The most difficult area to comment on, for large parts of games our central defence did its job, but in every game there would be an error.
Throughout this season my comments about our two regular central defenders were often met with derision, however i sometimes felt that many were missing the point.
Both Jos Hooiveld and Jose Fonte would be fairly decent in most games that they played, but in virtually every game, one or the other and sometimes both would commit errors that would sometimes cost us very dearly, yes the defence did not let many goals in, but it wasnt a case of hjow many we let in, but when we let those that we did.
A look at our results shows that our record against the top 10 sides especially away from home was not great, defensively we looked good when we were dominating sides especially at home, but when pressure was put on us we cracked at vital times.
This is the part in the article that certain people will throw bricks at their computer screen and tell me that we had one of the best defensive records in the division, that we got promoted and what a great time to be a Saints fan it is, all of course are true, however we should not allow those facts to blind ourselves to our weakness's.
As I mentioned in just about every game our central defensive pairing would commit an error, indeed even Nigel Adkins mentioned this on more than one occasion when commenting that very rarely did the opposition score a quality goal against us, yes to a degree any goal conceded will usually find someone wanting, but this was happening far too often for comfort, Nigel Adkins realised that, but it was too late to do anything about it and it nearly cost us dearly come the end of the season.
Hooiveld and Fonte are not bad players, both are very good in fact, but they both committed too many individual errors when they really should have done better, a good player will probably have around 3-4 of these moments in a season, both of our centre halves got into double figures and as I stated they not always cost us goals, a good example of this is the superb block that Jos Hooiveld made at Nottingham Forest back in January, the home forward looked certain to score until Hooiveld threw himself in the way, a great tackle, but one that he would have had to make if he hadnt been easily turned and forced to concede a free kick and booking that lead to the situation, one incident that illustrates the diachotomy of my argument and shows that not every mistake leads to a goal.
Maybe im being harsh, but even if we take the last games in the run in too many of the goals were poor defending, Millwall away when Hooiveld got turned this way and that way before the resultant shot came off the post and hit Fonte before going in, Blackpool away when Hooiveld failed to win a long ball and Fonte didnt get a tackle in for one of their goals, Portsmouth at home , first goal when the defence backed off and let their man get a shot in and the second goal when a weak defensive header from Fonte tee'd up there second,Middlesbrough away, when Hooiveld again put out a weak defensive header straight to their man who smacked in the equaliser and the second goal when Fonte panicked under pressure from Jutkiewics and gave away a needless free kick for their winner.
Reading at home when all three goals saw some form of lack of concentration from one or the 0ther of our two central defenders, and before any one says, yes Fox does have to shoulder a big part of the blame in the first.
These examples are just from the last six weeks of the season, if they had been spread out over 46 games it would be bad enough, but this number of errors in a ten game period is telling us something.
So what is it ? is it lack of concentration or do they not gel togather as a pair, I think there is a little to be said for both suggestions.
I dont think either is a bad player and again as i said its not about the number of goals conceded, but when they were conceded, yes we got promoted but football is sometimes about certain moments and if Hooiveld's inexplicable handball in the first half at Upton Park had been spotted by the ref, or Nicky Maynard had put away the chance he was gifted by the same player in the final minutes, then we would have been in the play offs, it was that tight, we got away with it though and we are in the Premier and this perhaps pushes home the point that we have to learn from last season, if we concede soft goals against the likes of Blackpool, Pompey, Middlesbrough and Millwall, what are Man City, Man Utd, Chelsea and Spurs going to do to us.
The verdict on our central defence is that they buckled too often under pressure, and lost concentration too often, when we were dominating sides they looked good, but too many teams showed us that if they ran at us and put us under pressure then we were found wanting.
I havent mentioned Dan Seabourne or Arron Martin, both didnt let us down in the few games they played, however neither deserved to replace the usual two either as in most games Hooiveld and Fonte were rock solid for 99% of the game, it was the other 1% that was the problem