Clean Sheets +/= Great Defence

Clean Sheets +/= Great Defence

Not sure if you guys have picked up on it, but I'm pretty sure that this season has seen more clean sheets then in the other nine years of pro footie in NZ.

Is this down to Mark (and Crowther to a lesser extent) having blinders or have we finally worked out the best tactics for NZ professional play.

Obviously the defenders have been playing well but the same back four last season did not help to keep anywhere near as many goals out by this stage of the season.

That's a really difficult question to answer from the outside isn't it?  I do think one of the main reasons is Durante's form - he's a different player to last year

Sigmund has been more or less the same player as last year. Durante has been the superstar.

Karl who?

Yep, Durante.

And Manny tightening up the right hand side. Helps having Lia cleaning everything up in DM too.

I think across the park... we've been a better unit the whole way - which therefore has created/allowed a more solid defensive structure so that Pasty, SM & Dura can concentrate on their jobs rather than plugging holes and covering someone else's far cups.

A lot of the credit has to go to Ricki I'd have thought... there's been some great additions to the squad and we've got more depth than we've ever had whilst the departures have had less of an impact than most (including myself) expected (ie: SS, GM & KD). We're talking about who we have to leave out rather than who's capable or the least risky to play - and thats been fantastic. This improvement and parallel increase in confidence has allowed players to show their capabilities more consistently also, especially compared to last year.

Hats off RH - I've been happy to bag you when I've felt the need... now time to get me hat off! lol.


Now.... about this AW match next week...

Durante and Sigmund have sorted there stuff out and they look great. Lochheads on the way up and muscat is playing well.

Our midfield has been much more sound, we've been able to hold the ball a whole lot more, Lochhead has improved immensely from last year, and Durante has been absolutely superb (as opposed to being pants last year)

Lia and Brown have also really stepped up.  With them playing so well there's far less pressure on our defence.

last year durante was rubbish. he was in poor form and didn't deserve the armband.

this year he has been immense.

sigmund has been sigmund. don't mess with the seamonster.

I love how our boys are so willing to literally throw their bodies in front of shots. the amount of shots that have been blocked with this method over the last few weeks (bar the sydney game) has been incredible.

highly unorthodox, but very effective.

I haven't seen any other team so committed to defense this season. It shows just how willing the Nix are to keep the goals out.

great to watch

Yip Durante has been amazing. Like seriously impressive.
last season I thought he was pretty average and didnt understand how he won that medal. But wow, if he keeps this up, it'd be a big call but Socceroos call up?

And Lia in front of the Defence is quite good too.

+1 to all that

and then throw in a completely different Daniel (who is competing with Durra for the "most improved from season 2" award) and it just goes to show that when all players on the park are giving it yards it's a completely different kettle of fish

After a clearance in goal both Durante & Siggy were  down injured after sacrificing themselves...bloody awesome!

Agree. Durante from last season, and Durante from this season (barring the first game against Newcastle) are like two completely different players.

And to build on Smithy's yarn about Durante last night, another impressive piece of play was one he went down injured in our box due to a seeming testicular problem - the game had moved on while he was down, and then he managed to get himself up the field to ensure he wouldn't keep the Jets players onside and then went down again in the middle of the park. Great leadership and football thinking there I thought.el grapadura2009-11-05 10:16:05

Balls on the line.  Literally.

dont forget we are second equal (with both blings) on goals scored too. Shane who?

I actually though that Siggy wasn't great in the first half the other night. 

Ban

I thought that comment might upset some of the Siggy Lovers here, but he was poor in the first half and was bailed out by Durrante on a couple of occassions, and once by Bridges getting the ball stuck under his feet.  He was a lot better in the second half.

I think also we hold the ball a lot better this year (Daniel helps) and as such we don't get caught flat or on the counter.  Look at the goals we conceded last year (and in the match against sydney when we weren't defending as well) and it usually starts from someone giving the ball away in a stupid area leaving us exposed.

YOU CANNOT BAN ME - I AM YELLOW FEVER.