Gonna keep this simple......if MH does or thing this week in training, please let it be "how to defend set-pieces". I get scared ****less with every free kick around 18 yard box or any corner. Would love to know the stats for conceding goals in these areas, always seems high. That's it. Thanks. Not really a moan, generally happy with performance against Everton and with team selection.
It's not just set pieces, it's crosses from any situation, dead ball or open play. We couldn't defend them last season, and we can't this. If we don't sort it out we will be in deep do dos!
That's right. I mentioned this in another post. There are two glaring weaknesses in our play and I haven't seen an improvement in either after 8 games. Defence against set pieces is one and the other is our inability to score against teams that sit back. Against Everton at home, we had a very attacking team and they were a man down for 30 mins and we made little impression. Will playing together more change our ineffective frontline? I see these problems as a bit more than temporary. TF and MH keep harping on about getting better but it doesn't matter how good we look in midfield or how much possession we have. Teams have a blueprint for success against us and that really worries me.
Playing against a team down to 10 men is more difficult as they shut up shop if they are already winning or drawing. Everton has a great defense and we did break through a few times. All in all yes we are improving
U know I was thinking yesterday watching the game 'Is defence the hardest position ,compared to midfield/strikers' Because its so easy to criticise when ur team lets a goal in. Just cast ur mind back when watching England play and how bad they are at set pieces,corners etc and they are supposed to be the crem della crem of the premiership
We don't look that dangerous from set pieces either. Other teams really seems to luxuriate in the moment and milk it for all it's worth, often we look like we see a free-kick as an inconvenience. I'd like to see fewer quick free kicks taken, and every one used as an opportunity to attack. Even if it's on the half way line...get everyone in the box and lump it in there. Who knows, the better we get at defending them, perhaps the more intuitively we'll know how to make ours more uncomfortable for the opposition?
Well said. I would like to suggest........ a change in formation at the back and the middle. And being able to change formation completely during a match as needed. I still don't think Hughes gets it. Being out of the League Cup, and not being in Europe, and the FA Cup not coming for another month, there is no real excuse for the team not to be able to gel with all the time we have in between matches (besides the injuries, that is). Just stack it at the back and middle. Stop with this flimsy 4 at the back thing he keeps playing. It's obviously NOT working. Just go to the 5, with 3 in the centre back. Then put 2 in front of that. Then the other 3 can be striker/wingers who can roam for themselves a bit more. But keep it tight at the back. Stop the leak. Or play 4-2-4-0 like Brazil is playing now, with no real strikers but striking widemen who roam for themselves. I don't mind that. But we have to just plug the back. So 5 would be better for now, with those willing to put some hard tackles in, and play man-marking when on the defensive, don't let any of them get past us, stick with them all the time as we chase them, double-team with the extra covers.
