Defending

[wookie70]

I think we have some excellent defensive players. Lewis, Hanlon, Daz are all very solid and over a season don't make too many errors. SDG as a fullback is decent too and Efe in the centre has been very good, I don't think he is good at right back. However, we have defended very poorly since Daz came back in and we were also struggling to field a fit right back. Today's goal from County is yet another in a catalogue of shocking goals conceded but the midfield may have to stick their hands up for this one as much as the defenders. Dylan failed to track their number 4 which leads Efe to move to the centre without ever getting goalside. Boyle is stranded up the pitch, Barker doesn't really do defending and McGinn takes an age to get back. Dylan never really finds a man to mark but he is in good company as neither do any of the defenders in the centre of the box.

When the initial cross comes in from our left, Lewis wasn't great not putting pressure on, there are 4v4 in the middle plus Eagles, who delivers the ball for the goal, on his own at the back post. This still shows our defence just at the point the ball is going to be whipped in from our right. To be fair they are recovering from missing the first cross, Efe jumps under it again, but we are all over the place. Efe strolls out and doesn't really try to block the cross and Hanlon is a wee bit unlucky as he gets in front of his man but either misses it or doesn't get enough on it. I'm not sure their striker even takes a shot its more like it hits off him. Rocky for the third game in a row has a guess where the ball is going to be and almost jumps out of the way of it. So many things wrong it is scary and a worry that County got players over so early in the game. For that reason I don't think Lennon will start with two wingers at Tiny.

I'm just an old ex Sunday league player but what usually strikes me is that all the basics you get taught as a kid are missing from our defence when we concede goals. Don't track runners, don't mark, don't get goal side, let crosses in too easy, and Keeper not guarding their near post. If we defend like we did for the first goal today on Wednesday we might be in for a long night. I hope SDG is fit and we get back to Hanlon/Ambrose or Hanlon/Daz in the middle. I'd fancy he would have won the initial cross and that goal isn't conceded and I'm sure he would have put far more pressure on the Eagle's cross.


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[coldingham hibs]

Yes, defending is a big concern. I’m not sure what the problem is but our opposition seem to score very easily. Maybe it’s playing 4 attacking players and not enough midfield cover but it’s something that needs sorted. Hearts will play the long ball to Lafferrty on Wednesday so we need to ensure there is cover for any knock on’s, an old fashioned sweeper.

[overdrive]

Was Ambrose instructed to play in an odd position between right back and centre half when we were defending? It was as if he didn’t know where he should be playing. He’s played right back before and taken up the proper position so I wonder if it was some sort of weird tactic. At one point I wasn’t sure if we were meant to be playing 3 at the back.

I’m not sure McGregor is 100% fit either.

[Ronniekirk]

Lennon has already alluded to the fact he would prefer to have a fit right back for Tyncastle But at best it would mean throwing S D G straight in when he will be rusty and not match fit oe playing Whittaker there and that hasn't worked out recently as opponents know he is carrying an injury.
Its a concern and gives the gimps a glimmer of hope

Bring it on Having just lost our awY record Lennon will be relishing this one


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[wookie70]

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Was Ambrose instructed to play in an odd position between right back and centre half when we were defending? It was as if he didn’t know where he should be playing. He’s played right back before and taken up the proper position so I wonder if it was some sort of weird tactic. At one point I wasn’t sure if we were meant to be playing 3 at the back.

I’m not sure McGregor is 100% fit either.

Daz is nowhere near as physically commanding as he was last year. That might be stronger opposition players or him returning to full fitness. He is still doing pretty well though. I agree about Ambrose, his positioning is very suspect at right back. He tucks in so far he has no chance of winning the balls played deep for the full back to attack and Boyle is not defending as much as he has done in the past so we are wide open down that side at times. This has led to goals twice recently. If Ambrose is in the right position he is an excellent defender. Rarely does someone get by him. The problem is he finds himself ball watching quite often and if he is on the right he gets dragged into the middle leaving a lot of room at our back post.

I think most of our defensive woes are down to the constant chopping and changing which to be fair to Lennon has often been caused by injury. The players are good enough they just haven't got that understanding you need. That is particularly obvious with the defensive line where a fullback is often behind the centre halves playing players onside. Our biggest issue in defending for me is we often don't mark and we don't seem to communicate under a high ball. See County's goal that was ruled offside yesterday. No communication and players left in acres of space near our goal.

[Borderhibbie76]

Think the OP is being very harsh on Rocky who almost saved the goal. We are far far too critical of our keepers...he has had a few errors of late but yesterday wasn't one of them.

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[Heisenberg]

We concede goals way too easily. That being said our defence is about the 5th best in the league just now, so it’s not horrendous. A few clean sheets would be nice.

[wookie70]

Here is a still from the goal that was disallowed for offside. We got lucky as it was a very close call. The ball is circled and this was a high punt from a free kick. Is wasn't particularly quickly taken. I would say I would be disappointed in the team I coach at U15s if they set up to defend a free kick like this. Efe has a choice of two to mark, Dylan is shocking at sensing danger and tracking back, Hanlon and McGregor far too often both go in for the same ball. Lewis is slightly off his man and McGinn just fancied standing there. Surely we have a game plan when we are a goal up in the later stages. Either Lennon isn't organising us or players don't understand their orders or can't be bothered following them. These are good defenders its just down to organisation.

For all everyone moans about our set pieces we are just as badly organised and execute just as badly when we are facing set pieces. I would have thought at this level of football that players would be absolutely sure of their role at set pieces but from what I can see there is no plan when taking or defending them.

I would say that, occasionally, there have actually been some really good short corners recently and some nice moves around set pieces. To me it looks like the moves have been thought out and worked on a few times. The players know what they are but they haven't been drilled so they end up clunky and usually fail without much good defending being required. Compare that to say a club rugby team at a line out where every move is co-ordinated with in an American football style call to make sure everyone knows their job. I would expect a professional football team to have a number of set routines where players are instructed to block off defenders discretely, dummy runs are made and we know exactly where we are attempting to deliver the ball. These should be practised often and be second nature to players. That doesn't require brilliant players just some time spent on the training ground.


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[NORTHERNHIBBY]

Who plays right back regularly for the under 21's ? Better to play players in their proper positions?

[greenlex]

I’d have Porteous at Right back and leave Boyle to do the attacking as they are light at left back. Any two (I’d drop Ambrose as the surface could produce a disaster if he tries the pipe and slippers approach) of the three centre backs in the middle. Drop Barker and bring in Bartley. Solid enough with enough in the final third to keep them busy. Wingers on the tattie field will be a waste of time. Boyle offers more bite than Barker too.

[lyonhibs]

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Here is a still from the goal that was disallowed for offside. We got lucky as it was a very close call. The ball is circled and this was a high punt from a free kick. Is wasn't particularly quickly taken. I would say I would be disappointed in the team I coach at U15s if they set up to defend a free kick like this. Efe has a choice of two to mark, Dylan is shocking at sensing danger and tracking back, Hanlon and McGregor far too often both go in for the same ball. Lewis is slightly off his man and McGinn just fancied standing there. Surely we have a game plan when we are a goal up in the later stages. Either Lennon isn't organising us or players don't understand their orders or can't be bothered following them. These are good defenders its just down to organisation.

For all everyone moans about our set pieces we are just as badly organised and execute just as badly when we are facing set pieces. I would have thought at this level of football that players would be absolutely sure of their role at set pieces but from what I can see there is no plan when taking or defending them.

I would say that, occasionally, there have actually been some really good short corners recently and some nice moves around set pieces. To me it looks like the moves have been thought out and worked on a few times. The players know what they are but they haven't been drilled so they end up clunky and usually fail without much good defending being required. Compare that to say a club rugby team at a line out where every move is co-ordinated with in an American football style call to make sure everyone knows their job. I would expect a professional football team to have a number of set routines where players are instructed to block off defenders discretely, dummy runs are made and we know exactly where we are attempting to deliver the ball. These should be practised often and be second nature to players. That doesn't require brilliant players just some time spent on the training ground.


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I was going radge at this. You could see the 2 v 1 with Ambrose happening miles in advance. Dylan being of no use at all and both Hanlon and McGregor getting drawn to the ball like moths to a lightbulb.

We deserved our win yesterday, no doubt about it, but we need to sharpen up defensively if staying in the top 4 come the end of the season is the aim.

[southern hibby]

Thought for a spell this season teams have targeted Lewis. Then when Whittaker plays they target him instead. I think the inbreds will target Lewis with laugherty because of the height difference.

We have been shocking defensively this season and what the concern is for me that a lot of goals seem to be repetitive and we’re not learning from them. As another poster said we are failing to do the basics and suffering from it.

GGTTH