Zonal marking - Corners

[Whitey]

As I say apols if this has been done before, but I just went for a run post match to get the anger out, and all I could think of was their first goal from the corner tonight.

 

I sat there at the time, screaming at the screen for someone to mark someone.

 

We had 3 (or maybe 4) players lined up on the 6 yard box marking space. No-one between them and the keeper. Then 3 players out trying to mark the 4 Chelsea runners. Ivanovic basically was the extra man, and ran into one of the spaces on the 6 yard box. I've seen schoolboys do better!!!

 

I just don't get it - it seems that over the past 2 seasons we've let in many goals from this 'method'. Has anyone got any stats to prove or disprove that?

 

Surely each team you play will have a different make up, and different potential winners of the ball, and styles of corners, such that you play to defend their attack? Or am I just being dumb here, and doing the same zonal thing each time should work...??

 

Either way - I feel like writing to Rafa....

"Dear Rafa,

Re: Zonal marking. Please please please give it up.

Please also (while you are watching all the videos we hear you watch) take a look at how inept the zonal marking method is and has proved time after time for Liverpool.

It's giving me a heart attack every time we have a corner against us, and giving our opponents hope.

Yours

Disgruntled fan"

 

Thoughts??

[MFletcher]

Zonal marking as a system works fine. It didn't work fine tonight because Xabi didn't stop the run and Skrtel didn't attack his zone. The end.

Edited April 8, 2009 by MFletcher

[Hightown Phil]

Clueless. Clown. Just two words beginning with C that I can think of quite easily.

[stressederic]

Haven't we avoided conceeding a goal from a corner all season in the league?

[billybunter]

Andy f***ing Gray

[Ethan]

There is no better system than zonal marking - You can concede just as easily using man marking - this is a nonsense of a thread - we have been well served by our defensive setup all season, we should continue with it.

[Mr Makaveli]

Haven't we avoided conceeding a goal from a corner all season in the league?

 

Yes we have but don't let facts get in the way of the bandwagon!

[Ste M]

Anyone point out the last time we conceded a goal from zonal marking before tonight?

[Redwire]

Anyone point out the last time we conceded a goal from zonal marking before tonight?

 

It's our "familiar Achilles heel" according to the BBC.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/7977013.stm

[Beardsley]

The problem tonight wasn't zonal marking. Our lads where standing around, frozen to the ground. That's what the problem was.

[Ramón Benítez Hernández]

FFS this again.

[Crazy Horse]

I thought we did't zonal mark at set-pieces?

[snyder]

Just went back to review all the goals we conceded off set-plays. Only looked into the League goals so far.

8 goals from the 21 conceded so far. 10 if you include two penalties.

 

Goals conceded from set-pieces this season

 

Garrido (MAN C) - Direct free kick goal.

Carragher OG (Spurs) - Corner, misdirected header under pressure from Ledley King.

Santa Cruz (Blackburn) - Corner taken short, flicked on and Arbeloa leaves striker unmarked at far post.

McShane (Hull) - Freekick from right wing, overhit, cross put back in form left - McShane outjumps Dossena at far post.

Edgar (NEWC) - Corner, nearpost header. Carragher blocked by Newcastle player and is nowhere near the zone attacked.

Cahill (Everton) - Freekick from left wing, Cahill loses marker at near post.

Hreidarsson (POR) - Freekick from right wing, Hreidarsson in acres of space near the 6 yard box - unmarked header, poor goalkeeping from Reina.

Alonso OG (MID) - Corner from right wing, three players at near post fail to clear it. Alonso has little time to react as it goes in off his thigh.

[Stevie H]

I thought we did't zonal mark at set-pieces?

we do and it works. we've done it since hansen and lawrenson were a pair.

[cymrococh]

The problem tonight wasn't zonal marking. Our lads where standing around, frozen to the ground. That's what the problem was.

Exactly, Gerrard on the second looked like a 10 year old. He knew he was supposed to jump or something, but that was about as far as it went.

[Leo No.8]

The problem isn't zonal marking its poor execution; by not attacking the ball in their assigned area or ball watching and being drawn away from where you are supposed to be, the players are just doing the equivalent of leaving your man.

 

We have been terrible from corners and set pieces this season; with his meticulous nature it must be driving Rafa mad seeing us concede preventable goal after preventable goal, as the first two incredibly costly ones from Ivanovic last night were.

 

I think we look a more solid defensive unit this season when Hyypia plays; he dominates aerially and organises.

Edited April 9, 2009 by Leo No.8

[John am Rhein]

Thoughts??

 

What a stupid post

[John am Rhein]

Andy f***ing Gray

 

I was unfortunate enough to hear that d*ckhead's commentary loud-and-clear last night - he's actually worse than I remember him.

[Ethan]

I was unfortunate enough to hear that d*ckhead's commentary loud-and-clear last night - he's actually worse than I remember him.

 

I really wish sky sports would offer a raw feed with no commentary as part of the red button setup - I watched the whole game on mute last night

[Cunny]

you would think any team that employed man to mark marking never conceded any goals.

a system is only as good as how it is applied.

I personally have no thoughts about which system is better, both can work if every player does their job.

Human error can feck up anything.

[Bailo]

I love how man-to-man marking is so safe and flexible that even when players lose their man, it prevents said man from having a free header.

[Dublinred4ever]

RTE's post match analysis focussed heavily on the merits of zonal marking from corners, which is fair enough cos we conceded two soft goals from corners.

 

But their argument was based on the fact that when you mark zonally the defenders are static and you allow attacking players get a run on you which gives them a big advantage jumping for headers.

 

Fair enough if it was true of the goals last night.

 

But on the first Ivanovic was actually stopped his run and leaning back to get his header in and on the second he was static and simply unmarked.

 

But like Sky and their 'rotation' and 'Gerard plays better in the centre of midfield' fixations, this fallacy formed the basis of their lengthy analysis.

 

Watching last night I really thought it'd be a bloody good idea to have an educated supporter who watches the teams in question week in week out in the studio who could pull these 'experts' when they come out with 'facts' based on fiction.

[Spear]

you would think any team that employed man to mark marking never conceded any goals.

a system is only as good as how it is applied.

I personally have no thoughts about which system is better, both can work if every player does their job.

Human error can feck up anything.

 

Exactly. Why is that so hard for some people to understand?

[John am Rhein]

A fundamental difficulty with man-marking is always if two attacking players cross-over just before the ball's delivered, then it's almost impossible for their man-markers to follow both of them without colliding with each other.

[matlfc]

zonal marking doesn't work and apparently we are a very negative side. Dont let the f***in stats get in the way tho andy you prick.