Defence yet again

[FulhamStu]

Fulham have one major issue on the pitch.  We conceded too many goals.  This issue has been with us for 2 years yet 5 managers are unable to fix it. Grey has a reputation as a very good defensive coach yet we still let in 2 goals a game. We bought Ream and Stearman both previous club players of the season but it made no difference.  Joka brings in Ince a giant of a defensive central MF player but he does not play.  In fact we go from 4 at the back with no MF defensive cover to 3 at the back with no defensive MF cover.  I do get what Joka is trying to do.  I do get that Cairney has to play central so we need wing backs etc.  I do get that Parker and Tunnicliffe have played well, esp v Burnley.  At the end of the day, the way to get Fulham back on track is to sort out the defence.  Why is this so difficult.  Many will say the players are just not good enough and to some extent I agree with this.  Consider however that Rotherham recently got 1-0 wins v Boro and Sheff Weds away.  Do they have better players that us ?

Fix the defence you fix our major problem.  Why is this so bloody difficult.

[alfie]

Fulham have one major issue on the pitch.  We conceded too many goals.  This issue has been with us for 2 years yet 5 managers are unable to fix it. Grey has a reputation as a very good defensive coach yet we still let in 2 goals a game. We bought Ream and Stearman both previous club players of the season but it made no difference.  Joka brings in Ince a giant of a defensive central MF player but he does not play.  In fact we go from 4 at the back with no MF defensive cover to 3 at the back with no defensive MF cover.  I do get what Joka is trying to do.  I do get that Cairney has to play central so we need wing backs etc.  I do get that Parker and Tunnicliffe have played well, esp v Burnley.  At the end of the day, the way to get Fulham back on track is to sort out the defence.  Why is this so difficult.  Many will say the players are just not good enough and to some extent I agree with this.  Consider however that Rotherham recently got 1-0 wins v Boro and Sheff Weds away.  Do they have better players that us ?

Fix the defence you fix our major problem.  Why is this so bloody difficult.

It is quite clear that a succession of managers/coaches have not been able to address the problem, so yes maybe Rotherham do have better playeres than us.

[res]

Fulham have one major issue on the pitch.  We conceded too many goals.  This issue has been with us for 2 years yet 5 managers are unable to fix it. Grey has a reputation as a very good defensive coach yet we still let in 2 goals a game. We bought Ream and Stearman both previous club players of the season but it made no difference.  Joka brings in Ince a giant of a defensive central MF player but he does not play.  In fact we go from 4 at the back with no MF defensive cover to 3 at the back with no defensive MF cover.  I do get what Joka is trying to do.  I do get that Cairney has to play central so we need wing backs etc.  I do get that Parker and Tunnicliffe have played well, esp v Burnley.  At the end of the day, the way to get Fulham back on track is to sort out the defence.  Why is this so difficult.  Many will say the players are just not good enough and to some extent I agree with this.  Consider however that Rotherham recently got 1-0 wins v Boro and Sheff Weds away.  Do they have better players that us ?

Fix the defence you fix our major problem.  Why is this so bloody difficult.

It is quite clear that a succession of managers/coaches have not been able to address the problem, so yes maybe Rotherham do have better playeres than us.

It's down to organisation, someone leading the side on the pitch, and minimising silly mistakes. Do Rotherham have better players than us...I suspect not, Stephen Kelly (a very average full back for us, even under Roy H) is part of their back four, but Warnock has drilled in discipline and organisation. We've had this defence leaking problem for 3/4 seasons now, it's strange that no-one can sort.

[res]

Fulham have one major issue on the pitch.  We conceded too many goals.  This issue has been with us for 2 years yet 5 managers are unable to fix it. Grey has a reputation as a very good defensive coach yet we still let in 2 goals a game. We bought Ream and Stearman both previous club players of the season but it made no difference.  Joka brings in Ince a giant of a defensive central MF player but he does not play.  In fact we go from 4 at the back with no MF defensive cover to 3 at the back with no defensive MF cover.  I do get what Joka is trying to do.  I do get that Cairney has to play central so we need wing backs etc.  I do get that Parker and Tunnicliffe have played well, esp v Burnley.  At the end of the day, the way to get Fulham back on track is to sort out the defence.  Why is this so difficult.  Many will say the players are just not good enough and to some extent I agree with this.  Consider however that Rotherham recently got 1-0 wins v Boro and Sheff Weds away.  Do they have better players that us ?

Fix the defence you fix our major problem.  Why is this so bloody difficult.

A couple of statistics to show defensive woes in recent seasons:
    2013/4-games played 38, goals conceded 85, worst in the division
    2014/5-games played 46, goals conceded 83, second worse in the division
    2015/6 so far-games played 37, goals conceded 63, second worse in the division

[filham]

Afraid the keeper ,fullbacks and central defenders are all below par and that the sum of the parts are even worse than the individuals.

Oh for the resurrection of Schwarzer, Hughes and Hangeland.

[FulhamStu]

Poor players and lack of on field leadership are for me one reason.  Being set up as very attacking is another and lack of defensive ability in other than back 3 or 4.   One of our best defensive players in the past was Saha, who won everything at the near post from corners.  I think Joka has had some success at improving us defensively v set pieces but i am amazed more had not been achieved.

[res]

Poor players and lack of on field leadership are for me one reason.  Being set up as very attacking is another and lack of defensive ability in other than back 3 or 4.   One of our best defensive players in the past was Saha, who won everything at the near post from corners.  I think Joka has had some success at improving us defensively v set pieces but i am amazed more had not been achieved.

Zamora was integral to Roy H's defensive organisation, like Saha he was always clearing near post corners

[colinwhite]

kelley would walk into our team .At least heknows how to defend!

[Whitesideup]

But Bristol's way back into the game came from Garbutt's truly awful pass. And after that our midfield could hardly get on to the ball, let alone do anything constructive with it. The fault does not lie just with the defence. I thought the middle three of Parker, Tunners and Cairney were all really disappointing. Even in the first half (when our performance was up at the level of almost mediocre - so much better than the second half) people were moaning about Amor and Burn humping the ball forward ... but they had no other options. When they did move it along the back, it arrived at Fredericks who then had to ... yes, lump it forward. Now you can blame the back three all you like, but they need options, and we never really found an answer to City closing our central three down. Call it tactics, but on Saturday they just weren't good enough.

And our forward line of Dembele and McCormack, though they have their strengths, are not providing alternative options. So the ball just comes straight back.

[Apprentice to the Maestro]

But Bristol's way back into the game came from Garbutt's truly awful pass. And after that our midfield could hardly get on to the ball, let alone do anything constructive with it. The fault does not lie just with the defence. I thought the middle three of Parker, Tunners and Cairney were all really disappointing. Even in the first half (when our performance was up at the level of almost mediocre - so much better than the second half) people were moaning about Amor and Burn humping the ball forward ... but they had no other options. When they did move it along the back, it arrived at Fredericks who then had to ... yes, lump it forward. Now you can blame the back three all you like, but they need options, and we never really found an answer to City closing our central three down. Call it tactics, but on Saturday they just weren't good enough.

And our forward line of Dembele and McCormack, though they have their strengths, are not providing alternative options. So the ball just comes straight back.

These are good points. There are often no outs for the defence trying to move the ball forward and if the central midfield have the ball then the forwards are rarely making runs or space.

Contrast this with Murphy and Zamora who were always available to receive the ball and do something positive with it.

Defensively, as res says, we do not maintain enough discipline or structure and pressure on the ball, again like the two rows of four that Hodgson had the team drilled in when we didn't have the ball.