Some more food for fans of all things tactical (from the author of Inverting the Pyramid)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/b...trends-of-2012
And of particular relevance to the 'decline of defending' debate and whether it's just a Prem thing, this quote seems on point:
"
In Germany, possession-based teams in Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund continue to dominate, while both Manchester United and Manchester City seem deliberately to be attempting to play more of a possession game, something that has come at the cost of defensive stability. Where United's lack of a dynamic presence at the back of midfield last season seemed the result of misfortune, it now appears to be policy"