Who will solve the defensive frailties to ensure the title?

[cucumberman]

Mancini took one whole season to sort out our defending, and that was no easy feat through making Kompany and Lescott the strongest CB pair in the league. There were a few mistakes between the two like that miscommunication goal conceded, but it cannot be denied Kompany and Lescott understood and complemented each other. Granted we also had a coming into form Zabaleta and a tough DM in Nigel de Jong, but pair Kompany with a player in the same wavelength (like Lescott and Demichelis, not Nastacic) and we really are hard to break in front of goal. Otamendi has the potential but I find him a bit small for a CB.

 

[hutton who blue]

Mancini took one whole season to sort out our defending, and that was no easy feat through making Kompany and Lescott the strongest CB pair in the league. There were a few mistakes between the two like that miscommunication goal conceded, but it cannot be denied Kompany and Lescott understood and complemented each other. Granted we also had a coming into form Zabaleta and a tough DM in Nigel de Jong, but pair Kompany with a player in the same wavelength (like Lescott and Demichelis, not Nastacic) and we really are hard to break in front of goal. Otamendi has the potential but I find him a bit small for a CB.

Otamendi is not as tall as a traditional centre half but defensively when he played with Kompany we looked a very solid outfit at the back.

 

[CC1]

I do honestly believe we'd have conceded about five fewer league goals had we had an in-form keeper in net last season, so he has a point.

Vs Hull
Vs United
Vs Middlesbrough (De Roon)
Vs Everton (Home)
Vs Burnley (Home)

These are probably all shots that should've been easily prevented by Bravo and weren't.

It's been covered ad nauseum. Bravo is going nowhere. Try offering some support & move on.

 

[Jalfraag]

We conceded just two more than the last time we won the league.

And scored 22 fewer but apparently the defence is the problem.

 

[Marvin]

If we want to win the title we have to improve all aspects of our game, and our defending was not great last season - the league table shows some of the weakness, bu consider that City had more possession than any other Premiership club. Significantly more - that emphasises the weakness in that area.

have we solved it? I doubt it. We've addressed it in part.

 

[MarsLlama]

It's been covered ad nauseum. Bravo is going nowhere. Try offering some support & move on.

I'm about as supportive as anyone of Bravo. The point is that our defense really isn't as bad as some would have you believe.

 

[dickie davies]

I've heard rumours that next season we'll be playing with a 'keeper on the pitch so that ought to have some sort of effect

FFS !!

That joke has gone sooooo stale. Boring

TEOE is right
I know that supporters have had a right old moan about Bravo, but he is part of the back five
Yes the four defenders may have left him exposed, but Bravo is the keeper, the last line of defense and he couldn't keep anything out and there were a number of very soft efforts that beat him

As we are one of the better teams we don't give up that many chances, so our keeper is never going to have to pull out a string of saves and put in a MOTM performance. But can anyone direct me to a game where Bravo saved us a point or made a great save that ensured we won!

 

[Deleted member 77198]

8 of those goals were in 2 games, Everton and Leicester away

I think the home draws really cost us and that was due to no scoring enough

I agree. I think the reason we didn't challenge was because of the large amount of home low score or no score draws that we had.

That's what killed us last season

We weren't in the title race from about December onwards really but we dropped 14 points in low scoring home draws. Didn't concede many goals in those games (5) but didn't bloody score enough neither (5). I agree with you, it wasn't a defensive problem why we didn't challenge last season, it was a goal scoring one in those home draws.

 

[Deleted member 77198]

I do honestly believe we'd have conceded about five fewer league goals had we had an in-form keeper in net last season, so he has a point.

Vs Hull
Vs United
Vs Middlesbrough (De Roon)
Vs Everton (Home)
Vs Burnley (Home)

These are probably all shots that should've been easily prevented by Bravo and weren't.

That is true though.

There were a few where it looks like if he'd stood still he'd have caught the shot but he dived and the ball went through where he would have been stood, very strange behaviour

 

[KS55]

One point about scoring: if your defence is solid, that spreads confidence throughout the side, which makes scoring seem so much easier.