A record numbers of goals scored/conceded in the PL this calendar year and it looks like another goal fest on the way at Loftus Road, but why have there been so many goals and crazy scorelines this year?
A discrepancy between the number of talented forwards teams like the Manchesters Chelsea and others are buying compared to defenders. Several team seem to take the score one more that you attitude to defending.
Some of it has got to be down to formations midfields have been less static and a lot of clubs favour using wide forwards instead of wingers. For the defenders I can imagine it's very difficult to read certain teams.
It's certainly entertaining stuff mind you, much better than 0-0 bore draws or 1-0 scrappy encounters
I think the premiership is a lot more equal than it was in the past. The top teams are worse than they were previously (Manu, City, Chelsea are unconvincing especially defensively) Arsenal, Spurs are average at best, Liverpool are no better than the other also rans such as newcastle, us Swans etcc. It means that no team fears another like in the past when say a bolton would park the bus against chelsea, utd arsenal and cause a dull low scoring game. Its all out attack, we can score more than you. Blackpool showed a small newly promoted club can compete doing it that way rather than the Bolton way and then the likes of us and swansea continued this!
I certainly think our (when Lambert was manager) and Swansea's styles of play have helped, and it's encouraged Southampton, West Ham and in particular Reading (who ave been involved in high scoring games have continued this.
Look at the quality of goalkeeper at Man United, it's shocking! Jo Hart has been extraordinarily poor this season. Arsenal also have struggled to find a consistent performer. The top sides have been chopping and changing their defences too. In the past you could name the four defenders at any top club who would play unless they were injured or banned. That's just not the case at any of the top clubs. One week Kolorov could be in or out, same with Lescott, same with Cahill, same with Ferdinand or Evans. So I think it's severe lack of quality keepers throughout the top flight and inconsistency in defence. I'm not sure it makes a difference to the bottom of the league but I've never known the top sides to let in anything like the number of goals they are this season.
Some valid points in this thread. I find some Premiership defences are full of risk takers, look at David Luiz at Chelsea his got skill but he thinks his Maradona sometimes dribbling the ball out of defence, Gary Neville said it's like watching a kid play FIFA which is a fair observation. Also football these days is a lot more attractive, I'm a fan of passing football but if you've got a cocky centre back who thinks his Xavi the likely hood of them making a mistake can be high especially if they want the ball a lot, defenders used to clear their lines at every available opportunity, another thing I'd take into consideration is how attacking full backs have become in recent years. With the goalkeeper debate Hampy and the Mancs I don't think De Gea is a bad goalkeeper, his major problem is he needs to hit the gym and start drinking whey protein as his too lightweight, people say he needs to command the box more but that comes with experience.
