Which football team has the best defence in the country? Man City? No, it's Charlton Athletic, currently leading League 1 by seven points with a game in hand over second-placed Sheffield Wednesday. Man City has conceded 19 goals in 24 league games at an average of 0.79 goals conceded per match. Charlton has conceded 20 in 28 league matches - an average of 0.71.
George Graham turned Arsenal around by the theory of having a stable and solid back four as the foundation of a winning side. Build from the back. For Dixon, Adams, Bould and Winterburn read Solly, Taylor, Morrison and Wiggins. While the goals have dried up from Bradley Wright-Phillips the miserly defence has provided the platform to edge out narrow wins. That wasn't an issue for Chelsea in 2004/05 when just 15 goals were conceded all season in the league. 72 were scored as they romped to the title under the stewardship of Jose Mourinho and the captaincy of the man who is rarely out of the news - John Terry. Barcelona has conceded just 13 league goals this season proving that a mean defence does not infer mean football.
Charlton has the reputation for being a team that stops playing in March, usually when safety from relegation was ensured though this has continued in recent seasons. It may be different this time, as the manager Chris Powell commented after the late equaliser against Bury:
“It only takes a second to score and we always tell the players it is 90-plus minutes in a game. They have got that in their head and know they have got to keep going - so it is part of our psyche and make-up. My players showed from minute one right to the very end that they won’t give it up. It is great to have that spirit and character in our armoury."
It's great to hear an up and coming manager draw inspiration from the legendary Brian Clough.