24 Apr 2017 18:11:42
Hi Ed01, following on from the weekend defeat and our on-going defensive issues can I ask your thoughts on zonal v man for man marking and your thoughts on why we use the zonal system (is it because of ill-discipline in terms of switching off and sticking with your man etc)? thanks mate.

{Ed001's Note - irrelevant. People blame the system when it is zonal because it is seen as foreign. The players would be just as poor in man marking, it is just more certain that opponents would get free headers when a man marker switches off. We use a mainly zonal system as you really need to grapple your opponent in a man marking system to have any real chance. The modern game has made a man marking system untenable really, as you would just give away penalties every week.}


1.) 24 Apr 2017
24 Apr 2017 18:46:05
If a poor corner travels through two players, and a space that was originally occupied by a third when the corner was taken, and reaches a free man who ran past a fourth player, then you can try marking anyway you like. You're still going to concede.


2.) 24 Apr 2017
24 Apr 2017 20:43:14
Bollocks ed.

Zonal is a joke. It just doesn't work.

All over the board.

Corners arw going to war. You don't need to foul someone to stay by there side.

It all comes down to this. Do you care about defending as much as attacking.

If you do then we don't have half as many problems.

Can had benteke and because he left his zone he just let him pass by. Lovren is looking at the ball and didn't see benteke come in. If can was next to him then no goal.

There needs to be cleverness in the game aswel. Like seing someone much taller marking a smaller player, they should be swapping and matching up.

All i use to get told was pick the tallest as i was the tallest and work it from there. Worry aboht him and noone else. If the ball comes to use ****ing win it. that's it.

Make sure everyones matches up and then win that battle.

When players start pulling players back its lazyness. If there eager snd on there toes and interested in defending the corner then you stay by him.

They would run the entire pitch if they thought there was a goal chance opportunity.

{Ed001's Note - if that is the kind of response you have then you are showing your utter ignorance of the game. I am done. Zonal marking is obviously just too intelligent for you. Stick to your utter bollox, as that is your level clearly.

It is funny how only the dinosaurs in English football think man to man is the way to go, while the best defences in the world are happy to work in a zonal system.

As for you S96, you haven't a clue how zonal works, you think it was the system that caused the problem, because you are ignorant about the system and another one listening to the imbeciles on TV. Can failed to do his job, no one is meant to let runners 'pass them by', that is not what zonal marking means. It is not about letting them run out of your zone and then forgetting about them. Take the time to learn what he should have done, then you won't look an idiot next time you make a comment about it.}


3.) 24 Apr 2017
24 Apr 2017 20:58:12
thanks ed.

{Ed001's Note - welcome.}


4.) 25 Apr 2017
25 Apr 2017 09:51:18
First off. There is the description of zonal marking. fifa.

"Zonal marking is a defensive strategy where defenders cover an area of the pitch rather than marking a specific opponent. If an opponent moves into the area a defender is covering, the defender marks the opponent. If the opponent leaves this area, then marking the opponent becomes the responsibility of another defender"

You mention dinosaurs ed but isn't this just football.

Football. Maybe its these clever people who couldn't do f all else with there lifes messing with a very very simple game to make themselves look good.

All these people come in and want to change everything and hardly any of its for the better.

Youve complained about the youth teams and how pampered they are for example. isn't it dinosaur of us to expect the youth to have to work hard?

A corner is simple. Match up with your man and don't let go until the ball is clear.

{Ed001's Note - nonsense and an oversimplification, there is a lot more to it. Perhaps you should check why it is that studies of the data over the years have shown that the effectiveness of corners and number of goals scored from them has dropped since the adoption of zonal marking. Even a man to man system uses zonal within it, as no defence ever in history used an entirely man to man system. You are ignorant as to what a zonal marking system is and have shown that by using that ridiculous explanation from FIFA. That does not even come close to what zonal is, it describes a man to man marking system based on zones, not an outright zonal marking system.

As for your end line, doesn't work. It never has worked. However the pundits can just blame a player rather than a system then.}


5.) 25 Apr 2017
25 Apr 2017 09:56:05
Oh and didn't leicster just win the league playing 4-4 fecking 2.

{Ed001's Note - and a mixed zonal, man to man system in defence too.}


6.) 25 Apr 2017
25 Apr 2017 12:31:32
Yeah i am saying a full zonal doesn't work.

But i know there is zonal in man to man like having players on the post and maybe at the front of 6 yard box. But you then have to match up with player to player.

Yes the pundits can blame a player but so can the manager and a player doesn't have a stupid excuse like he left my zone. Its like no you were juust lazy.

Benteke scored and can just shrugged and got off. Whearas if that was his man then he could get a bollocking at half time or have players on his case for being a lazy btard.

Its back to making players robots, trying to do everythung for them. You cant. Same as self driving cars there saying that it will take the driver 30 seconds to get back in to driving after there asked to. Point is when all of a sudden a player has to take responsibility or make a decision. its going to take longer bwcause there given so much instruction, and stuff like corners are so quick you have to be alert not just worrying about a zone. You have to know what to do when something changes.

And its not ignorance just you clearly stated that wasnt how a zonal aystem worked, and i thought it best to show you an exact description of the system. not your interpretation of it.

{Ed001's Note - the player does not have an excuse anyway. Again you are showing your ignorance of what a zonal system entails. If a player just wanders from zone to zone without anyone attempting to baulk him, then the players in the zones he has been through are failing not the system. You don't understand what zonal marking is, so please stop going on about it as you are just proving your ignorance more with each post. Can would still have got a bollocking, he still should have got in Benteke's way and tried to block the run, which would have been enough to stop him scoring. Not the system's fault, it is the players.

You showed me a ridiculously oversimplified interpretation aimed at children who have no idea about the game. Perhaps that is your level? Only my 'interpretation' is exactly what is put in place week in week out by professional managers around the world, rather than your idiotic posts based on crap you have heard on TV. Now this is done, you have no idea what you are talking about and you are embarrassing yourself trying to pretend you do.}


7.) 25 Apr 2017
25 Apr 2017 17:51:32
1. wouldn't blocking him cause more chance of a penalty?

2. that's my point. Just because men are playing doesn't make it any more complicated. 6 attacking players in the box with 6 defenders. both trying to head a ball, each a different way.

You are literally kicking a ball into a box and asking someone to head it. What is complicated by that.

Why shouldn't anyone be on the posts? How many times do you need someone on yhe post when a goal has gone in and everyone says "oh if he was on the post"

Then your just standing next to your man and trying to head the ball.

Zonal marking has more problems than man marking. It is a pointleas over complicafion of a simple task.

You said can should stay with him and that's just not how it is. He leaves him as benteke has gone into lovrens zone. Then you say well he ahould block him. Whilst saying that man marking is bad because you will give loads of penatly away. Like purposely blocking a players isn't going to do that. Now that's the end of it boss ☺ unless im blocked and youve bottled it.


8.) 25 Apr 2017
25 Apr 2017 19:53:55
Properly executed blocking has less chance of a penalty than grabbing people by the shirt constantly. All you have to do is move across and block his run, make him run around a bit further, have to come in from a different position, with a bit less momentum and that is often the difference between getting to the ball and not. We're talking a second or two's difference not rugby tackling the guy.