What's changed defensively?

[Spijed]

From the Villa & Chelsea games?

[Bosscat]

Mojo rediscovered

[Vegas Claret]

Work rate
Edit: and we are keeping the ball a little better and that gives the lads at the back a breather

[Zlatan]

Pope’s confidence

[warksclaret]

Concentration levels have improved and less mistakes in defense and central midfield. Need to give credit too to our strikers -the newer faces Jay and Vydra have helped take the pressure off defense and midfield. We have had a little bit of luck with VAR but this tends to even out over a season. I think SD has given them the renewed belief too by not having made drastic changes following the previous bad run

[Top Claret]

Tarkowski and Mee have found their form again. Tarkowski was outstanding today has was Mee.

Forgot to mention Charlie Taylor who was excellent, he must be in line for an England call up

[Top Claret]

Pope’s confidence

Never lost it, he has been outstanding all season

[Zlatan]

Never lost it, he has been outstanding all season

Agree to an extent, I think it’s possibly others confidence in him too since the Leicester game

[alboclaret]

Work rate
And for me that is knock on effect of better decisions making/ball retention = not being out of position as much as we were.
Which for me results in our noticable more blocked shots. (Maybe proved wrong with stats)
It looks at first glance that we are not stretched as much rendering "bodys in the way" type defending which we have done aplenty over the dyke yrs.

[IanMcL]

Angles all correct

[Taffy on the wing]

Taylor has made a huge difference.

[Gordaleman]

As the commentator on the stream I watched said, "Sarfgate could do worse than play Pope, Mee and Tarky for England." He didn't mention Taylor in that regard but he praised him throughout the game.

11 clean sheets now. More than anyone else. Clearly, that's not just down to Pope but the whole defensive set up.

[Hipper]

Luck?

For example against Leicester, penalty save and penalty decision and Leicester's profligacy in front of goal. Bournemouth and VAR plus their misses.

It seems to me what has really changed from that little bad run, until yesterday, is that we look capable of creating AND scoring goals. And that's not about Vydra but Rodriguez replacing what we now know was the injured Barnes.

[jdrobbo]

I think everyone has missed the obvious thing so far...

We know that Pope is great
We know that Mee and Tarky are generally excellent
We know that Charlie is now deserving of an England spot.


For me, it’s the significant improvement of both full backs, who at the start of December, were horribly out of form. It didn’t matter who Dyche put in, we were making errors down the right side and giving up possession far too easily for a non-possession side. Lowton’s performance against Leicester (in a forced change I recall) was excellent and from there on in, both right backs have alternated seenlessly and played so much better.

[mdd2]

I still think the penalty save by Pope has been a game and season changing moment thus far.
Since then there have been fewer unchallenged errors with misplaced passes usually from the midfield as we did in games like Liverpool Chelsea and Man U at home Everton away.
And suddenly the lads are playing with confidence
Let’s hope SD is not MOTM
But it is great isn’t it?

[NewClaret]

Not that I dislike Bardsley or Lowton in any way, but imagine if we had a right-sided Charlie Taylor in that defence!!? Anyone have any views who we should be targeting?

Not sure we will add though, with two good options in Bardsley and Lowton.

[THEWELLERNUT70]

Having two Tarkowskis on the pitch, or at least that's how it appears

[gawthorpe_view]

Combination of hard work, luck and some wayward finishing by the opposition's strikers.

[AlargeClaret]

Nothings changed tbh Pope,Taylor,Tarky have been excellent all season and Mee has been good and I’d say Bards too. It’s a bit of luck and confidence and I’m feeling good about Spurs

[Spike]

Of our back 5 four are just class!

I agree it helps when the rest of the team hold onto the ball more

[IanMcL]

All our defenders are thinner but wider - like cardboard cut outs, when a shot is about to be unleashed. Cuts out all the gaps between the players, so nothing reaches Pope.

Very good superpower to possess.

[Bosscat]

Incredibles

[Vino blanco]

We've stopped making silly mistakes.

[jurek]

The stats over the last six games in comparison to the six previous
suggest a major turn round not only in defense but clearly also in attack.

Last six won 4 drawn 2 F9 A2
Six before won 2 lost 4 F3 A8

If we're attacking and scoring goals then it makes it easier to defend
but I suppose overall it's the defense that gets the praise starting with Popes'
save against Leicester.
To have only conceded 2 given some of the teams we played is exceptional.
Bur we've also scored some pretty good goals too. Jay's and Vydra's in particular.

[ClaretAndBlue94]

Confidence. That penalty save by Pope against Leicester hasn't half changed our fortunes.