Bergen Blade
Well-Known Member
1st: Gillingham attack down our left, manage to get past the challenges of Fleck, O'Connell and Done and their midfielder Wright is picked out in the box. He gets past EEL and Coutts and finishes past Moore.
The situation is similar to the one leading up to Walsall's penalty (4th goal) last week. Our midfielders move over to close down play on our left, leaving little protection centrally in front of our centre halves.
Vs Gillingham, circle showing their midfielder, who went on to score:
Vs Walsall, circle showing their midfielder who went on to win their penalty:
So on both occasions our players can't win the ball on the left hand side and our midfield are unable to cover the space centrally.
As Wright is picked out, he skips past EEL, who like last week shows a worrying weakness when players run at him. Coutts never quite gets goalside of Wright and is probably scared to give a penalty away. Basham and Freeman are focusing on their men in the box.
Some teams pack the midfield, forming a five-man block in front of the defence that the opposition has to break down. On occasions we're struggling to cover enough ground in midfield as we have two strikers; then Duffy is allowed to be more advanced than Fleck/Coutts, while the wing backs on scenarios like the above, become orthodox full backs. This leaves a two-man block - Fleck and Coutts - and it can be hard for them at times.
This lack of protection puts more pressure on the centre halves, who has to deal with players running at them and EEL has really struggled of late. He offers aerial strength and is excellent if opponents have their back to goal, but the last couple of games have exposed a weakness in him. Maybe being in the centre isn't ideal for him. Maybe Jake Wright's inclusion will help us cope better.
2nd: A long throw into the box is flicked on by Ehmer. Josh Wright runs on to the ball and toe pokes it past Moore.
O'Connell loses the original header:
Josh Wright finds space between Basham and Freeman:
I can't quite work out if Basham was originally marking Wright, or if we zonal mark on this occasion. Wilder will blame Basham if he's been specifically told to mark Wright. If we were zonal marking, Freeman was the one who should have kept an eye on Wright's run and used his body to block his path.
The situation is similar to the one leading up to Walsall's penalty (4th goal) last week. Our midfielders move over to close down play on our left, leaving little protection centrally in front of our centre halves.
Vs Gillingham, circle showing their midfielder, who went on to score:
Vs Walsall, circle showing their midfielder who went on to win their penalty:
So on both occasions our players can't win the ball on the left hand side and our midfield are unable to cover the space centrally.
As Wright is picked out, he skips past EEL, who like last week shows a worrying weakness when players run at him. Coutts never quite gets goalside of Wright and is probably scared to give a penalty away. Basham and Freeman are focusing on their men in the box.
Some teams pack the midfield, forming a five-man block in front of the defence that the opposition has to break down. On occasions we're struggling to cover enough ground in midfield as we have two strikers; then Duffy is allowed to be more advanced than Fleck/Coutts, while the wing backs on scenarios like the above, become orthodox full backs. This leaves a two-man block - Fleck and Coutts - and it can be hard for them at times.
This lack of protection puts more pressure on the centre halves, who has to deal with players running at them and EEL has really struggled of late. He offers aerial strength and is excellent if opponents have their back to goal, but the last couple of games have exposed a weakness in him. Maybe being in the centre isn't ideal for him. Maybe Jake Wright's inclusion will help us cope better.
2nd: A long throw into the box is flicked on by Ehmer. Josh Wright runs on to the ball and toe pokes it past Moore.
O'Connell loses the original header:
Josh Wright finds space between Basham and Freeman:
I can't quite work out if Basham was originally marking Wright, or if we zonal mark on this occasion. Wilder will blame Basham if he's been specifically told to mark Wright. If we were zonal marking, Freeman was the one who should have kept an eye on Wright's run and used his body to block his path.
Your analysis shows that it was a team problem, not a defence problem, and how hard it is to solve one problem without creating another, particularly with the first one. If we come across another long-throw merchant, I think the keeper has to come (Moore got decent punches on the later ones), and have a player out to mark the throw-in taker, because inevitably the punch goes in his direction, and he has loads of time to cross again.
