Defence again

[colincramb]

I mentioned our defensive frailties a few weeks ago when we were conceding goals at an alarming rate. Most said ‘it doesn’t matter, we are an attacking side, we are 4th, we out score the opposition’ etc etc

Well I’m afraid to say that again we have shipped another two goals, which in truth could have been 4 or 5. We need to address this and fast or is it becoming more obvious that McCann doesn’t know how to do this? Not a dig, just a pattern is forming

[bpoolrover]

It’s not just the defence thou, we need the forwards to close there defenders down and press them but that does not happen as much when wilks plays

[Michael Shaw]

We don't need to be critical of the squad or manager. The current results are doing that for us.

[steve@dcfd]

Having conceeded 13 goals and gaining 4pts in 6 games in October it shows that concentrating on attacking football and missing chances created is not working. We should also be concentrating on closing players down from open play and set pieces. We had a great September but have we been found out or are the players feeling the effects of playing high action football.

[djoftherovers1]

Think it shows we need another striker too, cnt rely only on marquis. The amount of missed chances this season is unreal.

[Colemans Left Hook]

when Coventry scored bloke on sky sports said that's the 11th match in a row Rovers haven't kept a clean sheet.  ... a long way from earning the nickname the "laundrymen"
 

[RedJ]

Think it shows we need another striker too, cnt rely only on marquis. The amount of missed chances this season is unreal.

We've got goals coming from all over the squad.

It's a stronger defence that's needed. And Ben Whiteman to stop letting people ghost past him, and people to close the f**king man on the ball down.

[dickos1]

I agree, but the number of chances were missing each game is an obvious concern

[steve@dcfd]

Think it shows we need another striker too, cnt rely only on marquis. The amount of missed chances this season is unreal.

We've got goals coming from all over the squad.

It's a stronger defence that's needed. And Ben Whiteman to stop letting people ghost past him, and people to close the f**king man on the ball down.

Somethings changed in the last six games.
First 10 games we scored 18 goals and conceded 9.
In the last 6 games we have scored 7 and conceded 13.
A complete turn around. Are the players feeling the effects of high intensity pressing and add to that 5 yellow cards taking effect.

[Barmby Rover]

Clubs have watched us and have worked out how to stop us from scoring, then just wait for the mistakes made at the back.

[dickos1]

Clubs have watched us and have worked out how to stop us from scoring, then just wait for the mistakes made at the back.

Not sure that’s the case, we’ve missed a silly amount of chances in those last 6 games. Not really anything to do with them stopping us scoring

[drfchound]

Correct Dickos.
Marquis missed a great and realistic chance to equalise in the last few minutes at Coventry.
Three one on ones missed in the last two home games.

[Campsall rover]

Clubs have watched us and have worked out how to stop us from scoring, then just wait for the mistakes made at the back.

Not sure that’s the case, we’ve missed a silly amount of chances in those last 6 games. Not really anything to do with them stopping us scoring

I think Tommy Rowe’s absence may have had some effect on goals against. I don’t think we get enough men behind the ball when defending at times. Wilks and Copps are not good at defending.
Blair and Crawford and Whiteman are better going forward with the ball than they are without it.
Could say same about Kane also. That’s why McCullough would do a job for us.
Yes I know our attacking would be restricted a little but we can’t have it all ways can we.

[steve@dcfd]

Clubs have watched us and have worked out how to stop us from scoring, then just wait for the mistakes made at the back.

Not sure that’s the case, we’ve missed a silly amount of chances in those last 6 games. Not really anything to do with them stopping us scoring

To convert the three defeats and a draw into wins we would have to converted at least 12 of the chances. That would have given us 19 goals for, I know it’s hypothetical. It’s still not helped conceeding the amount of goals we have, which is the 16th worst in the league.

[dickos1]

If we’d taken one of the chances in each of the last three games we’d have 5 points instead of 1

[drfchound]

If we’d taken one of the chances in each of the last three games we’d have 5 points instead of 1

...........and been in fourth place instead of eighth.

[Campsall rover]

Think it shows we need another striker too, cnt rely only on marquis. The amount of missed chances this season is unreal.

We've got goals coming from all over the squad.

It's a stronger defence that's needed. And Ben Whiteman to stop letting people ghost past him, and people to close the f**king man on the ball down.

It’s no good having a go at Ben Whiteman I think he is doing a brilliant job in a position that is not best suited to his abilities. Man of the match for me yesterday. If you want a defensive midfielder who is good at breaking the play up then we should have McCullough playing.
Obviously G.M. wants all out attack and that’s great as far as entertainment is concerned but we are not going to keep clean sheets playing the way we are.
That means quite obviously we need to convert a much higher proportion of the chances we have been creating over the last 4/5 games.
Personally I am loving the football we are playing but I also want winning football and I also enjoyed watching the 2012/13 team because they new how to win. Not the free flowing football but very effective 4-4-2 football with wingers/wide midfielders in Coppinger and Cotterill. Lots of service from out wide to Paynter & Brown and or Hume.
Take you pick, personally I want to see us get promoted so I want to see a team that is capable of grinding out some 1-0 wins.
We are not as i keep saying going to score 3 goals a game so as we are are going to find it very difficult to win enough matches to finish in the top 6.
How many teams get promoted conceding 60+ goals which is where we are headed at the moment.
McCann must see this and I hope he decides to have a plan B he can implement soon.
We are still very much work in progress.

[bpoolrover]

We need to defend better as a team without a doubt it's ok saying if we had finished our chances, but Coventry  could easily have been 3 or 4 or by half time the same could be said for Rochdale Southend and other games and the games would have been over before we even started playing

[ravenrover]

To be fair 1st half we carried 2 players Wilks and Crawford, Wilks just appeared very lazy and Crawford was just not up to it. The improvement came when they were subbed early 2nd half

[Donny Viking]

I didn't go to Coventry so can't comment on that game, but against Gillingham we had 13 shots on target (32 shots in total) and scored 3, against their 3 shots and 3 goals. That looks more like poor shooting than just defending. It was similar against Fleetwood in the first half, when you look a the figures. Against Sunderland we had 2 clear one on ones with their goalkeeper and failed to score either and so get beat 1-0.  We need more quality up front and I include John in that. A quality striker gets one  or 2 chances and scores, John often needs 3 or 4 to score.