Where's Wally?

[Get Carter]

What has our defensive coach been up to in training - apart from Old Trafford, where we appeared to have a plan, our defence has looked shaky and vulnerable long before the Pompey debacle. Last year only Arsenal beat us by more than 2 goals, but Bolton, West Ham & Pompey have already achieved this and Liverpool easily could have had 5 or 6 - blatant penalty not given etc. The back five seem to all have lost confidence at the same time and let's be glad we've got Derby at home on Sunday and not Arsenal away as that could have been even more embarrassing. What are the reasons - Sidwell going and very little investment in the squad - maybe. Why not drop the whole back five as Pompey, hopefully, is as bad as it can get.
Federici, Rosenior, Sonko (if fit), Bikey & Halls should offer more resistance than our defence did on Saturday and replace Gunnar with Fae.
Shame it wont happen.

[M U R T Y]

why post on the other countless threads about the defence when you start a new one eh?

[donface]

LOL@ The Team board

[PREMIERSHIP_ROYAL]

why post on the other countless threads about the defence when you start a new one eh?

coz he has a valid point to make

[Coppelled Streets]

I was expecting a team photo.

[M U R T Y]

why post on the other countless threads about the defence when you start a new one eh?

coz he has a valid point to make

not really - he doesn't even talk about wally - just the defence.

[A_Royal_Andy]

why post on the other countless threads about the defence when you start a new one eh?

coz he has a valid point to make

I agree. It's a question I've asked myself and can't find a good enough answer (maybe cause I'm thick). Wally was the be all and end all of the fantastic defence we had. However this has changed and our defence is more weak than tesco's economy tissue paper. Questions have got to be asked of our defence coach - he's got a wealth of experience and talent but it's not being effective .... why not?

Don't get me wrong .... I think Wally is great and has shown a lot of passion for Reading and during the rest of his career. However I feel he needs to sort out the defensive problems or get someone with premiership experience who can help.

[bigmike]

Hes a coach not a miracle worker.

[Geekins]

Hes a coach not a miracle worker.

Well, in that case... Wally OUT!

[Vision]

Without Sidwell's drive and energy in closing the opposition down , the back 4 are overcompensating by defending higher up the pitch thus leaving us exposed in behind to anyone with any semblence of pace, a sitaution made worse when Ingimarsson is paired with another relative slowcoach in Duberry rather than the pacier Bikey and when fit Sonko.

I don't like mentioning him cos he's gone and we need to move on but another key thing about Sidwell was how he'd slow down opposition counter attacks by committing fouls before counter attacks had even started. A lot of people liked to take the piss on here last season by mentioning the fact that he'd commmitted the most fouls in the Premiership but i wish someone else was prepared to do the same thing this season. I know it won't please the purists but it might make us look less vulnerable on the counter.

[Katie Marsden]

I expect he's been busy adding to his hilarious collection of cancer jokes.

WaLOLLOLy.

[Coppelled Streets]

Hes a coach not a miracle worker.

I suppose that's better than calling him a Biffa.

[John Madejski's Wallet]

Have to admit to being a little worried by Marcus' column in the DM saying that it will be interesting what happens in the defensive meeting on THURSDAY

Surely Wally and Coppell should have had one sunday/monday?? Having it on thursday can't leave much training/preparation time before a sat/sun game

[Yorkshire Royal]

Marcus' column in the DM? What is this you talk of?

[AF1]

LOL @ the Team Board

[Oi Oi Saveloy]

LOL @ the Team Board

[Smoking Kills Dancing Doe]

Best defensive coach in the country. At least that's what we heard when he spent the whole summer bitching about his contract offer. Time to earn your money Wally.

[RobRoyal]

What has our defensive coach been up to in training - apart from Old Trafford, where we appeared to have a plan, our defence has looked shaky and vulnerable long before the Pompey debacle. Last year only Arsenal beat us by more than 2 goals, but Bolton, West Ham & Pompey have already achieved this and Liverpool easily could have had 5 or 6 - blatant penalty not given etc. The back five seem to all have lost confidence at the same time and let's be glad we've got Derby at home on Sunday and not Arsenal away as that could have been even more embarrassing. What are the reasons - Sidwell going and very little investment in the squad - maybe. Why not drop the whole back five as Pompey, hopefully, is as bad as it can get.
Federici, Rosenior, Sonko (if fit), Bikey & Halls should offer more resistance than our defence did on Saturday and replace Gunnar with Fae.
Shame it wont happen.

I bet you've been waiting for us to concede 7 just so you could go with that thread title...

[PEARCEY]

Without Sidwell's drive and energy in closing the opposition down , the back 4 are overcompensating by defending higher up the pitch thus leaving us exposed in behind to anyone with any semblence of pace, a sitaution made worse when Ingimarsson is paired with another relative slowcoach in Duberry rather than the pacier Bikey and when fit Sonko.

I don't like mentioning him cos he's gone and we need to move on but another key thing about Sidwell was how he'd slow down opposition counter attacks by committing fouls before counter attacks had even started. A lot of people liked to take the piss on here last season by mentioning the fact that he'd commmitted the most fouls in the Premiership but i wish someone else was prepared to do the same thing this season. I know it won't please the purists but it might make us look less vulnerable on the counter.

Spot on. Its why teams are attacking us straight down the centre of the pitch leaving our centre backs (rather than our full backs badly exposed).

[Smoking Kills Dancing Doe]

Without Sidwell's drive and energy in closing the opposition down , the back 4 are overcompensating by defending higher up the pitch thus leaving us exposed in behind to anyone with any semblence of pace, a sitaution made worse when Ingimarsson is paired with another relative slowcoach in Duberry rather than the pacier Bikey and when fit Sonko.

I don't like mentioning him cos he's gone and we need to move on but another key thing about Sidwell was how he'd slow down opposition counter attacks by committing fouls before counter attacks had even started. A lot of people liked to take the piss on here last season by mentioning the fact that he'd commmitted the most fouls in the Premiership but i wish someone else was prepared to do the same thing this season. I know it won't please the purists but it might make us look less vulnerable on the counter.

Spot on. Its why teams are attacking us straight down the centre of the pitch leaving our centre backs (rather than our full backs badly exposed).

We've always been a defend from the front sort of side under Coppell haven't we? Harps defensively isn't good enough and Bryns not got the legs for it. We gotta hope Fae can come in and break things up a bit more. As well as adding attacking runs and creativity to the midfield. Not too big an ask then!!

Plus Sonks is gonna have to do a hell of a lot of carrying this season, just hope his backs up to it....