Originally Posted by
jackal2
That's pretty much the size of it.
Our 'defending' tonight was absolutely abysmal. We're a bunch of wimps. As you say, lacking in in any desire or aggression. Time and time again we allowed crosses into our box, time and again we missed crucial tackles and headers, and our three (note THREE) so-called centre halves were completely bullied into submission by a bog standard lower league battering ram centre-forward.
The first conclusion is that the wing-back system should be declared officially over, because we don't have wing-backs. We have two wingers who can't and don't want to defend. Every opponent has now worked out that if we play 3-5-2 against them, it's open house for crosses into our box.
The second conclusion is that our so-called centre halves just aren't up to the job at this level. Their first and most important job is to kick it, head it, tackle anything that moves and defend our box with their lives, but they clearly lack the determination and ability to do either.
The goalkeeper wasn't any great shakes either, but having tried three so far, it makes you wonder whether any goalkeeper would look uncertain of themselves in this shooting gallery. They've got no protection from their defence.
Defensive midfield looked more solid and less fussy until Jim O'Brien left the pitch, but Bostock is a liability there. He simply doesn't know how to defend or tackle consistently, and again he doesn't really want to. If he has a future it's going head-to-head with Crowley for a single central attacking midfield position further up the pitch. And Crowley beats him hands down for that anyway.
Every game we're dominating possession, but the fact that tonight's opponents have been able to slam nine goals past us in two games this season, having had only 34% possession in each of the games, tells you what a pathetic team we are on the defensive side of the ball, at this level. There are too many players in this team who simply don't enjoy or want to defend, and that's where the problem lies. Even last season our inability to keep clean sheets was a warning sign, but this season against better, more aggressive and more physical opposition, it looks like men against boys.