Have we gone from the sublime to the ridiculous..?

[Spursex]

Poch barely rotated in the PL unless it felt like he was forced to...or at least he often said he preferred not to.

I've been looking at how often he knowingly played with his backline, even when results were poorish, it was rare to see him change.

Then I looked at how often Jose puts out the same backline and you can't help be struck other than it's almost every other game - could this be why our backline has lost all its confidence?

So I heard many ex-pro's preaching at the weekend again that the start of every great team is a great backline, but all, almost to a man said that you have to decide what your back four/five are going to be and stick with them, come what may...seemed a bit extreme to me, but the point was well made.

Are the root of our defensive woes in our selection rotations?

One player for certain who's palpably gone downhill these last 4/5 months is Lloris, is it affecting him too?

Did Jose rotate defensively this much at his other clubs?

 

[Pompey Yid]

Poch barely rotated in the PL unless it felt like he was forced to...or at least he often said he preferred not to.

I've been looking at how often he knowingly played with his backline, even when results were poorish, it was rare to see him change.

Then I looked at how often Jose puts out the same backline and you can't help be struck other than it's almost every other game - could this be why our backline has lost all its confidence?

So I heard many ex-pro's preaching at the weekend again that the start of every great team is a great backline, but all, almost to a man said that you have to decide what your back four/five are going to be and stick with them, come what may...seemed a bit extreme to me, but the point was well made.

Are the root of our defensive woes in our selection rotations?

One player for certain who's palpably gone downhill these last 4/5 months is Lloris, is it affecting him too?

Did Jose rotate defensively this much at his other clubs?

Keeping/deciding your back 4 or 5 is a must, so stick to it, Lloris has probably been affected by it, keep rotating in front of him becomes/nervy with what will he/they do.

As for rotating the back line at other club's he has coached, I have no bloody idea, sorry lol!

 

[rackny]

Totally agree that we need to decide a back 4 and stick to it barring injuries. Too much rotation just causes indecisiveness and I am convinced this is what is causing the individual mistakes. Everyone of our defenders are internationals yet recently they have all at some point looked like Championship players.

If we have a settled defence and central midfield i.e NDom and PEH then you can afford your other players to express themselves

 

[Nick Real Deal]

Toby is in decline so should make way to his successor in some games. Sanchez is used when pace is required, Dier is learning the job, Rodon needs to be phased in , Aurier is unpredictable, Doherty not yet good enough, Davies not good enough and Reggie needing rotation. How can you get a stable back 4 out of the above ?

 

[rackny]

Its not ideal but if we keep chopping and changing then the players cannot build an understanding. Look at Man City. Stones came in to partner Dias when Laporte got injured. That pairing has conceded something like 2 goals in 8 or 9 games. It wasnt his first choice pairing but Pep has stuck with something that is working and has only changed due to injury, suspension or in cup games. We change every game. No wonder we dont look like we know what we are doing.

 

[muttley]

This needs to be the group that play 80-90% of the remaining games

Lloris
Tanganga, Sanchez, Dier, Reggie
Ndombele, Hojbjerg

This defence would feel very comfortable playing a higher line which would benefit us in so many ways.

What then takes us to a new level is if combos of Gio, Dele and Bale can truly get going ahead of them in tandem with Kane and Son.

Imagine never having to see that Aurier, Sissoko, Moura Championship combo on the right ever again :-)

 

[Critical_Spur]

This needs to be the group that play 80-90% of the remaining games

Lloris
Tanganga, Sanchez, Dier, Reggie
Ndombele, Hojbjerg

This defence would feel very comfortable playing a higher line which would benefit us in so many ways.

What then takes us to a new level is if combos of Gio, Dele and Bale can truly get going ahead of them in tandem with Kane and Son.

Imagine never having to see that Aurier, Sissoko, Moura Championship combo on the right ever again :-)

Unless Tanga excels as a RWB, I am afraid our attacks will be predictably lop sided. For example I didn't see Tanga get in the final 3rd much v City, may be Lamela was supposed to provide the width?

Also, Reggie best not become another player ravaged by injuries.

Beyond your preferred back line, there is little going for us regards depth/cover.

 

[muttley]

Unless Tanga excels as a RWB, I am afraid our attacks will be predictably lop sided. For example I didn't see Tanga get in the final 3rd much v City, may be Lamela was supposed to provide the width?

Also, Reggie best not become another player ravaged by injuries.

Beyond your preferred back line, there is little going for us regards depth/cover.

That's what I love about all the stats we have nowadays. You can check.

According to WhoScored, Japhet had 57 touches and 22 of them were in the City half. That's even though City were 2 on 1 coming his direction on that side. Admittedly, only 4 of those touches were in line with their 18 yard box though.

Also, when you play a higher defensive line then you have more dependency on your full-backs to pivot or sweep behind the centre halves. Japhet does that superbly based on what I've seen.

As for the depth / cover, I think you're right. That needs to be addressed in the next transfer window.

 

[Critical_Spur]

That's what I love about all the stats we have nowadays. You can check.

According to WhoScored, Japhet had 57 touches and 22 of them were in the City half. That's even though City were 2 on 1 coming his direction on that side. Admittedly, only 4 of those touches were in line with their 18 yard box though.

Also, when you play a higher defensive line then you have more dependency on your full-backs to pivot or sweep behind the centre halves. Japhet does that superbly based on what I've seen.

As for the depth / cover, I think you're right. That needs to be addressed in the next transfer window.

Thanks for that illuminating data muttley.

'Address the depth' would be an interesting topic to debate nearer the TW as by then we'll know if there's to be any continuity amongst the squad and football management. Loanees will be shipped back or wanting to go back to their respective parent clubs, newbies without CL won't see our stadium as the main attraction and before you know it, we'll still be starting our next season with the 'job for life' steady eddies!

 

[Departed]

Pochettino had Vertonghen and Toby at their best. Hardly a fair comparison,

 

[muttley]

Thanks for that illuminating data muttley.

'Address the depth' would be an interesting topic to debate nearer the TW as by then we'll know if there's to be any continuity amongst the squad and football management. Loanees will be shipped back or wanting to go back to their respective parent clubs, newbies without CL won't see our stadium as the main attraction and before you know it, we'll still be starting our next season with the 'job for life' steady eddies!

As far as I'm concerned, Jose has had his one and only summer where he did the "quantity over quality" thing. We've ended up with a balanced squad. It's not that most were bad buys. The younger ones were actually pretty decent but apart from Hojbjerg and Reggie, they have't nailed first team spots. The squad is better for guys like Bergwijn and Rodon.

The visible problem is with the old guard - Davies, Toby, Aurier, Moura, Lamela, Sissoko etc. More recently even Lloris and Dier are looking culpable.

We absolutely have to move into the "quality over quantity" mode now. Jose should be prepared to reduce the squad size to get more quality in. He should also be prepared to let the youngsters plug the squad gaps. Also, not a single player over 25 should be allowed to join our club moving forward. Jose should just be told to scrub them off any list as it's not happening.

 

[freundorfoe]

Been saying the same thing on a settled back line.

I think rotating full backs is less destructive but a cb pairing need to build rapport as a trio with keeper. It's integral.

He needs to pick and stick to a partnership.

 

[xvausch]

How many players has he used in the back? I don't think it's that many.

The "chemistry" that comes from playing side-by-side every day, is not more apparent on the pitch than between your CB's. Not even close. We saw Toby-Vert grow into that kind of pairing, King-Dawson had some of it, there've been others.

But, if you pick the wrong players to pair, you can keep them as consistent as the sun and you'll still get shit. I feel we likely have a couple that can do a good job, I do not believe that Jose is playing them together as he should.

As long as he continues to try and prove to the world that he was right all along, and Eric Dier is a World Class CB, we will suffer this defensive diarrhea.


Doh_Toby_Rodon_Reggie

(Aurier_Snchz_Davies_Tanga)

I'd replace Aurier post haste (Like a season ago).

Need another good young LB, and need to make Reggie's move permanent.

I'd release Dier by mutual consent. If we could get a couple pounds, great, if not, who cares, he's a pariah now.

And most importantly, I'd give them a consistent defensive/tactical paradigm to work under. Does not appear that they are all on the same page, far too often for me, to beleive they are comfortable knowing what the expectations are.

So, all of this, is stuff a U10 coach should know.

.

 

[Spursex]

How many players has he used in the back? I don't think it's that many.

The "chemistry" that comes from playing side-by-side every day, is not more apparent on the pitch than between your CB's. Not even close. We saw Toby-Vert grow into that kind of pairing, King-Dawson had some of it, there've been others.

But, if you pick the wrong players to pair, you can keep them as consistent as the sun and you'll still get shit. I feel we likely have a couple that can do a good job, I do not believe that Jose is playing them together as he should.

As long as he continues to try and prove to the world that he was right all along, and Eric Dier is a World Class CB, we will suffer this defensive diarrhea.


Doh_Toby_Rodon_Reggie

(Aurier_Snchz_Davies_Tanga)

I'd replace Aurier post haste (Like a season ago).

Need another good young LB, and need to make Reggie's move permanent.

I'd release Dier by mutual consent. If we could get a couple pounds, great, if not, who cares, he's a pariah now.

And most importantly, I'd give them a consistent defensive/tactical paradigm to work under. Does not appear that they are all on the same page, far too often for me, to beleive they are comfortable knowing what the expectations are.

So, all of this, is stuff a U10 coach should know.

.

If we'd give Japhet more chances at RB (I accept he did have a nasty injury that kept him out) and had persevered with KPW (now getting rave reviews almost every game) and held onto Sess and brought him on as and when we could.

We may well have had an entire outcome.

Basically, we made some bad/unfortunate decisions.

 

[Pompey Yid]

Totally agree that we need to decide a back 4 and stick to it barring injuries. Too much rotation just causes indecisiveness and I am convinced this is what is causing the individual mistakes. Everyone of our defenders are internationals yet recently they have all at some point looked like Championship players.

If we have a settled defence and central midfield i.e NDom and PEH then you can afford your other players to express themselves

Way to easy rackny! lol!

 

[Pompey Yid]

This needs to be the group that play 80-90% of the remaining games

Lloris
Tanganga, Sanchez, Dier, Reggie
Ndombele, Hojbjerg

This defence would feel very comfortable playing a higher line which would benefit us in so many ways.

What then takes us to a new level is if combos of Gio, Dele and Bale can truly get going ahead of them in tandem with Kane and Son.

Imagine never having to see that Aurier, Sissoko, Moura Championship combo on the right ever again :-)

Same reply muttley "way to easy" lol!

 

[Pompey Yid]

If we'd give Japhet more chances at RB (I accept he did have a nasty injury that kept him out) and had persevered with KPW (now getting rave reviews almost every game) and held onto Sess and brought him on as and when we could.

We may well have had an entire outcome.

Basically, we made some bad/unfortunate decisions.

Your last line Ex said "we made some bad/unfortunate decisions" do not agree! "we" did not make any bad/unfortunate decisions, he/him/JM did all on his own lol!

 

[Real Deal]

This needs to be the group that play 80-90% of the remaining games

Lloris
Tanganga, Sanchez, Dier, Reggie
Ndombele, Hojbjerg

This defence would feel very comfortable playing a higher line which would benefit us in so many ways.

What then takes us to a new level is if combos of Gio, Dele and Bale can truly get going ahead of them in tandem with Kane and Son.

Imagine never having to see that Aurier, Sissoko, Moura Championship combo on the right ever again :-)

Dier shouldn't be anywhere near the team. He is definitely your Achilles heel Mutters.

I would rather Toby partnering the Welsh kid.

If not I would stick with Toby/Sanchez until the season ends. Was our best partnership last season.

 

[RichmondSpur]

Unless Tanga excels as a RWB, I am afraid our attacks will be predictably lop sided. For example I didn't see Tanga get in the final 3rd much v City, may be Lamela was supposed to provide the width?

Also, Reggie best not become another player ravaged by injuries.

Beyond your preferred back line, there is little going for us regards depth/cover.

Maybe Lamela and others needed to get the ball out wide where space was. Tanganga was often hugging the line offering width, with arms aloft seeking a pass that rarely came. We seem obsessed with wanting to play through the middle and force passes into congested areas, our moves continually petering out at source. Does it ever register with us to try something different?

 

[Spursex]

Maybe Lamela and others needed to get the ball out wide where space was. Tanganga was often hugging the line offering width, with arms aloft seeking a pass that rarely came. We seem obsessed with wanting to play through the middle and force passes into congested areas, our moves continually petering out at source. Does it ever register with us to try something different?

I've had this exact conversation today, in some detail with one of our junior coaches, he was as baffled as you were!