why is our defence so bad?

[Gavlar]

So I realise scoring goals has been a massive problem since Ched left, but why have we started to have such a leaky defence?

Its the same back 5 that kept loads of clean sheets last season, I can understand us not scoring, but with a former defender as manager why cant we get the basics right and stop the other team scoring?

 

[brownie4583]

So I realise scoring goals has been a massive problem since Ched left, but why have we started to have such a leaky defence?

Its the same back 5 that kept loads of clean sheets last season, I can understand us not scoring, but with a former defender as manager why cant we get the basics right and stop the other team scoring?

The best form of defence is attack

 

[KenMcnaughtsNuts]

The best form of defence is attack

Or as DW puts it, the best form of attack is defence!

 

[oldblade]

Perhaps because of the way the team as a whole is being organised.

This was an almost water tight defence last season. None of the back four or goalkeeper have changed. It has to be the way we are playing.

 

[Pittsburg Blade]

The defence was fine yesterday until the game got stretched, then it looks like they were run ragged. All because we couldn't score to take the pressure off.

 

[brownie4583]

It's probably not that the defence has gone bad but the fact that we can't score goals and the opponents will get a couple of chances and probably put 1 away,where as in previous seasons we would be 2 or 3-0 in front when they scored,so 2-1 or 3-1 changes to 0-1

 

[oldblade]

It's probably not that the defence has gone bad but the fact that we can't score goals and the opponents will get a couple of chances and probably put 1 away,where as in previous seasons we would be 2 or 3-0 in front when they scored,so 2-1 or 3-1 changes to 0-1

Our goal scoring record last season was pretty poor. The defence was still sound.

 

[Latters]

You would think with two holding, or deep lying midfielders it might actually be better.

Hopefully Friday will go one of two ways. We'll win convincingly and keep a clean sheet, or we won't win and we'll get somebody in capable of getting the best out of our players, defence and attack.

 

[Darren]

It's probably not that the defence has gone bad but the fact that we can't score goals and the opponents will get a couple of chances and probably put 1 away,where as in previous seasons we would be 2 or 3-0 in front when they scored,so 2-1 or 3-1 changes to 0-1

We kept a club record number of clean sheets last season, so there was a pretty good chance we would get something out of most games, even if the forwards were crap. If we did score there was a very good chance we would win. As I posted elsewhere, we never lost a game last season after going in front and won or drew every away game in which we scored.

 

[oldblade]

We kept a club record number of clean sheets last season, so there was a pretty good chance we would get something out of most games, even if the forwards were crap. If we did score there was a very good chance we would win. As I posted elsewhere, we never lost a game last season after going in front and won or drew every away game in which we scored.

Exactly. 21 clean sheets equals a minimum of 21 points. And if we happen to score, well the points tally goes up and up!

 

[Gavlar]

Our goal scoring record last season was pretty poor. The defence was still sound.

exactly, I cant get why we are so bad at keeping clean sheets really

 

[Pittsburg Blade]

exactly, I cant get why we are so bad at keeping clean sheets really

The problem is we're not scoring so there's never any pressure on the other teams. Not once since the first game have we seen our opponents having to chase the game against us.

 

[oldblade]

The problem is we're not scoring so there's never any pressure on the other teams. Not once since the first game have we seen our opponents having to chase the game against us.

I don't agree.We had a poor goal scoring record last season. We still managed 21 clean sheets.

The last time we scored this season was at Rotherham. That put us 1-0 up. We collapsed in the second half and lost 3-1.

I feel it has more to do with the way the side as a whole is being organised.

 

[Bergen Blade]

Last season we were set up very defensively with full backs holding back almost at all times, and wide midfielders often chosen for their defensive qualities. We usually had two strikers, but gave them little support and while our defensive record was good we were also the second lowest scorers in the top 12.

There are nine teams who have conceded as many or more. I think it's more important for us to focus on creating more chances, although there are defensive tweaks we could make as well.

It seems to me we're conceding a lot of long shots. Almost all goals happen after we lose possession or a challenge in our own half, and unlike us, the opposition are quick to punish us. One or two passes, no mercy.


A GoalWatch Summary:


Sheff Utd 2 - 1 Notts Co

• Long ball, Maguire loses Showunmi, long shot into bottom corner.

Sheff Utd 1 - 2 Burton

• We lose ball in own half, rw cross, Howard flap, rebound knocked in.
• Another rw cross, Westlake doesn’t challenge for header

Brentford 3 - 1 Sheff Utd

• We lose ball in midfield, run, long shot, poor closing down from midfielders (Doyle backing off).
• McGinn failing to shield ball. Cross and shot from inside box.
• Westlake/McFadzean mix up, lose possession, running at Maguire, shot, saved by Long, rebound knocked in.

Sheff Utd 1 - 1 Colchester

• Counter attack after we’d had a corner

Bradford 2 - 0 Sheff Utd

• McGinty loses header, Collins is turned by the tricky Wells, unable to block shot from edge of box.
• Long saves shot, McMahon loses header, unmarked Wells pokes it in from short range

Sheff Utd 0 - 1 MK Dons

• Free kick, Coady loses his man

Scunthorpe 0 - 0 Sheff Utd


Rotherham 3 - 1 Sheff Utd

• Screamer, Doyle couldn’t get close to Agard after Collins' header dropped.
• Pen, clumsy foul from McMahon following throw in.
• Break, made us chase back and we fail to block shooter from just outside box.

Carlisle 1 - 0 Sheff Utd

• Scramble after corner

Sheff Utd 0 - 1 Preston

• Matt Hill mistake, but Collins also out of position, poor covering. Clever dummy and finish from inside box.

Wolves 2 - 0 Sheff Utd

• Break, Sako runs, crosses deep. Long parries ball, but it ricochets into net.
• Corner is half cleared, McD finds Sako who hits screamer unchallenged. We outnumber them in the box, but they have two players just outside it, who we can't close down.

 

[OllyBlade]

Many more individual errors. These are sometimes a direct result of the way Weir is making the team play , and more recently a result of brittle confidence.

 

[chesblade]

Or is it because carsley is doing the coaching and not morgs. Pre match on the field coaching is
Completely different to what morgs did with defenders