The Mail Bag
What Has Happened To Our Defence?
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I think something stinks in our defense deparment. We’re doing well in our scoring department 'cause we got 2 goals past Villa in their backyard. What more can anyone ask? Other teams come to Villa Park and they’d be lucky just to escape with a 0-0 draw.
In truth, our problem in the last 10-15 games is our defence. In the season when we finished 4th, we scraped through on a series of 1-0 scorelines. And we were happy as larks with that kind of scoreline.
We defended anything brought down to us and more. We were SOLID in the back and everyone in the league knew that for a fact. Then, we wanted to play more passing football, we wanted to keep the ball on the deck, we wanted to pass the ball around more and all that jazz.
Look where it has brought us this time? We improved on attacking and got suckier in the defense! This is DEFINITELY not PROGRESS. The Villa result to me is a CLEAR SIGN that our DEFENCE is easily COMPROMISED. IMHO, I think we still have not found the right replacement for Carlsley. We are missing Lee Carsley big time.
Which brings me to my earlier post, where I advocated the use of 4-6-0 formation. Last night, had we gone with 4-6-0, we would’ve scored 2 goals while breaking up their plays so many times that they’d be lucky to get just one shot at goal.
The extra man in the midfield is just what our defence needed to keep the opponents at bay while our sole attacking midfielder upfront, Tim Cahill, can come in from the deep and score goals.
If we had gone 4-6-0 last night, the scoreline would’ve been 2-0 easy (maybe more). But some readers on TW think that it’s a bad idea and that we won't be scoring many goals if we play without a striker. Fat lot of good our strikers did last night, didn’t they?
For God sake, we just don’t have the strikers yet for 4-5-1. We ended up scoring two goals while playing with ten men. We’re damn lucky to have only conceded 2 goals. Other teams concede more than that when they’re down to 10 men.
That should answer the mystery as to why we cannot keep a clean sheet in the last couple of games. David Moyes got it right from the start. A good team will strengthen their defense first and keep improving their defense while working on their offense.
Here’s looking at you, kids.
Rahman Talib, Posted 16/04/2010 at 10:22:11
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Leadership and a consistent central pairing. I'm not sure I can remember another season where we have used as many CB's as this one. Moyes needs to pair Heitinga and Jagielka and just stick with it now. Distin was a bad buy at that price and age. 5m could have been better sent on a young CB.
Every defender having their own injury problems, minor and severe.
Distins dramatic loss of form since his return from injury.
Jags is still not the Jags we know and love.
The numerable different partnerships at the back this season (Yobo/Distin, Jags/Distin, J H/ Distin/ J H/Yobo, Hibbbo/Distin, Neville/Distin, Hibbo/Yobo, Neville/Yobo) not allowing for anyone to develop a consistent understanding.
Neville
Lescott
The move to playing more attractive, attacking, passing game usually results in the weakening of the defense.
I think x marks the spot
The midfield was not great pre jags return but we were getting results.
Distin shouldve been eventually dropped and jags and heitinga be our central pairing.
If he needs the solid dutch man in the midfield area put yobo back with jags
Why?
And suggesting hypothetical score lines with a different line-up is just daft!
1. As we try and play more football as we clearly are doing we are obviously going to be more exposed at the back.
2. We are not in a position to play our best CB's - ie Jags and Heitinga
3. Our best defender has been out for 12 months and at present is finding his way back to fitness and form. Whilst not at his best I think Jags performances given the length of time he has been out, have been exceptional. Yes he has made some uncharracteristic errors but he's been out for 12 months...
4. We have missed the Jags / Lescott partnership but I think thats more about Jags than Lescott. Jags makes players look better - just look how much better Distin looks since Jags has returned.
Lets look at the bigger picture, we are definately improving and we are playing better football. Cant agree that 4-6-0 would improve the defence, and it would definately hinder us going forward so bad idea to me.
I also think that that the continually vaunted 4-6-0 is actually a fabrication, never mind a fallacy. I don't think we actually played such a system last year. Cahill was employed as a makeshift striker, with Fellaini in the Cahill 'hole' role. Then we nabbed Jo on loan and he led the line (well, sort of) nabbing a few goals along the way and on occassions playing his part in some nice link up play. Saha then returned later in the season and played more games. So the 4-6-0 is a bit of a misrepresentation of our tactics last year.
No, I think the problems are in Midfield and also in defence. We are weaker than last year for various factors that have been listed above. Sorry Rahman my friend, I just don't agree with your analysis.
Plus Jags is only 2 months back in, Distin isn't that great and him and Jags haven't played together much plus we've had various different holding midfielders. Minus the 6 from the first game of the season too and in comparison to those around us it looks a lot better
It is Fellaini's ability in the air we are missing his defensive strength and presence stops the opposition scoring from high balls into the box.
The goal at Anfield, the second one at Birmingham, West Ham's first and at least one of Villa's goals would all have been avoided if Fellaini was in the team.
We will let in a lot fewer goals when the big man is back.
Compare that with Johnny Heitiga a player not blessed with talent but a real cool head and serious nous to go with it.
Jag is great for those last minute "put the body on the line" challenges but needs partnering with a more assured and capable partner than Distin or Yobo who are both prone to serious loss of concentration and/or bad judgement..
Would love to get Carvalho alongside Jags for a couple of seasons as I feel Heitiga has made CM his own now and would not partner Jags well IMO.
Jags is still not back to his best and Distin has been out of form, (out of position for Villa's 1st) but as an overall our report would say, Playing well, could do better with a little more concentration.
Perhaps that doesn't matter. I do remember Jags having two of the fastest strikers Anelka and Torres in his pocket last season.
Think if Europe becomes mathematically unfeasible we should gives these two a game or two together to try out. Play Arteta in Heitinga role.
Plenty of posters have already pointed out how many CB-pairings we've had. That is one part of the problem. Jags just coming back is also a problem.
And, just to make things more difficult, we've had to change our DM too often. Fella performed well until his injury, Rodwell has played there, Neville has played there, now Heitinga played there and we'll have someone else today (probably).
With so many changes, defensive solidity is hard to find.
4-6-0 (as in 4 defenders 6 midfielders) is the future mate, trust me!
In 5 years everyone will play that system! Italians, Spaniards and man Yoo already do!
Heitnga in the back with Jags will solve our back four next season!
Murf
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1 Posted 16/04/2010 at 14:06:40
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To answer the question on the heading of the article, Lescott left , Jags injured most of season and not fully match fit yet and DIstin Senderos or Yobo not up to the job.
As cover in midfield, forgive the pun, but Fellaini head and shoulders better than Carsley but injured, Heitinga took a knock first half forcing him to come off early in second and Rodwell not experienced enough in that role ye.t.