It's Quiet thread 14 - 'do one' edition

[Newman Noggs]

If we often have to score 3 goals in order to beat the better sides, we won't win very much.

This is true but very often in those games, by the time we concede the first of those 3 goals we've already missed a sitter or two. Commentators are fond of saying "goals change games", in my opinion so does missing goals.

 

[Neville Kneville]

Our defence is not rubbish, and the constant exaggerations don't help discussion.

But there are issues. We do have shaky personnel at the back. We should be conceding under 20 goals a season with the system we have. Sometimes in fairness it's as solid as it needs to be (hence all the clean sheets) but it has a habit of dropping a bollock and sometimes this past season it's struggled against better attacks. If you look back at all the goals we conceded this season I reckon a lot come down to bad pieces of defending by at least one player.

To repeat our defence obviously isn't bad but it's certainly incomplete. Really I think another CB with a bit of leadership plugs almost all the problems. I do think it's that simple. Our defence becomes significantly less porous almost immediately.

Another thing is that I think with our system the xG conceded should be lower, as impressive as it's been. The way we play would cause even the most defensively excellent back line ever issues. That probably stems from worse pressing up top, but I'd argue that THAT stems from Pep not trusting the defence.


Basically, we're better defensively than people say we are, certainly as a team. But there's improvements to be made and the most obvious fix is in the CB department.

How many of the goals we concede, require above average play, from our opponents ?

 

[Neville Kneville]

This is true but very often in those games, by the time we concede the first of those 3 goals we've already missed a sitter or two. Commentators are fond of saying "goals change games", in my opinion so does missing goals.

And we usually get away with 1 or 2 fuckups, in games where we do win

 

[jimbopm]

To be fair he was only covering for his own catastrophic fuck up in twatting the ball against Ederson’s head when he was caught in a blind panic after losing his man

1) He didn't lose his man, he was tracking Mane and was in a good position. What happens is Walker squares up to Salah which allows space in the right channel directly behind him.
2) Stones is on Mane's left side so when Salah plays the well weighted pass it takes Stones out of the game
3) After Mane's shot Stones continues running back to the goal (like any good central defender does) in case of an oppurtunity to clear. Blind panic would have seen Stones most likely try to make a diving tackle on Mane, therefore risking a penalty and a red card.
4) The ball hits the post and falls to Stone's who because of his decision to track the ball, finds himself in a good position to clear.
5) As he kicks the ball he is confronted by a reckless dive from Ederson (a common trait of Ederson's which can't be denied) and the ball clatters off him. Was there a shout from either player? Who knows, but as Stones finds himself goal side of the ball he's in the best position to clear.
6) Despite the ball bouncing of Ederson and back over his head, Stones has the presence of mind to quickly turn back towards his own net and make the goal line clearance which was one of the key moments in us winning the league.

 

[JamesMCFC]

I would love to know how many goals we have conceded this season from just a long ball over the top and our defence being left on a one on one situation.

I don't think we conceded many goals where the opposite team breaks us down.

 

[oldius]

I am amazed at the ability of some posters to slag off most things we do, despite our success: the defence is shite; Txixi is shite; we sell everybody for no money; we get ripped off every time we buy; we try and penny pinch and then pay the full amount; Rodri is slow; Gundo ambles; Jesus will never be Sergio; save Bernardo etc. We are the most successful team in the last decade but apparently have innumerable problems.

 

[Akpowell]

Have we fucked them off at last

 

[blueparrot]

I am amazed at the ability of some posters to slag off most things we do, despite our success: the defence is shite; Txixi is shite; we sell everybody for no money; we get ripped off every time we buy; we try and penny pinch and then pay the full amount; Rodri is slow; Gundo ambles; Jesus will never be Sergio; save Bernardo etc. We are the most successful team in the last decade but apparently have innumerable problems.

My favourite, we keep making the same mistakes. Well if the results are the same as the last 8 years, I hope we do.:)

 

[mccity]

How many of the goals we concede, require above average play, from our opponents ?

Where are you going here? That the defence isn't good enough at defending at times? I agree. It's naive to say that it's good enough as is. Too many goals were because of bad defending.

But there are plenty of times that it is good enough. We weren't anywhere near as good at retaining possession or pressing last season and yet we got a lot of clean sheets. They must have done something right some of the time.

It's not a great defence as it stands, but I refute the idea that it's an awful one.

 

[City_Sean]

View attachment 2207

Everyone uses this as some great Stones moment. But the issue is this chance all came because Stones smacked the ball at his goalkeeper who was on the ground. If it went in it would have been one of the most calamitous own goals ever.