Zonal Marking

[KevinGage]

The posts. Opposition players. Anything.

[Pat McMahon]

Unfortunately at set pieces we now look like prisoners on break shuffling around the exercise yard with no purpose other than trying not to get picked on by the big bastards from D Wing.

This Shawshank Redemption school of defending just isn't working. I like the old fashioned Italian style of defence - man for man marking that just about borders on sexual harrassment leaving the free defenders to attack the ball and clear your lines (for reference see Juventus and Sergio Brio for their performance at Villa Park in 1983). And a man on each post please.

What I've highlighted there is the main point that I think has been overlooked.

Under MoN we defended corners with all XI players back in the 18 yard box and a player on each post (usually Ashley and Milner).

Now though we seem to keep 1 player up the field and no long mark the posts either.

I believe that the first priority at a defensive set piece is not to concede, so pulling all men back and sticking a man on each post is a decent tactic. It obviously means that you have little chance of scoring a goal on a break, but that is a price I am prepared to pay when defending in our own area.

An alternative tactic is one that Frank Upton used to try years ago with Villa, and that was to leave 3 players up when defending corners and free kicks. The logic was that the opposition had to leave 3-4 players back to mark them and that as a consequence our own area was less crowded, allowing our defenders to attack the ball more freely.

Ultimately I think you simply need really committed defenders a la Laursen, Teale and McGrath, maybe even Dunne and Collins, to defend set pieces.

[Si]

The lack of  defending surely just comes down to youth and inexperience, last year we moaned about Cuellar playing right back, but he was there to defend at set pieces not go on a mazy run and score from twenty yards like Walker. Walker, Clarke, Baker are the future but they need time and shouldn't be playing in defence at the same time...no experience. My other issue is the midfield, attack would you have much faith in Downing, Albrighton, Young, Bannan ,Delph and  Bent throwing their heads in amongst the boots to clear their area....probably not. MON built a team based on our neighbours, Stoke, Bolton. Stong tall physical players who could defend but not create goals, hence scoring from set pieces. Houllier has to find that balance, at the moment the team is set up too attack minded.

[russon]

Zonal marking is the only way. Give a player responsibility for a section within the 18 yard box regardless of which opposing players enter it. I played centre back, chasing a goon around the box while trying to keep your eye on the ball aint no fun

[darren woolley]

I think zonal marking for me especially has we leave the opposing players unmarked in our 18 yard box to score from a free shot on our goal like the Bolton winner yesterday.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

We'll never get anywhere until we get rid of this zonal marking.

[pauliewalnuts]

Forget the debate over whether it is man marking or zonal marking, surely the most debatable word is 'marking'

[Risso]

I just call it "shit" marking.

[Percy McCarthy]

Forget the debate over whether it is man marking or zonal marking, surely the most debatable word is 'marking'

Sorry paulie. can't see that. They're two totally different ways of organising, both can be good or bad, but you have to do what suits you. The fact is we were, with these players, very good at zonal marking. We saw yesterday how good we are at man-marking.

[VillaZogmariner]

Forget the debate over whether it is man marking or zonal marking, surely the most debatable word is 'marking'

Sorry paulie. can't see that. They're two totally different ways of organising, both can be good or bad, but you have to do what suits you. The fact is we were, with these players, very good at zonal marking. We saw yesterday how good we are at man-marking.

I think the point he is trying to make is that whether it's Man or Zonal, we are failing with the "marking" aspect of it.

[Percy McCarthy]

Forget the debate over whether it is man marking or zonal marking, surely the most debatable word is 'marking'

Sorry paulie. can't see that. They're two totally different ways of organising, both can be good or bad, but you have to do what suits you. The fact is we were, with these players, very good at zonal marking. We saw yesterday how good we are at man-marking.

I think the point he is trying to make is that whether it's Man or Zonal, we are failing with the "marking" aspect of it.

We're failing at man-marking. We're not employing zonal marking, so how can we be failing at any aspect of it? It's like saying we're failing by playing 3-5-2 or something.

[ozzjim]

I think a mixture of the two should surely be employed. Front and back post zonal men to clear the ball, then 3 men picking up their runners - so yesterday knowing Cahill attacks well from corners our biggest man goes man to man on him, unfortunately that was a very inexperienced kid who got out thought, moved and bullied and we lost. I don't think Collins would have got the same. I still think GH should call Phil Thompson and get him in for 3 days a week to work with the back 4, if we can get a settled back 4 together for a couple of games!

[fredm]

We have also had Carew and/or Heskey at the front of the six yard box cutting out all the Ashley Young type corners and making the attacker hit the ball higher into the danger area, which in turn gives more chance for the keeper to claim it or the defenders in the middle to get something on it.

Yesterday I think Bent was in this position some of the times but he didn't seem to clear it very often.

[Percy McCarthy]

We have also had Carew and/or Heskey at the front of the six yard box cutting out all the Ashley Young type corners and making the attacker hit the ball higher into the danger area, which in turn gives more chance for the keeper to claim it or the defenders in the middle to get something on it.

Spot on.

[DB]

From a basic point, we need to get clean sheets, at least then we have something to build on. Currenlty, no matter how we play up top, we can just throw it away by poor defending, not just y-day - all season.