[Albion] Zonal marking v Man marking at set pieces

[bn1&bn3 Albion]

We are shockingly bad at attacking set pieces. We had 3 corners today, took them all long, and didn't once manage to get it over the first defenders head. I just don't get it. Seriously, I as an overweight 50 something with arthritis can do better than that. I can kick a football from a corner that lands somewhere near the penalty spot every time. Why do they find it so hard?

Our corners were poor today but I think you're massively underestimating just how difficult whipping a ball in at head height really is. It's not just a matter of lumping it into the box.

 

[RM-Taylor]

I have never played football at a level where zonal marking has been suggested or considered, so can't speak with much authority on it.

However it strikes me that the man in the pub always thinks zonal marking is rubbish and costs goals, yet the majority of top coaches in the professional game use it. Which must indicate something.

Yesterday’s goal though, surely a player like Konsa would have been man marked by one of our bigger players? But yet they’re designated a “zone” instead. Maybe I’m just being biased in my opinion against zonal marking but as a fan I never used to feel like the opposition would score from every set piece when we used to man mark their most attacking outlets from them.

 

[RM-Taylor]

Zonal marking to blame once again when conceding :ffs:

 

[Badger Boy]

Not enough defensive players on the pitch I'm afraid.

 

[timbha]

Zonal marking to blame once again when conceding :ffs:

We defend crosses as if we have no confidence in winning the ball. Dunk, Webster and White left watching or outjumped too often.

Very weak attacking headers too

 

[Stat Brother]

Vestandpants would make Duffy look like Lamptey.

Need to do much better or else he'll get more goals tonight.

 

[RM-Taylor]

Not enough defensive players on the pitch I'm afraid.

When playing against a 6ft 6 defender you’d have though we should have probably had Burn on the pitch

 

[jackalbion]

Whoever invented zonal marking should be tried at The Hague.

 

[Peter Grummit]

Sky pundits with an open goal on this one last night.

I'm a fan of Potter but word is he is stubborn. Will he persist with this and with a square peg Webster at LCB?

Please treat this as neither bedwetting or a'licking, just constructive criticism.

 

[Pembury]

I can’t name a team who’s ever had success with Zonal Marking. I remember when Benitez at Liverpool Zonal marked and they were dreadful at the back during that period.

 

[RM-Taylor]

Sky pundits with an open goal on this one last night.

I'm a fan of Potter but word is he is stubborn. Will he persist with this and with a square peg Webster at LCB?

Please treat this as neither bedwetting or a'licking, just constructive criticism.

If he wants to play White as a DM then I’d rather have Webster at RCB where he played last season and then Burn at LCB

 

[warmleyseagull]

I would make do with marking presently.

 

[sydney]

Gross was left on the Danish giant for the corner that brought their equaliser with Dunk floundering to get to him once he got the flight of the ball , clearly not ideal , if only we had someone who could bury a header like that ...

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

You can mark a zone all you like, it's never going to score. But a man might.

And there are ways of defending against taller players than yourself, some borderline legal.

 

[dejavuatbtn]

I just think we are poor at it. Whether it’s the players or strategy I am not sure, but it’s not working. All I see is a load of our players in some kind of order, but marking no one, and having a melee with the opposition when they charge in like the Navarro. Always seems to me a bit “percentage” - perhaps TB has been giving GP some tips.

 

[McTavish]

I can’t name a team who’s ever had success with Zonal Marking. I remember when Benitez at Liverpool Zonal marked and they were dreadful at the back during that period.

Man City 17/18 - 27 goals conceded, best in the league. Zonal marking.

 

[Worried Man Blues]

Someone running into your zone can jump higher than a dead start jump. The defender needs to be running with the attacker to attempt to reach the same hights.

 

[McTavish]

I have never played football at a level where zonal marking has been suggested or considered, so can't speak with much authority on it.

However it strikes me that the man in the pub always thinks zonal marking is rubbish and costs goals, yet the majority of top coaches in the professional game use it. Which must indicate something.

As a top coach, I introduced zonal marking for Linfield U16s almost 10 years ago. It worked very well (as long as everyone remebered what to do) - much better than man to man, particularly in games where it was more man to boy.

I suspect the reason it gets used so much in the Premier League is that a huge amount of blocking by attackers goes on so if the marker is blocked, you have a man free. This happens less with zonal. However, an attacker getting a good run on a perfect delivery is very hard to stop in any system and VAR makes in more difficult just to foul the opposition's best attacker every time.

 

[maltaseagull]

First time I really noticed that we’d switch to a zonal marking system was the Burnley game. Zonal marking does not work as seen today for their equaliser. A man marking system is so much better and then you can pinpoint which players should be tracking whom.

How long will this last do we think? Cost us the goal today so wonder if we will switch back to the standard usual method for the game next weekend. Thoughts?

I am no expert but would have thought that in the Saints game for example, it wouldn't take long to work out who was looking after what zone and target the shortest player with your best in the air. (Or is that too obvious?)

 

[maltaseagull]

Gross was left on the Danish giant for the corner that brought their equaliser with Dunk floundering to get to him once he got the flight of the ball , clearly not ideal , if only we had someone who could bury a header like that ...

Agreed but also have to say the delivery was very good too.