Zonal marking

[teppic]

This just screams out as lazy coaching. It's a very easy way to get away without doing research on the opposition. Instead of working hard all week discussing who is marking who during which scenarios, the coaches can get early nights and put their feet up during training by coaching this one size fits all tactic.

It doesn't work, it's lazy management and every goal we concede is due to it.

 

[Davideeyore]

Dyche will die on this sword. Saturday was just pathetic. I don't get 'zonal' one bit.

 

[Eggs]

…if it’s lazy management, there’s lots of lazy managers out there.

 

[ArtetaMagic]

I like the idea of it but we are totally incapable of performing it. Needs binned immediately

 

[pfim]

This is a mischaracterization of zonal marking. Research and tendencies still need to be studied, as we saw this past Saturday.

 

[Evertonthat]

Plenty of clubs use zonal marking, but as seen on Saturday, if this leaves a fullback marking 2 players at the back post (one of which is their number 9 and main goal threat) then it dosent work.

 

[Khalekan]

Zonal marking was what led to Marco’s downfall.

We seemed to concede from setpieces every week.

It was, IMO, directly responsible for Luton’s two goals on Saturday.

I personally do not like it.

 

[Nymzee]

Out of all the football I watch we are by far the most amateur when it comes to defending set piece. Getting rinsed by 10 short corners per game is not good for my blood pressure.

 

[scotchbutterpin]

Maybe they've gone over the stats and realise Zonal is better? I've never liked it. Man to man marking with 2 men on the posts is what I'd go for if it was up to me.

 

[ToffeeTim]

I don't like zonal marking but it can still work well if done properly. Lots of good defences have used zonal.

Our biggest problems, based on my probably very simplistic understanding of defending, is that 1) we are extremely narrow on defence, and get overloaded at the back post, and 2) we don't seem to react at all to the second ball - we seem to all stand still and look at each other and hope someone else deals with it.

I don't even know if going man to man solves the second problem. We just have to be far more aggressive and react quicker. There's absolutely no excuse whatsoever to constantly be caught out by short corners though. We were all taught from about under 8s football that we need to get out to the ball and match up numbers when the oppo takes a short corner.

 

[Nymzee]

Our best time was under Ancelotti when we had that hybrid system. Too many details in that for scotch egg.

 

[carolinablue232]

Like most things, if done well, it's fine. When players just stand rooted to a spot and don't actually adapt to the any movement and attack the ball, it's not. We were not prepared and we failed on Saturday. Simple as. It works just fine for plenty of other clubs out there.

 

[blue61]

Another reason why I hate modern football. Arty farty coaches trying to reinvent the wheel. The likes of Cloughie and Revie must be having a right good laugh looking down.

 

[Blast_of_Cannock]

Let's play all our tallest players in the squad, get them all on the goal line at corners. Only well-placed shots into the top corner go in. Every player turns their back to the play,drops kegs, pulls a mooney. Job done.

 

[Baxtinho]

Nobody minds "zonal marking" when players simply head away crosses at the near post zone.

To dismiss it as new fangled or "arty-farty" is to massively misunderstand modern football.

We're just sh1te at it, as others have said, when it is done properly it's fine.