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So, After todays result all the questions basically point to our defense. Our midfield and attacking is good enough. Better than good enough! But time and time again, The defense is costing us points and it is going to hurt us really badly unless we sort it out.
Here are our defensive options-

Joleon Lescott
Sylvinho
Wayne Bridge
Javier Garrido
Nedum Onuoha
Micah Richards
Kolo Toure
Pablo Zabaleta

At the moment kolo, Lescott, Bridge and Richards are occupying the first team places. That defensive lineup should be more than capable of keeping a clean sheet but we are struggling. Lescott makes big mistakes. Kolo doesnt have massive pace but does a good job. Bridge can have his bad moments but it genuinly very good. Richards was impressive today and is a good defender but can have a habit of going forward and not retreating and so that leaves the right area exposed and the opposing team can exploit that. You could say the same about Bridge.

I think that soon it might be time to try something new. Maybe a new combination altogether but keep Kolo in. Nedum deserves another chance, Garrido will probably be gone in January, Zabaleta is a trusty Right back. Hughes just needs to think and try something new.

At the moment there are plenty of defenders that are being linked to us and plenty of good options that we should look at e.g-

Lahm
Ramos
Puyol
Pique?
That ac milan defender.

Does anyone feel that the back 4 should be changed around altogether or what players do you feel that we need. What are we lacking in our defense. We have the defensive quality but it is not being shown.

I think lescott may need more competition other than Ned and we definetly need a new RB Zab is good but he is no top 4 defender. If we can find a top class defender who can play either RB OR LB we should go all out and pay anything for him (If he even exists!).

Basically, we have two options.
1...Leave the present occupants in position and work with them to cut out the errors, increase their understanding, strengthen their weaknesses and learn to gel better thasn they presently do.
2...Use the impending transfer window to buy better quality players and increase our strength in depth.

For me the best option is a bit of both. New players to lift defensive standards and a lot of hard work with the present players.

i thought what we missed most of all this afternoon, particularly at the back, was a leader. We could do with a genuine captain figure, an organiser who can marshal a back four as a unit, get in peoples faces when they aren't doing it and also not allow carthorses like Davies to bully us.

Oh for a Tony Adams clone at the back, as he'd be just what the doctor ordered.

Toure and Lescott are far from perfect but the impression I got from recent games is that they were starting to work it out and play quite well. Two wins against Chelsea and Arse with only one goal conceded suggests they are not the worst.

So what happened today? I know from past games that the forum goes pretty wild when we don't win and dare to let a goal in and often the same people get the blame even if it's not their fault. Equally some wouldn't get blamed even if it is their fault!

One thing they were working hard on in training was stopping crosses coming in. Did it work and if not why not? I haven't seen the game yet but the commentary I listened to was scathing about Toure and Lescott especially Toure who just didn't seem to be attacking the ball in the air.

Douglas Higginbottom wrote:Toure and Lescott are far from perfect but the impression I got from recent games is that they were starting to work it out and play quite well. Two wins against Chelsea and Arse with only one goal conceded suggests they are not the worst.

So what happened today? I know from past games that the forum goes pretty wild when we don't win and dare to let a goal in and often the same people get the blame even if it's not their fault. Equally some wouldn't get blamed even if it is their fault!

One thing they were working hard on in training was stopping crosses coming in. Did it work and if not why not? I haven't seen the game yet but the commentary I listened to was scathing about Toure and Lescott especially Toure who just didn't seem to be attacking the ball in the air.

WELL I SUGGEST YOU WATCH THE MATCH THEN..AND THEN GIVE YOUR OPINION.

LESCOT WAS ABYSMAL........NOT AS BAD AS THE REFEREE BUT ABYSMAL NONETHELESS.

Douglas Higginbottom wrote:Toure and Lescott are far from perfect but the impression I got from recent games is that they were starting to work it out and play quite well. Two wins against Chelsea and Arse with only one goal conceded suggests they are not the worst.

So what happened today? I know from past games that the forum goes pretty wild when we don't win and dare to let a goal in and often the same people get the blame even if it's not their fault. Equally some wouldn't get blamed even if it is their fault!

One thing they were working hard on in training was stopping crosses coming in. Did it work and if not why not? I haven't seen the game yet but the commentary I listened to was scathing about Toure and Lescott especially Toure who just didn't seem to be attacking the ball in the air.

Toure and Lescott weren't positive enough for me Doug, and didn't attack the ball in the air. Lescott tiptoed around Davies, particularly in the first half when he had a couple of chances to go through him and knock him in the stand, whist conceding the throw.

We played an alehouse team, very low on confidence, but the lax way we approached the game from the start gave them the lead, and the initiative and gave them the belief they could get something from the game. We should be screwiung teams like that by 2-3 clear goals, as when we actually remembered we were a football team and kept the ball on the grass the gulf in class was a chasm.

carl_feedthegoat wrote:

Douglas Higginbottom wrote:Toure and Lescott are far from perfect but the impression I got from recent games is that they were starting to work it out and play quite well. Two wins against Chelsea and Arse with only one goal conceded suggests they are not the worst.

So what happened today? I know from past games that the forum goes pretty wild when we don't win and dare to let a goal in and often the same people get the blame even if it's not their fault. Equally some wouldn't get blamed even if it is their fault!

One thing they were working hard on in training was stopping crosses coming in. Did it work and if not why not? I haven't seen the game yet but the commentary I listened to was scathing about Toure and Lescott especially Toure who just didn't seem to be attacking the ball in the air.

WELL I SUGGEST YOU WATCH THE MATCH THEN..AND THEN GIVE YOUR OPINION.

LESCOT WAS ABYSMAL........NOT AS BAD AS THE REFEREE BUT ABYSMAL NONETHELESS.

JUST LESCOTT WAS IT?

Douglas Higginbottom wrote:

carl_feedthegoat wrote:

Douglas Higginbottom wrote:Toure and Lescott are far from perfect but the impression I got from recent games is that they were starting to work it out and play quite well. Two wins against Chelsea and Arse with only one goal conceded suggests they are not the worst.

So what happened today? I know from past games that the forum goes pretty wild when we don't win and dare to let a goal in and often the same people get the blame even if it's not their fault. Equally some wouldn't get blamed even if it is their fault!

One thing they were working hard on in training was stopping crosses coming in. Did it work and if not why not? I haven't seen the game yet but the commentary I listened to was scathing about Toure and Lescott especially Toure who just didn't seem to be attacking the ball in the air.

WELL I SUGGEST YOU WATCH THE MATCH THEN..AND THEN GIVE YOUR OPINION.

LESCOT WAS ABYSMAL........NOT AS BAD AS THE REFEREE BUT ABYSMAL NONETHELESS.

JUST LESCOTT WAS IT?

WATCH THE GAME.

We played an alehouse team, very low on confidence, but the lax way we approached the game from the start gave them the lead, and the initiative and gave them the belief they could get something from the game. We should be screwiung teams like that by 2-3 clear goals, as when we actually remembered we were a football team and kept the ball on the grass the gulf in class was a chasm

deja vu =

Wigan
Burnley
Hull
Birmingham

I think all that was shown today is that De Jong absorbs a lot of the pressure from thier midfield/attack, and he is what we missed. Kompany just wasn't the same as De Jong. We can't go from saying that our defence is gelling after results against Arse and Chelsea, to saying they are ablysmal and horrible against Bolton. While watching the game, I thought De Jong was our biggest missing piece.

carl_feedthegoat wrote:

Douglas Higginbottom wrote:

carl_feedthegoat wrote:

Douglas Higginbottom wrote:Toure and Lescott are far from perfect but the impression I got from recent games is that they were starting to work it out and play quite well. Two wins against Chelsea and Arse with only one goal conceded suggests they are not the worst.

So what happened today? I know from past games that the forum goes pretty wild when we don't win and dare to let a goal in and often the same people get the blame even if it's not their fault. Equally some wouldn't get blamed even if it is their fault!

One thing they were working hard on in training was stopping crosses coming in. Did it work and if not why not? I haven't seen the game yet but the commentary I listened to was scathing about Toure and Lescott especially Toure who just didn't seem to be attacking the ball in the air.

WELL I SUGGEST YOU WATCH THE MATCH THEN..AND THEN GIVE YOUR OPINION.

LESCOT WAS ABYSMAL........NOT AS BAD AS THE REFEREE BUT ABYSMAL NONETHELESS.

JUST LESCOTT WAS IT?

WATCH THE GAME.

Hahaha yes I will but I was hoping for some quality insights from you so I could be on the look out but I will make do. Thanks though :)

Anyone else think it's just down to luck and circumstance? Great against Chelsea, average against Bolton. Sometimes, no matter how much you spend, luck just isn't on your side.

Whilst the defense has quite rightly come in for some criticism today, the whole team for me only seem to raise their game against the 'big boys'. I find this far more of a concern personally.

Kyle wrote:I think all that was shown today is that De Jong absorbs a lot of the pressure from thier midfield/attack, and he is what we missed. Kompany just wasn't the same as De Jong. We can't go from saying that our defence is gelling after results against Arse and Chelsea, to saying they are ablysmal and horrible against Bolton. While watching the game, I thought De Jong was our biggest missing piece.

ITS THE HESSITATION IN DEFENCE THAT GOT ME TODAY...........THERE WAS NO COMMITED DECISION MAKING AT THE BACK.

I DONT UNDERSTAND IT.

I wasn't arsed when we sold Dunnie if I'm honest, but seeing him in his Villa tracksuit on MOTD just then made me feel sick :(

Anyone shitting it for wednesday? They have a decent defence and can also score 9 goals.

Then again maybe spurs are a big team and our boys will raise their game. oh to win an away game!

I watched it!! It's weird when you look back at goals and there's always almost a need to blame somebody. I would tend to agree with the hesitancy comment.It's as if I can react in a moment if that happens and then oh shit it's too late.

For the first goal I felt Toure left his man alone when he should have been tighter and then Micah came back but never really got close enough to stop the cross. Lescott did enough to prevent the header but then it got through Silvinho some how for the guy to hit a shot which is deflected to Klasnic who was off side to score. I wouldnt blame one person (apart from the linesman) but it happened!

The second goal was partly a fluke.Om MotD they said nobody went to close him down but actually both Barry and Ireland went to deal with him and Cahill completely miscontrolled it to lose them both and then with his swinger foot curled a beauty. Sort of lucky but it happened.

The 3rd goal came from a throw in which even to a blind man should have been a City ball but the linesman was asleep again. ( and it was a foul throw) We allowed across into the box ( Micah was it?) and they got an iffy flick on whcih really favoured the attacker as it went a bit backwards. Then the guy did really well to strike it well and score. Maybe Lescott could have done a bit better but I thought he was a bit wrong footed. A combination of things again but it happened.

As a defence we did look shaky and there clearly are issues. I notice not too much flak has gone Vinnies way but he made 2 massive errors today but fortune was on his side and they didnt score from them. Nedum has made mistakes in recent matches and they resulted in one goal and a pen.

Even watching the Villa game later I thought Dunney had a really good game but he made 2 or 3 typical mistakes but no goals were scored from them and they got a great result.

We have to stop letting things happen against us and be stronger and more positive for sure. I still can't get my head around losing 3 goals at Bolton but it happened and more work is required to make sure it stops happening.

Changing the CBs with current personnel would only make it worse IMO. We've seen how terribley rusty NED and VINCE are. The hesitancy comes from the 'newness' in defence IMO. But then again it shouldnt take this long for two 'top' CBs to settle.

Nick wrote:Changing the CBs with current personnel would only make it worse IMO. We've seen how terribley rusty NED and VINCE are. The hesitancy comes from the 'newness' in defence IMO. But then again it shouldnt take this long for two 'top' CBs to settle.

I tend to agree but the inconsistency is what's hard to fathom. Lescott has been playing well and although there are questions about Toure he has been better too. Then they come up against Davies et al and we get exposed.