Goals from defenders

[Pogue Mahone]

This season and last. League goals only.
Maguire = 2
Lindelof = 2
Shaw = 0
AWB = 1
Total = 5

Van Dijk = 6
Matip = 2
TAA = 4
Robertson = 3
Total = 15

Zouma = 4
Chilwell = 5
James = 1
Silva* = 2
Total = 12

Gets messy with City because of all their changes. Not sure who else to include. Maybe Leicester?

Anyway. We could obviously do with our defenders chipping in a bit more often. Is the problem our personnel? Or how we play?

 

[izec]

Our 2 starting fullbacks are too defensive or have their strength there. And even if they go forward, they don't know what to do the closer they get to the goal.

And our corners and freekicks are not super great. Harry has some headers every game but usually can't hit the target. I'd say more personnel than the way we play, but it could help to train a bit more patterns on corners and for the fullbacks to get into positions, but i feel they would be helpless once in a good position.

 

[Ibi Dreams]

Commentators like saying that Maguire is a danger from corners. I haven't seen much evidence for that being true since he joined us.

To be honest though, I don't think we should think those numbers from Liverpool are normal. I don't think players like Rio, Vidic and Evra ever got close to those numbers, though I could be wrong. It would be nice to have more goals from our defenders, but if they're not doing it now I'm not sure how it will improve.

 

[Samid]

Personnel for sure. AWB and Shaw are simply scared to take shots, they're always looking for a safe pass whenever they get in decent positions. Also the reason why they don't get assists, they don't have an adventurous bone in them.

Maguire with his size should be up there with VVD and Zouma in terms of goals. No excuses for him. He wins several headers every game but there's zero determination there. Attack those balls with some fecking intent.

Lindelof is simply a wimp. A Christmas miracle that he somehow managed attacking returns in successive games recently.

 

[Obiorahking_]

Maguire should have 2-3 more if he was serious. Lindleof is about right. AWB is one of the worst offensive fullbacks in the league. Shaw could grab more assists and I think he will as season goes on

 

[FrankDrebin]

Maguire and Lindelof are, frankly, awful in the opposition box. The number of good opportunities Maguire balloons over the bar against the opposition is quite laughable really.

It's not only goals that our defenders lack too. They also lack the passing ability of their above mentioned rivals.
Matip's pass tonight was simply brilliant.

 

[DWelbz19]

Maguire wins a respectable amount of offensive headers but there’s never any conviction in them — they’re either straight at the keeper or they go over. Lindelof is a non-entity from set pieces.

Shaw and Wan Bissaka genuinely are the type to get nosebleeds that far forward. Wan Bissaka’s freak goal against Newcastle is his only goal ever!

EDIT: Shaw is even worse!
Luke Shaw: 165 appearances, 1 goal, 8 assists.
Wan Bissaka: 89 appearances, 1 goal, 7 assists.

 

[Obiorahking_]

Matip's pass tonight was simply brilliant.

Lindleof had a better ball two games ago?

 

[Impulse]

We're the second highest scorers in the league this season so I don't think a lack of goals from our defenders is much of a problem. If we're going to be criticising our defenders for anything it should be for the 23 goals they've conceded in 14 games.

 

[cyril C]

First of all take away all set piece and penalty first. They are important but skew your analysis. Secondly, I think we need assist from defender FAR MORE than goals.

 

[Annihilate Now!]

Maguire's work in the opposition box usually stops at just getting his head on the ball. Often feels like he just let's the ball hit his forehead without much of a thought of where it'll go after that.

Lindelöf obviously isn't strong in the air, but he can sometimes pick up second/loose balls with decent movement like the other week, though its few and far between.

 

[Roane]

The problem I see for our defenders is the "cover", or lack of, that they receive in games.

When a defender bombs forward with the ball the position he vacates has to be covered so any counter can be dealt with should it happen.

Henderson is a good example at Liverpool as someone who slots into the right when the RB is further ahead.

Likes of Pogba and Greenwood don't do enough in covering or helping the likes of Shaw and AWB if and when they get forward. Which is why imo they don't as much.

 

[Foxbatt]

Defenders or for that matter any player can mostly score goals if they are created for them. A god example was the Lindelof goal. If we always put a long high one for Maguire to head it is going to end up most times over the bar. Simply because it has not been worked out properly for him to score.
Look at the WBA goal. Liverpool do zonal marking. They played it out short and then the zonal marking went belly up because there was no one to mark in the zones. Just like our goal conceded against Sheffield United.
If we put even Lindelof or anyone who can head decently at the near post and his job is to back head the ball, we will score more goals. More opportunities will be created to score.
As Roane mentioned we do not have the tactics or system for covering the defenders when out of position. I remember The Dutch with Cruijff in the team at CB and defending when Krol their central defender was attacking the opposition box.

 

[TheRedHearted]

This season and last. League goals only.
Maguire = 2
Lindelof = 2
Shaw = 0
AWB = 1
Total = 5

Van Dijk = 6
Matip = 2
TAA = 4
Robertson = 3
Total = 15

Zouma = 4
Chilwell = 5
James = 1
Silva* = 2
Total = 12

Gets messy with City because of all their changes. Not sure who else to include. Maybe Leicester?

Anyway. We could obviously do with our defenders chipping in a bit more often. Is the problem our personnel? Or how we play?

I feel like most title winning side had defenders who scored as much as Dijk did. Just a feeling but yeah

 

[JJ12]

I’d expect a bit more from Maguire but I don’t see many goals with the rest

 

[Leftback99]

Personnel. Lindelof, Shaw and Wan Bissaka are no threat whatsoever. Maguire should be doing better but I think a run of goals will come at some point from the chances he gets on the end of.

 

[united for life]

Personally, i’d like these defenders to focus on their defending rather than asking them to contribute more in the final third of the pitch. We are doing well scoring goals, it’s at the back where we’re terrible. I don’t want them to score, i want them to stop oppositions scoring!

anyway, i don’t think we’ll get many goals from them. Probably maguire and lindelof might get a goal or two from corner kicks. Shaw seems to have established himself as a proper corner kick taker also.

 

[TheNewEra]

Maguire should have 2-3 more if he was serious. Lindleof is about right. AWB is one of the worst offensive fullbacks in the league. Shaw could grab more assists and I think he will as season goes on

On the full backs

On the point of Shaw and AWB on this thread, I disagree with measuring fullbacks by goals.

You measure CBs from set-piece goals from an attacking point, and you measure fullbacks by open-play assists.

Saying AWB and Shaw have x,y goals is flawed in the context of, they stay back on corners to defend from counters (AWB especially).

The issue with AWB is he can't cross, the issue with Shaw is, he's a timid player going forward, all these 2 do is offer width but pass it inside each time.

An opposition defender coming up against Shaw and AWB must think "Great! All i need to do is run to them and they will pass it back anyway".

Telles is a breath of fresh air in his crossing however, but he isn't the same as shaw Defensively.

As soon as a world-class CDM and a good CB are brought in, I think players like Shaw will have limited game time as attacking full-backs will be preferred.

On Maguire / Lindelof

Maguire should be scoring 4-5 a season no doubt, he's up there with VVD on aerial duels won defensively, so he should be scoring much more.

Lindelof isn't as tall so ideally a taller/faster CB will be much better for a set-piece threat.