Defensive Frailties

What is it with our defence, other than they are useless at closing out games.
To date we have in 8 games gave away goals in the 86th minute onwards ( 6 were 90th min.+ ) As a result we have dropped 8 points ( all at home ). Surely we should have learnt by now how to close out matches, isn't that what coaches are for ?
Yesterday against Stoke was a prime example, we had the ball down in a corner yet proceeded to play 5 back passes only for Krull to just hoof it forward ( to a Stoke player ) and seconds later it was in the back of our net.
Where were our leaders shouting to ensure tightness at the back.
Has Ashley secretly told the team to let the opponents score thus ensuring we only finish around 10-12th. Those extra points could have seen us challenging for a EUFA place and we know what Ashley thinks of that.

 

It would be unfair to pinpoint only the defence. You have to defend as a team, particularly when you closing out a game. Yesterday the defence were exposed by a midfield which just went AWOL. Sissoko seemed to ignore that his role had changed when we attacked the game. As a senior player he should know better. Colback is too quiet but needs to learn to rattle those around him when he is being left exposed as he was yesterday. Abeid was sent on to do a role, hold the midfield and keep the ball. He did neither. We were all over the shop.

There is a lack of leadership, this is one area where Colo is really lacking. He wanted to sit in. That is fair enough if you are laying against quick players (even if I think you are better moving out and playing keep ball). However you can only do that with protection in front, you have to work as a team. i think it was wrong all round yesterday and I don't believe Colo will ever learn that Crouch has to be pushed high up the pitch. Everytime we play against him, we make the same mistake. It doesn't matter if it is Terry, Cahill, Ivanovic, Kompany etc, if you allow Crouch to get inside the box and get crosses in, there is only one winner.

Carver etc can only do so much. These are not school kids, they are professionals. I'd be sitting them down and showing them a video of the last 15mins yesterday. I'm sure Carver etc will. They will explain where they went wrong as they will have done before, but it is down to the collective of players to sort it out.

Yes we should have taken one of those gilt edge chances to kill it, but it doesn't excuse the defending.