Watching the Premier League games and results come in over the past week, it would be easy to think that defenders and defending in the nation’s top division had been forgotten.
In the 20 games played during the course of the last week there were a total of 62 goals scored, and you don’t have to be a genius to know that’s an average of over three a game! So that got me thinking, what has happened to the art of defending and eeking out a 1-0 win with organisation and teamwork?
And whilst there are obviously low-scoring affairs in amongst all the goals – Man City/Everton and Stoke/Arsenal over the last week, for example – even these feature a large amount of shots on goal, the lack of a net-bulge often attributed to good goalkeeping or bad finishing.
Teams increasingly seem to favour over-loading on attacking, creative players often to the detriment of their defensive capabilities. In the transfer market too, attacking-midfielders and forwards are bought by the bucket-load, defender’s not so much.
Now obviously, goals win games so it’s no surprise that those who can get or create them are in greater demand. They are also likely to be higher profile, flair players who excite the fans and therefore get more exposure.
But whether its a lack of quality defenders, poor coaching methods or just a general mind-set, clubs in the Premier League are increasingly becoming volatile at the back, many making basic mistakes and lacking the leadership and organisation to prevent the opposition scoring, or at least put up a good fight.
Take Everton this season. They are fantastic to watch going forward, full of pace, energy and significant goal threat. But at the back they are shocking, in fact conceding three or more goals three times in the last six games alone.
Or maybe Arsenal who, until Petr Cech arrived this summer, had barely delved into the market for quality, established defensive players, instead concentrating on those further forward. You often wonder whether they actually do any defensive training at all sometimes, such is the quality of their attacking play and habit of last ditch defending.
Then there’s Chelsea, a once great defensive unit now reduced to looking like a bunch of cobbled-together Sunday league players at times this season.
It is great news for the spectator, the excitement of attacking play or a beautiful goal far more likely to get you off your seat than a good defensive line or properly defending a corner. It is after all a product, one designed to encourage investment and entertain the millions of viewers around the world.
It should come as no surprise that some of the lowest goal totals in the Premier League come from the three (full) seasons Mourinho spent in England during his first spell at Chelsea. More so than any other manager in recent league history, the Portuguese manager was incredibly focused on the defensive aspect of the game, highly organised in every aspect of match preparation.
This might also explain why Chelsea have, in general, been the most consistent English side in the Champions League in the last 10 years or so – the attacking abandon displayed by the likes of Arsenal or Man City exploited by the more savvy European sides.
Whatever the reason, as an avid viewer of the Premier League, I hope it doesn’t change. Watching games like the Liverpool/Arsenal clash last week will never get tiring. With the premium put on quality defensive talent like John Stones, or even the not so quality, like Eliaquim Mangala, it’s probably no surprise that the Premier League continues to be one of the most attacking, open leagues in Europe, and long may it continue.
