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Matches Let's talk about.......our defending!
- Thread starter Wallop
- Start date
I like a quiet life.
holdsteady
Well-known member
Got some great blocks and clearances in today, we have improved a lot at defending in our own box this season.
Left me nervous a few times with some of the short passes around our box but you can’t fault confidence when they are backing it up with clean sheets.
Left me nervous a few times with some of the short passes around our box but you can’t fault confidence when they are backing it up with clean sheets.
Scotchegg
Well-known member
As Robinson said today, where you're not at your best you must first prevent opportunities for the opposition to score. Many of these games saw teams having no shots on target, or a few half chances at best. The work rate of Dickie, Mous and Gorrin in particular makes it very hard for teams to get space in dangerous areas. It might seem stupidly obviously but it's no coincidence that successful teams tend to score the most and concede the fewest, and we are absolutely nailing both right now.
Mous got caught out a couple of times with balls over his head when the defensive line is pushed up quite high, but other than that he and Dickie were brilliant and Archer barely had a save to make. And my word, how good and calm are they on the ball.
RadOx said the last time we conceded at home in the league was August. Simply sensational.
RadOx said the last time we conceded at home in the league was August. Simply sensational.
IsleofWightYellow
Well-known member
The centre backs looked so solid against Lincoln. They just have a calmness and confidence at the moment which means they take an extra touch when needed, they don’t panic, and they win a hell of a lot in the air. Add to that Gorrin offering intelligent and hard working cover and the high press (and players like Fosu and Henry being willing to track back) and it results in a team which is very hard to break down.
beyondthefourth
Well-known member
There was one point where Dickie and Mousinho both bombed forward over the halfway line, and Gorrin dropped back behind them to cover, and I loved seeing it.
There's something about the Gorrins of the world, much like Kante in his prime, where there's a midfielder who just loves to defend, and couldn't care less if he finished his career with 0 goals/assists. I love to see players who enjoy being quietly effective.
It's part of the reason why Mackie is still so admired despite really poor goal returns. He makes everyone around him so much better.
There's something about the Gorrins of the world, much like Kante in his prime, where there's a midfielder who just loves to defend, and couldn't care less if he finished his career with 0 goals/assists. I love to see players who enjoy being quietly effective.
It's part of the reason why Mackie is still so admired despite really poor goal returns. He makes everyone around him so much better.
Agreed about Gorrin.
I loved one occasion when we broke quickly from a Lincoln corner and apart from Mousinho, there were no defenders in the back 4 with Matty Taylor covering at left back.
As an aside, Mackie was spoiling for a battle yesterday when he came on. Whether that was to fire the crowd or his teammates I don't know but it seemed to work. Good to see him give their centre back Bostwick some back.
I would say that our attacking play and goals have dried up a little in the last month (no goals v Shrewsbury and MK then one v Lincoln and Wycombe). Some of the players are not at their best and other teams put two on Fosu and have tried to stop us playing.
Our defence has really kept us going in what has been a bit of a blip.
We need to keep it tight (Sunday will be a tough game) and then hope that with a couple of new players, we get back to our best.
That's an amazing stat about not conceding at home since August, lovely to hear
Even when we got promoted under Appleton we were an away team, seem to remember we picked up more away points than nearly anyone in Europe that season, and our home form was dodgy, this is probably the first really good season of home form since the conference, which is pretty crazy, hopefully the crowds stay high to give the team the support they deserve
Even when we got promoted under Appleton we were an away team, seem to remember we picked up more away points than nearly anyone in Europe that season, and our home form was dodgy, this is probably the first really good season of home form since the conference, which is pretty crazy, hopefully the crowds stay high to give the team the support they deserve
H
horseman
Guest
according to radio Lincs our defenders are comfortable with the ball but not very good defenders, make of that what you will.
Ha ha. That is a ridiculous comment.
Do they do any 'homework' prior to games?
beyondthefourth
Well-known member
Agreed that we're struggling a bit more than we were in October, but look at the form table. Only Accrington unbeaten in 5. Us, Bristol R and Portsmouth the only teams in the top 10 to drop fewer than 7 points from their last 5 games.
No one's really playing at their best this time of year. It's all about points on the board and (touch wood) we're getting the results while waiting for January reinforcements.
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Scotchegg
Well-known member
Goals have dried up a bit, but we've played teams who have set up very defensively for the most part. It is worth looking at different ways to break these teams down, and one option is to shoot from distance, or go early with the crosses to try to get the defence on the back foot.
Common Villager
Well-known member
Gorrin is a massive part of our impressive defensive record, but he's also great at setting the tempo for the entire team when we're in possession. Whe our defenders have the ball he's constantly moving and creating space, and when it is played to him he gets it out of his feet quickly and play fast, accurate passes into feet which often initiate attacks. When he's not in the team it's noticeable that our passing is much slower and the midfield looks more pedestrian. There really is a case to be made that he's our most important player.
Even on their forum, they were pointing out the ridiculousness of the commentators on Radio Lincs such as commenting about our playing the ball about at the back and how dangerous it is whilst utterly ignoring their defenders having moments of utter ineptness.
Gary Baldi
Well-known member
If we aren't good defenders, how have we conceded such few goals. If we had scored loads and conceded loads, it's an easy concession. Considering we've not conceded at home in the league since August rather contradicts that turnip chomping point of view!
Against Lincoln I think that shooting from distance would have earned us another goal.
We did a good job in the first half. Brannagan went close twice before Baptiste scored that wonder strike. In the second half we completely changed approach and focussed most of our attacks down the right hand side. Lincoln had that absolute giant in defence and probably loved the idea of having him battle Matty Taylor in the air. The only chances I can remember are a mishit Cadden cross that nearly drifted into the top corner, and a softer shot from distance by Henry.
Lincoln also showed that long shots were a bit of a vulnerability in the earlier game!
If we are going to rely on crosses - especially early ones - I would love to see them being hit low to give Taylor more of a chance.
