Goal Difference Vs Top 10 - Are we not scoring enough or conceeding too many?

[Blackcanary]

Completely disagree. We've scored more goals than everyone apart from the top four, 3 more than Liverpool, 6 more than Southampton and only 4 less than ManU. Before Sunday ManU had only scored 1 goal more than us.
Our problem is our defense. We've conceded 42 which is 8th most in the league. And most of those goals have not come in a few big games, we concede in practically every game. We've kept just 6 clean sheets in the league and four of those came in the first 7 or so games.

As my seven year old says, Spurs always win 2-1.

Liverpool have overtaken us and fighting for top four by stopping conceding. They are currently on a 6 game run of clean sheets. Last night they kept another clean sheet and won with a flukey goal.

I think is is why we need to tighten up that defence - as it is, we're making life so very hard for ourselves because it means we normally HAVE to score at least twice to win a match. Performing badly at one end of the pitch is putting massive pressure on us at the other end.

 

[Gaz_Gammon]

If anyone needs a thread to help them to derermine the answer to the question asked then a labotomy clinic should be the next thing they search Google for.

 

[faze_coys]

When only 4 teams have scored more than you in the league but 13 have conceded less its pretty obvious where we are desperate to improve.

yet everyone is content with walker jan & rose

 

[Real_madyidd]

both

 

[bceej]

We've consistently conceded about 10 goals too many each season since we achieved the Champions League spot apart from the Chelsea-Bayern debacle. I understand that we're starting to emulate a brand of football the club is known for, but we are not scoring enough goals to be this sloppy at the back. Either balls out attack all the time which would hopefully lead to more goals, or a more reliable defensive system integrated into our philosophy. A sturdy back 5 should allow us to play how we want to. Unfortunately the system often leaves us with only two defensive players protecting Hugo.

 

[Sir Henry]

were scoring enough, just conceding too many, I cant remember the last time we had a clean sheet

 

[WalkerboyUK]

The issue is definitely at the back.
We are scoring plenty, although we are too reliant on one specific player getting the goals, but we are shipping goals far too frequently.
Top scoring side outside the Top 4, but also most goals conceded bar the bottom 2/3, which is enough to highlight where the issue lies.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

Conceding is the problem.

Only the top four teams have scored more than us and only the top three by any discernible amount. Until sunday we'd only scored one less than ManU. We've scored more than Liverpool and Southampton.

But only three teams in the league have conceded discernibly more than us. We've conceded at between 12-21 more goals than the six teams above us.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

The defence is only a part of the problem. We've had a CB new to this league for half the season and a 21yo having his first few games for the rest, a terrible RB and a LB who isn't always great defensively either.

But Pochettino's tactics and selections are part of the problem. He plays a high line and a CM2 and picks players who don't press properly around them. This puts pressure on the CM's and defenders.

 

[worcestersauce]

Is there a break down of goals scored from August to November against goals scored from December to now
Personally speaking, as a general rule, on the whole, taking everything into consideration I'd have to say that I never think we score enough and always think we let in too many, but then I'm a bit of a perfectionist me.

 

[Blackcanary]

Is there a break down of goals scored from August to November against goals scored from December to now
Personally speaking, as a general rule, on the whole, taking everything into consideration I'd have to say that I never think we score enough and always think we let in too many, but then I'm a bit of a perfectionist me.

As somebody who has tons of studying to do and is looking for a way to avoid it, I may take this on.

 

[worcestersauce]

As somebody who has tons of studying to do and is looking for a way to avoid it, I may take this on.

Cheers Blackcanary, I'm just a lazy bastard.
Edit: It seems we scored 18 in 13 games to the end of November and 28 in 16 games since so it don't seem to show anything much.

 

[Blackcanary]

There's a Guardian article today with some pretty astonishing stats in it:

They have conceded 19 goals in the nine matches since they last kept a clean sheet, despite possessing one of the finest goalkeepers in the Premier League. Their 3-0 win over West Brom at the end of January was their first and remains their only win without conceding in the league since early October.

 

[Gaz_Gammon]

Cheers Blackcanary, I'm just a lazy bastard.

I'd never say you were lazy......

 

[nidge]

Is there a break down of goals scored from August to November against goals scored from December to now
Personally speaking, as a general rule, on the whole, taking everything into consideration I'd have to say that I never think we score enough and always think we let in too many, but then I'm a bit of a perfectionist me.

August to November we scored 14 goals in 13 games. December to now we have scored 28 goals in 16 games.

 

[chinaman]

Unfortunately we are doing both. So next season we should aim at improving both stats. If we can score 20% more and concede 20% less goals, we should be alright.

 

[shelfboy68]

There's a Guardian article today with some pretty astonishing stats in it:

Yep absolutley dreadful stat you would expect that from a bottom three side not a team in the mix for fourth, à bit of work for poch and the team to sort out.

 

[worcestersauce]

August to November we scored 14 goals in 13 games. December to now we have scored 28 goals in 16 games.

Thanks nidge I must have miscounted, so early part we score just over one per game and second part we scored not quite two per game which points to a definite improvement especially when you think we scored four against QPR early doors.

 

[RButch]

OptaJoe @OptaJoe · 3h3 hours ago
1 - No side have scored more goals than Spurs (22) in the Premier League in 2015, but they have also conceded a joint-high 18 goals. Jekyll.


Well that answers your question for this year.

 

[jonathanhotspur]

The defence is only a part of the problem. We've had a CB new to this league for half the season and a 21yo having his first few games for the rest, a terrible RB and a LB who isn't always great defensively either.

But Pochettino's tactics and selections are part of the problem. He plays a high line and a CM2 and picks players who don't press properly around them. This puts pressure on the CM's and defenders.

For some reason I expected to see the back of this high line business with the departure of AVB.