Our defence

USCherry

USCherry

UTC Legend
Another clean sheet on Saturday got me thinking. Has our defence improved? Obviously our goals against does not look good but I think goals from defensive mistakes is definitely less. As for clean sheets we are currently on 8 which is our second best tally for the season in the Prem (10 is our best).

As a comparison, in the Prem, our goals against has been getting better. 67, 67, 61, 54 (season to date)

Do people feel like we are or have improved?
 
USCherry said:
Another clean sheet on Saturday got me thinking. Has our defence improved? Obviously our goals against does not look good but I think goals from defensive mistakes is definitely less. As for clean sheets we are currently on 8 which is our second best tally for the season in the Prem (10 is our best).

As a comparison, in the Prem, our goals against has been getting better. 67, 67, 61, 54 (season to date)

Do people feel like we are or have improved?
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Not improved...sorry...we do not defend well as a team
 
USCherry said:
Another clean sheet on Saturday got me thinking. Has our defence improved? Obviously our goals against does not look good but I think goals from defensive mistakes is definitely less. As for clean sheets we are currently on 8 which is our second best tally for the season in the Prem (10 is our best).

As a comparison, in the Prem, our goals against has been getting better. 67, 67, 61, 54 (season to date)

Do people feel like we are or have improved?
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Personally would say it has got worse.

As previously said, as a team our defending more often than not is shocking, despite all the individuals being more than good enough
 
We are good at keeping clean sheets when we really put our mind to it. Unfortunately when we let in one, our heads drop and it quickly comes 2 or more.

The talent to defend better is there. I think it’s more a mental issue. How many times have we just let in one goal?
 
Tinpot Club said:
We are good at keeping clean sheets when we really put our mind to it. Unfortunately when we let in one, our heads drop and it quickly comes 2 or more.

The talent to defend better is there. I think it’s more a mental issue. How many times have we just let in one goal?
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Twice in the last couple of games (man city and wolves). :)
 
As has been stated, we need to defend better a s a team, and not just a sa back 4...

The additin of Lerma has helped but then you place other personel in the midfield, like Ibe, and you're taking one step forward and 2 back...

Ibe has been better but he still aint great... W e need 2 solid banks of 4 and then we'll be hard to score against...

It also doesnt help that Eddie looks at attack first, and defence seems secondary.
 
Lerma excellent but needs a ball-holding midfielder alongside to help protect the defence and move the ball creatively. In the absence of L Cook this is our biggest weakness.
 
For me it’s as simple as home vs away.

At home we have the 7th best points tally with 8th best (ie lowest) goals conceded. Thus no need to change.

Away, only Fulham have conceded more despite the players being largely the same!
 
At the start of the season I'd have said yes but it seems we've reverted back to type in the second half of 18/19

I think we'll always be a team that ships goals owing to the fact that we typically play with 4-4-2 in an era of 5 man midfields.

Like AFCBade pointed out, it's our away form thats really harming us this year, perhaps signs we need to change tack a bit away from home? The question is just how?
 
Surely the main problem has been the continual rearranging of both the defence and midfield due to the injuries and settling in of new players!
Away performances will always be more difficult anyway! If we get near 50 points with the team staying stable in the last 8 fixtures this will be more or less seen as the reason for the season we had!
 
Topfarrier said:
Our defending of set pieces certainly has...been outstanding this season...struggling to think of a goal we've conceded from one tbh!....i'm sure that there must have been one or two though surely.
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I thought the first goal we conceded against Liverpool fell in that category. It was not directly from the corner but we fell asleep during the second phase. It was disappointing because we had done ok up until that point.
 
red_james said:
At the start of the season I'd have said yes but it seems we've reverted back to type in the second half of 18/19

I think we'll always be a team that ships goals owing to the fact that we typically play with 4-4-2 in an era of 5 man midfields.

Like AFCBade pointed out, it's our away form thats really harming us this year, perhaps signs we need to change tack a bit away from home? The question is just how?
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It definitely is a mentality thing - Eddie has mentioned it recently and Ake has said in his recent interview about the defensive performance v City as “ everyone in the team working for each other “ whilst perhaps hinting that at that hasn’t happened in other games ...
 
Our defenders individually are very talented players, who no doubt must get a bit fed up with being labelled one of the worst defences in the league by pundits. Granted they're still making stupid errors, but I think these have mostly improved this season.

It's the same problem it's always been: porous midfield and giving the ball away in precarious situations. We've had the 7th most clean sheets in the league and there's a reason players like S. Cook and Ake are in the top 5 for stats like "Clearances", they're doing a good job- but you can only hold back the tide for so long. And injuries haven't helped either. We were on a positive GD for quite a long time before Xmas.
 
It's a strange one really. I think we have improved somewhat. In previous seasons I always felt like we'd struggle to keep a clean sheet even if that was our entire game plan. I just felt like we would inevitably make those one or two mistakes to let the other team score. I think we were less well organised than we are ( or can be at times ) today. We have had games where we really have defended as a team, attacking players tracking back and covering space. Sometimes when we work really hard as a team, it looks like we'll be very tough to break down. Unfortunately we often revert to type and the attackers are solely focused on attack and the midfield is leaving the defence over exposed at times, particularly when we lose possession in the attacking third. But I do see signs of better organisation and an ability to defend as a team in certain games. These days I would be fairly confident, that if everybody was on their game and there were no lapses in concentration, we could successfully keep most teams out. Obviously that's not our usual tactic but I think it is now at least not a tactic which is inevitably doomed to failure. So yes, I think we have improved in defending, in defending as a team particularly. As others have said, I think individually all of our defenders are good enough to do the job but sometimes we are asking a bit too much of them. If the others could help out a bit more without sacrificing our attacking threat I think we would be solid enough in defence.
 
...it is something that Howe has had to address and I think that there is a change in how we play, so some of the attacking threat may diminish?

I have a Burnley supporting friend who praised Howe's attacking strategy...but criticised his defensive nouse, when he was there as Manager...and so it is now IMO but heavy defeats and defensive lapses meant a rethink has been required...I am happy to see us tighter at the back and defend more as a team to give us some stability in this League..
 
Garbo said:
...it is something that Howe has had to address and I think that there is a change in how we play, so some of the attacking threat may diminish?

I have a Burnley supporting friend who praised Howe's attacking strategy...but criticised his defensive nouse, when he was there as Manager...and so it is now IMO but heavy defeats and defensive lapses meant a rethink has been required...I am happy to see us tighter at the back and defend more as a team to give us some stability in this League..
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Big fan of the switch to counterattacking football this season. Much more explosive, like we were in the Championship
 
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