1 goal conceded in under 90 minutes...This is one area of massive improvement under Lampard - this really pleases me and what has almost gone unnoticed is that over the last 6 games we’ve only conceded 3 (bettered only by Burnley).
I think there is hope for this season yet!!
We kept a clean sheet in something like 75% games played with Kitching in the team (this season, albeit a small sample too), with the only game we conceded being Leeds away for a time.Plain weird that Dovin hasn’t played more….Kitch too. Both inspire confidence.
Dovin is a good keeper and just needed to grow into the role. He was dropped in September for Wilson who is a solid role player, isn’t a number one we need to take us forward.Having kitching back is massive. Cynic in me worries that maybe it is just a transfer window thing but if he is 'back' back then CB isn't the priority it once was. We are still conceding chances and to a degree Dovin is papering over cracks but that is what a top notch keeper gives you and you can see the players in front of him are responding to that.
Not until they can keep clean sheets playing a back four. Let's give it 10 more games and see if it's the norm.
I think credit to Frank and his staff for getting us more organised, not least the midfield actually tracking their runners !.I'm still not totally convinced the issues in defence have gone away. Credit to all involved last night but we were cut apart by a pretty poor Blackburn side on a number of occasions, and a better side would've undoubtedly punished us.
Frankly without Dovin we would've been 2-0 down at HT. Credit to BTA as well for keeping us in it as well. Fair play to the lads and FL for a brilliant second half showing though.
Back to back clean sheets is a positive sign and it helps both Dovin and Kitching have come into form. Having said that, due to the above I'm sceptical about returning to a back four.
I'm still not totally convinced the issues in defence have gone away. Credit to all involved last night but we were cut apart by a pretty poor Blackburn side on a number of occasions, and a better side would've undoubtedly punished us.
Frankly without Dovin we would've been 2-0 down at HT. Credit to BTA as well for keeping us in it as well. Fair play to the lads and FL for a brilliant second half showing though.
Back to back clean sheets is a positive sign and it helps both Dovin and Kitching have come into form. Having said that, due to the above I'm sceptical about returning to a back four.
Plain weird that some posters wanted to have a go at lampard for not bringing dovin in for his very first game rather than focus on fact lampard restored him to the starting 11!Plain weird that Dovin hasn’t played more….Kitch too. Both inspire confidence.
I think credit to Frank and his staff for getting us more organised, not least the midfield actually tracking their runners !.
Far too early to suggest this problem is fixed but certainly encouraging progress.
Were not quite George Graham's Arsenal yet but we're definitely improving.
And yes Dovin made a couple of good saves but you expect the opposition to have chances in this league, especially when you're away from home
.
People keep talking as though conceding 2 or 3 good opportunities is some massive frailty when in reality it's the norm for most teams in this league in most games.
I totally agree about reverting yo a back 4 at the moment, it's not for me.
Not even sure we dropped that many points from Collins' spell in when I look back at the games anyway. He looks generally unconvincing but not sure the outcome is much different in most of them, just Pompey away really, after which he was rightly dropped never to be seen again I'm sure.Plain weird that some posters wanted to have a go at lampard for not bringing dovin in for his very first game rather than focus on fact lampard restored him to the starting 11!
Blackburn perhaps unlucky not to score at least one of their chances, but we’re not gonna go into games conceding no chances. We’re not exactly formidable opponents but the improvements are clear for all to see.
Still think thomas Is part of our best back line
If we're winning games and keeping clean sheets why change it?
Surely if JDS plays then Kitch stays deeper and JDS will carry the ball and distribute it.My takeaway from last night is having Bidwell in makes a big difference. We're defensively more composed and able to take the initiative from the back. E.g. With having more faith that Bidwell will do a good job of covering, it allowed Kitching to make those runs, something I very much doubt we'd have seen with JDS playing.
JDS has attributes (the tippy toe stuff), but Bidwell does a great job overlapping too, has a better cross, and the height to offer more when loading the opp's box.
The fact that Dovin got M.O.M even though we fielded 5 defenders, would suggest that the defence in front of him still has a lot of work to do.This is one area of massive improvement under Lampard - this really pleases me and what has almost gone unnoticed is that over the last 6 games we’ve only conceded 3 (bettered only by Burnley).
I think there is hope for this season yet!!
That's the usual when JDS plays, Rudoni comes over to overload the left, but unlike Bidwell you rarely see JDS overlap let alone cross. I think Bidwell can do that same overload and get balls in quicker, but also properly cover if Kitching carries. Just better options and outcomes for our system I think.Surely if JDS plays then Kitch stays deeper and JDS will carry the ball and distribute it.
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