Defence

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Sunderpitt said:
Rotherham 17 goals against
Wigan 20 goals against
Sunderland 32 goals against

There's the problem, unless we sort it, we are unlikely to get promoted.

Do we have a defensive coach?

Any idea of players we should/could we bring in
Click to expand...

If we have, he's no bloody good and we need another one. I agree that our defensive frailties are the only thing that could cost us promotion. I'm currently unsure whether the problem is our current personnel or the way we are set up (or both).
 
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Completely agree. That's the main concern I have remaining about Johnson. He genuinely seems to think our central defenders are good enough. Flanagan looks good for a game or two but makes mistakes and has been doing this every year we have been down here. I'd love us to strengthen there but scared it won't be seen as a priority.
 
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Last 2 games coincides with Bailey Wright missing out. It also is without a senior keeper behind them. I think there are reasons the squad conceded 6 in the last 2.

We arent setup, in my opinion, to keep clean sheets. It is the Man City model of goalscoring first and foremost. We are top scorers in the league. I think being better defensively will inevitably mean taking some edge off our goal threat. I really would like us to sign an imposing centre half, but one that also wants to take the ball to feet. There arent many of them at this level. Oddly though I think if anything were to stop us it may still be taking chances. Against Wycombe we should have had a couple more in the second half and it isnt the first time we have rued missed chances...
 
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two solid center backs in the mould of kabul, no nonsense, 'get yer head in type'...while flanno has improved and doyle has shown maturity and some skill, both are lacking in certain areas, wright has returned and looked solid enough but more as a right sided player.

gooch, hume, winchester and others might well have 'done a job' when asked but they are no substitutes for players in their correct positions, cirkin looks way off his best right now.

on our good runs we are probably similar to those around us but our bad runs are really bad and make up the rest of the numbers more or less.

i am not usually one to knock players or lay blame at the feet of one or two as when we have a bad game it seems collective throughout the whole squad rather than one or two having a bad day at the office but being honest, our defence has probably been the main reason between our 1 point and a likely 6 from our last two games...of course, we cannot say what would have happened if a certain point in those games had gone differently but defensive mistakes have cost us dear.
 
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Sunderpitt said:
Rotherham 17 goals against
Wigan 20 goals against
Sunderland 32 goals against

There's the problem, unless we sort it, we are unlikely to get promoted.

Do we have a defensive coach?

Any idea of players we should/could we bring in
Click to expand...
When we brought Jevons in as a coach LJ said something along the lines of, Macalister was a defender, he was a midfielder and Jevons a striker so they had one for each position without actually saying outright that they were specifically coaching those areas.
 
We certainly need more steel and presence in defense
But they are being exposed by a very talented but weak midfield.
Great going forward but lost when we don't have the ball.
We need a platform to build off. a strong defense but also all the great footballing teams
have a midfield enforcer. Fabinho, Fernandinho, Kante we are not at that level obviously but
I think we need a bit of steel both in the defense and in midfield.
 
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sheepman said:
We certainly need more steel and presence in defense
But they are being exposed by a very talented but weak midfield.
Great going forward but lost when we don't have the ball.
We need a platform to build off. a strong defense but also all the great footballing teams
have a midfield enforcer. Fabinho, Fernandinho, Kante we are not at that level obviously but
I think we need a bit of steel both in the defense and in midfield.
Click to expand...
We can't be playing Dan Neil and Embleton as the 2 CMs that's for sure.
 
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Oliver's Army said:
We can't be playing Dan Neil and Embleton as the 2 CMs that's for sure.
Click to expand...
Id like to see a strong mobile midfielder sitting just behind maybe those two.
I think LJ thought Evans would do that but he looks short on pace and physicality and maybe fitness has a tendency to sit too deep.
He's tried Winchester but despite his energy his touch is poor and he chases the game like O'nein much better at fullback.
Will be interesting to see if anyone comes in but we are real soft touch when we lose the ball.
Difficult to get the balance but we cant go on shipping goals every few weeks when we have an off day.
Last night was difficult to judge because of all the injuries but if we want to go up it really was the kind of game we should have ground out a result.
 
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sheepman said:
Id like to see a strong mobile midfielder sitting just behind maybe those two.
I think LJ thought Evans would do that but he looks short on pace and physicality and maybe fitness has a tendency to sit too deep.
He's tried Winchester but despite his energy his touch is poor and he chases the game like O'nein much better at fullback.
Will be interesting to see if anyone comes in but we are real soft touch when we lose the ball.
Difficult to get the balance but we cant go on shipping goals every few weeks when we have an off day.
Last night was difficult to judge because of all the injuries but if we want to go up it really was the kind of game we should have ground out a result.
Click to expand...
I'd like someone in the mould of a Dickson Etuhu, he could be a bit of a beast on his day.
 
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Rotherham 45 goals scored
Sunderland 51 goals scored
Wigan 40 goals scored

Do Rotherham and Wigan have an attacking coach?
 
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Although we have conceded 6 goals in the last two games, I reckon it is too easy to say having a young goalkeeper, Patterson, was the problem. On the contrary, he made some good saves and most of the 6 goals nobody could have saved...

So yes as the posts above mention, what about the defensive midfielders? I am also far from convinced that Gooch is a full back.

Flanagan is generally okay, buts let's himself down now and again Doyle and Cirkin could do with a rest. Is Mr X any good?

We have to do something, several clean sheets are urgently needed.
 
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TopCat_SMB said:
Rotherham 45 goals scored
Sunderland 51 goals scored
Wigan 40 goals scored

Do Rotherham and Wigan have an attacking coach?
Click to expand...

I like your thinking, going forward we are doing well.... but leaks at the back are hurting us. Our GD needs to improve!

However I would prefer our rivals to score less goals not more... so let's keep that suggestion secret.
 
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FellTop said:
Last 2 games coincides with Bailey Wright missing out. It also is without a senior keeper behind them. I think there are reasons the squad conceded 6 in the last 2.

We arent setup, in my opinion, to keep clean sheets. It is the Man City model of goalscoring first and foremost. We are top scorers in the league. I think being better defensively will inevitably mean taking some edge off our goal threat. I really would like us to sign an imposing centre half, but one that also wants to take the ball to feet. There arent many of them at this level. Oddly though I think if anything were to stop us it may still be taking chances. Against Wycombe we should have had a couple more in the second half and it isnt the first time we have rued missed chances...
Click to expand...
Bailey Wright is a massive loss. He was only playing at fullback because of injuries but we are more solid with him there.
 
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Oliver's Army said:
He was playing superbly as well. Big miss, if he is fit I'd play him instead of Flanno on Saturday. Think Flanno needs a rest.
Click to expand...
My worry is LJ won't see the need to get Bailey Wright back. Or if he does will try something else anyway. For Flanagan, he only seems to see the 'good' Flanagan and seems to be ok with all the mistakes as if they are somehow acceptable.
 
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