Why can't we keep a clean sheet?

I'd be interested to hear opinions on why we haven't managed to keep a clean sheet since the start of the season.

Most people seem to be happy enough with the defence so is it the midfield not providing enough protection?

Is it simply down to individual errors that we've conceded so many this season/

What do we all think?

We have lost the best keeper in the league.

Our defence keep making sloppy mistakes plain and simple.

Cos we ain't good enough.

Its less of an issue if we scored more goals.

The balance in the midfield doesn't feel right. Gunnar, Bamba & Bennett always get rave reviews but we concede every game. Peltier is solid. We got promoted with Whitts in a deep lying playmaker role and conceded a lot less !!!!!!

I think teams take liberties with us because we are so blunt up front. The 5 that should be causing issues are not. Lambert and Whitts mobility is an issue, they can't stretch the field. Holliet is getting better game on game, but thats it. Noone, Ralls,Pilkington just don't do it. Before the Harris and Kennedy fans start how many goals or assists have they actual had ? (very few is the answer)

We need to find a striker who can stretch the field a bit more or a Steven Gerrard in his prime to replace Whitts. Not sure where either of those come from mid season.

We have lost the best keeper in the league.

Is the correct answer. There will always be games when we don't take chances and make defences mistakes. The difference is having an outstanding player in the appropriate position. The GK position is the most important on the pitch by its very nature and we lost one of the best. I'm not going to criticise our defence too much as they are pretty solid but its the GK that makes it that way. The most important specialist position on the pitch and we miss him badly and it is evident in our results.

Its less of an issue if we scored more goals.

The balance in the midfield doesn't feel right. Gunnar, Bamba & Bennett always get rave reviews but we concede every game. Peltier is solid. We got promoted with Whitts in a deep lying playmaker role and conceded a lot less !!!!!!

I think teams take liberties with us because we are so blunt up front. The 5 that should be causing issues are not. Lambert and Whitts mobility is an issue, they can't stretch the field. Holliet is getting better game on game, but thats it. Noone, Ralls,Pilkington just don't do it. Before the Harris and Kennedy fans start how many goals or assists have they actual had ? (very few is the answer)

We need to find a striker who can stretch the field a bit more or a Steven Gerrard in his prime to replace Whitts. Not sure where either of those come from mid season.

You and me, I'm sure, are big Whitts fans - but to suggest that to improve on this, we would need a Steven Gerrard in his prime, is stretching things to say the least! lol ( the likes of City Slicker and troobloo will be having forty fits )

Individually the back four are playing well, but clearly it's not good enough because we are conceding goals. Morrison switching off during key moments, I like Amos but as pointed out its left us weaker in that area.

We were unlucky not to keep a clean sheet at Forest and we have played some top quality attaching teams (Newcastle, Sheff Wed, Huddersfield, Villa)

Its less of an issue if we scored more goals.

The balance in the midfield doesn't feel right. Gunnar, Bamba & Bennett always get rave reviews but we concede every game. Peltier is solid. We got promoted with Whitts in a deep lying playmaker role and conceded a lot less !!!!!!

I think teams take liberties with us because we are so blunt up front. The 5 that should be causing issues are not. Lambert and Whitts mobility is an issue, they can't stretch the field. Holliet is getting better game on game, but thats it. Noone, Ralls,Pilkington just don't do it. Before the Harris and Kennedy fans start how many goals or assists have they actual had ? (very few is the answer)

We need to find a striker who can stretch the field a bit more or a Steven Gerrard in his prime to replace Whitts. Not sure where either of those come from mid season.

You and me, I'm sure, are big Whitts fans - but to suggest that to improve on this, we would need a Steven Gerrard in his prime, is stretching things to say the least! lol ( the likes of City Slicker and troobloo will be having forty fits )

Beer and late night posts !!

What i was trying to get at was we need a passer in the team to release Holliet and to take our main source of goals, set plays but if we play Lambert we need someone to run beyond him with the skill to put it in the onion basket.

If we play Whitts as the passer in CM, we need a far more mobile striker to give Whitts and freedom of all that grass behind their centre halfs.

If we play a speedy striker with Lambert then Whitts and Gunnar don't play as they both can't do 442 CM's, O'Keefe and Ralls are better at that position than either of the established stars.

We have lost the best keeper in the league.

Is the correct answer. There will always be games when we don't take chances and make defences mistakes. The difference is having an outstanding player in the appropriate position. The GK position is the most important on the pitch by its very nature and we lost one of the best. I'm not going to criticise our defence too much as they are pretty solid but its the GK that makes it that way. The most important specialist position on the pitch and we miss him badly and it is evident in our results.

The problem with that assessment is you are basically blaming Ben Amos for all the goals we are leaking. I think that would be very harsh conclusion as Amos seems a competent keeper if admittedly not as good as Marshall.

I always remember the great Liverpool sides of the 70's/80's and the mantra that defending started with the strikers doing their bit to close down. Whilst that is not the whole problem with us I do believe our inability to close down the opposition is a direct contribution to our inability to keep a clean sheet.

I'd be interested to hear opinions on why we haven't managed to keep a clean sheet since the start of the season.

Most people seem to be happy enough with the defence so is it the midfield not providing enough protection?

Is it simply down to individual errors that we've conceded so many this season/

What do we all think?

Because we have Morrison at the back.

I thought the managers assessment was bang on.When you make individual mistakes you can get away with them but against quality you tend to get punished.Well,words to that effect anyway.

I'd be interested to hear opinions on why we haven't managed to keep a clean sheet since the start of the season.

Most people seem to be happy enough with the defence so is it the midfield not providing enough protection?

Is it simply down to individual errors that we've conceded so many this season/

What do we all think?

Because our defence is overrated by some on here,in reality our defence is cumbersome and prone to making to many mistakes at Championship level

We have lost the best keeper in the league.

Is the correct answer. There will always be games when we don't take chances and make defences mistakes. The difference is having an outstanding player in the appropriate position. The GK position is the most important on the pitch by its very nature and we lost one of the best. I'm not going to criticise our defence too much as they are pretty solid but its the GK that makes it that way. The most important specialist position on the pitch and we miss him badly and it is evident in our results.

Marshall was a good shot stopper.never comanded his area. i think Amos is fine, he collected 3 crosses in his midriff last week 6 yards out and betond the front post that you knew Marshall would have just allowed to skid through our 6 yard box and then hoped to make a save from any contact,what Amos did drew no aplause because it wasnt spectacular

We have lost the best keeper in the league.

Is the correct answer. There will always be games when we don't take chances and make defences mistakes. The difference is having an outstanding player in the appropriate position. The GK position is the most important on the pitch by its very nature and we lost one of the best. I'm not going to criticise our defence too much as they are pretty solid but its the GK that makes it that way. The most important specialist position on the pitch and we miss him badly and it is evident in our results.

The problem with that assessment is you are basically blaming Ben Amos for all the goals we are leaking. I think that would be very harsh conclusion as Amos seems a competent keeper if admittedly not as good as Marshall.

I always remember the great Liverpool sides of the 70's/80's and the mantra that defending started with the strikers doing their bit to close down. Whilst that is not the whole problem with us I do believe our inability to close down the opposition is a direct contribution to our inability to keep a clean sheet.

You are of course right Tony. The GK is only one element here, Amos is a good GK but I do think we miss Marshall. For me, the goals that we are conceding stem from worrying defensive errors from an otherwise solid defence which are capitalised upon. For small parts of most games, we seem to stand off and not close in our defensive third, panic and then make a mistake. It seems out of character from an otherwise decent defence but needs addressing, as we are now scoring but still conceding for me goals that resulted from a small amount of errors as opposed to being outplayed by better teams.

I thought we did really well yesterday and a fair scoreline would have been 2-2. If it wasn't for the errors above then I think we would have come away with it.

We have lost the best keeper in the league.

Is the correct answer. There will always be games when we don't take chances and make defences mistakes. The difference is having an outstanding player in the appropriate position. The GK position is the most important on the pitch by its very nature and we lost one of the best. I'm not going to criticise our defence too much as they are pretty solid but its the GK that makes it that way. The most important specialist position on the pitch and we miss him badly and it is evident in our results.

The problem with that assessment is you are basically blaming Ben Amos for all the goals we are leaking. I think that would be very harsh conclusion as Amos seems a competent keeper if admittedly not as good as Marshall.

I always remember the great Liverpool sides of the 70's/80's and the mantra that defending started with the strikers doing their bit to close down. Whilst that is not the whole problem with us I do believe our inability to close down the opposition is a direct contribution to our inability to keep a clean sheet.

You are of course right Tony. The GK is only one element here, Amos is a good GK but I do think we miss Marshall. For me, the goals that we are conceding stem from worrying defensive errors from an otherwise solid defence which are capitalised upon. For small parts of most games, we seem to stand off and not close in our defensive third, panic and then make a mistake. It seems out of character from an otherwise decent defence but needs addressing, as we are now scoring but still conceding for me goals that resulted from a small amount of errors as opposed to being outplayed by better teams.

I thought we did really well yesterday and a fair scoreline would have been 2-2. If it wasn't for the errors above then I think we would have come away with it.

I agree 2-2 would have been a fair result. A defence is as good as it's weakest link and at the moment that is Morrison. But as pointed out his individual mistakes are being forced because those in front of him are not closing down as well as they could do.

We have lost the best keeper in the league.

Is the correct answer. There will always be games when we don't take chances and make defences mistakes. The difference is having an outstanding player in the appropriate position. The GK position is the most important on the pitch by its very nature and we lost one of the best. I'm not going to criticise our defence too much as they are pretty solid but its the GK that makes it that way. The most important specialist position on the pitch and we miss him badly and it is evident in our results.

The problem with that assessment is you are basically blaming Ben Amos for all the goals we are leaking. I think that would be very harsh conclusion as Amos seems a competent keeper if admittedly not as good as Marshall.

I always remember the great Liverpool sides of the 70's/80's and the mantra that defending started with the strikers doing their bit to close down. Whilst that is not the whole problem with us I do believe our inability to close down the opposition is a direct contribution to our inability to keep a clean sheet.

You are of course right Tony. The GK is only one element here, Amos is a good GK but I do think we miss Marshall. For me, the goals that we are conceding stem from worrying defensive errors from an otherwise solid defence which are capitalised upon. For small parts of most games, we seem to stand off and not close in our defensive third, panic and then make a mistake. It seems out of character from an otherwise decent defence but needs addressing, as we are now scoring but still conceding for me goals that resulted from a small amount of errors as opposed to being outplayed by better teams.

I thought we did really well yesterday and a fair scoreline would have been 2-2. If it wasn't for the errors above then I think we would have come away with it.

I agree 2-2 would have been a fair result. A defence is as good as it's weakest link and at the moment that is Morrison. But as pointed out his individual mistakes are being forced because those in front of him are not closing down as well as they could do.

For me that's where we need to tighten up in terms of conceding and its only ever a few times per game but it gets exploited. I think we will get there under NW, we are not far off and its great that we are all enjoying our football again despite our position in the table. I also think at the other end, if we had converted some of our early chances we could have come away with something as for many parts we were the better team.