So, improving defensively to stay in the premier league. What do we need to do?

my mate and I were talking over the weekend about what we need to do to adapt next season. We both agreed that we don't really have any worries about the technical ability of our players or our ability to create and score goals. In my opinion our quality going forward is already premier league level although it may need to be supplemented by another quick wide option and a second striker.

The obvious conclusion, and one I think shared generally by everyone, is that we need to tighten up at the back and stop shipping in the soft goals. I think the encouraging thing when you look at the goals we tend to concede is that they SHOULD be capable of addressing with work on the training ground or minor tactical tweaks rather than requiring wholesale changes in personnel.

The biggest defensive issues we have by far in my view are marking from set peices/crosses and not closing down shots at the top of the box and I think in many cases the two are interlinked because the latter are coming from the second phase of play after the former. Some (forgive me I can;t recall who) posted a very telling stat the other day that 44% of our defensive set pieces result in the opposition having an attempt on goal which apparently was the worst in the division. This is not a surprise to me based on watching the games and I think is the biggest think Farke and his team need to work on defensivelythis summer. Too often we have all 11 of our players in our own box, goalside of the penalty spot and attacking players are still getting free headers or the ball is cleared to an unmarked player or players on the edge of the box who are able to have a shot. Premier league quality players will punish us if we do that. I very much hope, therefore, that Farke will be on the case.

Other than that what does everyine think? i assume we will not push the fullbacks on so much in certain games to give us more solidity (and in that respect our away record this season is encouraging as we have a good record in some of the more challenging away games), I can see us going three at the back occasionally as we did at Chelsea in the Cup. i also like the suggestion of sometimes playing Godfrey as a second holding midfielder and bringing in Klose who I think may feature more if he stays. On top of that I expect to see Leitner and Vrancic feature more as we look to up our ball retention nd beat the attacking press that some teams will play.

Of course we will be up against some seriously good players and we are going to concede but it seems to me that there are some fairly obvious areas that we should be able to improve even before we get into the transfer market.

On that note though it will be interesting to see if we sign a keeper. Krul has won me over to a degree in the second half of the season and watching his interviews after promotion you can;t help think he;s a great guy who is probably very important to have around the place with all our young players. I watched that interview and found myself thinking that yes we should give him a go again next season. You do, however, look at goals going in like that Blackburn goal on saturday and wonder whether Webber will be eying up a more athletic shot stopper gioven the amount of shots our keeper is likely to have to deal with in the premier league. We cannot keep letting teams back into games we are dominating like that.

Interestingly I think Shef U have entirely the opposite problem to us. they are good defensively which will give them half a chance but i donlt thin they have anything like the attacking quality or creativity we have so I can see them struggling to score and I think that may be harder/more expensive for them to address.

Posted By: Jim on April 30th 2019 at 08:24:00

Message Thread

So, improving defensively to stay in the premier league. What do we need to do? (NCFC) - Jim, Apr 30, 08:24:00
- It'll be interesting to see whether he starts with Godfrey at CB (NCFC) - paulg, Apr 30, 11:46:24
- Organisation and team defending (NCFC) - Cardiff Canary, Apr 30, 10:01:50
  - Truly puzzled how Sheff U don't get done on the break (NCFC) - duke of york, Apr 30, 10:05:12
- just a point regarding Blackburns ghoul... Krul was completely unsighted... (NCFC) - Pixelman, Apr 30, 09:40:05
  - What annoys me about that goal was the Blackburn player wasn't closed down. (n/m) (NCFC) - Trent_Canary, Apr 30, 10:25:55
- with the greatest of respect (NCFC) - Henclrikus, Apr 30, 09:07:15
  - My point is more that i don’t think it necessarily needs addressing through recruitment (NCFC) - Jim, Apr 30, 09:14:35
    - if everyone did the obvious things right all the time (NCFC) - Henclrikus, Apr 30, 09:27:50
      - I don’t know but are we not allowed to discuss areas we can improve (NCFC) - Jim, Apr 30, 09:35:22
        
        we *are* having that discussion (NCFC) - Henclrikus, Apr 30, 09:50:08
        
        Its not eating me up at all, was merely discussing how we can find those (NCFC) - Jim, Apr 30, 10:04:50
        
        Hughes is HUFC 1st Team Coach (NCFC) - Henclrikus, Apr 30, 10:15:43
        
        I don;t necessarily. As I said I have no idea if he's any good but (NCFC) - Jim, Apr 30, 10:26:22
        
        I fear you are likely to remain disappointed then (NCFC) - Henclrikus, Apr 30, 10:43:05
        
        Just so I am clear then, are you saying we should not look to improve this area of our (NCFC) - Jim, Apr 30, 10:57:23
        
        no Jim (NCFC) - Henclrikus, Apr 30, 11:06:51
        
        You really are an argumentative person aren't you ! (n/m) (NCFC) - Men without hats, Apr 30, 12:59:13
        
        if you say so (n/m) (NCFC) - Henclrikus, Apr 30, 13:36:15
- Too many words (n/m) (NCFC) - Steve in Holland, Apr 30, 09:04:15
- Good post. I posted that stat about corners (NCFC) - jAC, Apr 30, 08:59:45
  - I guess we back ourselves to get out and make blocks which to be fair we go often do (n/m) (NCFC) - Jim, Apr 30, 09:15:40
- Need to either change our approach or improve those at centre half and central midfield (NCFC) - earlydoors, Apr 30, 08:58:43
- Full backs will need to be less attacking and I think we possibly lack... (NCFC) - loz, Apr 30, 08:53:04
- I like your posts of this style Jim. (n/m) (NCFC) - Azteca, Apr 30, 08:47:10
- I think you are right with Sheffield. (NCFC) - Men without hats, Apr 30, 08:46:24
- Good post (NCFC) - Old Git, Apr 30, 08:39:34
  - My only slight "concern" is that we have had these issues pretty much (NCFC) - Jim, Apr 30, 08:43:13
- re keeper (NCFC) - CWC, Apr 30, 08:29:56
  - Agree Krul impt to squad, but he does let in just a few too many from distance (n/m) (NCFC) - Saucerer, Apr 30, 08:44:17
  - Surely the extension for McGovern shows we won’t be signing a back up keeper? (NCFC) - Old Git, Apr 30, 08:38:21
    - Did we extend before being certain to go up? (NCFC) - CWC, Apr 30, 08:59:26
  - But i think i would agree with the approach you suggest. Give Krul the chance (NCFC) - Jim, Apr 30, 08:36:21
    - Webber can’t agree with that (NCFC) - Old Git, Apr 30, 08:41:39
      - I still think he signed as our third choice keeper, tbh (NCFC) - Yellalee, Apr 30, 08:42:38
        
        Wow, really? (NCFC) - Old Git, Apr 30, 08:46:29
        
        I agree (NCFC) - Cardiff Canary, Apr 30, 09:56:21
  - I would be tempted by Westwood at Shef Weds who I think may be out of contract (n/m) (NCFC) - Jim, Apr 30, 08:35:09

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