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.

[Old_pie]

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.

How does it look over the last 8 games, ie take out the aberration of the first game?

[upthemaggies]

How does it look over the last 8 games, ie take out the aberration of the first game?

You could do that for every club though - take out the game they had two key defenders suspended, the one they had the dodgy ref, the games before they brought in so and so. etc.

[Old_pie]

You could do that for every club though - take out the game they had two key defenders suspended, the one they had the dodgy ref, the games before they brought in so and so. etc.

The last N games shows us the trajectory we are on. So seeing as you won't do it I've looked at the table for the last 6 games and we have the 2nd best GD, we are the 3rd highest scorers, we have the 7th best defence and 3 more points than anyone else.

But if all that means nothing there's no point in looking at stats is there?

[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.

[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.