[Albion] The elephant in the room - Our defensive record

[Mustafa II]

Great 2nd half and very nice come back tonight... A decent and well earned first ever point in Europe.

But 20 goals conceded in our 10 fixtures this season, and I can't even remember the last time we had a clean sheet.

Do you think we should be concerned about our defensive record, or is it just something we should accept as a trade off with our entertaining and risky style of play?

 

[portlock seagull]

But the Lion in the room is our goal scoring so feck negative Nelly and her trunk!

 

[Van Cleef]

Great 2nd half and very nice come back tonight... A decent and well earned first ever point in Europe.

But 20 goals conceded in our 10 fixtures this season, and I can't even remember the last time we had a clean sheet.

Do you think we should be concerned about our defensive record, or is it just something we should accept as a trade off with our entertaining and risky style of play?

 

[Gazwag]

Tony's making a killing on BTTS

 

[The Fits]

RDZ came with a reputation for shifting goals but I'm certain he would want more clean sheets. Whilst we lack a full 90 minutes performance and with certain players looking increasingly hesitant in front of goal it's a bit of a concern. It's kind of like a crash course in being zen. But it's hard to fully relax when we look so poor defensively. Overall I think we will be alright bit I suspect both Liverpool and City will have a field day. We do look bloody awful at the back.

 

[Kosh]

Trade off… eventually we’ll fluke a clean sheet, and this ‘record’ will be a mere footnote in an otherwise balls to the floor emotional rollercoaster of a season.

Crying one moment punching the air the next… what’s not to like ?

Nil and zero is for pensioners like Roy Hodgson who need to be tucked up in bed by 9pm. I’d take 5-3, 4-2 and the occasional humility restoring battering any day of the week, even on a sodding Thursday somewhere in Greece.

 

[LamieRobertson]

I think tonight I’ll just think about a great comeback

 

[Weststander]

Trade off… eventually we’ll fluke a clean sheet, and this ‘record’ will be a mere footnote in an otherwise balls to the floor emotional rollercoaster of a season.

Crying one moment punching the air the next… what’s not to like ?

Nil and zero is for pensioners like Roy Hodgson… I’d take 5-3, 4-2 and the occasional humility restoring battering any day of the week, even on a sodding Thursday somewhere in Greece.

 

[Comrade Sam]

The West Ham game was a blueprint. We miss Caicedo style defensive cover and a bit more pace at the back. I think Baleba can plug that gap with time and the rest is annoying fine margins and errors. Let's not panic people.

 

[Meade's Ball]

Tis surely the lack of a Caicedo in the room. I want a Baleba in the room who knows how to hover and mercilessly thrust.

 

[beorhthelm]

hard to lose two of the best midfielders in the league and not have some effect. not just the defensive side, playing out of the back is not as confident or successful without them.

 

[Barnet Seagull]

They way RDZ works is to try to achieve attacking overloads. To do this requires us to outnumber the opposition in key spaces and this means leaving us 1v1, 2v2 or 3v3 at the back. The challenge is to retain the ball, to use it effectively to score goals and make as few errors as possible. The opposition will always be a threat, particularly in transitions but our "rest defence" is generally decent so we're in a good position to recover.

I don't think anything will change massively. We're as likely to score 4 as ship 4. Th best thing is that even 2-0 down tonight, I thought we could win it, same as I did against AEK. Some days we win, some we lose, some we draw but it's always fun to watch.

I'd take the entertainment above a 1-0 every day of the week and hope that over the course of the season, the team grows in capability and strength.

 

[HeaviestTed]

The elephant in the room is our embarrassing corners and set pieces.

I think there has been one goal from a corner against Liverpool and that was an accident off someone’s tit.

Every corner we take we are almost guaranteed to not score.

That being said, love RDZ - he can do what he wants in my eyes x

 

[studio150]

Great 2nd half and very nice come back tonight... A decent and well earned first ever point in Europe.

But 20 goals conceded in our 10 fixtures this season, and I can't even remember the last time we had a clean sheet.

Do you think we should be concerned about our defensive record, or is it just something we should accept as a trade off with our entertaining and risky style of play?

But 23 goals scored.

 

[Weststander]

The West Ham game was a blueprint. We miss Caicedo style defensive cover and a bit more pace at the back. I think Baleba can plug that gap with time and the rest is annoying fine margins and errors. Let's not panic people.

There seems to be two styles against us:
1. West Ham, 9 players back in a low block for 90 minutes, get the cigars out. A couple of great forwards to tear us apart when we naively push everyone forward.
2. Villa, blitz our entire defensive system with superior ££££ players from the first second, pace and power.

 

[chickens]

I honestly believe that RDZ as a coach will learn pragmatism over time. No manager wants to lose games, and he’s bright.

He’s going to come up with ways (through a mixture of individual coaching, personnel changes and tactical tweaks) to keep his philosophy while tightening up a bit.

There are coaches who are one trick ponies, I believe RDZ is better than that, he and the team will adapt.

Sadly, that’s probably also when he will leave for Real Madrid.

Time will tell.

 

[albionalex]

There is an element of bad luck too e.g the Dunk mistake today, the pen against Dunk vs Luton etc.

 

[METALMICKY]

The elephant in the room is our embarrassing corners and set pieces.

I think there has been one goal from a corner against Liverpool and that was an accident off someone’s tit.

Every corner we take we are almost guaranteed to not score.

That being said, love RDZ - he can do what he wants in my eyes x

And surely someone other than Dunky should have fancied that free kick?

 

[HeaviestTed]

And surely someone other than Dunky should have fancied that free kick?

No idea why he took it, imagine if we had trippier for that - could have been a goal

 

[The Grockle]

1st draw in something like 15 competitive matches that last one against arguably the world's greatest team kind of suggests it's either champagne or razor blades under RDZ.

I'll take that but after Villa and the first half today I'm going to have to do a better job of preparing myself for the lows!