Zonal Marking

[Merv]

But we haven't got anywhere near our full strength back four available, which is what I tried to point out by listing the back four line-up over the last five games. We were looking reasonably solid from January onwards, I think. Things have really deteriorated in the last couple of matches but we're struggling for fit players back there.

Let's face it, if Collins and Cuellar are fit for Wolves we'll be okay. If not and we have to go with Luke Young plus AN Other at CB, shall we blame zonal marking/Gerard Houllier/Martin O'Neill or the fact that all four centre-backs are unavailable?

[Eigentor]

FWIW, I firmly believe Houllier has the nous to improve our defence. His technical expertise hasn't suddenly gone out of the window or become out-dated. It just seems that defensive work, strangely, hasn't been a priority so far.

However, if he doesn't want to practice man-to-man marking until the summer, and doesn't believe in zonal marking -- does this mean that we won't be (and haven't been) practicing defensive set pieces at all this season?

[JJ-AV]

We've seen the accounts and the issue with the wages. The defence doesn't fit into the current system. Warnock, Beye, Dunne, Collins and Cuellar (and infront of that, Petrov) are clearly players he wants to replace but isn't able to until we've let them go due to the wages issue.

I think Houllier's main fault has been trying to change too much, too quickly.

If we'd have just let the defence 'get on with it' as they were, we might have seen some different results. But as it is he's trying to overhaul the philosophy of the club, but the likes of those mentioned (who are experienced, senior pros on massive contracts and have played for 'big' managers at big clubs) aren't willing to change.

I was calling for Houllier out during and in the immediate aftermath of the Man City game, and it'll never be a decision I'll agree with. But he's done enough good to be given the Summer and the start of next season at least. There's alot of similarities here with what he took over with at Liverpool. Let's hope he can achieve even 10 per cent of that here.

[Risso]

But we haven't got anywhere near our full strength back four available, which is what I tried to point out by listing the back four line-up over the last five games. We were looking reasonably solid from January onwards, I think. Things have really deteriorated in the last couple of matches but we're struggling for fit players back there.

Let's face it, if Collins and Cuellar are fit for Wolves we'll be okay. If not and we have to go with Luke Young plus AN Other at CB, shall we blame zonal marking/Gerard Houllier/Martin O'Neill or the fact that all four centre-backs are unavailable?

Sorry, but since February, Walker, Dunne, Collins and Clark, who must be seen as our first choice back four have played the vast majority of matches.  In that time we haven't kept a clean sheet and have won one league game.

[Risso]

There's alot of similarities here with what he took over with at Liverpool. Let's hope he can achieve even 10 per cent of that here.

10% of what he achieved at Liverpool?!  That's not an awful lot to aspire to.

[Chris Smith]

Sorry, but since February, Walker, Dunne, Collins and Clark, who must be seen as our first choice back four have played the vast majority of matches.  In that time we haven't kept a clean sheet and have won one league game.

However, other than away at Old Trafford (top of the league) we didn't lose until Saturday when we were once again crippled with injuries.

I get it that you don't like the manager but you are making yourself look a bit silly with this insistence that the worst injury run in living memory hasn't disrupted our season.

[Risso]

Sorry, but since February, Walker, Dunne, Collins and Clark, who must be seen as our first choice back four have played the vast majority of matches.  In that time we haven't kept a clean sheet and have won one league game.

However, other than away at Old Trafford (top of the league) we didn't lose until Saturday when we were once again crippled with injuries.

I get it that you don't like the manager but you are making yourself look a bit silly with this insistence that the worst injury run in living memory hasn't disrupted our season.

And you look a bit silly by calling always people silly for disagreeing with you.  Are you five years old, silly billy?  The injury run hasn't been half as bad lately, yet we still can't keep a clean sheet, and we're still right down in the relegation battle.

[Chris Smith]

Oh good another of your smarmy posts, well done, it really is what you are best at and I'd hate it if you decided to stop.

The point is injuries have badly disrupted our season, everyone can see that other than you and your new best mate Villa Dawg.

[Risso]

Oh good another of your smarmy posts, well done, it really is what you are best at and I'd hate it if you decided to stop.

The point is injuries have badly disrupted our season, everyone can see that other than you and your new best mate Villa Dawg.

I don't think anybody's disputing that injuries have had an effect on the season, however you've claimed that when we've had the senior players available, we've done a lot better, and that simply isn't the case as the league table shows.

[Chris Smith]

Better, not a "a lot better". Until the Man City game we had a run of losing only 1 in 9 (in all competitions) including a period of conceding just 5 in 6. Compared to the rest of the season that is a decent return and it coincided with a relatively injury free period.

[Eigentor]

however you've claimed that when we've had the senior players available, we've done a lot better, and that simply isn't the case as the league table shows.

But surely we were doing better up until the cup match against Man City -- when GH decided not to play senior players -- and against Bolton when both Cuellar, Dunne and Collins (all senior players) where unavailable. That equates to doing better when we've had the senior players avaiable, not necessarily a lot better, or impressive by any means, but a detectable improvement from our pre-Christmas form.

[Clampy]

Better, not a "a lot better". Until the Man City game we had a run of losing only 1 in 9 (in all competitions) including a period of conceding just 5 in 6. Compared to the rest of the season that is a decent return and it coincided with a relatively injury free period.

But despite all that though Chris, we're still only 3 points off a relegation spot.

[Chris Smith]

True, Clampy, but we've moved up 5 or 6 places so it has been better relative to the others down there.

[Clampy]

True, Clampy, but we've moved up 5 or 6 places so it has been better relative to the others down there.

I'm not too concerned on what position we're in though, that's not really the problem, it's how many points on the board we have that concerns me. Newcastle are up in 9th and they're only 6 points off the drop zone.

Yes, we went on a little run that steadied the ship a bit, but we're still down there.

[Chris Smith]

Clampy, I haven't for a second tried to suggest that we are in anything but a relegation battle. My point is that when we have had closer to a full squad to pick from our results have been better. it's not a great leap from there to think that if we'd had fewer injuries that we'd be in less trouble.