23 Feb 2023 15:48:30
Just rewatched all the goals from the Madrid games and some of the defending was absolutely shocking!

The first goal was brilliant play from Vinicius but Trent has got to get closer to his man and stop him cutting in on his right foot! But what a finish!

Not much to say regarding the second goal, it’s a bad error from a goalkeeper who has been our best player this season.

The 3rd goal just reminded me why I absolutely hate zonal marking. It gives the opposition a free run on goal and gives them the opportunity to run into areas without being tracked by a defender!

Goal 4 could have definitely been defended better but it’s a horrible deflection which leaves the keeper with no chance!

The fifth goal just shows how far Fabinho has fallen off in the last year! He loses the ball halfway in the opposition half and he’s so slow getting back he’s barely back in our half when the ball is hitting the back of the net! Just absolutely no desire to bust a gut and get back and defend!

All in all, every goal was avoidable and to concede 5 the way we did after going 2 up is simply unacceptable!

1.) 23 Feb 2023
23 Feb 2023 16:00:15
I agree, JK.
I keep hearing Alan Hansen's voice in my head. The third goal really grates because no one is switched on. It reminded me of Van Dijk backing off with his hands behind his back in our penalty area at Old Trafford.
Milner bollocked him but it doesn't seem to have worked.

2.) 23 Feb 2023
23 Feb 2023 16:15:59
We just aren't interested in making contact or defending it seems. There's no pride in it at all.

Same issue with keeping the ball. We don't care for it at all.

3.) 23 Feb 2023
23 Feb 2023 16:37:49
Yeah avoidable goals nothing spectacular except the first one, you can of course defend that better but still the finish is inch perfect. The real telling difference was how both teams played without the ball, we ran after it like headless schoolkids, they never once looked like they were chasing after it, just a good shape and effectively timed pressing.

4.) 23 Feb 2023
23 Feb 2023 16:58:33
Gomez was the nearest to close down Vini, not Trent. In fact Gomez was at fault for 4 goals, and that’s the second time in a few weeks he’s turned his back on a shot. Championship level player at best.

5.) 23 Feb 2023
23 Feb 2023 22:26:22
OP, I fully agree with you esp on the zonal marking point. I have no idea when we started playing a full on zonal marking on setpieces cos we have always done a mix of both zone and man marking which made us one of the best defensive teams at set pieces. Is this another change implemented this season that has failed again? Not sure BUT it needs to stop.

@Redmersey, that’s not true. Giles being in the vicinity like every other defensive player on 3 of the goals dies not make him at fault. On the corner, we had 7 defensive players there and nobody tracked Militao so how is that his fault? On the 4th and 5th goals, one deflects off him but the whole defence was all over the place and same for the 5th goal. The scapegoating is laughable and embarrassing. We lost. We move on.

6.) 24 Feb 2023
24 Feb 2023 00:28:46
I agree Oli it seems when we lose there always has to be one player to blame and this time it’s Gomez.

I think you could possibly say he mad slight errors on the 1st and 4th goal but on the 1st goal there were 3 other players that were just as culpable as him.

The 4th one I always hate to see. If you turn your back then you have no control over where the ball hits you. At least if you face up you can react to where the ball is going and adjust your position accordingly. That being said he was still unlucky it hit him and deflected in that way but he certainly didn’t help himself.

I thought we were unlucky with the 2nd goal too. Ali made the mistake of course but that could literally have deflected anywhere. Just our luck at the moment that it deflects over his head into the net. On another day it bounces back into his hands or out for a goal kick.

The free kick was Ali and VVD’s fault as I’m assuming it’s their job to organise the defensive set up for set pieces and they just got it totally wrong. Gomez had literally no time to react.

The 5th goal was more a midfield problem Fabs should control it and Bajcetic should foul Modric. As they didn’t we were screwed.

The team as a unit defended poorly after conceding the 2nd goal to pick out one player is just totally unfair and blatantly wrong.

7.) 24 Feb 2023
24 Feb 2023 08:40:51
You can’t just blame one player when we lose (unless it’s Thiago ?) .

But seriously though we’ve been terrible all season as a collective. Yes some have been worse than others but that is far different than when some are better than others.

8.) 24 Feb 2023
24 Feb 2023 09:38:20
We were crap before van dik then decent when he was god like, do I need to explain the answer?