We have to get back to a four man defence

[Joey66]

The defence did OK in front of a very shaky keeper yesterday - it was a midfielder that cost us the game with a stupid non need pull back on a player that cost us - plus our inability to score

 

[davek]

….interesting, I thought we were playing a 3 because that’s the system Lampard wants.

No. He defo dosn't want that...and certainly doesn't want a defence that cant adapt to a different system.

What manager would want that inflexibility?!

 

[davek]

The defence did OK in front of a very shaky keeper yesterday - it was a midfielder that cost us the game with a stupid non need pull back on a player that cost us - plus our inability to score

Doucoure drifted over there because Patterson had been drawn out to Koulibaly.

The defence are at sixes and sevens playing this system. You get away with it against teams that cant be patient and and wait for the killer pass, but not there yesterday.

 

[davek]

A back 4 works better with a proper holding midfielder, without one we've had to revert to a back 5 so as to have numbers there. But we are then exposed in the middle of the park and get overrun. Tarkowski is a very good defender and very vocal but who to partner him with in a back 4 - Keane has gone downhill so much he's a liability, Mina is always crocked, Godfrey's out so that leaves Holgate or a youngster. We need a new CB to partner Tarkowski.

An Onana-Gueye CM changes the game for us.

 

[Joey66]

Doucoure drifted over there because Patterson had been drawn out to Koulibaly.

The defence are at sixes and sevens playing this system. You get away with it against teams that cant be patient and and wait for the killer pass, but not there yesterday.

Any defence would be at sixes & sevens with Pickford behind them - his antics yesterday - the ball was out of play, so he kicked it to an attacker - Godfrey long term injury now - his distribution awful - spilled a ball lucky Stirling was offside - captain Birdseye more like it - we should have sold him before Rhico .....

 

[davek]

Any defence would be at sixes & sevens with Pickford behind them - his antics yesterday - the ball was out of play, so he kicked it to an attacker - Godfrey long term injury now - his distribution awful - spilled a ball lucky Stirling was offside - captain Birdseye more like it - we should have sold him before Rhico .....

A forward makes matters easier there yesterday for Pickford.

 

[Street end man]

The defence kept a strong Chelsea side at bay for the whole game. Yes an error in midfield cost us but in all fairness we competed in the middle.

Chance of the game was the Gordon header at the Park end, not blaming Gordon in any way here as that's not his forte.......but a striker buries that.
Yet we start with no strikers whilst we have one scoring a brace for another club. The defence was not the reason for our loss yesterday, they were fine. The reason is obvious, we had zero chance of scoring. Shame when you think Gome's, Davies's,Grays and Seamus's wage would cover Cavani's costs for a season.

 

[MrGrumpy]

We do. The window is open and we can get players in still.

Gueye coming back would add security to a four man defence.

It’s possible he changes. Last night was the best defensively we looked in a while. 16 corners 0 coincided. I don’t like 5 at the back either but atm needs must

 

[ramacca]

An Onana-Gueye CM changes the game for us.

Couldn't agree more. With Lampard being a midfielder, I suspect, like Howey, he looks at the game from a midfield point of view - the engine room to quote a phrase, but true. I think in his head, solve that and the other bits can then be addressed. Having said that, we need to get stuck into our defence in training and cajole, shout and scream at them, boring routine, after routine defending. I watched Cole in the derby warm up at their place, and he was just constantly moving them backwards and forwards as a unit, pointing and talking to them. I'd hope that this goes on in training days in, days out working on flaws, that way those not doing the business can be dropped to the bench. The Onana/Gueye partnership can't happen quick enough for me, get them in before the Villa game.

 

[MrGrumpy]

Doucoure drifted over there because Patterson had been drawn out to Koulibaly.

The defence are at sixes and sevens playing this system. You get away with it against teams that cant be patient and and wait for the killer pass, but not there yesterday.

Until our midfield is fixed we don’t have much choice. Hopefully Gana and Onana sort out the midfield. We win the ball and within 10-30 seconds we lose it

 

[YMJ]

System was fine, Pickford was back to the bad old ways yesterday and the front players gave away the ball too much when under no pressure. Gray always looks to come inside, defenders are waiting for him.
Defence was solid.

More concerned with no striker than the system.

 

[Tin-Tin]

Coady has been dropped as he cant play in a 4. If we are signing him, I cant see us then moving to a 4. So think we need to get used to a back 5.

The lack of pace in the CB area, lack of defensive CM's and Mykolenko/Pattersons inexperience mean a back 5 is our safest bet right now until we improve.

It does take something away from the attack though. But we need to be defensively solid to start building. No point being great going foward scoring 2 or 3 goals each game if we are conceding the same amount.

 

[The Binman]

This present system of three is not us and it's not that effective, as seldom do we have five at the back when we have to transition when the ball is with the opposition. It's alien to us and it's showing. We're playing it because of personnel, not because it's a tactical strength. Lampard is frustrated we dont have the people here to go with 4 at the back and 3 in midfield and said so recently.

We conceded yesterday because the players we have just cant work the system and we end up with non-defenders bundling over the opposition to hand pens and victories to them.

Probably irrelevant, but the defenders we have, are not good enough for us to play in a four or a three. Unfortunately previous management regimes have seen fit to invest in players who are simply not good enough.

We need better players to confirm either four or a three… with the right players either system may work…just my thoughts really…. I still think Godfrey could be good for us, unfortunate the injury yesterday.

But generally we have idiots for defenders… Myko is starting to change my mind, still too early to say… but signs look good..

 

[BirkenheadBlue]

Possibly the best back 5 performance I've seen from Everton and we still get beat, it's not for us.

Aye. Not as if we were playing a team who are miles, miles better than us, or that not a single one of our team would get into theirs.

 

[Street end man]

No matter what you do at the back if you can't score yourselves then it's a slog from the start.

Defence and midfield were not the issue yesterday in any way shape or form. The inane and irresponsible neglect to start the season with not one striker in the team or on the bench did for us yesterday, it really is that simple to my mind. Chelsea were there for the taking.