[quote author=keniget link=topic=40455.msg1114731#msg1114731 date=1275891833]
[quote author=Ryan link=topic=40455.msg1114713#msg1114713 date=1275883092]
[quote author=Avmenon link=topic=40455.msg1114709#msg1114709 date=1275879701]
[quote author=Ryan link=topic=40455.msg1114699#msg1114699 date=1275873769]
[quote author=Avmenon link=topic=40455.msg1114432#msg1114432 date=1275838061]
OUr problem with zonal marking was that we had too many bad players; it worked pretty well before with Rafa
[/quote]
Which is almost completely incorrect.
[/quote]
But why is that the case?
A lot of criticism has always been levelled at Rafa for zonal marking; especially from Steve Mcmahon and some others.Pretty much eveytime we lost a game we'd hear someone muttering either about zonal marking or rotation (or both)
BUt there was a time when it did work very well, our defence in 2008 and 2007 was good.There was a season when we lost 2 games to the Mancs' 4; but all the draws put us in 3rd place.So it's more likely an issue of personnel, rather than the system employed.
[/quote]
Most critics' and 'expert ex-pros' in the press haven't a fucking clue mate, as evidenced by their continual usage of such drivel as "I've never seen a zone score a goal, but I've seen a player wah wah wah" - which is by some distance the most resoundingly stupid fucking thing I've ever heard.
McMahon falls into that category, as does literally Jamie Redknapp, Paul Walsh, etc.
Records showed that for years under Rafa our set-piece defending was the best in the league whilst we were deploying zonal marking (I think thats the point you made anyway). I rememebr reading an interview with Rafa in which he attributed a lot of that success to the tall players we had in the side at that time too - Hyypia, Crouch, Sissoko, etc. I think it's probably safe to say that in the last year under Rafa we were nowhere near as strong with it as the system, probably due to a number of factors - lack of taller players, ever-changing team due to injuries, teams working out how to play against it better, less solid defence, etc etc.
[/quote]
In fairness, that's not too far off what Avvy originally said.
[/quote]
Yeah, I think I misread Avvy's first email, and didn't notice the "with" bit at first glance.
[quote author=Ryan link=topic=40455.msg1114713#msg1114713 date=1275883092]
[quote author=Avmenon link=topic=40455.msg1114709#msg1114709 date=1275879701]
[quote author=Ryan link=topic=40455.msg1114699#msg1114699 date=1275873769]
[quote author=Avmenon link=topic=40455.msg1114432#msg1114432 date=1275838061]
OUr problem with zonal marking was that we had too many bad players; it worked pretty well before with Rafa
[/quote]
Which is almost completely incorrect.
[/quote]
But why is that the case?
A lot of criticism has always been levelled at Rafa for zonal marking; especially from Steve Mcmahon and some others.Pretty much eveytime we lost a game we'd hear someone muttering either about zonal marking or rotation (or both)
BUt there was a time when it did work very well, our defence in 2008 and 2007 was good.There was a season when we lost 2 games to the Mancs' 4; but all the draws put us in 3rd place.So it's more likely an issue of personnel, rather than the system employed.
[/quote]
Most critics' and 'expert ex-pros' in the press haven't a fucking clue mate, as evidenced by their continual usage of such drivel as "I've never seen a zone score a goal, but I've seen a player wah wah wah" - which is by some distance the most resoundingly stupid fucking thing I've ever heard.
McMahon falls into that category, as does literally Jamie Redknapp, Paul Walsh, etc.
Records showed that for years under Rafa our set-piece defending was the best in the league whilst we were deploying zonal marking (I think thats the point you made anyway). I rememebr reading an interview with Rafa in which he attributed a lot of that success to the tall players we had in the side at that time too - Hyypia, Crouch, Sissoko, etc. I think it's probably safe to say that in the last year under Rafa we were nowhere near as strong with it as the system, probably due to a number of factors - lack of taller players, ever-changing team due to injuries, teams working out how to play against it better, less solid defence, etc etc.
[/quote]
In fairness, that's not too far off what Avvy originally said.
[/quote]
Yeah, I think I misread Avvy's first email, and didn't notice the "with" bit at first glance.