Defensively strong or left alone?

[El Guepardo]

I'm going to try to be concise with the question, but hopefully it will open some debate.

We've played many teams so far this season that sit back against us, they barely cross their half way line, and don't cause us to really have to defend. The opposition is happy with restricting us, rather than trying to force their attacks on us. How much is this a contributing factor to our defensive success? If we play teams that instead want to get at our defence with every opportunity, will we continue be as successful defensively?

 

[Pirate55]

The simple answer is no. If we try and sit back, teams like Everton and Liverpool, who attacked us showed up our defensive frailties in the first half. We simply aren't good enough to sit back and hit teams on the break ala Leicester last season. We rely on having large amounts of possession to win games. Last season, apart from City, our results against the other leading contenders were not good - winning only against Man U at home. Leicester, D and L, Arsenal D and D, Manu L and W, Liverpool D and D.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

The simple answer is no. If we try and sit back, teams like Everton and Liverpool, who attacked us showed up our defensive frailties in the first half. We simply aren't good enough to sit back and hit teams on the break ala Leicester last season. We rely on having large amounts of possession to win games. Last season, apart from City, our results against the other leading contenders were not good - winning only against Man U at home. Leicester, D and L, Arsenal D and D, Manu L and W, Liverpool D and D.

Yet those sides only scored from a soft free kick and a soft pen This season

This team gets a hard on for defending - their moulded by Poch to thrive on it

 

[monkeybarry]

Yet those sides only scored from a soft free kick and a soft pen This season

This team gets a hard on for defending - their moulded by Poch to thrive on it

Simple maths too - the more you have to defend the more chances the opposition get, the more they'll score.

We defend solidly because even when the opposition do attack we affect HOW they attack, we control the angles and channels, so if they do create something we have a chance of knowing where it'll be so we can defend it.

 

[johnola]

Is this the official defence thread then.
Lloris
Walker||Verts||Alder 'eld|| Rosie

Super Special.

Add in Wimmer, Trippier, Davies, Dier, CCV and Vorm.

That is a hell of a group. Let us acknowledge this now.

 

[Lost Mango]

The simple answer is no. If we try and sit back, teams like Everton and Liverpool, who attacked us showed up our defensive frailties in the first half. We simply aren't good enough to sit back and hit teams on the break ala Leicester last season. We rely on having large amounts of possession to win games. Last season, apart from City, our results against the other leading contenders were not good - winning only against Man U at home. Leicester, D and L, Arsenal D and D, Manu L and W, Liverpool D and D.

Bit bizarre to almost dismiss the City results out of hand to allow you to say our results against the contenders were not good. And then by default, the contenders results against us are equally bad with only Leicester actually having a more positive outcome over the two matches than us. Not brilliant results but we dropped nothing on anyone except the champions and picked up all the points against the previous champs. How disastrous.

 

[braineclipse]

Bit bizarre to almost dismiss the City results out of hand to allow you to say our results against the contenders were not good. And then by default, the contenders results against us are equally bad with only Leicester actually having a more positive outcome over the two matches than us. Not brilliant results but we dropped nothing on anyone except the champions and picked up all the points against the previous champs. How disastrous.

Agreed.

http://www.statto.com/football/stats/england/premier-league/2015-2016/versus-top-third
We were tied with Leicester at 2nd vs the top third of the table (only behind West Ham).

 

[Pirate55]

Agreed.

http://www.statto.com/football/stats/england/premier-league/2015-2016/versus-top-third
We were tied with Leicester at 2nd vs the top third of the table (only behind West Ham).

or to look at it another way, City were the whipping boys of top third teams. So our results against them have to be seen in that context.

 

[mudshark]

I'd argue that we defend from the front, too; our pressing to win the ball back quickly high up the field is all part and parcel of what makes us successful keeping the goals against count to a minimum. All to the good, as well, because it's been shown that goals you don't concede are worth more points on average than goals you score.