| Defending 08:25 - Sep 12 with 2422 views | davman |
Looking back at those Reading goals yesterday, they were avoidable. We are still susceptible to the ball over the top in between our defenders. For the first goal, Swift got in between Odubajo and Dickie and neither was that aware. Moses should have reacted and got on to Swift or called Dickie over to get help from Jordy.
The second one, Dickie stood back from Swift and didn't engage until it was too late and the third was because neither Ball nor Uncs picked up Swift's late run into the area.
There are so many improvements this season defensively, but we are so open at times, the only thing keeping us in games is the awareness of the players and when that drops and quality balls are played into the gaps, we are in trouble.
The comeback was great fun, but work to be done at the back I feel... |  |
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| Defending on 09:07 - Sep 12 with 2299 views | dmm |
Yep, I agree and, like the high press, I would not be surprised to see a lot of teams using this tactic against us.
Warburton's style invites the high press and it looks like the long ball over the top may be similar. It suggests that not only the CBs but our midfield and even attackers must be more effective in stopping high balls being launched. Warburton did say something about the whole team working together defensively. |  | | |
| Defending on 09:30 - Sep 12 with 2213 views | QPROslo |
Ball helped our 1st goal, but gave the ball away for their 2nd and did not get close to Swift when he should and could have done. Didn't get close enough to Swift for the 3rd either, though Swift was pretty sharp there. |  | | |
| Defending on 09:35 - Sep 12 with 2202 views | bosh67 |
We have to work on players drifting in behind and cutting the space on wide overlaps. If we can do that then we'll win these games. |  |
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| Defending on 10:03 - Sep 12 with 2133 views | ozexile |
I agree about the defence but if the ball carrier has no pressure he can pick those passes at will. | | | |
| Defending on 10:54 - Sep 12 with 2004 views | davman |
| Defending on 10:03 - Sep 12 by ozexile |
I agree about the defence but if the ball carrier has no pressure he can pick those passes at will. |
Absolutely. Said to my son two minutes before the goal that we started to give them more space in Midfield. Got to stop that supply line... | |
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| Defending on 10:57 - Sep 12 with 1995 views | YokelR |
Thought the lack of pressure on the ball was very evident for the first goal. On all 3 we conceded the defender either went to sleep or allowed the scorer too much room?
Just me, or referee horribly inconsistent and lacked any authority?
On the plus side though never a dull moment with this side is there? They never look like they are beaten. Also really apparent they wil get better. I thought Gray really looked up for it too. | | | |
| Defending on 11:02 - Sep 12 with 1983 views | davman |
| Defending on 10:57 - Sep 12 by YokelR |
Thought the lack of pressure on the ball was very evident for the first goal. On all 3 we conceded the defender either went to sleep or allowed the scorer too much room?
Just me, or referee horribly inconsistent and lacked any authority?
On the plus side though never a dull moment with this side is there? They never look like they are beaten. Also really apparent they wil get better. I thought Gray really looked up for it too. |
Not going to hear or say a bad word about the ref. He actually acted on the time wasting immediately as opposed to Gavin Ward v Barnsley who gave their keeper 13 warnings with no yellow.
For that alone on a scale of 99% of refs to acceptable he was moving away towards acceptable.
Missed the "tackles" on Chair and Willock though, didn't he?  | |
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| Defending on 12:24 - Sep 12 with 1878 views | bongo_king |
Good thread. Despite all the positives yesterday, was thinking exactly the same last night.
The ball over the top down the middle is the most concerning for me. They scored 1 and managed to get through the same way at least two more times (and another team manage to score the same way a couple of weeks back - maybe Barnsley?). IMO it shouldn't be so easy to do that with 3 at the back. I'd imagine it's been picked up by warbs. Thought while more could have been done on Swift's 2nd, it was an exceptional turn and finish. 3rd was more worrying, agree Ball should have been picking that up.
RE ref - thought the only time he showed guts all afternoon was that Cabral yellow card for timewasting. He allowed Reading to rough up Willock in particular all afternoon, including not even giving a free kick for a blatant yellow in the 1st half where he would have been through (albeit on the wing) and was yanked down. Quite how we get 10 minutes added on vs boro and Reading do exactly the same but it's 5 minutes I don't know. Still, we only needed 4 in the end :-). | | | |
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| Defending on 13:29 - Sep 12 with 1771 views | stainrods_elbow |
Now I've head 24 hours to 'come down' since yesterday's thrills and spills, my feelings are a synthesis of the praise and critique here. It was a stirring, spirited 'comeback' in a game we were in charge of for long periods, so a point was the very least we deserved. However, their 1st and 3rd goals were indeed poor from our point of view, and it's also a game we really should have won. In fact, with a better defensive showing from front to back (or back to front), and more sharpness going forwards for three quarters of the game, we'd have won comfortably, and might so nearly have done anyway with that late Willock effort, which would have been sweet beyond sweet.
All of which is to say, I guess, if my aunt had balls, she's be my uncle, so the most realistic conclusion is that, yes, this is a good, cohesive and resilent team on the tailcoats of the top two, but there's lots to improve on if we're going to hit the playoffs.
It's mystifying to me why Uncle (love the way even Warbs calls him Unc, by the way) isn't starting right now, as we're so much more balanced and dangerous with him going forwards. On the other wing, I also don't think McCallum did well enough yesterday defensively or offensively to warrant a start at Bournemouth, though hopefully there's a lot more to come from him. Moses also played in fits as much as starts, and sometimes look like an accident waiting to happen, excellent though he can be in a marauding role.
Overall, this feels like a team whose play is still percolating, though so much of our work is heartening rather than heart-stopping. But if anyone had told any of us we'd be a 93rd minute chance away from a top spot after 6 games, a point behind Fulham and WBA, we'd have all chewed anyone's arm off, would we not? So the glass is most definitely two-thirds full, and things are surely cooking. [Post edited 12 Sep 2021 13:30]
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| Defending on 13:41 - Sep 12 with 1744 views | hantssi |
I’m perhaps of the mind that if we’d scored their first, we’d be saying great defence splitting pass, took it beautifully on his chest and what a finish!
I actually thought they scored 3 well worked goals and that our goals were more from their dreadful defending plus an og.
I guess it all about opinions. | | | |
| Defending on 13:49 - Sep 12 with 1723 views | Lanhoop |
Hold on with the criticism of McCallum. He's had 2 starts, has yet to do a full 90 and doesn't need to be written off just yet. With Wallace injured we need to be supporting him not dropping him. | | | |
| Defending on 14:11 - Sep 12 with 1674 views | Esox_Lucius |
| Defending on 13:49 - Sep 12 by Lanhoop |
Hold on with the criticism of McCallum. He's had 2 starts, has yet to do a full 90 and doesn't need to be written off just yet. With Wallace injured we need to be supporting him not dropping him. |
Couldn't agree more, he had his moments both good and poor yesterday but the time to judge him is after 50-100 games and a decent run in the side. For the first time in many seasons I don't have any real concerns about any of the first team squad. This is as good a group of players as I can ever remember. |  |
| The grass is always greener. |
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| Defending on 18:54 - Sep 12 with 1505 views | stainrods_elbow |
| Defending on 14:11 - Sep 12 by Esox_Lucius |
Couldn't agree more, he had his moments both good and poor yesterday but the time to judge him is after 50-100 games and a decent run in the side. For the first time in many seasons I don't have any real concerns about any of the first team squad. This is as good a group of players as I can ever remember. |
He's on a season-long loan, so it would be a remarkable achievement for him to clock up 50-100 games while he's here. | |
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| Defending on 22:22 - Sep 12 with 1379 views | ManinBlack |
The concern I had was Reading had lost five out of six matches yet came back from a goal down to lead 3-1 when we had been the better team. We may have got out of jail this time but Bournemouth will be a different matter. They comfortably beat Barnsley who gave us a 45 minutes lesson recently. Defending will need to improve markedly for that one. |  | | |
| Defending on 09:13 - Sep 13 with 1224 views | dodge_stoke_r |
You could say all of these things about our goals. If not most goals scored . Sometimes you have to give the striker some credit for makeing runs and taking up positions that are difficult to defend. Try not to overthink things folks.  |  | | |
| Defending on 20:44 - Sep 13 with 1022 views | Juzzie |
| Defending on 09:13 - Sep 13 by dodge_stoke_r |
You could say all of these things about our goals. If not most goals scored . Sometimes you have to give the striker some credit for makeing runs and taking up positions that are difficult to defend. Try not to overthink things folks. |
Indeed.
The game is designed for goals to be scored otherwise every game would end 0-0.
We can’t criticise ourselves for conceding goals then expect the opposition to do just that. |  | | |
| Defending on 09:27 - Sep 14 with 882 views | kernowhoop |
Would it be true to say that all goals scored by the opposition are 'avoidable'? Just wondering. | | | |
| Defending on 09:46 - Sep 14 with 838 views | Addinall |
| Defending on 09:27 - Sep 14 by kernowhoop |
Would it be true to say that all goals scored by the opposition are 'avoidable'? Just wondering. |
Yes. | | | |
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