Not sure where to put this as it seems there are a lot of random chatter about our defence in a lot of random threads so here goes..
Maybe it's not quite as grim as it looks?
Before you tear my head off, don't get me wrong, our defence is not good enough in terms of personnel and we really did miss a golden opportunity to strengthen during the Summer's window, however, I think we should at least consider that there may be other influencing factors as to why we've started so poorly in terms of conceding.
Here goes..
Missed chances and squandered opportunities!
The first half yesterday against Leicester and more or less the entire games against Burnley and Sevilla was all the same. We were completely in control, almost devastating in our ways, attacking left, right and centre - however also extremely ineffective in front of goal and around the opponents penalty area.
Thing is, there's a balance in games and in teams and even if one team is well better than the opponent, games can easily tip if there's a lack of due diligence when it comes to converting pressure and dominance into goals.
A lack of goals will always send ripples throughout the team at some point and suddenly your game becomes less fluent and nervousness creeps in all over. I am not trying to absorb blame from some of the hapless defensive performances we've seen from Lovren, Klavan, Matip, TAA etc. I am merely trying to make a point, that maybe, if we had scored that peno, or bagged one of a hundred chances against Burnley etc., we would've, as a team, defended better and relieved pressure at the back more frequently.
Sometimes it really is a game of margins, and though I want us to buy a great defender come January as much as anyone else, I still feel more encouraged by our attacking play so far (well, apart from the lack of goals) than I do feel frustrated by our defensive game. If that makes any sense.
Maybe it's not quite as grim as it looks?
Before you tear my head off, don't get me wrong, our defence is not good enough in terms of personnel and we really did miss a golden opportunity to strengthen during the Summer's window, however, I think we should at least consider that there may be other influencing factors as to why we've started so poorly in terms of conceding.
Here goes..
Missed chances and squandered opportunities!
The first half yesterday against Leicester and more or less the entire games against Burnley and Sevilla was all the same. We were completely in control, almost devastating in our ways, attacking left, right and centre - however also extremely ineffective in front of goal and around the opponents penalty area.
Thing is, there's a balance in games and in teams and even if one team is well better than the opponent, games can easily tip if there's a lack of due diligence when it comes to converting pressure and dominance into goals.
A lack of goals will always send ripples throughout the team at some point and suddenly your game becomes less fluent and nervousness creeps in all over. I am not trying to absorb blame from some of the hapless defensive performances we've seen from Lovren, Klavan, Matip, TAA etc. I am merely trying to make a point, that maybe, if we had scored that peno, or bagged one of a hundred chances against Burnley etc., we would've, as a team, defended better and relieved pressure at the back more frequently.
Sometimes it really is a game of margins, and though I want us to buy a great defender come January as much as anyone else, I still feel more encouraged by our attacking play so far (well, apart from the lack of goals) than I do feel frustrated by our defensive game. If that makes any sense.
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