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The problem is in the defense and not up front

This is a tricky one. I'd be inclined to drop Clarke for Richards. Richards was very steady in his defending and looked to more than capable earlier on in the season. I never understood why he didn't come back after illness. If Tilly is going to stick with Daryll then he has to, theres no point putting cCollis in again if he's not going to play every week until the end of the season. The front 2 need to work harder at containing the ball and the wingers need to track back more and more.

As an aside i notice Liptak is getting more involved with the first team and i think Tilly is getting him used to the routine etc and i wouldn't be suprised to see him soon.
 
what has happened to the team this season, we seem to have no continuity, last season at least we played well, and most of the time put 100% into the game although unlucky with results and referees. this season we have lost heart , our defence is weak, our midfield is poor and we don't even have any forwards, yet on paper we probably have one of the strongest teams in the league. i just wonder whether there are any problems with the backroom staff i.e tilly and ron
 
what has happened to the team this season, we seem to have no continuity, last season at least we played well, and most of the time put 100% into the game although unlucky with results and referees. this season we have lost heart , our defence is weak, our midfield is poor and we don't even have any forwards, yet on paper we probably have one of the strongest teams in the league. i just wonder whether there are any problems with the backroom staff i.e tilly and ron

Football isn't played on paper, sadly.

Since when have Tilson & RM been backroom staff:confused:
 
Richards cannot play football though. Its all very well with his no nonsence style defending but the fact is he invites pressure onto the defence again. This is because, a) he constantly hoofs the ball upfront without finding anyone and the ball comes straight back again, or b) he gives away too many throw ins in dangerous areas and too many corners. We would be better off throwing in Liptak, he is the tallest of all our defenders so can win it in the air but can also play with the ball and is a serious threat at set pieces. His only downfull is he appears a little light weight still
 
what has happened to the team this season, we seem to have no continuity, last season at least we played well, and most of the time put 100% into the game although unlucky with results and referees. this season we have lost heart , our defence is weak, our midfield is poor and we don't even have any forwards, yet on paper we probably have one of the strongest teams in the league. i just wonder whether there are any problems with the backroom staff i.e tilly and ron

I think both may be frustrated. We should be doing better than we are and its getting to them. I think Ron has been upset by the negative chants and took it upon himself to announce the signing of Walker immediately and he must have been even more frustrated when we had to cancel the deal. Tilly has mentioned the fact Col U are spending etc. I don't think there is a problem between them, its just frustration. Thats just what i interpret from recent events and a slight inkling.
 
Richards cannot play football though. Its all very well with his no nonsence style defending but the fact is he invites pressure onto the defence again. This is because, a) he constantly hoofs the ball upfront without finding anyone and the ball comes straight back again, or b) he gives away too many throw ins in dangerous areas and too many corners. We would be better off throwing in Liptak, he is the tallest of all our defenders so can win it in the air but can also play with the ball and is a serious threat at set pieces. His only downfull is he appears a little light weight still

WE conceded less goals with him in the side though. That'll do me.
 
pure and simple - we haven't had the realibilty of Eastwood to bang goals in for fun in this division. With fred scoring goals and most of our play being attacking, teams didnt get to attack us.
 
pure and simple - we haven't had the realibilty of Eastwood to bang goals in for fun in this division. With fred scoring goals and most of our play being attacking, teams didnt get to attack us.

Not that pure and simple at all i'm afraid.
 
Richards cannot play football though. Its all very well with his no nonsence style defending but the fact is he invites pressure onto the defence again. This is because, a) he constantly hoofs the ball upfront without finding anyone and the ball comes straight back again, or b) he gives away too many throw ins in dangerous areas and too many corners. We would be better off throwing in Liptak, he is the tallest of all our defenders so can win it in the air but can also play with the ball and is a serious threat at set pieces. His only downfull is he appears a little light weight still

Sorry,can't agree with that.The lad clears danger instead of giving away untold free-kicks around the box,wins most stuff in the air and stops teams playing the high ball into us meaning they have to try and play it through us which is where we nick it back as our midfield compete well when the ball is kept on the deck.

If ever you wonder about Clarke for instance,in his next game watch him as he back-peddles into our box with the opposition coming down the flank,he hasn't a clue where the strikers are and ball-watches terribly.

Like i have said,fcuk the pretty passing stuff,if the ball needs clearing then so be it,at least it goes a long way upfront!
 
We now have the worst defensive record in the league away from home - 26 goals from 14 games. Which means on average we need to score 3 goals to take 3 points.

Not good enough. But I don't think we can just blame the centre halves &/or keeper. We just don't have enough defensively minded or defensively capable players in the team. Gower track back? McCormack or Bailey sit in front of the back 4? Hooper or Black win headers at set pieces?

Its nothing new. Last season we needed 4 goals at home to get 3 points.

I think we have enough defensive cover in midfield. Nicky Bailey is an exceptional footballer defensively. Maybe he is having to push too far forward, but most goals aren't coming from a lack of central midfield cover.

Our problems are as follows:

1. Lack of a commanding centre-half. Ever since Sodje broke his leg at Bournemouth in March 2006 this has been a problem. Clarke and Barrett is not the solution. We might get away with it occasionally, but they've been hurting us big time. Again its no surprise to see someone like Richie Barker cause us problems.

2. Lack of someone taking command at the back. We've missed the exceptional Spencer Prior more than most have realised. Prior was fantastic in organising the defence. Barrett went where Prior told him to. Clarke and Barrett might be good at leading by example, but they can't command a back line. The situation is exacerbated by having a mute goalkeeper who can't command his 6 yard box, let alone a defence.

3. Lack of height in the rest of the team. Even if we get a tall centre-half in and an organiser, we're still vulnerable at set pieces when we've one player over 6 foot and a garden gnome in goal. Last season we tried to replace Benno with JCR, a ridiculous move which unsurprisingly left us struggling at set pieces. Its great to have players who want to pass the ball on the deck, but you've got to have players who can cope with it physically. We're too small. Hopefully Harrold and Collis will be back soon, as he'll help, but even with them back in we need more height in the team.

4. Add in the fact that the likes of Peter Clarke, Hammell and as much as it pains me to say, Barrett are defensively dodgy. Its all well and good being good on the ball, but you've got to defend first and foremost.

I apologise for repeating the same things week after week for nearly two seasons, but the same problems remain and it deeply worries me that Tilly can't see it.
 
We have a short goalkeeper, a short right back, a short left back and 2 short centre halves. It's not rocket science to see what the problem is, but unfortunately Tilly seems to like making life difficult for himself.

Collis back in goal, Francis to right back (which we will have a chance to do now Lewis has a suspension coming up), and as I'm not a fan of Richards, I'd like to see us bring a different tall no nonsense centre half in to replace Barrett. He's too kamikaze for me and although I've been shot down in the past for saying it I'm going to say it again. Danny Cullip would be a solid, useful signing IMHO, and he's free!
 
Yorkshire,i agree with you now and have agreed ever since we hit the Chumpionship on our defensive frailities.
Man Utd at home showed we could soak up pressure but unfortunately Prior and Sodge could not play together often enough and Prior,probably through all those injuries over the years,was definetly slowing up.
WAKE UP TILSON!!
 

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