We have (we, being fans, pundits, journalists, Tom, The other one, Harry) discussed over and over the change in our defence this year - not in personnel but in terms of aptitude.
'It's because they can't "cheat" and tussle before a ball comes in from a corner' , 'they have been recognised as being slow', 'they peaked last year', 'being tinkered with too much'
But for me, they are tussling as much as they did (whether this is legal or not is a different debate <polite request to contributors both local and further a field>, they aren't any slower or quicker, teams are trying to get by them exactly as they did last year and the back four hasn't been changed that much.
Whilst this isn't me promoting the level of performances from our defence this year, I'm not sure they are that different in terms of performances. Yes, they are making more mistakes - but here's the thing: I believe this is because they are having more chances to make mistakes.
And so after a bit of a ramble, the point to my article - defensively, we are weaker this year, but it's in terms of what has happened in front of the defence that has caused this IMO. As I said, this is not to justify our back 4, but without improvement to personnel, I'm not sure that they are suddenly worse players, perhaps just not as as good as we thought and what was 'good' was the secondary defence in front of them.
Yes ....Kante, blah,blah,blah and he specifically, was probably the reason that the balance of a traditional 4-4-2 was not only an option but one we could rely on consistently game in game out (consistency - another reason for our success, but one as a result of something more).....but I think there was something else...something more important to our balance EVEN more important than Kante....yer, I know, crazy right!?
Why is Ranieri trying to get us to play more defensively? Maybe he is, but weren't we always?
In front of the 5-man defensive unit we consistently had FOUR players who defended well in their area of the pitch - Kante, Drinkwater, Albrighton, Okazaki. For all of the wonderful goals and attacks and movement - it all came from the old idiom - 'defend from the front'. Pundits, journalists and opposition fans would describe us as sitting deep and our defenders playing brilliantly before hoofing it forward and I, at one stage, kept note of the goals we were scoring this way and it was far fewer that I even realised. How often was it our midfield cancelling the ball out and playing it forward? How often was it Okazaki breaking things up? Drinkwater with a quick release, Albrighton tracking back and countering? Our defence deserves plaudits for last year, but I think it has been at the expense of other defensive contributions and the easy answer has been to applaud Kante for all of the additional support.
But is this where we have gone wrong? Albrighton dropped or switched wings, Drinkwater has been out, Okazaki infrequent, obviously no Kante....it doesn't have to be these exact players, but have we tried to play a formation or maybe even a team in general, that doesn't provide enough defence for the level (with all due respect) of defenders that we have?
For me, this is why Musa/Gray and Mahrez on the other wing is never going to work...with our formation and personnel, we have room for one luxury player (other than the striker) who doesn't have to first and foremost be confident and able defensively.
Without any real additions i just see the recognition of FOUR defensively able players in front of the back four as the ONLY way forward which would involve a consistent team and personnel (partly due to lack of options) which is not a bad thing.
Defend the defence, because ultimately I feel it is this higher defensive work which organically turned into attack last year.
Sorry for the rambling and any errors
A defence for the defence...
posted on 4/2/17
Absolutely, I think it goes without saying that unrest like this would be a gradual, mounting process
posted on 4/2/17
Think we all agree.
Let's find something to disagree about again!!
posted on 4/2/17
Another interesting article. I'll add Vardy in to the 4 players mentioned in front of the defence. As I mentioned in my comment on BS's losing the dressing room thread below, for some reason Vardy isn't closing down like last year. Defending last season really did start from the front as the opposition back line were frequently forced into making hurried passes by the threat of losing the ball to Vardy.
posted on 4/2/17
I agree Nuneaton, and nearly mentioned Vardy but I think defensively, we could still play a similar way without Vardy if we had this secondary 4 so I guess he (by he I mean Vardy last year!) is a an additionally bonus but not imperative (hence, why I see him being dropped unfortunately when Slimani is fit )
posted on 4/2/17
comment by nuneaton_fox (U7936)
posted 9 minutes ago
Another interesting article. I'll add Vardy in to the 4 players mentioned in front of the defence. As I mentioned in my comment on BS's losing the dressing room thread below, for some reason Vardy isn't closing down like last year. Defending last season really did start from the front as the opposition back line were frequently forced into making hurried passes by the threat of losing the ball to Vardy.
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This is where I think I 'disagree' with most others , most fans blame the players for being either too lazy on fat cat wages or not interested but I think this comes form CR himself and the way he wants them to play.
IF players are consistently not working hard and going against instructions, why oh why haven't they been dropped or at least getting shouted at from the touchlines, my take is it's because they've been told not to as part of playing the 'Italian way'?
posted on 4/2/17
I agree with true blue
There was plenty of effort at Burnley but they are being coached to keep a clean sheet. Vardy doesn't look fit enough and fitness for me has gone out the window since Pearson left
posted on 4/2/17
comment by True Blue (U9486)
posted 2 hours, 58 minutes ago
comment by nuneaton_fox (U7936)
posted 9 minutes ago
Another interesting article. I'll add Vardy in to the 4 players mentioned in front of the defence. As I mentioned in my comment on BS's losing the dressing room thread below, for some reason Vardy isn't closing down like last year. Defending last season really did start from the front as the opposition back line were frequently forced into making hurried passes by the threat of losing the ball to Vardy.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
This is where I think I 'disagree' with most others , most fans blame the players for being either too lazy on fat cat wages or not interested but I think this comes form CR himself and the way he wants them to play.
IF players are consistently not working hard and going against instructions, why oh why haven't they been dropped or at least getting shouted at from the touchlines, my take is it's because they've been told not to as part of playing the 'Italian way'?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
At the risk of repeating myself I think it's either because he's lost a yard of pace or he's being told to play that way; if the latter then it needs to be changed pronto.
posted on 4/2/17
comment by nuneaton_fox (U7936)
posted 9 minutes ago
comment by True Blue (U9486)
posted 2 hours, 58 minutes ago
comment by nuneaton_fox (U7936)
posted 9 minutes ago
Another interesting article. I'll add Vardy in to the 4 players mentioned in front of the defence. As I mentioned in my comment on BS's losing the dressing room thread below, for some reason Vardy isn't closing down like last year. Defending last season really did start from the front as the opposition back line were frequently forced into making hurried passes by the threat of losing the ball to Vardy.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
This is where I think I 'disagree' with most others , most fans blame the players for being either too lazy on fat cat wages or not interested but I think this comes form CR himself and the way he wants them to play.
IF players are consistently not working hard and going against instructions, why oh why haven't they been dropped or at least getting shouted at from the touchlines, my take is it's because they've been told not to as part of playing the 'Italian way'?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
At the risk of repeating myself I think it's either because he's lost a yard of pace or he's being told to play that way; if the latter then it needs to be changed pronto.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I think the same can be said for Oki, he and Vardy used to hunt them down, not seen much of that this season either?
posted on 4/2/17
They've stopped pressing from the front and that's a coaching thing
posted on 4/2/17
BS did Vardy break the goal per game record under PN .....No
Second top scorer in the premiership under pearson ....No
You get the rest blah blah blah.
Just one more thing in the great escape season how many goals did Vardy score until Cambiasso took over the team and got them to believe in themselves.
Did anyone see the one man team today Kante for Chelsea the best ever midfielder we have had an destined for the very very top. He has made more challenges than any other player in the last three seasons but in the last two.
He is and remains the issue and why CR needs to change the formation team etc to compensate.
The players can't do it so back to 4411/442