NC Defence (Discuss)

[ThaiPie]

If Notts changed one or two central defenders, for more of "stopper" type defenders, then maybe a couple of the goals against Sutton, Accrington and FGR would have been avoided. However, you would have to sacrifice a lot in terms of playing out from the back. If you asked the "stoppers" to play this style of football it would invite pressure.

[kill_the_drum]

There have been skeptical comments about the defence for some time. Some of them are justified. We finished second last season and we are top this season. I think that ends the conversation really. Simply the style of play means we are going to commit a few howlers but the quality of our goals last Saturday was brilliant.

This is exactly where I’m at. Just enjoy the ride FFS!
Where Notts have sat in the league since LW took over, shows the team (keeper through to striker) is good enough.

[drillerpie]

To Driller's point, if teams are lining up their big units/lads against us, I'd say bring it on.
Deeney was very fortunate to get a hat trick...and did poorly throughout the game I thought

He's big and he's old, playing against a very mobile passing team, so he's never going to be involved in a game in the same way as some of our players.

He did score 3 and hit the bar though, so calling him poor is harsh IMO. I think he was good at doing Troy Deeney things, like taking up good positions in the box, using his strength, experience etc.

Will be interesting to see how we do against big men for the rest of the season, to see if there's a pattern there.

[Proactive not Reactive]

He's big and he's old, playing against a very mobile passing team, so he's never going to be involved in a game in the same way as some of our players.

He did score 3 and hit the bar though, so calling him poor is harsh IMO. I think he was good at doing Troy Deeney things, like taking up good positions in the box, using his strength, experience etc.

Will be interesting to see how we do against big men for the rest of the season, to see if there's a pattern there.

We will never be comfortable against big physical centre forwards with the current defenders Rawlinson is probably our most physical defender but lacks pace and probably the least competent on the ball.
Smith the big lad from Salford didn't score although he perhaps should have ,the Accrington big lad scored etc etc so we will struggle against players of that height its trying to limit the headed chances they get near the goal ... until or unless we sign a 6ft 4/5" centre back and then do you leave Brindley out who is perfect for our style ?
Troy Deeney wasn't poor wasn't in the game too much but is strong and a goalscorer that has proved himself at much higher levels.
He was very lucky to score a hat trick on Saturday though,the first one Brindley and Baldwin should have blocked the shot, the 2nd I'm not sure what happened he flicked it on,the two players were unmarked and Stone probably should have saved it.
The 3rd was a very good penalty but there is nothing any defender could do to stop him scoring that .. it was a different player who was fouled.
For info Charlie Austin will be a handful a week on Tuesday and a 6ft 4/5" would struggle with him if the ball is played round the back of them.

[SmiffyPie]

1st FGR goal was difficult to defend without giving a pen away, a good turn and a shot through three sets of legs, could have gone anywhere, but it went in! Their 2nd was poor defensive play. Bostock left his man for some unknown reason and Langstaff had two players to deal with and Baldwin stood watching. If Bostock had stayed? Their 3rd was a pen (obviously) but their player beat ours to the ball and our player caught him, unlucky for us but there you go.
(SloMo on Youtube is very useful)

[Glad2BeAPie]

We will never be comfortable against big physical centre forwards with the current defenders Rawlinson is probably our most physical defender but lacks pace and probably the least competent on the ball.
Smith the big lad from Salford didn't score although he perhaps should have ,the Accrington big lad scored etc etc so we will struggle against players of that height its trying to limit the headed chances they get near the goal ... until or unless we sign a 6ft 4/5" centre back and then do you leave Brindley out who is perfect for our style ?
Troy Deeney wasn't poor wasn't in the game too much but is strong and a goalscorer that has proved himself at much higher levels.
He was very lucky to score a hat trick on Saturday though,the first one Brindley and Baldwin should have blocked the shot, the 2nd I'm not sure what happened he flicked it on,the two players were unmarked and Stone probably should have saved it.
The 3rd was a very good penalty but there is nothing any defender could do to stop him scoring that .. it was a different player who was fouled.
For info Charlie Austin will be a handful a week on Tuesday and a 6ft 4/5" would struggle with him if the ball is played round the back of them.

A forward line of midgets would score against us, let alone someone 6'4/5

[Observerpie]

Whilst we keep scoring more than the opposition then that will do for me.

[The_Don_ORiordan]

I don’t think anyone in their right mind is advocating we compromise our style or get in some tall hoof it defenders.

But of the areas which were improved over the summer, the defence is the only area we arguably haven’t visibly improved.

Hence the reason it needs to be questioned.

For me the weekends goals were very disappointing. Purely because they aren’t directly due to the way we play, more the ability or errors of those defending as a unit. They were poor goals to concede, none were on the break, and we had players back in all cases.

In future closer games we will pay for those lapses unless we improve concentration or personnel.

That said, this is a great start and far better than even our most optimistic fans could have hoped for. We just all want it to continue.

[ajojones]

The goals we scored were sublime. Its ridiculous the skill on display, game after game & I have never seen any Notts team like it, even the good ones. I couldn't care less if we have an occasional howler, 4-3 is an awesome win and yet another 3 points. Top of the table, plaudits everywhere and not sure why we want to question it. Forza you stylish pies.

[jacobncfc]

The goals we scored were sublime. Its ridiculous the skill on display, game after game & I have never seen any Notts team like it, even the good ones. I couldn't care less if we have an occasional howler, 4-3 is an awesome win and yet another 3 points. Top of the table, plaudits everywhere and not sure why we want to question it. Forza you stylish pies.

Basically this. We're asking an incredible amount of our centre backs really, because they're the only defensive-minded players in the team. Both wing backs are now genuine out-and-out wingers, and neither Palmer or Bostock could be described as natural holding or defensive-minded midfielders.

It means that when a team or player gets on top of us for a spell we are extremely vulnerable, but it's happening rarely enough that the good massively outweighs the bad.