in two less than the champions!!!!!!!!!

They aren't perfect, set pieces are shite... But Jesus give em a break.

As for shocking record, it's not shocking at all really, in fact it's slightly above average for this league. 1.33 goals per game would have you about 8th in the average GPG list over the whole season. And that's taking a sample from our worst run of form this year.

We're the only team in the league to not let in more than two goals. Nobody else is even close all having conceded 3 goal or more at least 4 times.

We have the 3rd best defence over the season.

at last a sensible post!

Anyone who critisices keane and delaet must need an eye test. Two of our best players this season along with wes.

[Kitchandro]

at last a sensible post!

Anyone who critisices keane and delaet must need an eye test. Two of our best players this season along with wes.

De Laet's been consistently poor at the back.

[ealingfox]

This is what expectation does to you. An imperious defence in the first half of the season leaves people describing a just-above-average defence in the second half as 'shocking'.

[5waller5]

An observation that i noticed a few games ago and a couple of times since ... was that Konchesky looked a real athlete under Sven - I don't think i'd ever seen a player sprint more in a game - he seemed to sprint the entire 90 minutes. Looks like he's no where near as fit to me. Maybe NP's fitness regime isn't as complete as Sven's?? Maybe Konch just tried harder for Sven?? Who knows.

[Guest Col city fan]

An observation that i noticed a few games ago and a couple of times since ... was that Konchesky looked a real athlete under Sven - I don't think i'd ever seen a player sprint more in a game - he seemed to sprint the entire 90 minutes. Looks like he's no where near as fit to me. Maybe NP's fitness regime isn't as complete as Sven's?? Maybe Konch just tried harder for Sven?? Who knows.

And he was a year or two younger!

That matters when you hit your 30's...

[Guest Col city fan]

Am I wrong on this?

Wasn't our best defensive run when Morgan partnered SSL?

And we've conceded more goals since Keane has been in the side?

I'm not knocking Keane. He's gonna be a super defender I suspect. But I think this is right?

[5waller5]

And he was a year or two younger!

That matters when you hit your 30's...

Yeah, that as well!

I've just looked at his age because i thought he was 29, but he's actually 32.

[5waller5]

Am I wrong on this?

Wasn't our best defensive run when Morgan partnered SSL?

And we've conceded more goals since Keane has been in the side?

I'm not knocking Keane. He's gonna be a super defender I suspect. But I think this is right?

He might be a great defender for someone else .... right now he's a good prospect learning the tougher parts of his trade at the sharp end of a promotion race. I'd much rather have SSL playing. Keane is someone else's player and we are his finishing school - big and unnecessary risk for us.

[Father Ted]

Am I wrong on this?

Wasn't our best defensive run when Morgan partnered SSL?

And we've conceded more goals since Keane has been in the side?

I'm not knocking Keane. He's gonna be a super defender I suspect. But I think this is right?

Correct I believe. We were even stern with Whitbread in there, unfortunately, at that time we couldn't score much. You only have to check DavieG's spreadsheet to see that Whitbread got a fair amount of votes for man of the match and has way more points than Keane which imo says a lot. Keane has a bright future but he is a liability and makes our defence as a unit a hell of a lot weaker.

[Guest Col city fan]

Correct I believe. We were even stern with Whitbread in there, unfortunately, at that time we couldn't score much. You only have to check DavieG's spreadsheet to see that Whitbread got a fair amount of votes for man of the match and has way more points than Keane which imo says a lot. Keane has a bright future but he is a liability and makes our defence as a unit a hell of a lot weaker.

IMO another bizarre decision by Nige.

We'll have to hope it pays off.

[Salieri]

Interesting. I have expressed reservations about our back 5 all season and been roundly called on it, suddenly it is flavour of the day.

Interesting. If you express reservations about any given aspect of the team throughout the season (and be generally negative) then you are bound to be 'correct' sometimes.

[ADK]

I think Keane is miles better than Whitbread i can't believe we are having this discussion.

Keane is so much better with the actual football and i believe his defending is very good. Whitbread is an absolute liability as he constantly commits fouls as he can't keep up with his opponent.

Whitbread gave a goal away in every game for the first 4 or so games and i believe his high ratings after were more out of relief and relative improvement than real performance.

Vardy and Waghorn rated quite highly too despite neither getting the business done where it matters.

De Laet looks tired but then we have faced some tricky opponents with Brighton Birmingham Bolton and Palace all possessing the ability to threaten the flanks.

I think our defensive lapse (and as pointed out 1.33 goals per game is average not bad) is more down to the general nervousness in our play.

It's not any one player and not always the defenders.

King nodded an easy header straight to a Bolton player for their second. Nugent inexplicably ran the ball into our own area from halfway and gifted a goal from nothing to Birmingham. Morgan conceded a needless Penalty. I believe Schmeichel would have saved LuaLua's effort 9 times out of 10. These things are more about lack of concentration when it matters rather than general lack of ability.

[marbelladave]

Interesting. If you express reservations about any given aspect of the team throughout the season (and be generally negative) then you are bound to be 'correct' sometimes.

Bollox.

I have on a number of occasions criticised our back 5 for a lack of organisation and determination specifically in and around our own box.

This manifests itself in a chronic inability to defend corners and set pieces, are you suggesting this is incorrect?

It is my view that we gave away 2 points today because of this failing, one that has been apparent all season and is now compounded by a lack of discipline, leading to more free kicks conceded around our box.

[neiltheblue]

Anyone would think we hadn't let in two less than the champions!!!!!!!!!

They aren't perfect, set pieces are shite... But Jesus give em a break.

As for shocking record, it's not shocking at all really, in fact it's slightly above average for this league. 1.33 goals per game would have you about 8th in the average GPG list over the whole season. And that's taking a sample from our worst run of form this year.

We're the only team in the league to not let in more than two goals. Nobody else is even close all having conceded 3 goal or more at least 4 times.

We have the 3rd best defence over the season.

this

[Aus Fox]

Just to remind everyone we are a Championshop side. Of our defenders were perfect, didn't make mistakes, didn't have lapses in concentration etc they would not be here. Simple as. I don't think there is a better centre back than Morgan in the championship. Keane is young but has had some amazing performances as has de Laet, koncheskys been up and down but again if he was the player he was at Fulham he would still be playing premier league.

[Dan]

Said it in the post-match thread, the defence, other than Morgan, is average.

Morgan - Best defender in the league for me. He's made a very average defence one of the best in the league, that is commendable.

Keane - I'm actually losing faith in this lad. He's at an age where you ease him in, not rely on him as a starter when in the play-offs.

Whitbread - Disappointing. Lacks pace, often goes for the long ball, often prone to mistakes. I'd get rid personally.

Moore - Potential, but again, we cannot afford to be over-reliant on him. He's a talented defender but reliable? Not yet.

Konchesky - Very good in patches, absolute shit in others. Past his sell-by date, losing his pace and his hoofball is becoming more recognisable by the game. I bet he's on a silly wage packet too.

De Laet - Poor defender. Excellent attacker and I'd personally think of trying to convert him into a right winger as he seems to have a decent end product too, but his positional sense is poor and he doesn't strike me as overly strong. Talented no doubt but I honestly believe he'd be far better use as a right winger.

St Ledger - Not a bad defender but yet again, mistake prone. Over-rated.

We can't defend set pieces at all, in-fact our set pieces have been a complete joke attacking wise and defensively for years, the proportion of set pieces goals scored to conceded must read absolutely laughably. We're often losing the 50/50's, we're easy pickings for any winger with a brain and we've not kept a clean sheet in 12 games. This is a very un-typical Pearson defence if you ask me.

[Babylon]

IMO another bizarre decision by Nige.

We'll have to hope it pays off.

SSL is a crock, he's been injured most of the year and guess what, he's injured again at Millwall.

If he spent more time getting fit and less time flying to Dublin on the piss he might recover.

[buzzy]

I'm unsure about Keane.

These are BIG games for the club. Is he good enough YET to take it on board?

It still surprises me Nige sent SSL on loan at present.

i was thinking the same about keane. what is our defensive record since he has been playing compared to before because i feel that we seem to be weaker.the best defence i saw this season was the hudersfield away in league where we seemed to have no truble defending. also you defend from the front its a whole team effort

[Babylon]

i was thinking the same about keane. what is our defensive record since he has been playing compared to before because i feel that we seem to be weaker.the best defence i saw this season was the hudersfield away in league where we seemed to have no truble defending. also you defend from the front its a whole team effort

I've not looked up whether he played even game since Jan 1st, if he has this is the record. (Moved Bolton away into second row as he played in that and got a clean sheet before getting injured and returning to Man U).

22 goals In 24 games without Keane

22 goals in 20 games with Keane

A four goal difference is fairly negligible.

[marbelladave]

Just to remind everyone we are a Championshop side. Of our defenders were perfect, didn't make mistakes, didn't have lapses in concentration etc they would not be here. Simple as. I don't think there is a better centre back than Morgan in the championship. Keane is young but has had some amazing performances as has de Laet, koncheskys been up and down but again if he was the player he was at Fulham he would still be playing premier league.

This is fair comment Aus.

But given this pretty obvious truth I find myself asking why we have not done more to get the best from them?

Two specific areas need attention, firstly and most critically is our lack of real organisation in our box and the absence of a commanding figure to dominate that area, it has been a problem all season, as our poor defending at corners and set pieces has shown.

Secondly, De Laet is an important attacking player for us, so important in my view that we need to make specific arrangements to give him cover when he gets forward. We don't do that, we just expect him to get up and down for 90 minutes often without support, no wonder he looks a bit tired.

Given that our manager is a defender and given his priorities elsewhere on the pitch, I am surprised that has not been addressed.

[Bettsj2]

The fact Pearson was a defender has no bearing on how our defence plays so not sure why people keep mentioning that. If Mark Hughes was manager, would we expect our strikers to be scoring bicycle kicks week in, week out?

Anyway, our defensive record is as deceptive as the relegation season. That defence was shit but for different reasons. Our current back 4 is shit because apart from Wes, the other 3 weigh about 4 stone combined. Zero physicality. If we had Morgan and Danny Shittu as the two centre backs, absolutely no fvcker would win anything. Need more beef at the back.

[Guest Col city fan]

The fact Pearson was a defender has no bearing on how our defence plays so not sure why people keep mentioning that. If Mark Hughes was manager, would we expect our strikers to be scoring bicycle kicks week in, week out?

Anyway, our defensive record is as deceptive as the relegation season. That defence was shit but for different reasons. Our current back 4 is shit because apart from Wes, the other 3 weigh about 4 stone combined. Zero physicality. If we had Morgan and Danny Shittu as the two centre backs, absolutely no fvcker would win anything. Need more beef at the back.

I was thinking this watching the Hull game on Friday.

Going forward, Hull have scored relatively few goals but their defence of Hobbs, Faye and Chester look as solid as a rock. Big, strong and physical. This is what is needed in the Championship.

Bollox to 'footballing' defenders at this level. Let the attack minded players play the football, let the defenders defend. Solidly and assuredly.

This is the sole reason why it's probable Hull are going up. Bruce has got his 5-3-2 pretty much spot on and not conceded many.

[Dickov22]

I'm unsure about Keane.

These are BIG games for the club. Is he good enough YET to take it on board?

It still surprises me Nige sent SSL on loan at present.

Keane has been fantastic and I'm beginning to like him as much as Wes.

Pearson's wanted rid of SSL since the season began- injury prone, messes around, can't win the ball in the air. Noticed he tweeted last night that he's injured again! What's the surprise?

[Guest ttfn]

Interesting. If you express reservations about any given aspect of the team throughout the season (and be generally negative) then you are bound to be 'correct' sometimes.

Agreed. Some people raise "reservations" about everything. I have reservations about the sun staying out for the next 15 years.

[Guest Col city fan]

Keane has been fantastic and I'm beginning to like him as much as Wes.

Pearson's wanted rid of SSL since the season began- injury prone, messes around, can't win the ball in the air. Noticed he tweeted last night that he's injured again! What's the surprise?

Keane hasn't been fantastic

If he'd been fantastic we wouldn't have conceded the goals in recent months we've conceded.

He's got lots of promise.

Personally, I'd have signed/played a bigger, stronger centre back to play alongside Morgan.

Someone with Championship experience.

It's fine margins, success and failure. As things currently stand we are 7th. Where I predicted we'd be at the start of the season.

Two massive games looming up but I'm afraid I remain thinking if Pearson had made better decisions over recent months, we'd be safely tucked up in the play offs already.