Yet Another Clean Sheet

No disrespect to the Lee Clark era, but having Tyler Blackett alongside Tom Thorpe at the back made our defence as leaky as four hundred year old drainpipe made out of paper. I remember us being 4-0 down in the first half to Blackburn and just wanting us to learn how to prevent goals from going in.

Fortunately, my prayers have been answered when Gary Rowett walked into the building. The problem with the Clark era was definitely the fact that we loaned a lot of players in, many whom left in January back to their parent clubs. This meant that not only did we have inexperienced players, we also had a lack of consistency about who was playing alongside each other.

Part of being a defender, one of the main parts actually, is working as a unit. It’s not about individual skill. Even though each player has to be good at the basics, they do not have to be a brilliant technician of the ball or even the best player. They have to be in the right position and form a barrier for the opposition. In terms of working together, this is the case when trying to push for the offside call, but also who is going to go for the header and basic demands of the game.

It is all about communication. Now, if four players play consistently together, then they understand when to push out. They also understand what others strengths and weaknesses are in order to fully appreciate who does best. It is like a machine and every component has to work in order to make it a success.

This season, we have seen Morrison and Robinson flourish as a partnership, much to many peoples astonishment. They both communicate very well and despite the lack of pace, they are able to position themselves in a way that makes them hard to break down. This kind of awareness will go a long way in terms of helping to keep a clean sheet.