The Defence

[mark1975]

The Sunday shutout of a misfiring Manchester United was impressive.

Simon Mignolet had only one save to make in the entire game.

Glen Johnson and Martin Skrtel did not lose a single tackle between them.

Jon Flanagan - compared to Stevie Nicol by his boss this week - was typically combative, making 11 tackles and winning 72.7% of them.

Skrtel dominated Robin van Persie, winning 71.4% of his aerial duels during the match - a respectable figure for any defender.

Skrtel and Daniel Agger were the “strongholds of the team” at Old Trafford, according to Brendan Rodgers.

The same back four also worked superbly as a unit in the previous match at Southampton.Again, the stats showed Skrtel was on his game, winning 100% of his tackles and aerial duels while making 15 clearances - more than his three defensive colleagues combined (nine).

 

[cloggypop]

Defense

Girlfreind

Rumor

You mods need spelling lessons

 

[Modo]

This thread lacks agendas.

Agger has played 90 minutes in only 10 matches this season, 7 of them leading to clean sheets. As a team we have 9 clean sheets in 29.

 

[cloggypop]

Nice edit. Ta.

 

[keniget]

The Utd game was great but in some ways they gifted our superiority to us - they lacked cohesion and hunger. We had a much tougher time against Southampton for example who at times in the game worked us hard and we could've easily conceded. Against Swansea and Fulham we did.

I don't really know what my point is here. Clearly I'm not enlightening anyone - we all know there have been defensive issues. Perhaps it's that we can only take so much encouragement from the Utd game and need to see these kind of stats over time before we start to have proper faith in our backline. Hopefully the defence can make a start on that front tomorrow.

 

[gene hughes]

This thread lacks agendas.

Agger has played 90 minutes in only 10 matches this season, 7 of them leading to clean sheets. As a team we have 9 clean sheets in 29.

Perhaps because

A) he's usually trusted against certain opponents (conservative teams, non physical, bottlers)

B) he has been taken off for being crap at least once

 

[Modo]

Perhaps because

A) he's usually trusted against certain opponents (conservative teams, non physical, bottlers)

B) he has been taken off for being crap at least once

A) Stoke home, Villa Away, Man U Home, Fulham Home, Hull Home, Southampton Away, Man U Away.

B) Not in the games that we kept a clean sheet, though.

 

[gene hughes]

A) Stoke home, Villa Away, Man U Home, Fulham Home, Hull Home, Southampton Away, Man U Away.

B) Not in the games that we kept a clean sheet, though.

That's what I mean.

 

[Modo]

That's what I mean.

So Stoke are non-physical?

 

[Markeh]

I have no agenda with Agger, he does have the most clean sheets out of any of our centre backs per game started. He started the Oldham match too, they didn't score.

He also started the 2 games previous to United and Southampton when we conceded 4.

 

[Modo]

I have no agenda with Agger, he does have the most clean sheets out of any of our centre backs per game started. He started the Oldham match too, they didn't score.

He also started the 2 games previous to United and Southampton when we conceded 4.

Hey, I'm trying to get @the_khl back, stop acting like cunts.

 

[Markeh]

Hey, I'm trying to get @the_khl back, stop acting like cunts.

oh ok

Agger has started 8 games that ended with clean sheets this season

25% More than Skrtel
50% More than Kolo
Shitloads more than Sakho

 

[gene hughes]

So Stoke are non-physical?

The other bit, silly!

 

[Rafiagra]

The midfield is a lot better balanced since Allen came in, which I think has played a big part in our new solidity.

Skrtel and Flanagan did play great against the Mancs though. Johnson seems better since he's come back too.

 

[Whirly]

Sakho's got to be really trying to get a run in the first team with the World Cup so close.

I'd be inclined to give him that opportunity, I wasn't entirely convinced by Agger against United.

 

[Mersey86]

I think one of our defensive issues this season has been the number of injuries. Getting a settled defence is a big plus. Even Cissokho started looking OK once he got a run of games with the same team-mates. So, while I prefer Sakho, and think Lucas helps our game, I'd like to see us keep faith with the growing solidity at the back.

 

[FoxForceFive]

The midfield is a lot better balanced since Allen came in, which I think has played a big part in our new solidity.

Skrtel and Flanagan did play great against the Mancs though. Johnson seems better since he's come back too.

Yep. I'd like to see us continue to play Allen to aim to keep more clean sheets. The mental factor in that is that teams know it's already damn near impossible to stop us scoring but will look at goals conceded as a way in.

If we get a string of clean sheets whilst we keep winning then some matches will be won before the game kicks off.

The other good reason is goal difference. That could be so so important come the last game of the season.