Time to bring in a defensive coach?

[ZENITH R]

We have played 16 games this season in all competitions and are yet to keep a clean sheet. Yes, we've not had much luck, and some of the six penalties we have conceded have been soft, if not scandalously poor decisions by the referee. However, we are very open at the back, teams are scoring simple goals against us, not worldies or great team goals, we are making it easy for them.

Is it time to bring in someone to help with the defence? I recall Harry Redknapp had a similar problem, and brought in Steve MacLaren. Almost overnight things improved at the back, and right up until he left to become manager of Derby, we became a team that was hard to beat.

Overall, I love what Mark Warburton has done with the team, I'm loving the positivity, the football, the passing and movement, but clearly there is a problem at the back that has not/ and is not being addressed.

If we sort that out, I think this team could really go places.

[Esox Lucius]

This team is already going places. We are 8th currently, think about that, 8th, not 18th.

[n22hoop]

This team is already going places. We are 8th currently, think about that, 8th, not 18th.

That suggests we should know our place. Why settle for being happy with 8th? We'd be top of the league with a meaner defence.

[UxbridgeR]

This team is already going places. We are 8th currently, think about that, 8th, not 18th.

That suggests we should know our place. Why settle for being happy with 8th? We'd be top of the league with a meaner defence.

It's unlikely to be that simple. We'd have to sacrifice creativity to be more solid defensively.

[dm]

I might be wrong but under SMc weren't Eustace and/or Gardiner the defensive coaches?

[Esox Lucius]

This team is already going places. We are 8th currently, think about that, 8th, not 18th.

That suggests we should know our place. Why settle for being happy with 8th? We'd be top of the league with a meaner defence.

It's unlikely to be that simple. We'd have to sacrifice creativity to be more solid defensively.

Exactly this, I haven't been this happy going to games for nearly ten years and if we ship goals and lose a few along the way to maintain our gung ho approach to football then I'm happy. Clean sheets are over rated, goals are much more fun.

[Montag]

As I see it, it comes down to defenders and midfielders picking up their man when we don't have the ball. Too often too much space is given. Yesterday the only lapse that cost us was the first goal. It's more about concentration than tactics or technique. But Esox is right. We're still in a good spot compared to where we might've been. Bring on Dirty Leeds.

[QPR_John]

That suggests we should know our place. Why settle for being happy with 8th? We'd be top of the league with a meaner defence.

It's unlikely to be that simple. We'd have to sacrifice creativity to be more solid defensively.

Exactly this, I haven't been this happy going to games for nearly ten years and if we ship goals and lose a few along the way to maintain our gung ho approach to football then I'm happy. Clean sheets are over rated, goals are much more fun.

Of course goals are much more fun but not if the opposition score more.

[Systemsguy]

I remember reading an article from the old club secretary Ron Jones about the club's philosophy at the time of our first rise to the first division that we might win 5 - 4 but would concentrate on the goals we didn't score rather than the goals we conceded.... I liked that

I want us to win playing good football but you can't win with having a clown in charge in the middle ( whose nickname is apparently chuckles! )

[ZENITH R]

I remember reading an article from the old club secretary Ron Jones about the club's philosophy at the time of our first rise to the first division that we might win 5 - 4 but would concentrate on the goals we didn't score rather than the goals we conceded.... I liked that

I want us to win playing good football but you can't win with having a clown in charge in the middle ( whose nickname is apparently chuckles! )

Was Ron Jones secretary before of after Ron Phillips?

[Systemsguy]

Absolutely right it was Ron Phillips!

Age is finally catching up on me.....

[LP]

It's unlikely to be that simple. We'd have to sacrifice creativity to be more solid defensively.

Mind if I disagree, old chap? While Manning / Rangel (moreso Kane) do pick up more attacking duties, Leistner/Barbet/Hall tend not to - I think a meaner, more canny CB pairing or threesome (ooh-er) wouldn't mean compromising in attack.

A consistent, commanding CB would be my preference - but a specific defensive coach could be just what we need to give things that tweak.

[ZENITH R]

My thoughts in the original post were that we are not getting the basics right. I've seen the same players - particularly Leistner and Hall defend very well. At the moment they are not marking effectively, losing their man, ball watching, stuff you see on the park on a Sunday morning. This is costing us goals. Something is not right, whether that be the tactics, the messages they are being given, or something in training.

I just wondered if we should look to get someone in to help them sort this out. They are all a lot better than the goals against column (and no clean sheets) suggests.

I think it needs a bit of tweaking, that's all.

Terry Venables (one of the most effective QPR managers I have seen in my time watching the R's) said: "You build from the back". That should not necessarily mean sacrificing creativity or goals. After all, El Tel's team got to the FA Cup Final, and I seem to recall Stainrod and Allen scoring plenty of goals.

[Giorgio]

Well, if I am not wrong we got Wallace that is a left back....and we are playing Manning, who's not a left back in that position...
he is doing well, but sometimes he leaves the door opened...so what about putting Wallace in...and move Manning up the left side in a more attacking position...??

[SM]

We were discussing this last night. Individually, I don’t think it’s a bad back line at all.

Manning has arguably been our player of the season, BFG is the best defender at the club IMO, Barbet & Hall are both good defenders at this level, as are Rangel & Kane.

We’ve been on the end of some quite horrific refereeing decisions, but we don’t do the basics well enough at all. And we’re not learning either. I don’t know how we address it, but something needs to change.