NC Defence (Discuss)

[TheBlackHorse]

... for over a year supporters have witnessed often vulnerable defensive performances. LW has done an exceptional job building a first class team resulting in many outstanding performances. As a coach, is there a danger that he may have become too close to some players, and reluctant to make tough decisions re those perceived to be not rising to D2 standards?

[the_anticlough]

... for over a year supporters have witnessed often vulnerable defensive performances. LW has done an exceptional job building a first class team resulting in many outstanding performances. As a coach, is there a danger that he may have become too close to some players, and reluctant to make tough decisions re those perceived to be not rising to D2 standards?

I don't think so

We're an attacking team not a defensive team.
I imagine the club tried to upgrade the Right side of the defense but they couldn't land a top target, so why blow a contract and a squad place on a second choice. Maybe in the January window.

4-3 is a brilliant scoreline to win by.
Would there be posts questioning the attack if he had won 1-0? I don't think so.

It's ridiculous actually to be sitting at the top of League 2 after 20% of the season and have anything seriously questioned.

[matt_magpie]

It’s not always the defence why we look so vulnerable, we commit a lot of players forward and play high so we can be caught out, that’s the system.
As for the actual defenders I questioned a few weeks back is defending their priority in this team? I don’t think it is as we know it, their role is often to start attacks and retain the ball as much as possible ie not hoof, not put out for corners and throw ins and if they manage that then they skip the need to defend.
The issue as we know that the guys we have when it’s old fashioned defending as in a physical battle with a strong centre forward (Deeney) winning countless ariel battles, then our guys are a bit less equipped.
I think certainly at this level you can’t have both, you don’t even get defenders with both in the prem.
There’s no doubt we could maybe pick up a better defender but it wouldn’t be as easy as some might think.
I think the question is more do people want us to play this way or play like a more conventional lower league side?

[upthemaggies]

Last season whenever this issue was brought up, it would be swatted away with the fact we had the 2nd best defence record in the NL.
We ended the season at 0.91 goals against per game.

Currently, we are 13th in the defence table, averaging 1.56 goals against per game.
Not a problem so long as you're banging them in at the other end, but the highest placed club in the defence table that we've scored against is Grimsby in 9th.

[the_anticlough]

I think the question is more do people want us to play this way or play like a more conventional lower league side?

A well phrased question. I think 10,600 for Forest Green gives the answer, and the correct one

[Proactive not Reactive]

Last season whenever this issue was brought up, it would be swatted away with the fact we had the 2nd best defence record in the NL.
We ended the season at 0.91 goals against per game.

Currently, we are 13th in the defence table, averaging 1.56 goals against per game.
Not a problem so long as you're banging them in at the other end, but the highest placed club in the defence table that we've scored against is Grimsby in 9th.

Up the Magpies I appreciate the stats that you post and find them interesting..but stats are there to be proved wrong take Donny beating Gillingham and Stockport hammering Wrexham yesterday should never have happened in a stats table.

[jackal2]

... for over a year supporters have witnessed often vulnerable defensive performances. LW has done an exceptional job building a first class team resulting in many outstanding performances. As a coach, is there a danger that he may have become too close to some players, and reluctant to make tough decisions re those perceived to be not rising to D2 standards?

In a word, no.

I think one of the strengths of the club since the Reedtz brothers took over is that we no longer have a revolving door of players, changing virtually the entire team every season, and that means we now have a nucleus of players who have really grown roots at the club and care more about it than the 'passengers in transit' we had in the past.

I also think Luke Williams has shown more than enough willingness to make tough decisions if he doesn't think a player is good enough, or doesn't fit his system, as he did with the likes of Ed Francis and (to my surprise) Frank Vincent. I think to suggest he would let emotion overcome judgement on defenders is actually quite an insult to the calibre of Head Coach we have.

As Anticlough says above, we're top of the league and we play a very attacking style, which means we do "give opponents a chance" but believe in ourselves to control the game enough to score more. We've had two league games this season where the defence has come up noticeably short - at Sutton and yesterday - but there's no reason to panic. We did still win yesterday after all!

Notts County isn't a club with abundant resources. We have to build gradually. It may well be that having strengthened the attacking part of the team this summer, we will strengthen the defensive side more next summer, or perhaps in the winter transfer window, but the defenders we've already got are at least adequate for this level. I'm sure LW will keep coaching and improving them, and if someone appears on the market at the right price who could improve on what we've already got, I'm sure the right decisions will be made.

[upthemaggies]

Up the Magpies I appreciate the stats that you post and find them interesting..but stats are there to be proved wrong take Donny beating Gillingham and Stockport hammering Wrexham yesterday should never have happened in a stats table.

Well, going into those games yesterday, Wrexham had the joint 2nd worst defence and Stockport were 11th highest scorers.
Gillingham were the joint 4th lowest for goals.

[Proactive not Reactive]

... for over a year supporters have witnessed often vulnerable defensive performances. LW has done an exceptional job building a first class team resulting in many outstanding performances. As a coach, is there a danger that he may have become too close to some players, and reluctant to make tough decisions re those perceived to be not rising to D2 standards?

I don’t think that for a second LW knows who can do what including their strengths and weaknesses which I would think he works with them virtually every day to improve them.
The club tried to sign the lad from Woking and the lad from the Irish League that we know of could have been more.
I’m sure we will be looking again in January depending how it goes until then and I think the Irish lad is out of contract in November when the Irish League finishes
Also our system does expose our defenders and makes them look worse than they are,as suggested before we might be aswell signing a couple of defensive midfielders that are good in the air and convert them as they would be more comfortable on the ball

[Proactive not Reactive]

Well, going into those games yesterday, Wrexham had the joint 2nd worst defence and Stockport were 11th highest scorers.
Gillingham were the joint 4th lowest for goals.

Surely the main stats were Gillingham were top and Wrexham were 5th whereas Donny were 2nd to bottom and Stockport mid table,quite a lot of the teams at the top don’t have great goal differences ..but have more points.
If we can’t win every game I would certainly take us losing 1 of the next 4 - 5.0 and winning the other 3 by the odd goal