by Owzat » Mon Dec 14, 2009 9:34 am
"It is all about defence" - poppycock, if I haven't said that previously as I get the feeling this thread is quite old.
We started the season poorly, no two ways about that. But here's a split that highlights our goalscoring problems and the knock-on consequence on results.
First 9 games : P9 W7 D0 L2 F24 A10 (Won 77.78%, CS 4)
Last 15 games : P15 W3 D4 L8 F15 A21 (Won 20.00%, CS 4)
Not much of an increase in goals against per game but a lot less goals per game (gpg), from 2.7 gpg for to 1.0 gpg for. Sure we are leaking more goals than we should be, but for the gpg againsts to be equal we'd only have to have conceded four less goals in the last 15 games compared to the extra TWENTY FIVE goals we would have had to have scored to maintain our goalscoring form. Of course it helped to play Burnley, Hull and Stoke in that lot which accounted for much of the difference, but how often have we scored more than one goal this season? Not enough is the answer, and if you score only one or zero goals in a game then you don't expect to win most of them
0-1 goals : P15 W3 D2 L10 (Won 20.00%)
2+ goals : P9 W7 D2 L10 (Won 77.78%)
Hey, exactly the same break as the above splits of 9 and 15 games. When we won 10 out of 11 at the tail end of last season we scored at over 3.0 gpg yet people still focus on the defence, a bit too much like Rafa at times. Goals win games, basic fact. If you don't score, you can't win - simples. We've lost FIVE games 2-1, three of those after taking the lead at home and leading 1-0 at half-time. Away we've equalised and lost the game early in the seconde half.
1-2 vs Tottenham (Prem) : equalised on 56 mins, conceded after 59
1-2 vs Lyon (CL) : took the lead on 41 mins, conceded after 72 and 90
1-2 vs Arsenal (LC) : equalised on 26 mins, conceded after 50
1-2 vs Fiorentina (CL) : took the lead on 43 mins, conceded after 63 and 90
1-2 vs Arsenal (Prem) : took the lead on 41 mins, conceded after 50 and 58
Sure a clean sheet would have won all those games, but you can't rely on not conceding in 45+ mins. The mancs perfected 1-0 in recent years based on late winners against sides not really looking for more than a point, to do what Sunderland did to us and defend for near 90 mins takes some doing which is why we've only won three games 1-0 and lost only one 0-1.
We won't win the league by trying to tighten the defence back up, it had been tight for a lot of previous seasons but it was only when we were top scorers in the league that we got really close to the Champions. What makes Chelsea and the mancs tight in defence (normally) ? Keeping possession, pressuring the opposition and a bit of luck. Why did the mancs lose at the weekend? Because villa were a rare sight in attacking their defence, like Sunderland did earlier in the season and nearly got a win they deserved. The mancs have conceded only two less goals than us at home in the league, but look at our goalscoring in Europe and we scored a laughable five goals in six games, we scored only two against whipping boys Debrecen while Lyon and Fiorentina knocked in 4 or 5 in both their games against the Hungarians. Last time I checked their respective leagues neither were in the top five so no great shakes.
Do we need a second striker to go 4-4-2? It would be an option, but I doubt Rafa will make the necessary switch of formation and if he did, there'd be clamouring for "proper wingers" and a "proper winger" of any quality would cost at least the combined £15m Kuyt and Benayoun cost. Why are they preferred in our current formation? Because they score goals which is crucial to the formation, having the wide players scoring to add to the goals from Torres and Gerrard.
Never buy from PC World, product quality is poor and their 'customer service' is even poorer
up thinking Lucas could do the Job whilst Aquilani gets fit. Letting Hyppia go to bring in the pony tail greek seems an error but it has to be said Carragher as hard as he tries is not getting the job done and is a back up player at best.
