2021/22 Rafael Benitez

[TheBigIguana]

I don’t agree with your interpretation mate, going man to man, doesn’t mean you are necessarily stuck to a man, it means you defend your area regardless of the man, you play the tactic in your role regardless of the player, but the player in your area is your responsibility, if it flips you compensate. It’s also not as dogmatic as you present, as I said above before their was ever a zonal marking system, their was always the scope in a man marking system, to attack the ball instinctively - we all know is you don’t stick with your man rigidly, the decision making peices is the art of defending. But also if you aren’t in the phase you are contributing by minimising the breakdown or the second phase.

That is also the premise of zonal, but puts more emphasis on attacking the ball, but on the more emphasised scope, difficulty is leaves gaps and as we see week after week, it’s leading to goals. Our players aren’t comfortable with it. It can be effective but I don’t think we have the players to utilise it properly, nor the players to manage the breakdown or transition, especially if the transition needs to go through central midfield.

I didn’t think either of their forwards was very good today. I thought we created our own problems today, set peices and crosses are a disaster in this system as it proved. Personally I would have have had our players right to a man, our players are far better defending man and ball rather than just ball. We struggled with the over load on the new lads side, I would have changed the blend in midfield in the 25 min stage the new lad struggled, deployed Alan a sweeper to that side and shut down the threat. Like they deployed Docherty on Gordon after the first 25 mins in the first half when he was roasting this full back.

Isn't that a zone?

 

[Nyhus]

We don't get results in the next three surely he has to go?

Hes not going. He shouldve been fired a month ago, but wasnt. Our idiot owner seems to be okay with the kopite destroying our club from within. I honestly miss the Kenwrite days now, he would never, ever hired the fat slug man, no matter how inept he was.

 

[Neiler]

Isn't that a zone?

Isnt the whole pitch a zone! lol

 

[DrEFC]

We won, so hand him some credit for bringing in the players who won it for us.

Well done Rafael for relying on a player not following a pattern of play and walloping in a scorcher from distance, because we only score when his tactics are ignored ???
Mr Gray was an outstanding signing also.

 

[davek]

Enjoy relegation

Relegation?

Yeah, just like those other seasons when the cry arses wanted a manager out...and when we finished midtable.

Relegation my arse.

 

[gaino92]

Relegation?

Yeah, just like those other seasons when the cry arses wanted a manager out...and when we finished midtable.

Relegation my arse.

Yeah, because those managers got sacked and replaced which kept us up

 

[davek]

Yeah, because those managers got sacked and replaced which kept us up

Martinez was sacked when we were safe. Koeman was sacked when we had 3/4rs of the season left. Silva was sacked in early December 4 points off top half.

 

[gaino92]

Martinez was sacked when we were safe. Koeman was sacked when we had 3/4rs of the season left. Silva was sacked in early December 4 points off top half.

Enjoy mediocrity Dave

 

[BirkenheadBlue]

Silva was sacked in early December 4 points off top half.

Nope

 

[BlueToff]

But these aren't the same players! Digne, Mona, DCL and Richarlison are all long term absentees.

Yeah I get that. DCL was back the other day. I thought he was on the front post again as he certainly was at the start of the season, like he was under CA last season.

Richarlison has been out for a total of 6 games. We conceded from a set-piece with him in the side (Burnley), we looked awful with him in the side from then against Liverpool etc. Did we concede from a corner v Wolves, I honestly can't remember, but he played that game too.

Mina is of course a big miss in that regard. You do however then have to factor in we have Rondon, who was supposedly signed because he is at least half-decent in the air. We also had all of the players you list (and I'm not sure Digne is a huge help at set-pieces, btw, unless he's on the back post) missing for large chunks of last season too. Mina missed loads of games. DCL missed a month, Richarlison the same. We didn't look this bad from set-pieces, bar that mad Spurs cup game when Mina, Rich and DCL all played.

It's the set up. It is entirely the set up. Benitez started off the season by putting Allan (and I think it's still the case) as the front guy. Madness, he's the shortest guy on the pitch. Same with Digne v Villa, where if you put Keane or Mina or even Godfrey there at the front post just for height purposes, it's probably not a goal, even though Digne is decent in the air.

He then switched it around again but the players clearly do not know their jobs and roles. Now I can say that's on the players but set-pieces are basics. You drill them day in, day out if needed so that the players do know their jobs. It seems like with ours, the players really don't understand the system, whether it's zonal or a hybrid, and/or are concerned about trying to just get something on it, so they leave their position to try and compensate. The system needs to change.

 

[BlueToff]

Relegation?

Yeah, just like those other seasons when the cry arses wanted a manager out...and when we finished midtable.

Relegation my arse.

You hated Koeman didn't you?

 

[davek]

Nope

Sorry. 5 points off top half....with 23 games left.

Ooooooh!

 

[BlueToff]

Martinez was sacked when we were safe. Koeman was sacked when we had 3/4rs of the season left. Silva was sacked in early December 4 points off top half.

Martinez was sacked because he was crap. Better than this crap, like. Had the best striker the club has had in the Premier League era and had us finish 11th twice in a row.

 

[riddick]

Interestingly we won a match and more people either changed their vote or undecideds voted him to be out. Increased to almost 78%.

 

[TheBigIguana]

Yeah I get that. DCL was back the other day. I thought he was on the front post again as he certainly was at the start of the season, like he was under CA last season.

Richarlison has been out for a total of 6 games. We conceded from a set-piece with him in the side (Burnley), we looked awful with him in the side from then against Liverpool etc. Did we concede from a corner v Wolves, I honestly can't remember, but he played that game too.

Mina is of course a big miss in that regard. You do however then have to factor in we have Rondon, who was supposedly signed because he is at least half-decent in the air. We also had all of the players you list (and I'm not sure Digne is a huge help at set-pieces, btw, unless he's on the back post) missing for large chunks of last season too. Mina missed loads of games. DCL missed a month, Richarlison the same. We didn't look this bad from set-pieces, bar that mad Spurs cup game when Mina, Rich and DCL all played.

It's the set up. It is entirely the set up. Benitez started off the season by putting Allan (and I think it's still the case) as the front guy. Madness, he's the shortest guy on the pitch. Same with Digne v Villa, where if you put Keane or Mina or even Godfrey there at the front post just for height purposes, it's probably not a goal, even though Digne is decent in the air.

He then switched it around again but the players clearly do not know their jobs and roles. Now I can say that's on the players but set-pieces are basics. You drill them day in, day out if needed so that the players do know their jobs. It seems like with ours, the players really don't understand the system, whether it's zonal or a hybrid, and/or are concerned about trying to just get something on it, so they leave their position to try and compensate. The system needs to change.

The system isn't very good either especially on corners. The goal today was not a system issue. Getting guys who win headers would help. That's where I'm at.