GoalWatch - our defending vs Coventry

[Bergen Blade]

0-1: After a throw in near the halfway line, Coventry hit it long up to Best. Walker misjudges the flight of the ball, leaving Best free to chest it down and volley in. Quite similar to one of the goals conceded vs WBA.

Like then we have nobody who covers behind the challenge. A look at our organisation (see photo below):

• The gap between Morgan and Walker is too big. Morgan has probably marked someone at the throw in and hasn’t had time to get back – or he has remained more bothered about ”his man”.
• Taylor slips
• I’d personally prefered that Walker pushed over more centrally, closed some of the gap between him and Morgan, and let Taylor deal with Best. Walker could then have stepped in if Best got free of Taylor.

1-2: Monty and France clumsily both goes for the same ball. It bounces past them and gives McIndoe a free run on the left. From then on it’s panic defending, McIndoe crosses low and Morrison knocks it in before anybody can get a tackle in.


1-3: Cranie meets a inswinging corner and makes a free header at the first post. The camera doesn’t show who originally marked Cranie, but I think it is Taylor who is closest to him when he flicks it. Does Quinn try a Higuita kick at the back post? Wouldn’t it be better to concentrate and head it off the line?

 

[WorkingtonBlade]

Thanks Bergen. Great to see your transfer of this series to this site, and now with added images!

I'm not usually one for the melodramatic, but I think if we don't get a central defender in on loan promptly, to see us through to January, it will cost us our entire season. Central defenders will always miss a fair few games through injury and suspension. Walker simply does not have the experience to be the 3rd central defender, and there's no-one else.

Having said that, aside from that one weakness I think we're as good as anyone in the division. Fill that gap, and we're in with a chance of automatic.

 

[Micalijo]

Nice one Bergen. My comments below for what they are worth.

Very disappointed that Taylor seemed to slip for no reason whatsoever, He seemed to basically trip himself up. Without that he would have got some form of challenge in on Best but as you say the space was ridiculous.

The second was just a joke. Monty's determination to be involved in everything is a massive attribute but that was France's ball to run onto. Mind you, I can understand anyone who forgets France is playing.

3rd looked like good delivery to me coupled with Taylor totally losing his man. Did Coventry put all the big men at the back stick? If so, it worked perfectly. Is it Monty on the near post who makes a move to attack the ball but stops? Don't think he could have got there in fairness and nothing to do with him really. Bunn seemed to misjudge the flight a bit initially and retreated but I don't think he could have got there unless it was a pre-meditated decision to come for it. Quinn is in the wrong position at back post hence his daft attempted clearance and if he had recognised the near post corner and turned his body slightly rather it was an easy header. He switched off I think for a split second.

 

[Wapping Blade]

I was looking for Morgs in the first two goals, as he is nowhere near his CB partner.

I think that's him on the left in Bergen's picture, so what caused him to be in that position - apologies if it's obvious, I've only seen the brief Sky highlights.

For the second, you can see him making a move forward when Monty and France get in each other's way and then he can't get back in time.

 

[IOM Blade]

Don't think i've seen it mentioned anywhere, but after watching the highlights it looks to me that there is a clear handball from Best in the build up to the first goal.

 

[Bladesman]

Still schocking defending especially on their 2nd goal.

 

[Bergen Blade]

I was looking for Morgs in the first two goals, as he is nowhere near his CB partner.

I think that's him on the left in Bergen's picture, so what caused him to be in that position - apologies if it's obvious, I've only seen the brief Sky highlights.

For the second, you can see him making a move forward when Monty and France get in each other's way and then he can't get back in time.

The camera doesn't fully show what's happening, but as I said I think he's probably marking someone (Morrison), anticipating a long forward throw. As Coventry throw it backwards and then hit it long towards the far side he's got a lot of ground to make up. I like Morgan and love his strength and determination, but I think his weakness as a defender is sometimes his focusing too much on "his man". Having said that I also think Walker and Taylor's positions aren't ideal, and the camera zoom makes it difficult to get a good view of the situation.

It's also about the way our management instructs them to act, but if I was an opposition manager I would tell my strikers to make off the balls runs out wide, see if they could pull Morgan out of the middle and then try to exploit the room vacated.

 

[Bergen Blade]

Thanks Bergen. Great to see your transfer of this series to this site, and now with added images!

I'm not usually one for the melodramatic, but I think if we don't get a central defender in on loan promptly, to see us through to January, it will cost us our entire season. Central defenders will always miss a fair few games through injury and suspension. Walker simply does not have the experience to be the 3rd central defender, and there's no-one else.

Cheers Workington. I think the ideal way to try Walker at centre half would have been to let him get more experience at right back, then over weeks prepare him in training for the new role, carefully picking the right opposition, against the type of strikers one would be confident he could hold his own, and then see if he could do it. Throwing him in at hours' notice against two experienced six footers in a patched up defence certainly didn't make it easy for him.

3rd looked like good delivery to me coupled with Taylor totally losing his man. Did Coventry put all the big men at the back stick? If so, it worked perfectly. Is it Monty on the near post who makes a move to attack the ball but stops? Don't think he could have got there in fairness and nothing to do with him really.

To those who went, did you feel Coventry were a bigger and stronger side than us? Only Morgan and Henderson would be described as commanding in our starting line up, although we've added some height to the team with the likes of Taylor, France and Harper .

 

[Foxy]

Don't think i've seen it mentioned anywhere, but after watching the highlights it looks to me that there is a clear handball from Best in the build up to the first goal.

From just behind the goal to the left, it certainly looked like it to me.

Haven't watched the replays yet, but looked nailed on in real-time.

 

[Ollessendro]

Never mind Morgan being out of postion, there were 2 bloody defenders there. You can make excuses about Walker not being experienced but that was a bread and butter ball to deal with. A nothing ball, 2 defenders, and it ends up in the net. Shocking defending.

And if you think the first is bad then oh my god. Whatever Monty and France were doing I don't know. I am not a Monty knocker, but that was a howler. We have 2 defenders and seemingly no danger and the ball ends up in the net again. Even when McIndoe centres it we still could have dealt with it, but both Walker and Morgans marking was sloppy. Blackwell was quite right when he said that if people saw it at the park on a Sunday then they would be laughing.

Thanks bergen

 

[Grecian2000]

Whilst I appreciate the effort put into threads like this, I hope to God I don't have to read one tomorrow!