Is our style backfiring?

Deco · December 13, 2015

It's been a frustrating couple of weeks for us blues, but at the same time our football has been the best we've played for a long, long time.

Our issue over the past few years has been breaking teams down and creating chances - how many times have people posted on this forum saying that we need someone to "unlock defences"?

This season we've been seemingly making matches open on purpose to try and stop teams from parking the bus, and although this has allowed us to score more it's also meant that the other team is allowed into the match more.

This wouldn't be an issue if our defending was better, but teams know that we struggle against crosses and set pieces - making us vulnerable and thus making our open style backfire.

An ESPN article raised many concerns that we knew of with our ability to defend, and we concede so many goals from set pieces that our team's confidence must hit the floor whenever the other team gets one.

I'm just interested to know whether fans believe that Martinez can solve our issues in defence. If he can, then we're onto a winner with the way that we play football. If not, it's going to be a long couple of seasons as players won't stay if we can't compete with the top end of the table.

technojoe · December 13, 2015

First!

He'll have to bolster the set piece training for the defence. I think we need new coaches imo.

Whistlin' Dixie · December 13, 2015

No he can't fix it.

I'm not confident he can, otherwise it'd have been done long ago.

riddick · December 13, 2015

It's either he can't or he won't. Something very wrong either way

blue61 · December 13, 2015

If we could tap in a few more of the relatively easy chances we're carving out of late, we wouldn't need to worry about the odd ricket. Our play is at times sensational, we just don't cope with teams pressing us as well as we should. It's very, very, very, very, very, frustrating.

banno · December 13, 2015

I can only think of 3 players that can win a headed ball and that is Stones (who is still on a learning curve defensively), Mori (He is OK but not brilliant) and Lukaku (who is also not brilliant). When we concede a corner we are very much outnumbered by nearly all teams so are at a disadvantage straight away. This is where we need a strong and brave keeper to try and equalise that disadvantage or the only other way is to get bigger players that can also play good football and we know that will be very hard or expensive to come by. Even Jags is not brilliant in the air but he has that little bit more nous than the others. All our midfielders are poor at heading so they are not a great help in defending corners or set pieces.

sageyefc · December 13, 2015

New keeper and we'll win the lot

Whistlin' Dixie · December 13, 2015

We were sussed out last season at spurts. We visibly wilted when they pressed us, and that was the season over because everyone got onto it.

While we're not losing as many this season, it's plain as the nose on your face that we're too easily sussed. My fear is, is that it won't be long before they cotton onto our game from the kick-off.

Then we're in schiesse-strasse.

Huyton Layne · December 13, 2015

Don't we leave Rom up and bring Geri and Ross back? That might worth switching around for a laugh

Number_25 · December 13, 2015

Fully behind Bobby, but the fact of the matter is that we badly miss Jagielka.

Ollie d · December 13, 2015

Keep Deulofeu, Barkley and Lukaku up top when we concede corners. Its not working as it is and would an opponent wanna leave 3 on 3 ? That also clears space so the keeper may actual get his arse off the line to claim one every now and then...on second thoughts scrap that !

Dithering Dougie · December 13, 2015

Ollie d said:
Keep Deulofeu, Barkley and Lukaku up top when we concede corners. Its not working as it is and would an opponent wanna leave 3 on 3 ? That also clears space so the keeper may actual get his arse off the line to claim one every now and then...on second thoughts scrap that !

Interesting, but the trouble is Lukaku and Barkey are two of our biggest players and we'd lose out considerable in the match ups with the opposition.

Ollie d · December 13, 2015

Dithering Dougie said:
Interesting, but the trouble is Lukaku and Barkey are two of our biggest players and we'd lose out considerable in the match ups with the opposition.

Indeed but Barkley isn't the best at meeting headers, he is just in there for his height. And by leaving such an attacking force forward I doubt the opposition would mark them with their more attacking players, it would likely be defenders who tend to be better in the air? Not a foolproof solution but things aren't working so well as is.

Hangleton · December 13, 2015

A more commanding keeper would allow us to defend set pieces better from the six yard line instead of the goal line.

Dithering Dougie · December 13, 2015

Ollie d said:
Indeed but Barkley isn't the best at meeting headers, he is just in there for his height. And by leaving such an attacking force forward I doubt the opposition would mark them with their more attacking players, it would likely be defenders who tend to be better in the air? Not a foolproof solution but things aren't working so well as is.

Yeah I know what you mean and in theory it's a decent idea, but seeing as we can't clear our box with them helping us defend as it is I doubt it would do much to change that and it might just hinder us more.