Top 5 teams whose attack has been let down by their defence

How many times have we seen a team dominating a match but ending up with nothing? There have been very few cases in football where teams have won matches purely by outscoring their opponents. Leagues are won not merely on goals scored but also, goals conceded.The modern game is more attack minded than it was before which only undermines the importance of having a strong backline. Several teams have entertained going forward with fine movement, speed and passing but too many times we have seen their hard work go to waste at the other end of the pitch. With that in mind here is a list of teams this season whose adventure going forward has been let down by their lack of defensive solidarity.

#1 Everton

This season Everton’s Goodison park has been the entertainment capital of the Premier League. The Merseyside outfit have been banging in the goals from all angles. Players like Ross Barkley and Romelu Lukaku have really shone for the Blues.

Everton have amassed a massive 43 goals which is only three shy of top scorers Manchester City. And yet they sit 11th in the table, a full nine places below the former champions. Everton have been irresistible going forward but equally porous at the back.

Their recent home victory over Newcastle United was their first at Goodison Park since November 21 when they beat Aston Villa 4-0. Everton scored three against Newcastle on Wednesday night but always looked nervy at the back throughout the game. It was only their fourth clean sheet in their last 12 games in the league.

Overall Everton have conceded 34 goals this season of which 17 have been in the last 15 minutes of a game. Everton have also been involved in 11 games where they have conceded more than 2 goals.

In games against both Bournemouth and Chelsea they were leading 3-2 and conceded the equalizer in the last minute fo the game. Manager Roberto Martinez will have to find a solution soon or all their attacking play will count for nothing.

#2 Schalke 04

It feels like deja vu for Schalke as they continue to show familiar and unpredictable form which led them to a dissapointing sixth-place finish last season.They currently sit fifth but are only one point behind Bayer Leverkusen in fourth. Despite boasting young attacking talent with the likes of Leroy Sane and Max Meyer putting in consistent performances, complemented by a lethal frontman in Huntelaar they have managed only four wins since October of 2015.

Schalke had a strong start to the season winning six of their first nine league games. But since then their form has taken a turn for the worse. Their defense have let in three or more goals on seven occasions this season and have conceded six goals in the last ten minutes of games over their previous ten matches.

Schalke were in the Champions League places for the first eleven games of the season after which they only picked up only 10 points in their next eight. This has allowed Bayer Leverkusen to take advantage and move above their rivals into fourth.

With Borussia Mönchengladbach, only a couple of points behind them in the table, Schalke will have to rediscover their defensive shape to ensure they secure Champions League football next season.

#3 AS Roma

Roma were serious contenders for the Scudetto in the 2014/15 season as they threatened to dethrone Juventus in the early stages of the campaign. But they were unable to maintain the same level of consistency as the Old Lady, who eventually went on to claim the domestic double. But a second-placed finish was still an impressive feat for the capital club.

This season though Roma’s ambitions are probably limited to the finishing in the Champions League places, with them currently sitting fifth in the table. Roma won eight of their first twelve matches and were on course to a comfortable top four finish. But In their next nine games, they only managed one win keeping only two clean sheets in the process.

Roma conceded five times in the last quarter of games during that period. Their defensive frailties caused them to drop 12 points, of which 9 were from winning positions. Had they not dropped those points they would have been within touching distance of top spot.

Roma's defensive woes continued in the Champions League as they shipped six goals against a dominant Barcelona. Despite qualifying for the last sixteen, Roma let in 16 goals during their six group games, conceding an average of more than two per game!

Roma have recently put a stop to the rot with two back to back wins in the league. But they will have to ensure they back their attacking play with solid defensive performances to get their season back on track.

#4 Celta Vigo

Celta’s season so far has been one of two extremes. At times, they have played with flair and free flowing football scoring at will but during others they have simply imploded, and let in goals at an alarming rate.

They started the season in extraordinary fashion winning four of their fist five games which included a jaw-dropping 4-1 thrashing of Barcelona. Their next 11 fixtures saw Celta go through a see-sawing period with a record of 5 wins, 3 draws and 3 losses. Despite this inconsistency, they remained 4th in the table.

But most recently they have endured their worst period of the season losing five of their last six. In this time, they have conceded 13 goals and have themselves scored only five times. Its a dramatic dip in form which has not only seen their goal difference fall to a negative but has also resulted in them falling out of the Champions league places.

Celta’s defensive meltdowns have cost them dearly as their hopes of reaching the top four have been severely dented. Their recent 4-0 demolition by Sevilla in the Copa Del Rey hasn’t done them any good where the defense were again guilty of allowing in 17 shots on goal which also included a missed penalty. Eduroda Berizza’s men have got serious work to do if they are to start climbing up the table again.

#5 Wolfsburg

Wolfsburg achieved a remarkable feat last season by finishing second in the Bundesliga. This season their fall grace although not remarkable has been somewhat of a surprise. Wolfsburg currently sit seventh in the table after picking up only three points in their last 6 games.

Wolfsburg seem to have an array of attacking options at their disposal, but their tendency to concede goals at crucial moments in games have let them down. Wolfsburg’s defensive frailties have led them to concede 8 times this season, after being the team to open the scoring in a match.

In four of their six losses this season, Wolfsburg have either scored first or been on level terms before eventually surrendering all three points. They have only managed a solitary win in the league since the 7th of November.

Die Wolfe (The wolves) made it to the knockout stages of the Champions League after famously beating Manchester United in their last group game. It was a close encounter with Dieter Hecking’s men having to score a late winner after conceding a 2-1 lead through an own goal in the 82nd minute, once again highlighting their wavering backline.

It seems to be lapses of concentration at the back that have caused Wolfsburg dearly, a problem they will have to rectify immediately.