We need defenders who can defend

[Millwallawayveteran1988]

As a top team you simply have to defend on the front foot, absolutely no question about it.

You may well get short term success (ala Mourinho) playing a very defensive, containing system and counter attacking but teams soon get used to it and shut up shop, take the 0-0 and they're happy.

To be successful long term you have to score goals and front foot defending as risky as it is gives you far more opportunities to score on counter attacks.

People moan about Pellegrini and the system we play but it is let down by the lack of work rate and desire in midfield, nothing else.

And sloppiness. No system was responsible for that 2nd goal on Saturday. It was just very poor defending.

 

[meeesh]

I suugest you go and check your facts: the team that have been champions in England in the last several years have more often been the team that scores the most goals rather than the team with the best defence.

You get my point,pedantic or what fuck me

 

[shemnel]

disagree about the OPs opinion on Sagna, doesnt put a shift in? bloody hell, he runs himself into the ground! and i think the defence is capable of being one of the best in the league (but i grant you it's not outstanding) but it is exposed far too many times by the 6 players in front of it

 

[meeesh]

I suugest you go and check your facts: the team that have been champions in England in the last several years have more often been the team that scores the most goals rather than the team with the best defence.

And after further analysis,I suggest you look at the stats since the Premier League started,out of 23 seasons,16 league winners have won the league by losing the fewest games,so now do you get my point ?

 

[Steve68]

disagree about the OPs opinion on Sagna, doesnt put a shift in? bloody hell, he runs himself into the ground! and i think the defence is capable of being one of the best in the league (but i grant you it's not outstanding) but it is exposed far too many times by the 6 players in front of it

Yep. Sagna has done good enough. And yea, our midfield is not doing its doing its job. If we are going to push high and attack so much then the central two need to be quick, mobile tacklers. Yaya is many, many good things but he is none of those things and shouldn't be asked to be.

Not at all convinced about Mangala though. Just does not look anything but maybe next season if he's still here.

 

[fatbloke]

And sloppiness. No system was responsible for that 2nd goal on Saturday. It was just very poor defending.

By one man.

 

[BlueAnorak]

It's the system and team selection of the central midfielders - not the defenders. Though Mangala and Kolarov together can be a bit ropey.

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

The funny thing is, if you look at the whole table, it's our home record that's dreadful. There are no less than five teams, going right to Watford in tenth place, who've conceded fewer than us this season at home. Despite that whacking at Spurs, our away record doesn't compare that badly to every one else.
But I have to say this, having had another look at them. In real time, those two we conceded on Saturday looked bad enough. But when you get to see them over and over, in slow motion, they are truly abysmal. Especially the second. I have difficulty imagining that any team up around our position in the table could concede a goal like that, direct from a throw-in, ffs ! And even for the first goal, well, the Hammers player simply runs past Yaya as if he's not there.
If Pep is coming — or even if he isn't — this has just got to be sorted out. And I agree that it's not just a question of the back four (or even the central back two). It's also the kind of protection, or absence of it, that they're getting immediately in front of them.
If we do win the title, it'll be on the basis on which Liverpool expected to win it in 2013-14. However many you ship, always expect to score more. But if I remember rightly, that ended in tears, didn't it? At Crystal Palace, was it?

 

[Citizen in Pakistan]

We have been guilty of ignoring the english talent in this respect and have been more willing to spend on expensive foriegn players with poor results

After lesscott bar demechellis who we bought for 4m odd there havent been one defender that has been consistent enough to partner kompany, someone like shawcross coukd have been a good partner for kompany, got leadership qualities and knows the english league well,would have costed less money than otem n mangala even though he is english, stones is a good defender to but doesnt look like were gona go for him

 

[Rolee]

We have been guilty of ignoring the english talent in this respect and have been more willing to spend on expensive foriegn players with poor results

After lesscott bar demechellis who we bought for 4m odd there havent been one defender that has been consistent enough to partner kompany, someone like shawcross coukd have been a good partner for kompany, got leadership qualities and knows the english league well,would have costed less money than otem n mangala even though he is english, stones is a good defender to but doesnt look like were gona go for him

Don't think that's fair mate, I think both Mangala and Otamendi have looked fine partnered with Kompany. It's just any other combination that looks dodgy imo.