Preston's goal

[Tray]

Some clever movement by Preston's two players in the box, meaning the main threat gets away from O'Connell, and isn't properly challenged by Stevens. Carruthers can't stop the cross:

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As the closing down is so poor I would have liked our backline to be deeper on this occasion. If Stearman hadn't pushed towards the ball O'Connell could have left the runner to him and focused on defending the deep cross.

Video:






Bristol City's winner was a bit similar. Carruthers can't stop the cross, Stearman doesn't push up, ruining the offside, and the man on the far side is free:

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On the video, check out the chance at 0:50, same sort of situation. And nearly another chance around 1:40 too. Just seemed to switch off a few times. Was a difficult watch on Saturday. Was never going to be easy without the holy trinity, but seemed a real lack of cohesion. We go again.

 

[Trafford]

I have to question Stevens in these situations. He can see Stearman and hence shouldn’t be pushing out, certainly not without remaining in contact with the man behind him!

 

[BushBlade]

I always enjoy your analyses. Doesn't this make clear that some aspects of good defending require very good thinking very quickly? In the Bristol City goal, Stearman is at fault for staying back; in the Preston one, he is at fault for not staying back. Is it possible to expect a correct decision in a split second in such similar circumstances? That's a genuine question from a position of ignorance.

In a two, the defence usually takes their lead from a designated CH, who'd decide when to push up and play offside. I'm not sure with a three but I can't see how it could work any other way.

 

[BushBlade]

I have to question Stevens in these situations. He can see Stearman and hence shouldn’t be pushing out, certainly not without remaining in contact with the man behind him!

I was thinking the same. Who called it? Anyone or did some of them just decide to push up?

 

[Isaw Joeshaw]

That's not coaching, that's the basics. If a professional footballer doesn't know to pick someone up at a throw in then he probably shouldn't be a professional footballer.

But the fact of the matter is that those involved are, and they were playing for us on Saturday.

I would have thought it the responsibility of any diligent coaching staff to drill players and keep reminding them of their responsibilities in such situations, particularly when similar shortcomings have previously been identified.

Clearly, the players involved also have a degree of culpability, which is why I merely said in my post that coaching staff have to accept " at least some responsibility for the situation"

 

[mosbolad]

Nobody seems to have mentioned the fact that their goal originated from piss poor marking from a throw in. This is schoolboy stuff and should not happen in a well drilled professional team.

I once played for a very successful six a side team that never lost a game in two years, largely on the back of the captain/ manager screaming at us to " mark tight, mark tight " in every dead ball situation.

I well remember that in one game, a tricky winger turned to me and said " I'm glad we don't play against you lot every week, we never get the fucking ball"

Basic stuff, I know, but if you watch closely it's amazing how many times professional teams overlook this simple aspect of the game - and we did today.

Who is this Mark Tight? Never lost a game in 2 years? Surely worth a punt in January.......

 

[BushBlade]

But the fact of the matter is that those involved are, and they were playing for us on Saturday.

I would have thought it the responsibility of any diligent coaching staff to drill players and keep reminding them of their responsibilities in such situations, particularly when similar shortcomings have previously been identified.

Clearly, the players involved also have a degree of culpability, which is why I merely said in my post that coaching staff have to accept " at least some responsibility for the situation"

Just listening to Ray Houghton and he appears to agree with you (with reference to Swansea taking poor throw ins).

 

[Bergen Blade]

I always enjoy your analyses. Doesn't this make clear that some aspects of good defending require very good thinking very quickly? In the Bristol City goal, Stearman is at fault for staying back; in the Preston one, he is at fault for not staying back. Is it possible to expect a correct decision in a split second in such similar circumstances? That's a genuine question from a position of ignorance.

Certain principles help defenders decide what to do, for example:

• Oppostion player is well closed down - stay high, or even push up
• Opposition player is poorly closed down - stay deep, or even drop deeper

Preston's attack that lead to their throw in (which they scored from) showed Stearman (in my opinion) making another mistake. Their midfielder gets away from Basham, there's a huge space behind our defence and two runners. The mentioned principle says drop deep! An offside trap is too risky in such a situation. Stearman decides to push forward to challenge the man on the ball, leaving a huge gap and a race between their runners and our defenders:


Their player looks a bit quicker than O'Connell, but thankfully, the pass was a bit overhit, which enabled Moore to come out and clear the ball. A better team would probably have punished us.




We were struggling badly at the time and I felt the goal was coming.

Situations like those mentioned are Jake Wright's strength. Positioning, knowing when to push up, when to drop back, making sure fellow defenders are positioned correctly, staying focused and concentrated at all times. Of course he's not perfect and he's made mistakes too, but we do tend to look more organised when he plays.

 

[Isaw Joeshaw]

Just listening to Ray Houghton and he appears to agree with you (with reference to Swansea taking poor throw ins).

Thanks for that.

 

[Isaw Joeshaw]

I always enjoy your analyses. Doesn't this make clear that some aspects of good defending require very good thinking very quickly? In the Bristol City goal, Stearman is at fault for staying back; in the Preston one, he is at fault for not staying back. Is it possible to expect a correct decision in a split second in such similar circumstances? That's a genuine question from a position of ignorance.

It is,in fact, a very good point.

In situations like this it's all too easy to blame the defender or defenders nearest to the player who puts the ball in the net. I'm always interested to know how the ball got there in the first place.

If a team score against us by virtue of their own good build up play and movement, then fair enough but if it emanates from giving the ball away cheaply in a dangerous area or, as in this case, piss poor marking at a dead ball situation then that too needs to be highlighted and dealt with.

 

[blade67]

Maybe Carruthers and Lundstram and Basham and Lafferty thought the Ref would do the job for them.
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go back a few seconds in that video and they are all trying to understand what Lafferty for Baldock means and are changing positions as Preston take the thowin. The unmarked man was Basham's but is now Carruthers and he didn't get the message quickly enough to close him down. Its poor and frustrating and we've lost a few goals just after a formation change this year. Wallsall away 3rd goal I think, Wednesday 2nd goal and this one spring to mind.

As for4 carruthers I think he generally did OK. We lost on Saturday because as a midfield we kept giving the ball away, creating pressure on ourselves. All three players on the pitch in that position are worse at keeping the ball than the 3 players they are replacing so it's hardly surprising that we are struggling. For all that Wilder says no excuses, there is your excuse right there. Pick worse players and you are likely to get a worse result.

 

[Isaw Joeshaw]

go back a few seconds in that video and they are all trying to understand what Lafferty for Baldock means and are changing positions as Preston take the thowin. The unmarked man was Basham's but is now Carruthers and he didn't get the message quickly enough to close him down. Its poor and frustrating and we've lost a few goals just after a formation change this year. Wallsall away 3rd goal I think, Wednesday 2nd goal and this one spring to mind.

As for4 carruthers I think he generally did OK. We lost on Saturday because as a midfield we kept giving the ball away, creating pressure on ourselves. All three players on the pitch in that position are worse at keeping the ball than the 3 players they are replacing so it's hardly surprising that we are struggling. For all that Wilder says no excuses, there is your excuse right there. Pick worse players and you are likely to get a worse result.

Ah yes, Wednesday's second goal indeed which has been conveniently erased from the collective memory.

It happened within minutes of Jake Wright being taken off and, a had Duffy not scored his wonder goal less than a minute later, the Pigs may just have gone on and won that game.

That would have been an absolute travesty, I know, but it demonstrates the wisdom in the old saying ' discretion is the better part of valour '.