Just Prior to their goal

[originaltrueblade]

Just look at the marking not one picking up any attacking player…shocking defending I thought so last night and watching it back it’s absolutely woeful

 

[Darthblade]

Just look at the marking not one picking up any attacking player…shocking defending I thought so last night and watching it back it’s absolutely woeful

This is typical of our "schoolyard" defending all season
It has been woeful and I find it difficult to accept that we don't appear to be doing anything to put it right in training ...... or if we are .... it's clearly not working.
A major defensive restructure is needed in January imho ......
UTB % FTP

 

[sufcboy95]

I’m certainly in the Slav supporter camp, but one thing for sure Is we look even worse defensively than last year.

He could do with giving someone like Chris Morgan a ring to come and coach the defence

 

[Trafford]

I keep repeating the same point week in week out. Our defensive issues have a lot more to do with the basics of man-marking and not constantly ball-watching than they do with whether we play 3, 4 or 5 at the back

 

[Balham]

I keep repeating the same point week in week out. Our defensive issues have a lot more to do with the basics of man-marking and not constantly ball-watching than they do with whether we play 3, 4 or 5 at the back

There is no leadership at all in that defensive line. None of Egan, Davies, Robinson, Basham, Stevens, Baldock is vocal or has any sort of organisational ability. It's why Olsen goes mad every time we concede as it's usually completely avoidable.

 

[dublin 10 blade]

Olsen , ok he was at fault for Millwalls first
Must wonder I left Roma for this
We need Joc back or a similar type fucker to give enough a bollocking

 

[Tony_Kaufman]

Watching the replay back there were 6 Blades in and around the box as the cross came in, and only 3 Forest players. One of them attacked the ball unmarked.

Our players have zero awareness of who they're supposed to be marking. The long ball from the keeper on Saturday caught them all by surprise..... somehow. It's not like Anderson was especially quick where the long ball would catch us out.

On Saturday Baldock had to be told several times to go out wide as Husband was unmarked in space waiting for the pass on our right wing. Baldock's attention was on what was going on in the middle and he was oblivious to Husband being there. How he didn't even consider that someone might attack down his wing when he's a full back is beyond me. It's basic stuff.

How did the players go from keeping double figures of clean sheets in the Premier League to letting in soft goals through lack of awareness or poor marking? Or were we always like this but got away with it because Dean Henderson saved our arses all the time?

 

[originaltrueblade]

Watching the replay back there were 6 Blades in and around the box as the cross came in, and only 3 Forest players. One of them attacked the ball unmarked.

Our players have zero awareness of who they're supposed to be marking. The long ball from the keeper on Saturday caught them all by surprise..... somehow. It's not like Anderson was especially quick where the long ball would catch us out.

On Saturday Baldock had to be told several times to go out wide as Husband was unmarked in space waiting for the pass on our right wing. Baldock's attention was on what was going on in the middle and he was oblivious to Husband being there. How he didn't even consider that someone might attack down his wing when he's a full back is beyond me. It's basic stuff.

How did the players go from keeping double figures of clean sheets in the Premier League to letting in soft goals through lack of awareness or poor marking? Or were we always like this but got away with it because Dean Henderson saved our arses all the time?

No JOC

 

[Tony_Kaufman]

No JOC

Fair point.

I suppose the back three previously had the protection of the flat midfield three sat deep, until Fleck stopped playing football, Norwood became consistently inconsistent and Lundstram stopped giving a toss. After that they had no protection and now they're down to two of the above with the same problems.

 

[robbiez666]

Watching the replay back there were 6 Blades in and around the box as the cross came in, and only 3 Forest players. One of them attacked the ball unmarked.

Our players have zero awareness of who they're supposed to be marking. The long ball from the keeper on Saturday caught them all by surprise..... somehow. It's not like Anderson was especially quick where the long ball would catch us out.

On Saturday Baldock had to be told several times to go out wide as Husband was unmarked in space waiting for the pass on our right wing. Baldock's attention was on what was going on in the middle and he was oblivious to Husband being there. How he didn't even consider that someone might attack down his wing when he's a full back is beyond me. It's basic stuff.

How did the players go from keeping double figures of clean sheets in the Premier League to letting in soft goals through lack of awareness or poor marking? Or were we always like this but got away with it because Dean Henderson saved our arses all the time?

This is the problem with drilling the same players day in, day out, to play one way. I genuinely think the full backs are not doing their jobs as they're used to having a LCB or RCB next to them. No one seems comfortable in where they should be at any moment. It was automatic for years and now they have to think.

You also have to look at where we picked these players up from and wonder if this was one of the reasons they weren't playing at a higher level.

 

[Kenilworth]

Watching the replay back there were 6 Blades in and around the box as the cross came in, and only 3 Forest players. One of them attacked the ball unmarked.

Our players have zero awareness of who they're supposed to be marking. The long ball from the keeper on Saturday caught them all by surprise..... somehow. It's not like Anderson was especially quick where the long ball would catch us out.

On Saturday Baldock had to be told several times to go out wide as Husband was unmarked in space waiting for the pass on our right wing. Baldock's attention was on what was going on in the middle and he was oblivious to Husband being there. How he didn't even consider that someone might attack down his wing when he's a full back is beyond me. It's basic stuff.

How did the players go from keeping double figures of clean sheets in the Premier League to letting in soft goals through lack of awareness or poor marking? Or were we always like this but got away with it because Dean Henderson saved our arses all the time?

I’ve noticed in several games that Olsen has directed Baldock to come inside and not remain out wider. He directs him to be more central to cover a centre half position when the play is on the other wing. It’s the reason why many teams have had a switch available in the space Baldock has to leave.
Baldock is not having a good time of it, lately, but I believe this issue is not a lack of awareness, on his part, more of a direction from a coach or the keeper. It doesn’t look good, though, does it when there is acres of space for an opposition winger or wing back to exploit?

 

[Bladesthorpe]

Just look at the marking not one picking up any attacking player…shocking defending I thought so last night and watching it back it’s absolutely woeful

That picture is taken before Colback passed it out to the wing for the winger to cross it while Bogle dangled his leg trying to stop it.
when the ball arrives in the area their players are marked but not anywhere well enough, hence the goal.

 

[Bladey_blade]

That picture is taken before Colback passed it out to the wing for the winger to cross it while Bogle dangled his leg trying to stop it.
when the ball arrives in the area their players are marked but not anywhere well enough, hence the goal.

Egan is on his own with the two attackers with Stevens dragged across to support but he wasn't quite there as probably didn't expect to have to, Basham at that point wasn't marking anyone and was a step in front of the "line" not singling him out as it was a probably remnant of that disorganisation in the picture above, but that's how I saw it. Reckon if we were organised as early as the pic is taken we don't have the problem of Grabban being unmarked

 

[Champagneblade]

In the absence of proper wide players it's clear Slav's system is only going to be at 80%. If he'd have got Corrado then he'd have had width. He's plugging away with Osborn who is competent and has 3 goals but he's not a match winner.

Whilst we are not as effective there the defence is not good enough to cope with a decreased output up front.

As Conte is back and his 3-4-3 gets talked about, you could argue this suits us to cover for the lack in defence. Get Bash in there full-time, lose Stevens and drop Osborn to Left mid with N'Diaye and Gibbs-White either side of a centre forward.

Back to 4-2-3-1 when the winger arrives and move Davies to left back.

 

[1889]

I’d have thought the first priority when you become head coach at any club, is sort the defence out first and ensure you’re not conceding soft goals and work up the pitch from there.

I seem to remember thats what Howard Kendall did when he took over and he’d created a pretty good team who were hard to beat, by the time he left.

 

[Grappler]

I’d have thought the first priority when you become head coach at any club, is sort the defence out first and ensure you’re not conceding soft goals and work up the pitch from there.

I seem to remember thats what Howard Kendall did when he took over and he’d created a pretty good team who were hard to beat, by the time he left.

The late, great Brian Clough always said that, build a solid defence and the worst that can happen is a 0-0 draw.

 

[Kop sufferer]

I’m certainly in the Slav supporter camp, but one thing for sure Is we look even worse defensively than last year.

He could do with giving someone like Chris Morgan a ring to come and coach the defence

Better still, play in it !!!!!

 

[Yellarbellyblade]

The late, great Brian Clough always said that, build a solid defence and the worst that can happen is a 0-0 draw.

Sounds like his son that

 

[FTPE]

Stop the cross.
Win the header.
Goal side of your man.

Its what you teach children.
Baldock would have stopped that cross.

 

[HighfieldBlade]

Just look at the marking not one picking up any attacking player…shocking defending I thought so last night and watching it back it’s absolutely woeful

Shocking. Even schoolkids shout "Man each!"

 

[metalblade]

Which system are we playing man to man or zonal marking? When the ball is played out wide their winger is one on one with Bogle one of our midfielders should have got back to help Bogle instead Basham goes to do that and the cross goes over him. If the back four move across then they all have to, Egan and Stevens stayed with their men leaving a huge gap in front of goal. Ball watching on the right midfield and static defending from Egan and Stevens. Everyone could have done more to prevent that goal even Olsen. Phuck knows who our defensive coach is do we even have one week after week we make schoolboy errors.

 

[Balham]

I've watched it back again. It's a catastrophe as far as a professional defence is concerned.

Stevens and Ndiaye are beaten far too easily down the right with Fleck nearby but not doing anything. Stevens and Fleck compound the error by hesitating. This lets Spence get into a huge gap in our left back position. As the left sided centre back, Egan has to close down which pulls Basham and Bogle across too.



At this stage, we're not too disorganised, although the Forest runners have caused 7 of the 8 United players in shot to be facing their own goal (Basham being the exception). Spence's cut back is, I think, aimed at Zinkernagel (11) but it's behind him into the acres of space between our penalty area and the half way line. Fleck and Stevens are still in nomansland.



The ball reaches Colback who has 10 yards of space. Brewster or Gibbs-White should have been closer to him. He recycles the ball to Johnson (20) on the Forest left. Bogle isn't tight enough and Johnson is able to cut inside and pick out a cross. Egan has ended up with two men but either Basham has ignored a shout or there hasn't been one.



Egan then challenges Yates (22) in the air but misses the ball (really poor from a centre half). Yates should have been picked up by Basham. Grabban steals into the space vacated by Egan, gets a lucky bounce as he clearly wasn't expecting the ball to come over Egan and Yates but we don't react and he's able to stab the ball past Olsen.



None of the back four did their jobs in that passage of play, it's the latest in a series of individual errors which resulted in us conceding a soft goal.

 

[guancheblade]

This is the problem with drilling the same players day in, day out, to play one way. I genuinely think the full backs are not doing their jobs as they're used to having a LCB or RCB next to them. No one seems comfortable in where they should be at any moment. It was automatic for years and now they have to think.

You also have to look at where we picked these players up from and wonder if this was one of the reasons they weren't playing at a higher level.

Exactly. Wilder brought in unimaginative players who worked hard and did as they were told. Capable of learning one system robotically so that they weren't required to think on the pitch.

 

[Stretch]

They thought they'd already won. I like boisterous celebrations, but they acted like it was over.

Most of us knew otherwise.