Ecstatic about the win today but watching our defence isn't good for the heart!! We've now conceded 21 goals!!! Only Bolton (as I write this) have conceded more. With RVP and our midfield gaining some form it's just sad we have such a weak back 4. I realise we're missing Sagna and Vermaelen but the back up should be better. Szczesny and Kos have been doing well, Tommy V to come back but the new boys have been shocking. Santos and Metersaker as the "experienced" players are no where near good enough (how does Per and 6ft 7in have such a lack of aerial dominance???) The ONLY way we can get top 4 is if Kos and Vermaelen are fit for the rest of the season, Gibbs comes back as soonest.
i think if gibbs is still injured for next match, we should play miquel instead of santos and verm instead of mertesacker. or verm could go LB, with either djourou or mertesacker alongside koscielny, with jenkinson RB
Our next five games in the league has given the chance to build some form defence wise. We should get 3 out 5 clean sheets in the 5 league games especially with TV back. West Brom (H) Norwich (A) Fulham (H) Wigan (A) Everton (H) Next 5 games.
Agree alot of it is down to the defensive shape and system we use (i.e. we don't stick players on the posts and free kicks and corners, the high line we play). But Metersaker with his height and experience is horrid in the air. He wins so few headers. We'd forgive his pace as we did with Adams and Bould if he showed dominance in the air and better strength. Against Marseille he got completely done twice and won bugger all headers!!
But look realistically guys, 11 of those goals at least have come in two games and we had over half the first choice team out in one of those (United game). How many times have we had a first choice team out once, let alone consistently? Today it should have been gibbs/santos , TV/Kos/Sagna, if it hadnt been for injuries.
Last year when we had statistically the best defence at Christmas people were still saying the defence was crap. I take a slightly more basic view. If the defence let in less goals than the other team they have done well. In these days where the line between defenders and attackers is so blurred, I suggest you do the same.
Great result today and the majority of the players showed spirit to fight back especially in the second half in which we dominated Chelsea for the most part. However I can’t help but think that our defence might not have been able to cope as well against the likes of Drogba or Anelka, take Metersaker for example, a player who’s 6ft 6 should be able to cope physically yet he was at times loosing headers to players far smaller than him and was at fault for 2 of the goals. I just think a player like Drogba who is known for being powerful and bullying players would have embarrassed him. I’m not trying to taking anything away from our win and though that the team overall fought for each other and really deserved the win, however we need to do something about the defense if we hope to win anything this season.
I'm not so sure that he does try to play football, seems the same old hoofball to me. Vastly overrated manager.
Statistics are misleading. Out these 21 - more than one third, 8 was in a weird match against ManU when we just collapsed and could concede any number of goals, 4 - in an equally weird game where we did not function properly and scored two own goals, and 3 in an incredibly open game against Chelsea which we won. So to me it is 15 goals we may dismiss. This sort of games do not happen too often. So 6 is left. This is the number of goals we conceded this season in "normal" games. All we need it to eliminate weird games such as ManU and Rovers. As for Chelsea match i am happy to see this sort of football again. Open football suits as much more than closed matches. So do not panic.
