The real problem is at the back, warning contains scary images of defending.

[1960maaan]

I'm not going to pretend I'm an expert, I won't do as good a job as Fevs and others, but something that was horribly clear even at the time. The defence is a shambles.
This defence has been playing in some shape or another for years. With the exception of COD & Scott as a wingbacks , it is a fairly experienced back 3. The MF of HNM, Bakinson and Benarous , not so much.

Pic 1
Not perfect but little danger. Vyner has pressed the man in possession. Scott covering wide man. Baker & Kalas back, but a 2 on 1 at the far post.

This ball, inside the FB/WB was on all day and both sides. It was Tuesday as well. I'm not going to criticise Scott too much as it's not his regular role. But when Him and Benarous were 2 on 2 they looked out of their depth and it wasn't hard for Sheff wide men to bypass them.

Pic2
attempted ball is cut out, but we don't get the 2nd ball

 

 

Pic3
Not sure why he didn't play the first time ball, but no pressure on the man anyway

 

Pic4
His hesitation should have allowed us to get back in shape, but wide man drifts inside and 4 City players attracted to the ball.
COD should surely be busting a gut to get goal side of the back man.

Pic5
A simple 4 yard pass takes out the 4 City players. Kalas has his back to the goalscorer and COD in no position at all.

 

Pic6
It actually looks an easier position than it turns out. Seems easy to pass in front of Brewster who is in yards of space

Pic7
The pass forces Brewster to turn , but covering is so bad he has the time and space to spin and get his shot away. 
Kalas tries to make up the few yards and get a block in.
We have 5 players in the box and the only one near a position to affect things, is still 2/3 yards out of position

Pic8
While COD had a wide man outside of him, he surely should have got goal side of the 'other' man in the box, which would naturally put him closer to Brewster.
Only in this pic is he actually in a position to defend the area. 7 City players around the box, not one has been in a position to make a challenge.

 

This sums up where we are. 
I don't think our forward line is great, but as @Davefevs said in another thread , that is not our main problem . Martin & Weimann scored or assisted 19 goals in 19 games ? Reasonable, when you think the other 9 should get involved. But this is the Dictionary description schoolboy defending.  While others mention Kalas as having most blocks, and fair play saved us many times, I worry that we give up the chances in the first place. Scott at WB paid off Vs Stoke , but it was exposed yesterday. I think with Baker out again, we may revert to a more pragmatic back 4. Maybe not Saturday, as we are home, but we really need to tighten up. 
More expert summarisers could probably pick the game apart more, but this stood out as it was so bad.

 

 

 

 

[Davefevs]

Nice work Mike.
 

A few weeks ago CF talked about application.  I mentioned that I see some of that manifest in “not doing the hard yards quick enough”, hence we have to be reactive, rather than proactive.  It’s a bit like being told to mark someone, reply “yeah, yeah, I’ll do it in a minute”, but by then it’s too late.  Admittedly not all of it can be proactive, or anticipated, but if you’re in the mindset of I’ll get myself sorted asap, you cut a lot of the problems out.

[Dredd]

The issue here from my point of view is that in a majority of these pictures the man on the ball is in the space between midfield and defence. That’s a midfield issue for me and further highlights the problems we have in there. TB and HNM are good improving young players but they absolutely categorically need someone with experience in there guiding them. Ideally someone who sits behind them in that Pack role that Williams has played in the last few games giving them a bit more freedom further up the pitch. We need James or Williams on the pitch at all times to have a sniff in the middle and we don’t have it currently.

Given the sheer number of midfielders we have it’s actually laughable that we need another one in January but I think we do. 

[1960maaan]

14 minutes ago, Dredd said:

The issue here from my point of view is that in a majority of these pictures the man on the ball is in the space between midfield and defence. That’s a midfield issue for me and further highlights the problems we have in there. TB and HNM are good improving young players but they absolutely categorically need someone with experience in there guiding them. Ideally someone who sits behind them in that Pack role that Williams has played in the last few games giving them a bit more freedom further up the pitch. We need James or Williams on the pitch at all times to have a sniff in the middle and we don’t have it currently.

Given the sheer number of midfielders we have it’s actually laughable that we need another one in January but I think we do. 

I think some of the problem is in that MF 3, we have 3 attack minded players. They may be able to cover, but it's not natural so the thought to cover back isn't instant. Add Scott  and COD and as Dave said, we are reacting to passes rather than preventing them. 
James should be available soon, Williams ? Who knows and King the same. If we get 2 of the 3 fit by Christmas I doubt we will buy for the midfield yet. I imagine NP has his thoughts as to where priorities lie, and if we do spend I would hope it was quality with a view to the future rather than a stop gap, again.

[Davefevs]

King is back on the grass, but I’d imagine is a couple of weeks away, maybe Hull, possibly Huddersfield.

Im sure our press will try to get an update on James if our media team don’t show us something ahead of the pre-match press conference.

[Grey Fox]

I think any half decent coach could organise a central defence with Kallas, Baker , Atkinson and Vyner to choose from, however as we have no trusted or fit full/ wing backs that is where we continually fall down.

Simpson is hopeless, the Chelsea midget clearly on his way out. Both Tanner and Pring show potential, play one is possibly OK, but both is asking too much.

In my view two new experienced full/ wing backs in January is essential to staying up.

[Harry]

I refer you to my immediate analysis on the match day thread, straight after the goal. See below. 
It was one of the worst goals I’ve seen us concede. There was pretty much an error from every single player. 
 

Just before the goal, Kalas & Baker got switched and had plenty of time to re-set but didn’t. Hence Baker was central and Kalas on the left. 
Weimann then passes the ball way too late, causing a completely unnecessary offside. 
They then get forward and Scott only narrowly cuts out a pass that would’ve seen his man in behind him for the 3rd time this half. 
Vyner had, for some reason, come flying out to the midfield. 
Bakinson kinda just watches. 
Massengo makes no effort to cover in behind Bakinson. 
Kalas naturally comes across because he’s more familiar with being the central CB (see earlier comment where the whole shape first began to break down!). 
And finally, why the hell was Cod on the OUTSIDE of the man at the far post. He should be inside, goal side, and if he is, the gap between him and Kalas is narrower and he might have a chance of getting a block on the shot. 
 

Dreadful goal from the moment Weimann was breaking forward. 

Edited November 29, 2021 by Harry

[1960maaan]

33 minutes ago, Harry said:

I refer you to my immediate analysis on the match day thread, straight after the goal. See below. 
It was one of the worst goals I’ve seen us concede. There was pretty much an error from every single player. 
 

Just before the goal, Kalas & Baker got switched and had plenty of time to re-set but didn’t. Hence Baker was central and Kalas on the left. 
Weimann then passes the ball way too late, causing a completely unnecessary offside. 
They then get forward and Scott only narrowly cuts out a pass that would’ve seen his man in behind him for the 3rd time this half. 
Vyner had, for some reason, come flying out to the midfield. 
Bakinson kinda just watches. 
Massengo makes no effort to cover in behind Bakinson. 
Kalas naturally comes across because he’s more familiar with being the central CB (see earlier comment where the whole shape first began to break down!). 
And finally, why the hell was Cod on the OUTSIDE of the man at the far post. He should be inside, goal side, and if he is, the gap between him and Kalas is narrower and he might have a chance of getting a block on the shot. 
 

Dreadful goal from the moment Weimann was breaking forward. 

With COD, my first thought was he was worried about the extra man out wide. That said, first thought should be defend your box, the wide man at that time was no threat. If he's goal side of the far post man he has a chance of a challenge on Brewster. 
Horrible defending right the way through the move, made it far too easy.

[Harry]

21 minutes ago, 1960maaan said:

With COD, my first thought was he was worried about the extra man out wide. That said, first thought should be defend your box, the wide man at that time was no threat. If he's goal side of the far post man he has a chance of a challenge on Brewster. 
Horrible defending right the way through the move, made it far too easy.

Yep. O’Dowda’s decision to stay outside was the final error in a catalogue. 
Every single player made an error on that goal. Each one just compounded the next. 
It’s the only goal we’ve conceded this year where I couldn’t pin the fault on a single player - it was a collective mess. 

[redysteadygo]

2 hours ago, 1960maaan said:

With COD, my first thought was he was worried about the extra man out wide. That said, first thought should be defend your box, the wide man at that time was no threat. If he's goal side of the far post man he has a chance of a challenge on Brewster. 
Horrible defending right the way through the move, made it far too easy.

I was taught to always mark the man nearest goal if you get caught with an option of which one do I mark.

[DaveInSA]

2 hours ago, Harry said:

Yep. O’Dowda’s decision to stay outside was the final error in a catalogue. 
Every single player made an error on that goal. Each one just compounded the next. 
It’s the only goal we’ve conceded this year where I couldn’t pin the fault on a single player - it was a collective mess. 

It's that bold bit...

There are no leaders on the pitch. Our players are good, not great, but good championship players. But they couldn't organise the deckchairs on the titanic. There are no leaders in this team. Who is barking orders? Who is organising? Who is telling players where to be and what to do? Who has the vision to see what's going on and do something?

My suspicion is that this was a deliberate ploy as part of the DNA analysis of the previous regime. Outspoken players can be difficult to manage, but boy do we need a few leaders out there.

It's schoolboy stuff. Really is.

[Offside]

It’s this that drives me mad, and it happens time and time again. Their player has the ball in acres of space, and not a single one of our players is making it difficult for him.