Our defenders

[pommpey]

Saying he cost us at Spurs is incredibly harsh. He played very, very well and made one mistake. Who else would you have had there? Collins?!

Judging a league one player by his performance against two of the best players in the country at the moment isnt fair. Im surprised at you Pompey!

So who else handballed it?

That is a salient question. Had he not had his lapse of judgement ....

pommpey

 

[SUFC Handsworth]

And you know this because????? Oh that's right, you don't.

Out of that list of defenders Butler and Collins are probably the best pair for centre backs, I'd love to say by a country mile, but certainly the best of a poor bunch. For starters they are centre halves, the only others are a kid, McGahey, who at worst looked out of his depth, at best very raw, and Kennedy who would be a strong contender but if I'm right was injured at the start of the season that put him out of contention for the first few months, and is currently out again through injury. Butler and Collins both have bags of experience and have been decent performers at this level for a number of years. I'd totally discount the infamous first 45 mins at Burton... first run out of pre-season, new partnership and never played together before. Butler has since proved his worth at Donny and Collins the same over the last 3 seasons alongside Maguire.

Butler and Collins at the back all season would have proven a much more reliable combination than the collection of a full-back, midfield player or out of his depth teenager that Clough has opted for most of the time. I dare say we'd have got a few more goals at the other end of the park from set plays as well. Not got a problem with Clough falling out, or whatever with Butler, he got shut quickly but it was a glaring error not getting in a decent replacement, proper dominant centre half.

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

League 1 players unfortunately make league 1 mistakes.

Spot on.

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

McGahey, who at worst looked out of his depth, at best very raw

FWIW McGahey was loaned to Tranmere who have since lost 4 out of 4 (I think) and dropped into the relegation zone. He wasn't in the squad today.

Things aren't heading in the right direction for him atm. I hope something happens to turn it round.

 

[crucialkneeligaman]

Talking of McEveley, and I know it's going off the subject slightly, but we get a corner in the dying embers of the game, and when it is swung over, guess who was stood up by the halfway line ?, one of the few 6 foot plussers in the team, not blaming him, obviously must have been following instructions, but I found it bizarre.

 

[Chezzy Blades]

Talking of McEveley, and I know it's going off the subject slightly, but we get a corner in the dying embers of the game, and when it is swung over, guess who was stood up by the halfway line ?, one of the few 6 foot plussers in the team, not blaming him, obviously must have been following instructions, but I found it bizarre.

He looked as though he was still carrying the injury from when he hit the boards at the BL end. Didn't seem to fancy heading it after that. Or before in fact, for that matter.

 

[SUFC Handsworth]

Talking of McEveley, and I know it's going off the subject slightly, but we get a corner in the dying embers of the game, and when it is swung over, guess who was stood up by the halfway line ?, one of the few 6 foot plussers in the team, not blaming him, obviously must have been following instructions, but I found it bizarre.

I'd been thinking the same all game.

 

[crucialkneeligaman]

He looked as though he was still carrying the injury from when he hit the boards at the BL end. Didn't seem to fancy heading it after that. Or before in fact, for that matter.

Yes course, thanks Deej, seems to explain it.

 

[SW12 UTB]

I thought mcceverly was decent today, as was basham once again, although I thought both full backs were dreadful, Brayford just seems terribly out of form and quite frankly at the moment a waste of a million odd pounds. Also the amount of times Harris took a second too long before crossing the ball which resulted in it getting blocked was ridiculous. Is he not capable of playing a first time ball in?

 

[Sheff de party]

So who else handballed it?

That is a salient question. Had he not had his lapse of judgement ....

pommpey

I'm not disputing he handballed it. But I don't think any of our other defenders would have coped with that amount of pressure for 90 minutes against Spurs and kept them to one mistake. Yes, he got punished for it but that's just unfortunate. It's harsh to say he "cost us" when we wouldn't have done anywhere near as well without him playing so well (in my opinion, obviously).

Taking Saturday for example, we only had one centre back who could have done something about both goals and that's Basham.

 

[pommpey]

I'm not disputing he handballed it. But I don't think any of our other defenders would have coped with that amount of pressure for 90 minutes against Spurs and kept them to one mistake. Yes, he got punished for it but that's just unfortunate. It's harsh to say he "cost us" when we wouldn't have done anywhere near as well without him playing so well (in my opinion, obviously).

Taking Saturday for example, we only had one centre back who could have done something about both goals and that's Basham.

Looking at the footage, I'd say closing down by Brayford and shit positional work by the keeper were more to blame for the fishies goals.

pommpey

 

[Maidenhead]

I was saying before the game on Saturday that our biggest problem is that we play a full back and a midfielder in the centre of defence.

Whilst they both do quite well neither of them are solid enough to be a centre half, and together it is a recipe for disaster.

The biggest difference between last season (under Clough) and this is the goals we are conceeding.

It is this soft centre that will ultimately have cost us if we don't make it up through the play offs.

 

[JohnDenver]

I was saying before the game on Saturday that our biggest problem is that we play a full back and a midfielder in the centre of defence.

Whilst they both do quite well neither of them are solid enough to be a centre half, and together it is a recipe for disaster.

The biggest difference between last season (under Clough) and this is the goals we are conceeding.

It is this soft centre that will ultimately have cost us if we don't make it up through the play offs.

This above all else. ^^^^^

It's no coincidence that we do better with Kennedy in the side. Not because he's a world beater, but just because he's a genuine defender. Who defends and stuff. Radical.

In many ways it's a shame the fella we got from Palace was so poor. A brutally effective stopper next to Basham would have made a huge impact.

 

[raul]

What was more impressive was the fact he managed to destroy a plate of belly pork with mustard mash and roasted veg whilst saying it.

 

[Sheff de party]

Looking at the footage, I'd say closing down by Brayford and shit positional work by the keeper were more to blame for the fishies goals.

pommpey

It was all round awful, but in the end I think both goals are keeper errors, particularly the second one.

Basham missed a tackle for the first and gave away the free kick by getting skinned for the second. Not solely his fault, but I just think McEverley gets too much stick.

Saturday was a shambolic performance anyway, regardless of individual errors. It's the first time I've ever felt my money and time were wasted.