Something so simple would have saved us this year

By my reckoning we conceded 7 goals this season by "pissing around at the back" and trying to play the ball out of defence thinking were Man City and of those 7 goals I think it cost us at least 5 wins - or 15 points.

I have made this point time and time again throughout the season and I have come to the conclusion that if there was an order that our keeper kick the ball towards the half way line - then we would still be a Championship side.

Over the course of a season you can look at the "What ifs" but this is such a simple decision that, had it been implemented, we would still be a Championship side.

By my reckoning we conceded 7 goals this season by "pissing around at the back" and trying to play the ball out of defence thinking were Man City and of those 7 goals I think it cost us at least 5 wins - or 15 points.

I have made this point time and time again throughout the season and I have come to the conclusion that if there was an order that our keeper kick the ball towards the half way line - then we would still be a Championship side.

Over the course of a season you can look at the "What ifs" but this is such a simple decision that, had it been implemented, we would still be a Championship side.

It's negligent, and I may need help here, but I can't recall a time when our slick passing and movement drawing on the press has resulted in a goal.
Its all risk with little or no reward

It really is negligent.

I was going to say you cant score from your own half (Unless your name is Mark Hudson or Will Vaulks) so get the ball down field quickly.

The way the table is looking if we got another 4 pts we probably would have been safe.

All those goals conceded because we are pissing around at the back is the reason we will be in division 1 - It needs to stop. Management need to realise we cant score from our penalty box.

The amount of points we've dropped from a winning position is one of the scarier stats & says that we need a better defence to me. If we could defend the lead when we have had one we would be top 10.

Hate it playing about at the back.

The amount of points we've dropped from a winning position is one of the scarier stats & says that we need a better defence to me. If we could defend the lead when we have had one we would be top 10.

This. In Rizas defence, he managed and improved goals scored at the turn of the year. However he, Darren Purse and 'recruited to sort out the defence' Richard Shaw all failed to stop the goals leaking, even with playing (at times) EIGHT defensive players in the starting 11.

The failure to add a LB or RB or both in January, for me, was significant. Priority 2 after the striker/Salech signing.

We missed a few sitters aswell that contributed to what could have been wins or draws...Isak Davies for one v Stoke, I still dont understand why Ng takes free kicks, apart from one cracker v cant remember who a few seasons back he normally finds row z

The amount of points we've dropped from a winning position is one of the scarier stats & says that we need a better defence to me. If we could defend the lead when we have had one we would be top 10.

This. In Rizas defence, he managed and improved goals scored at the turn of the year. However he, Darren Purse and 'recruited to sort out the defence' Richard Shaw all failed to stop the goals leaking, even with playing (at times) EIGHT defensive players in the starting 11.

The failure to add a LB or RB or both in January, for me, was significant. Priority 2 after the striker/Salech signing.

I don't think NG and Rinomhota as our right backs has been the main problem, although NG had a very poor start to this season.

The left back position baffles me. Bagan is a solid left back at this level and there's nothing wrong with Jamilu Collins either. Why Collins has been discarded and then written off by most of our fans is a mystery.

Instead, we've had O'Dowda playing out of position at left back most of the season, when he's easily our best winger by a mile.

Our main problem has been our centre backs, who have all been a complete and utter disaster this season. No team concedes the number of soft goals we concede at this level. This is why we've thrown away 24 points from winning positions and we're getting relegated.

Really good post, great awareness on something that none of us likes as it gives us a heart attack, but actually the effect on actual points haul and the tight margins in the business end of the season.

We have been done by the high press from opponents to many times, yet appear unable to do the same back. I agree with the other poster about how few goals we have scored from that type of play.

I would like to add the huge decline in quality and goals scored from set plays, the only thing I miss from Erol Buluts reign.

You can play attractive football without trying to emulate the top tippy tappy out from the back teams, they have world class footballers to execute that (who also sometimes screw it up) we dont.

Please Rambo, none of that for these last 2 games.

The amount of points we've dropped from a winning position is one of the scarier stats & says that we need a better defence to me. If we could defend the lead when we have had one we would be top 10.

This. In Rizas defence, he managed and improved goals scored at the turn of the year. However he, Darren Purse and 'recruited to sort out the defence' Richard Shaw all failed to stop the goals leaking, even with playing (at times) EIGHT defensive players in the starting 11.

The failure to add a LB or RB or both in January, for me, was significant. Priority 2 after the striker/Salech signing.

I don't think NG and Rinomhota as our right backs has been the main problem, although NG had a very poor start to this season.

The left back position baffles me. Bagan is a solid left back at this level and there's nothing wrong with Jamilu Collins either. Why Collins has been discarded and then written off by most of our fans is a mystery.

Instead, we've had O'Dowda playing out of position at left back most of the season, when he's easily our best winger by a mile.

Our main problem has been our centre backs, who have all been a complete and utter disaster this season. No team concedes the number of soft goals we concede at this level. This is why we've thrown away 24 points from winning positions and we're getting relegated.

I have got to agree regarding centerbacks, although Goutas made a few mistakes, he was probably one of our better ones. Riza kept on changing the centerback 2 all the time, never a settled pair, no wonder we conceded so many goals, but just look at how many games we lost 1nil that is down to not scoring at the other end

The amount of points we've dropped from a winning position is one of the scarier stats & says that we need a better defence to me. If we could defend the lead when we have had one we would be top 10.

This. In Rizas defence, he managed and improved goals scored at the turn of the year. However he, Darren Purse and 'recruited to sort out the defence' Richard Shaw all failed to stop the goals leaking, even with playing (at times) EIGHT defensive players in the starting 11.

The failure to add a LB or RB or both in January, for me, was significant. Priority 2 after the striker/Salech signing.

I don't think NG and Rinomhota as our right backs has been the main problem, although NG had a very poor start to this season.

The left back position baffles me. Bagan is a solid left back at this level and there's nothing wrong with Jamilu Collins either. Why Collins has been discarded and then written off by most of our fans is a mystery.

Instead, we've had O'Dowda playing out of position at left back most of the season, when he's easily our best winger by a mile.

Our main problem has been our centre backs, who have all been a complete and utter disaster this season. No team concedes the number of soft goals we concede at this level. This is why we've thrown away 24 points from winning positions and we're getting relegated.

I have got to agree regarding centerbacks, although Goutas made a few mistakes, he was probably one of our better ones. Riza kept on changing the centerback 2 all the time, never a settled pair, no wonder we conceded so many goals, but just look at how many games we lost 1nil that is down to not scoring at the other end

Ironically, we conceded loads of goals last season too and lost something like 23 matches, more than this season, but we had far more victories.

This season has been a totally avoidable and unmitigated disaster, down to our ineffective tactics and Tan's cheapskate managerial recruitment.

Centre halfs at this level play in pairs. One is the dominant/leader the other his partner. They may not necessarily be the better of the two just the decisive one. Ginge and gabbs; Morrison/Bamba or Manga but the last two were a disaster when Morrison was injured.

I think Goutas played best with a big ugly, proper centre half in Nat Philips last season.

This seasons view of playing out from the back with Chambers was catastrophic, Darland will be better for this seasons experiance, but so weak for a big lad and Fish is straight off the U23 circuit.

We need a leading centre half next season, he can be old as Fish looks the most promising and has a bit of gas.

We appear to have sacrificed a solid defensive structure, dangerous set piece and aggressive press for pretty passing around and out from the back.

It didn’t work. Despite Omer trying it in every game.