Match Thread: Norwich v QPR

[West London is Rss]

Last few seasons thats happened due to a powderpuff midfield.

Debatable, that. There is a point there in regards to the midfield and spaces behind our midfield but there's no excuse for our defenders standing off attackers in our final third, not getting out to them. More times than not our defenders stand two yards off the attacker and either jockey or stick an aimless leg out when a cross goes in.

We really need to strengthen at the back IMO, it's not been good enough for a season or so now.

[Shepherds Mush]

Debatable, that. There is a point there in regards to the midfield and spaces behind our midfield but there's no excuse for our defenders standing off attackers in our final third, not getting out to them. More times than not our defenders stand two yards off the attacker and either jockey or stick an aimless leg out when a cross goes in.

We really need to strengthen at the back IMO, it's not been good enough for a season or so now.

Only stating that I think they've been overrun at the back for a long time and therefore are not used to putting in that tackle that, should they mistime, will leave the attackers free on goal.

Am hoping Scowen and Borysiuk will help with that cover that means the CB's will have more confidence getting at the attackers.

Been weak at the back for a long time though, that is for sure.

[West London is Rss]

Personally I think no matter what midfield you have in there these defenders we currently have aren't good enough in the art of pressing and defending to make this team go anywhere in this league. We'll have to make do for now though as I know we're on a low budget.

Most goals we (and any team) concede in this league are stoppable from good defending, has been that way for a while. Hence why any team that goes up out of it has a rock solid back line.

[bushkangaroo]

I reckon if we have any money at all to spend, it needs to go on better defenders. Top keeper, midfield ok, forwards ok, but defence is weakest.

[Itsonlyagame]

Definitely think it's the midfields job to pick up players who score goals like their second.
It's suicidal for a centre back to rush out at a player whose coming at him at pace.
Not only will he open up space behind himself but the oncoming player only has to drop his shoulder and the defender is left stranded.
Our midfield should be getting a tackle in or at least pushing the player out wide.

[West Acton]

Definitely think it's the midfields job to pick up players who score goals like their second.
It's suicidal for a centre back to rush out at a player whose coming at him at pace.
Not only will he open up space behind himself but the oncoming player only has to drop his shoulder and the defender is left stranded.
Our midfield should be getting a tackle in or at least pushing the player out wide.

Exactly this happened Brighton away and they scored

[CroydonCaptainJack]

Exactly this happened Brighton away and they scored

Agreed.
Another game where we were doing ok early on West.

[Tarbie]

Lynch was slow to react for the first and we'd already stood off the player playing Oliveiria in but not sure how much you can blame that 2nd goal on defensive calamities.....9 times out of 10 a shot like that ends up in some blokes face in the crowd !

Maybe I'm being at bit harsh mate. But we didn't make the most of our chances and i really do think our defending needs to improve dramatically!

Still, there were some positives. Good to see us go away and have a go early doors.

[West London is Rss]

Definitely think it's the midfields job to pick up players who score goals like their second.
It's suicidal for a centre back to rush out at a player whose coming at him at pace.
Not only will he open up space behind himself but the oncoming player only has to drop his shoulder and the defender is left stranded.
Our midfield should be getting a tackle in or at least pushing the player out wide.

I think you've taken my point and applied it literally, to one certain type of situation... players running at our defence at pace.

Whilst this type of defending also needs drastic improvement from our defence, far too often as I've said above, our defence give attackers too much space in our own half when on or near our box, they don't stop crosses often enough, whether a player is running at pace or like most times has an absolute age on the ball to look up and make a cross because our defenders are not pressing nor tight enough to the player to stop the cross when an attacking player is out wide or pushed out wide.

Defenders sole job is to defend, if they can't do this then they just become passengers in the side.
Midfielders cannot be blamed for how poor our defenders are IMO. Most of the time they are up and down, they can't be expected to be everywhere doing everything - especially not the defenders job for them in getting tackles in or pushing a player out wide when they were up the other end of the pitch attacking for us, say 30 seconds ago.

If it's also the midfielders job to push an opposing attacking wide-man out wide and stop crosses, when he was up the other end of the pitch 30 seconds ago, then what is the point of having defenders.

Our midfield is a lot stronger than our defence and it's the latter that needs strengthening, drastically - surely most can see this.

[Rebel R's]

I think we will have a better idea of how this season will go after Saturday game,each time we won a few and then lost a game in the last few months of last season we went on a 6 match losing run,so bounce back and win on Saturday will show we have improved on last season,lose again would give a different picture

[Ginger Ninja]

I think we will have a better idea of how this season will go after Saturday game,each time we won a few and then lost a game in the last few months of last season we went on a 6 match losing run,so bounce back and win on Saturday will show we have improved on last season,lose again would give a different picture

I'd still take a draw on Saturday to be honest.

[jmelanie]

I'd still take a draw on Saturday to be honest.

I think we need to win our home games.

[Pinkie]

Standing off defenders in our final third allowing them to play or cross has been an annoyance of mine for a couple of seasons now! The whole defensive line are guilty of it... rather than hustling and bustling, we seem intent on letting players get the ball out of their feet and cross or play in our final third. I'm not sure whether it's laziness or whether our defenders just don't know what to do.

We let in so many goals being lackluster at the back and it really grinds me.

I agree west too and always annoys me as seeing any mistakes does but i think it just boils down to switching off for the splittest of times in a 90 minute match we know they shouldnt of done and no doubt they know they shouldnt of done, but maybe thats the difference between the championship quality football and the prem! but i agree with you.

[West London is Rss]

Ollie seems aware of it listening to his post match comments so hopefully he'll address it.

[Pinkie]

Ollie seems aware of it listening to his post match comments so hopefully he'll address it.

I/he was a midfielder so he`ll know all about the closing down buisness tbh