KopTalk.com Forums Football Liverpool FC Forum Reason we lost tonight...

The problem with zonal marking is that it is very easy to criticise when you concede from a set-piece.

"Oh, it's the zonal marking....!!!"

We are FAR FAR FAR more solid from defending set pieces than years gone by. Under Roy Evans (with Calamity James in goal), everyone used to take a deep breath every time the oppo got a corner, and that wasn't just because of James.

Under Houllier we were better - but that is only because it seemed that you couldn't play for Liverpool unless you were six foot three!!! We had the biggest team in the league at one point.

Under Rafa, we defend VERY VERY well. It is undeniable. Yes, Alonso went to sleep for the first Ivanovic header, but the delivery was great. That could happen in man-marking. The second set-piece, they took it quite quickly, but we were all slow to set up. Two mistakes cost us. More mistakes happen in man-marking.

That being said - I'm not sure about NOT having men on the post - but Rafa knows best. Maybe that's because of the well worked goal Essien scored in the league last season where they fired the corner back post, then knocked it down into the space between the zonal markers and Pepe, and the post-men kept him onside. Who knows? Only Rafa.

Kevin Doyle for Liverpool Emperor?

Enough said....!!!

"The system stinks and you know it?!" hahaha - good comeback Emperor

My Dad's bigger than your Dad!

that's just picking 1 or 2 games to fit your argument though, which makes you worse than Hitler

Why not mention the fact that Liverpool have lost less games than anyone else this season playing this 'stinky' system?

Why not mention Reina has kept 101 clean sheet in 200 games (may be a couple out with that) playing this 'stinky' system?

Why not mention Liverpool have kept the most clean sheets in the league for 3 seasons running playing this 'stinky' system?

because that wouldn't fit your ridiculous argument!!

it's like someone saying that Liverpool were crap for the entire 1980's and then pointing to the fact they lost the 1987 league cup final to 'prove' it and ignoring the other 1000 games they won!!

yep - there you go Emperor, the facts are all there to see and there is no arguing in them - you can slag off the zonal marking all you like but you can't argue with our defensive record since it was implemented.

you are sounding just like certain pundits who say it's rubbish after we concede from a set piece - the flaw with that criticism is that you and they all fail to credit the system when it works time and time again. And it works far more often than it fails - check the stats again - you know it makes sense

Thanks for backing me up boys.

Emperor "let's sign Kevin Doyle" Rafa's point has been well refuted.

That being said, I know not everyone is oging to be a fan of the zonal marking. But on the whole, when we concede a corner, I'm glad that I don't get as concerned as years gone by when EVERY corner felt like we'd concede. THAT was man marking (amongst other things... ie James flapping at everything!)

When you look at the fact that none of our centre backs, with the exception of Sami who is playing less and less, are particuarly great headers of the ball when compared to the likes of Vidic, Ferdinand, Terry etc it speaks really highly of the system that we actually concede as little as we do from set pieces.

All I know is what I prefered to play behind when in goals and it wasn't man marking. Zonal defensive systems provide your team with cover on all areas of the park no matter how much movement the opposing attackers do. It is far more important to haev a stable structure at ALL times rather than changing your entire system to protect against set pieces.

Maybe it doesn't work well in FM2009........is that where you opinion is from Emperor?

Although we have conceded less goals than anyone in the past three season, I f have to admit that when the opposition have a free kick ear our goals I get very nervous!! It is a great system and the facts do speak for themselves but it is still a concern for the set piece!!

we would get concerned regardless of what defensive system we employ. Every fan of every team would be the same cause set pieces are unpredictable.