I'm sure I've seen you being negative in his performance thread this season, apologise if that's not the case. Though, your latest post in that thread is saying that he's performing like in his first season (i.e. poor, I'm guessing?), but he's been part of the same defensive unit as Maguire. So, when do you think our defenders will recieve the credit they deserve when even you are being negative about them?
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Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 55
- Clean sheets
- 24
- Goals
- 3
- Assists
- 1
- Yellow cards
- 9
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I'm sure I've seen you being negative in his performance thread this season, apologise if that's not the case. Though, your latest post in that thread is saying that he's performing like in his first season (i.e. poor, I'm guessing?), but he's been part of the same defensive unit as Maguire. So, when do you think our defenders will recieve the credit they deserve when even you are being negative about them?
I’d bet money the xG on that goal was very low because he had a very lot to do and scored from a long distance which is a low probability event in football. I’m not going to get into a long interpretive debate with you on it because I know you see them as wars of attrition that go on for days. I don’t think there will be proper xG data for that game Because it’s the League Cup but if you can find some it would be interesting.
I dont care about your xg bullshit.
I care that an opposition striker was allowed to win a header on the halfway line and run until 20 yards out to get his shot away with no defender making a challenge.
If you don't have a problem with that you don't have a clue about defending.
It didnt matter if it was Maguire, or 1 of the 2 other spare CBs we had, someone had to take some authority in that position and nobody did. They were all waiting for someone else
Wait, you need some xG bullshit as an argument that that wasn't poor defending by our backline? You can't prove it just from watching the video?
We literally conceeded a goal from one forward running at our three defenders 50m away from goal!!!!
I don't know how much better the defence could have did after Macguire lost the initial challenge. Batshuayi was going nowhere and they stopped him from progressing nearer to the goal. He scored a rocket shot from the half-turn. Its a great goal and very difficult to pull off.
I’m speaking more generally, across a period of time in which all of Van Gaal, Mourinho and Ole have ensured that the team concedes goals in line with our rivals. I have praised all three of them, as well as defenders like Smalling and Blind, who have since left us to perform well elsewhere.
I’ve criticised Lindelof once this season and suggested that Tuanzebe would replace him for two reasons. a) Tuanzebe has looked more composed and b) Lindelof has, at times, looked a little like his first season self. Both fair points in my view.
Maguire can foul him. One of the two CBs dropping off could confront him and even if they dont win the ball they can pressure him into a mistake because its not easy to dribble past 2 CBs at speed with 1 right behind you.
If a CB put in a challenge and he shrugged it off and kept the ball under control, got his shot away and still beat the keeper then hats off to him
Or if Maguire tries to foul him and he keeps his balance and continues to get the shot away, all credit to him
He didnt have to do either thing. We just let him get to the point where he could have a shot, and he delivered a really good one
The biggest screw up was not the header it’s not fouling him. All defenders make mistakes and they are criticised more than any position.
Yep because usually a mistake from a defender or a keeper ends up with a good chance on goal. There was no reason whatsoever for the lost header to do this here though. We let it happen with none of our CBs taking charge of the situation and either fouling the attacker or putting pressure on him to do something great and beat them to get his shot away
Every defender makes some mistakes ... Vidic made it .. Rio made it .. so just chill.. dont overanalyze things n.... we won this game .. Chelsea away.. we didn't give chelsea a sniff other than this one goal.. lets keep winning and lets win against Bournemouth this weekend... thats all i care
What’s bullshit is trying to claim that goals are not conceded through defensive mistakes and claiming that a player dribbling from inside his own half and scoring from a 30 yard shot is a standard run of the mill play. xG would add real weight through statistical analysis of how many players score from such chances. It was a long way from a big chance.
That said, it was an error losing the duel and he should of fouled him to, the latter being the bigger problem in my opinion.
Thought he looked really good up until their goal.
0 shots on target for 60min.
Agree. Defenders will lose headers it happens but he committed to it so he needs to foul him take the yellow and learn from it, I thought he was experienced enough to know that
Lindelof was on the wrong side of the play while Rojo was the furthest and the last man. The only way he is confronting Batshuayi is that he come in high speed to clatter him which is an incredibly high risk move. I think the defence thought they got it covered because Batshuayi was already under pressure with Maguire tugging at him. He did really well to keep his balance still deliver a great shot.
I agree Maguire should have fouled him but it is a great goal that came out of nowhere. If he took another touch the attack would have been snuffed out.
Its not a dribble if you dont have to take anyone on
Dribbling is running with the ball at your feet, it can involve skills or going past a man, at least that is how I was taught it at football schools as a kid. Perhaps there is more to life than whoscored.
Rojo (or Lindelof or Maguire for that matter) can foul him normally or at least pressure him to change direction with the ball which means he has to have a good touch to keep his momentum and not take the ball away from goal, or give someone the chance to pinch it off of him.
Its a very hard thing to do to change direction and beat multiple players at once. Bats wouldnt know because he didnt have to. He just had to get his shot right which he did
Dribbling is taking a player on, regardless of whether you beat them or not.
He didnt have to do that. He just had to run straight forward with the ball without having a bad touch under little pressure
Yeah it was a bit of a fluke goal. Not great defending as unit but would usually be forgotten because the striker wouldn't get fortunate with the header ricochet and make a perfect run with perfect connection on a shot that nutmegs the defender.
Bit weird of our own fans to try and slate Maguire any opportunity they get. At worst he misjudged a header/contest several yards into the opposition half with at least one covering defender (and perhaps could've chosen to foul). Usually not the end of the world.
This and the Lindelof threads are dangerous ones, lots of agenda posters that will argue for days on end about the smallest things to big up their man. It’s a rabbit hole I’ve fallen down before and am not going to again.
He is our best defender by a mile and a plus he has a great fitness record and that for a club full of sicklings is priceless.
It was poor but like McTominay's mistake on Sunday it shouldn't have resulted in a goal. The other 2/3 defenders should have done something.
We seem to be punished with a goal for every single mistake this season.
We seem to be punished with a goal for every single mistake this season.
Isn't getting the shot right just about everything in a great long range goal? Any attacker can engineer a yard of space but getting it on target and hitting it hard enough to beat the keeper is even harder. Not to mention he angled it to the bottom corner.
No one has been saying he's bad. The problem is he hasn't been that exceptional either. I like him and wanted to sign him since last season, however I see AWB as having a better impact on our defense so far more than him. He has been decent all around, but people have been over rating his pairing with Lindelof so far. I liked it at the start but they both need to do more.
Yeah, add to the possibility that Maguire probably was there in the first place to help out since his buddy Lindelof can't win any duel. I think it was weird how he aimed it at Lindelof and looked to see if he got the ball, and how Lindelof didn't really react when the ball never got to him. He should have predicted it, or had the pace to cover for his man when he is this close by. Just get in tight to put pressure and hamper the attacker a bit so Maguire can get back.
I agree. With the result at hand it is easy to say he should have taken a yellow, but when you watch the goal, it looks like Rojo and Maguire have decent control of the situation. Then comes the shot and it is a great shot and also a bit lucky.
At no point did it look like they had control of the situation. They looked like they were scared of making a challenge, to Chelsea's reserve striker
I think he has been great all season, but for some reason he looked tired today. A rest for him could do wonders, but there is not any in sight.
I don’t think it was a massive error from anyone today when Chelsea scored. That was a world class performance from Batshuai.
I like the way he is always looking for that long pass to the forwards, but at the moment there is no runners for them. Either the opposition have scouted them or our forwards does not know when to run behind. Either way this is something I want to see more in the future from the ”English Bonucci”.
I don’t think it was a massive error from anyone today when Chelsea scored. That was a world class performance from Batshuai.
I like the way he is always looking for that long pass to the forwards, but at the moment there is no runners for them. Either the opposition have scouted them or our forwards does not know when to run behind. Either way this is something I want to see more in the future from the ”English Bonucci”.
More the fact how amazingly slow he is at turning and running.
Now when we have seen the result it is clear that Maguire should have taken a yellow, but in the moment he probably thought he was in enough control to not take the yellow. Plus he forgot DDG wasn’t in goal maybe. Anyway, it was poor from Maguire.
He is very slow, but you can work around that very easily to get the best of him. I can't think of a better partner to Maguire than Smalling. Maybe a fit Bailly, in imaginary good form.
Why didn't he just pass the ball directly into the goal of the opposition? Would have been a lot more productive to keep the ball on the floor and score, than try to win that header and fail.
I mean, its reasonable for him to think that as long as Lindelof or Rojo take charge and make a challenge or at worst take the foul themselves. So its not all on Maguire at all. Its a combination of his mistake and other players not taking charge to try and adjust to the situation.
Its a situation crying out for leadership from somewhere and none of our 3 CBs coming up with it in that moment. And its a very frustrating symptom of what our defense has become, choosing players based on what they do on the ball rather than making themselves hard to play against. Any attacking player would be licking their lips going into a match with us and seeing that weak defending
Our best defender by a mile. Makes our entire back line formidable. When was the last time we conceded from a corner? That's what he's brought to our defense. Proper leader.
Yes I think he got decent cover so all blame is not on him. Lindelof was further up the pitch but recovered decently and covered the outer part, and Rojo the inner. That’s what I meant with that he thought it was (somewhat) in control.
However don’t think the attackers are licking their lips as the defence has been pretty solid. Chelsea have 23 goals in their 10 PL matches, but only 1 in two games against United.
Well this is a special game where we played against Chelsea's reserve striker who has 5 sub appearances but no league or champions league starts. I dont rate him as he was so useless for Valencia last season that they wanted rid of him. He did have a very good shot today but I dont think its the same as playing against Abraham all game instead of 12 mins
He is the best CB for sure but Wan Bissaka has clearly been the biggest contributing factor in the back line. Everything is shut down nicely on his side. I do think we look better organised defensively than we have been, but I'm not sure that is down to Maguire being a leader.
That’s a valid point. However I think it is no coincidence they have played their best matches against the best teams, and maybe their worst against more average teams. And I think the defence has looked pretty ok over most of the matches. Also good they seem to be comfortable with going between 4 and 3 at the back, even within the match.
Agreed, considering they had all the momentum at start of the 2nd half, one of the three defenders should have taken one for the team and fouled him. Just like Garner should have done it at Norwich.
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