Re: The Defence
Reply #55 –
So all we need to do is get Bolts back as an assistant coach to fix the defence and Bob's you're uncle.
AFL: Carlton coach David Teague says Blues’ defence is team’s biggest issue
Carlton faces another year of missed finals and the fans are well and truly fed up. But what has really brought the club down this year?
Jay Clark
Carlton coach David Teague has pinpointed his team’s defensive let-downs as its greatest failing as another finals series looks to go begging.
Carlton has slipped to 13th on the ladder with a 4-7 record after, on Sunday, conceding 100 points to the opposition for the sixth time this season in the 22-point loss to Sydney Swans.
The Blues meet West Coast in Sydney this round and have already been told they will be able to return home to Victoria immediately after the game to spend their bye break in Melbourne.
Carlton needs a dramatic turnaround in form over the next month or its finals drought will continue into an eighth year (2013).
Teague has repeatedly made clear he wants the Blues to be an offensively potent team since he took over from Brendon Bolton. But it is their inability to restrict the opposition at the other end which has cruelled their ambitions in 2021.
“Particularly from an offensive point of view, we are scoring more than average, but defensively we are allowing too many scores,” Teague said on Fox Footy.
“And some of those scores are just too easy.
“Some efforts we have addressed over the past few weeks haven’t been good enough, particularly when you are wearing the navy blue jumper.”
The Blues were open about their desire to climb back into the eight this season, especially after loading up at the trade table on Essendon’s Adam Saad, Giant Zac Williams and Geelong small forward Lachie Fogarty.
It came after splashing big money on key forward Mitch McGovern from Adelaide but it is a deal that is yet to pay dividends for the Blues, amid a frustrating run of injuries.
Teague said the club’s current predicament was hurting the players as they weren’t able to play their way for long enough in games.
“There is a level of frustration, particularly from the playing group, that we are probably showing for periods of games that we can be competitive, but we are not doing it for four quarters,” Teague said.
“We are not doing it for 120 minutes and when we don’t we are getting hurt on the scoreboard.
“It’s the ‘how’ that is probably the bit (we need to fix), we have got to go on to it.”
There is pressure on Teague to deliver the club to a finals campaign with speculation Carlton is targeting Fremantle midfielder Adam Cerra to round out the midfield brigade.
Carlton continues to remain optimistic Charlie Curnow will return from a horrible run of knee injuries in Round 16 or 17 but Teague said a firm time frame had not been set.
Blues’ great Marc Murphy was made the injury substitute on Sunday but had little impact, gathering five possessions.
“We also want to bring players in that are performing well and add to the team and understand and can execute their role,” he said.
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