Do we need a new defensive coach?

[Pepe the Horseman]

Is it getting hot in here?

[wingnut]

I think a lot the problems with our defending shambles is the midfield shambles in front of it.
As we play with absolutely no width these days it leaves our fullbacks horribly exposed. Couple that with a central midfield of out-of-position make weights leaving our centre backs similarly exposed.
Get the midfield playing like one worthy of the name and our defence will improve.

[Ian Royal]

I think a lot the problems with our defending shambles is the midfield shambles in front of it.
As we play with absolutely no width these days it leaves our fullbacks horribly exposed. Couple that with a central midfield of out-of-position make weights leaving our centre backs similarly exposed.
Get the midfield playing like one worthy of the name and our defence will improve.

That sort rational insight is not welcome. It's all the fault of the defensive coaching don't yer know.

[sandman]

Personally Ian I think it shows a lack of tactical ability and poor team selection across all parts of the managerial structure.

[Simon's Church]

I think a lot the problems with our defending shambles is the midfield shambles in front of it.
As we play with absolutely no width these days it leaves our fullbacks horribly exposed. Couple that with a central midfield of out-of-position make weights leaving our centre backs similarly exposed.
Get the midfield playing like one worthy of the name and our defence will improve.

So you're saying we need a new midfield coach? Interesting .

[Royal Biscuitman]

Do we need a new horsemans coach? - the size of the squad suggest we might.

[kwik-silva]

All four goals came from crosses at the weekend. Literally just trying to stop the ball into the box, or putting some kind of pressure onto the crosser would be a welcome change. Whether that's the midfield tracking back, or the fullbacks getting out quicker is mostly irrelevant - although I would prefer to see the wingers drop back, and then quickly counter attack after winning back possession. Blackman certainly has the pace, and Pog acts as a great frontman to hold the ball up and bring him into play as we've seen already this season. The other problem is we seem to be messing up the easy things, as people have said. Little lapses of concentration have cost us; Gunter against Forest, Cummings against Newport.

Does that need a new coach? No, but we definitely need a change of approach.

[Tony Le Mesmer]

Reading have been woeful defensively for the entirety of Adkins reign. It's not as if his assistant is an ex defender or anything.....albeit ex Oxford

The real answer to having a successful side under Adkins in this division is by giving him a Premier League budget, of course.

Reading's defence was woeful under Mr Maccy-D before Adkins reign. It's a problem he's inherited, not created. Perhaps a Premier League budget might be a start to try to deal with the problem......of course....

That is an absolutely astonishing comment to make and completely incorrect at Championship level. We won the league with the best defence & had about the 5th best defence the season before. 20+ clean sheets with 'liabilities' Cummings, Pearce, Gorkks & Harte being our main back 4. Its just a guess they were coached properly.

[kwik-silva]

Yeah, 10 games only conceding three goals does seem to suggest the McDermott defence was rather good. That said they were also playing with a fantastic Leigertwood in front of them, with McAnuff and Kebe willing to do the tracking back. Plus the focus was certainly on defence rather than attack, and if the new initiative is to concentrate on going forward then there has to be a compromise somewhere. Especially with the injury list, and the starting XI's almost complete inexperience.

[Brum Royal]

All four goals came from crosses at the weekend. Literally just trying to stop the ball into the box, or putting some kind of pressure onto the crosser would be a welcome change. Whether that's the midfield tracking back, or the fullbacks getting out quicker is mostly irrelevant - although I would prefer to see the wingers drop back, and then quickly counter attack after winning back possession.

I realise that fullbacks are supposed to tuck in when defending, but under Adkins our fullbacks seem to tuck in exceedingly narrow when defending, allowing opposing wingers plenty of time to pick out their crosses.

[kwik-silva]

All four goals came from crosses at the weekend. Literally just trying to stop the ball into the box, or putting some kind of pressure onto the crosser would be a welcome change. Whether that's the midfield tracking back, or the fullbacks getting out quicker is mostly irrelevant - although I would prefer to see the wingers drop back, and then quickly counter attack after winning back possession.

I realise that fullbacks are supposed to tuck in when defending, but under Adkins our fullbacks seem to tuck in exceedingly narrow when defending, allowing opposing wingers plenty of time to pick out their crosses.

Agree, give them far too much space; it was something a Notts Forest blog brought up too. That said, if they go for the ball and get taken out of the game then that doesn't help either. It has to be a mixture! Jobi and Jimmy were great at giving cover.

[Vision]

All four goals came from crosses at the weekend. Literally just trying to stop the ball into the box, or putting some kind of pressure onto the crosser would be a welcome change. Whether that's the midfield tracking back, or the fullbacks getting out quicker is mostly irrelevant - although I would prefer to see the wingers drop back, and then quickly counter attack after winning back possession.

I realise that fullbacks are supposed to tuck in when defending, but under Adkins our fullbacks seem to tuck in exceedingly narrow when defending, allowing opposing wingers plenty of time to pick out their crosses.

Agree, give them far too much space; it was something a Notts Forest blog brought up too. That said, if they go for the ball and get taken out of the game then that doesn't help either. It has to be a mixture! Jobi and Jimmy were great at giving cover.

It's even more foolhardy when we don't appear to be playing with wingers anyway.

[Tony Le Mesmer]

Yeah, 10 games only conceding three goals does seem to suggest the McDermott defence was rather good. That said they were also playing with a fantastic Leigertwood in front of them, with McAnuff and Kebe willing to do the tracking back. Plus the focus was certainly on defence rather than attack, and if the new initiative is to concentrate on going forward then there has to be a compromise somewhere. Especially with the injury list, and the starting XI's almost complete inexperience.

All valid points, certainly the emphasis was on keeping it tight until 70 mins & then throwing everything at it. But it was a genuine & positive tactic that worked v well. Something we probably took too far when promoted. At least we had a tactic then

After the 4-1 Plymouth debacle when he was in temp charge, I don't think we conceded more than 3 goals in a game again in a championship league game. That's about 120 games. Pretty good going. I guess all people remember was the play off final & 15 mins of madness.

[Ian Royal]

Reading have been woeful defensively for the entirety of Adkins reign. It's not as if his assistant is an ex defender or anything.....albeit ex Oxford

The real answer to having a successful side under Adkins in this division is by giving him a Premier League budget, of course.

Reading's defence was woeful under Mr Maccy-D before Adkins reign. It's a problem he's inherited, not created. Perhaps a Premier League budget might be a start to try to deal with the problem......of course....

That is an absolutely astonishing comment to make and completely incorrect at Championship level. We won the league with the best defence & had about the 5th best defence the season before. 20+ clean sheets with 'liabilities' Cummings, Pearce, Gorkks & Harte being our main back 4. Its just a guess they were coached properly.

As already explained, we also had a settled midfield of two players who were exclusively there for defensive work and spoiling. And until Roberts came in, it showed in our pretty lacklustre attack. It's something we've needed to change and are doing. It has weakened us defensively, but then we are yet to actually have a settled central midfield under Adkins given the injury problems over the last 12 months.

[3points]

Problem is Ian, is that even with all our midfielders being fit we still do not have a truly defensive, destructive midfielder. Jen certainly runs around, but his tackling is weak. Guthrie likes to tackle but can't (hence all his yellow cards), Williams and Akpan are more attacking in their natural game. I don't know much about Norwood, but he seems to be a midfield quarterback type. This really leaves Hector, who might be the man to do it longer term.

[kwik-silva]

With a midfield triangle of Jem, Guthrie, and Williams I think it'd be one of the best in the league. You don't need to have a Makele type of player, especially not in the Championship. Jem is easily good enough to perform at this level in a similar role.

[3points]

Would love to see it Kwik, but justdon't ever see all three being fit at the same time. I long to be wrong

[Ian Royal]

Problem is Ian, is that even with all our midfielders being fit we still do not have a truly defensive, destructive midfielder. Jen certainly runs around, but his tackling is weak. Guthrie likes to tackle but can't (hence all his yellow cards), Williams and Akpan are more attacking in their natural game. I don't know much about Norwood, but he seems to be a midfield quarterback type. This really leaves Hector, who might be the man to do it longer term.

As Xabi Alonso says, tackling is what you do as a last resort. First you don't give the opposition the ball, second you deny them space and force them into an error, last you try to make a tackle. That's why Harper was such a good midfielder for us despite almost never making a tackle. He was really good at the first two.

[3points]

Problem is Ian, is that even with all our midfielders being fit we still do not have a truly defensive, destructive midfielder. Jen certainly runs around, but his tackling is weak. Guthrie likes to tackle but can't (hence all his yellow cards), Williams and Akpan are more attacking in their natural game. I don't know much about Norwood, but he seems to be a midfield quarterback type. This really leaves Hector, who might be the man to do it longer term.

As Xabi Alonso says, tackling is what you do as a last resort. First you don't give the opposition the ball, second you deny them space and force them into an error, last you try to make a tackle. That's why Harper was such a good midfielder for us despite almost never making a tackle. He was really good at the first two.

Xabi Alonso has never played in the Championship has he?

[Ian Royal]

Problem is Ian, is that even with all our midfielders being fit we still do not have a truly defensive, destructive midfielder. Jen certainly runs around, but his tackling is weak. Guthrie likes to tackle but can't (hence all his yellow cards), Williams and Akpan are more attacking in their natural game. I don't know much about Norwood, but he seems to be a midfield quarterback type. This really leaves Hector, who might be the man to do it longer term.

As Xabi Alonso says, tackling is what you do as a last resort. First you don't give the opposition the ball, second you deny them space and force them into an error, last you try to make a tackle. That's why Harper was such a good midfielder for us despite almost never making a tackle. He was really good at the first two.

Xabi Alonso has never played in the Championship has he?

The lower down you play the easier it is to force a mistake from the lesser players and the less you need to make a tackle if you're any good at keeping the ball and putting on pressure by holding your shape.