Got something to say or just want fewer pesky ads? Join us... 😊
[Albion] Defence is the problem, not goalscoring
- Thread starter Shooting Star
- Start date
BN41Albion
Well-known member
- Oct 1, 2017
- 6,827
Up to 10th weve conceded the joint second fewest goals, and some in top half have conceded pretty much the same as us, so 'embarrassing' is harsh. Keeping the ball is also a form of defence, which we have done very well often this season looking at possession stats. We do have a lot to work on though - too many soft goals from not being solid or switched on enough when not in possession, or gifting goals trying to play too much football in our own half
SollysLeftFoot
New member
Webster can score but can't defend, can we not convert him into a defensive mid and play Dunk and Duffy? I'd prefer that myself.
However, yesterday was the cliched "A game of two halves", first half we dominated and second half capitulated once we conceded. I wasn't all too concerned by the loss. A rebound and an outstanding finish from Dele. Did they really properly threaten aside from then? Not particularly.
Great stadium though, but there's not a lot of space between the rows was there?
However, yesterday was the cliched "A game of two halves", first half we dominated and second half capitulated once we conceded. I wasn't all too concerned by the loss. A rebound and an outstanding finish from Dele. Did they really properly threaten aside from then? Not particularly.
Great stadium though, but there's not a lot of space between the rows was there?
No it isn't harsh. We have been so lucky not to be hammered on several occasions. It's been very easy for other teams to get in behind us.
I've noticed a weak point where balls are played into the channel between our fall back and CB creating ridiculous amount of space.. This has often led to goals.
Seasider78
Well-known member
- Nov 14, 2004
- 6,011
We look like a team who has to score at least twice to win a game (indeed we have not had a 1-0 win yet this season). At this level that is not an easy ask especially with the limited quality we have in forward areas. Need to find a way of seeing out the Palace and Burnley type games even if it means sacrificing some of the expansive play for some more cynical disruptive tactics to see games out.
Wellesley
Well-known member
- Jul 24, 2013
- 4,973
That's an interesting idea I'm my opinion.
SollysLeftFoot
New member
Well done bud, you recognised that we play 3 at the back.
Albion Dan
Banned
Agree. Our full back situation is incredibly weak and upgrades needed on both sides if we are going to push on in this league.
DarrenFreemansPerm
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I feel your criticism is a touch harsh, we do seem slightly fragile defensively this year, but there’s been occasions when we should have hammered the opposition (West Ham, Burnley, Palace).
I do agree with the glaring hole that you’ve identified, more often than not it’s the ball played between Webster and Montoya, Webster can never track his runner when this ball is played and we very quickly get cut wide open. I’m a big fan of the back 3, I’d like to see us persevere with it, I don’t mind which 3 CB’s we use as long as Dunk is in the middle and Montoya and Bernardo are the wing backs.
DarrenFreemansPerm
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Not sure Bernardo needs upgrading but a decent back up would be nice, don’t like seeing Burn there.
'Incredibly weak' is a bit strong - agree we could upgrade (we could in any position) but Montoya is solid and Bernardo is coming back from a long injury and looked good yesterday - would like to see him get a decent run in the team as I think he's very decent.
Stadium criticism … four bloody great screens but they don't show the line-ups so you don't know exactly who's on the pitch and who has been given a yellow card. Much prefer the way we manage our screens at the Amex.
portslade seagull
Well-known member
When you watch other defences they have pace to recover we don't although Bernardo would correct this a little. Teams have now sussed that a long punt over the top normally leaves us in trouble as we cannot get back against pace wingers/strikers
Mostly this.
Under Hughton, when we put defence first, if people complained they wanted more attacking football, they were told we couldn't do that because the opposition would cut through us and score lots of goals. A tough second season (particular second half) led to more people demanding more attacking football. Along comes Potter.
Now we have that more attacking football, we find that we are more vulnerable in defence, not quite the cutting through us the doomsayers predicted, but we have shipped some goals we probably wouldn't have under Hughton. But we've also scored some goals and played more attacking football that many fans find more exciting and more fun to watch under Potter.
When you play a more attacking style, it is important to score goals. If you score when you attack it keeps your opponents back for fear of conceding, and it provides a buffer should they break through your more exposed defence. If you attack lots and don't score, your opponents get bolder, push forward and when they break through your exposed defence it costs you more.
All the while our attack isn't creating or taking the chances they need to to make the attacking style work, the defence will look like a weakness. If our forward line aren't doing their job, the defence needs to step up.
To me, seeing so many poor decisions, bad execution, and faffing around outside their box by our forward line, the argument that attack is fine, it's the defence that needs sorting feels somewhat like it's more about pushing an anti-potter/pro-hughton agenda, than anything else.
Indeed, those statistics look pretty convincing; however, given that we are a 'Potterball work in progress', we were always likely to concede more at the back in an endeavour to stick more in the onion bag the other end, as Warren would say. As we haven't garnered more than 22 goals with our new style of play that is the problem and hence the lack of points.
Am I talking bollocks? Probably, I put it down to a fuzzy head, not from drink but a persistent lurgy!
One can have another discussion as to whether or not Potterball is the right way to go or not...............perhaps there is a compromise to be had somewhere, probably requiring one or two or three quality signings.
Last edited:
Good post.
As we know, Webster has mainly played as a CB during his career, but he has also played as a midfielder on occasions.
E
Eric Youngs Contact Lense
Guest
Aren't we just all describing the eternal football conundrum - the balance between attacking and defending? If we could do both optimally we would be top 4 - clearly we are not at that level and as yet we don't have the sort of player that can create something out of nothing, getting us a win or a point. That may yet come, and what we have is a platform to build on. We could be more defensive in our approach, but this, as we have seen looks like a long, difficult road to relegation, when you don't have the players with the pace, and quality to score the very rare chance you get in games. Genuinely think we will see players develop make less mistakes and get better and am excited to see what we might do with new additions.
Was delighted to see Bernardo play - his crossing from the left, pace to recover looked like something we have missed.
Of course we need the points, but having seen what we can do, I would not want to revert to hanging on trying not to lose. We will have a few more bumps on the way, but I keep reflecting on the fact that this month we have played away at Spurs, Arsenal, Palace, outplayed them for significant periods of the game, taken 4 points and are disappointed/frustrated with our haul. Good arguments in both the games we didn't win that decisions didn't go our way that may have made a big difference : penalty/sending-off. The Sheffield United result was the only disappointment really for me and even that was tight. Our lack of clean sheets is our achilles heel, but to fix that right now will either come from a significant change in style or from continued development of the current squad and maybe a new player or two in January. Happy to wait for the development/new players for now, knowing we can become a defensive unit if we really need to and the relegation threat deems it necessary.
Was delighted to see Bernardo play - his crossing from the left, pace to recover looked like something we have missed.
Of course we need the points, but having seen what we can do, I would not want to revert to hanging on trying not to lose. We will have a few more bumps on the way, but I keep reflecting on the fact that this month we have played away at Spurs, Arsenal, Palace, outplayed them for significant periods of the game, taken 4 points and are disappointed/frustrated with our haul. Good arguments in both the games we didn't win that decisions didn't go our way that may have made a big difference : penalty/sending-off. The Sheffield United result was the only disappointment really for me and even that was tight. Our lack of clean sheets is our achilles heel, but to fix that right now will either come from a significant change in style or from continued development of the current squad and maybe a new player or two in January. Happy to wait for the development/new players for now, knowing we can become a defensive unit if we really need to and the relegation threat deems it necessary.