The art of defending, when you break it down, is to be able to hold a position to stop the other team from scoring. Looking at our first two games, that was not the case for our defenders. The first goal against Bournemouth is a prime example of that. He ghosted past everyone.
Sometimes if you get too many people back there, everyone looks to everyone else rather than someone dealing with it. That goal happens once in 100 times because you’d normally expect someone to snuff it out, but when things aren’t going right, these goals sometimes happen.
With a high defensive line, everyone really needs to do their job and everyone needs to be on the same wavelength and be in a straight line. It’s difficult if one person is always out of the line because it’s inevitably that person who has their arm in the air when they are actually playing everyone else on.
I’m sure there has been lots of work done on the training ground but it can all go to plan in training and then go completely wrong on the pitch during a game. The individual mistakes we are making need to be cut out. If we do that then things will improve.
There has been a lot of talk about our tough opening eight games and the defeat to Bournemouth has put us under early pressure. But we should be looking forward to the games against Man Utd and Chelsea. Our record against both isn’t bad – especially at home.
These games could give us the points we really need and the springboard for our season. And looking at some of the early results so far in the Premier League, it’s already shown that any team can beat any team and that you need to be on your game to get points.
If you don’t perform, there is a good chance of you getting beat – just look at how Man United were turned over by Brighton & Hove Albion.
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