A Question Please

[Rhiadd 7]

After another frankly depressing and sadly predictable result I wonder if a question or two might be appropriate. I would be the first to admit that nobody here is equipped to coach a professional football team or for that matter financially manage one. And even if it is possible to claim that the preparation for life in the premier league was woeful inadequate we can't claim to know what could not should have been done better. However I do feel equipped to ask for an explanation of the totally inept and embarrassing zonal marking system employed by the team. Perhaps it works elsewhere, in a different league with different personnel to play it but that is not the case here.  To watch set pieces against the team week after week is absolutely painful. Several times today we were treated to the spectacle of city defensive players grouped in two's and threes keeping a tidy little zone pristine and action free, while the massed hordes of the opposition roar into the area passed most of those defensive players who are on the back foot immediately. Surely there is ample evidence by now that this is a strategy doomed to continual failure and that at least a couple of minutes here and there dedicated to good old fashion man marking might be appropriate. So a polite and genuinely respectful question to Mr. Farke. Why are you still playing it?

[Chumino 57]

3 minutes ago, Rhiadd said:

After another frankly depressing and sadly predictable result I wonder if a question or two might be appropriate. I would be the first to admit that nobody here is equipped to coach a professional football team or for that matter financially manage one. And even if it is possible to claim that the preparation for life in the premier league was woeful inadequate we can't claim to know what could not should have been done better. However I do feel equipped to ask for an explanation of the totally inept and embarrassing zonal marking system employed by the team. Perhaps it works elsewhere, in a different league with different personnel to play it but that is not the case here.  To watch set pieces against the team week after week is absolutely painful. Several times today we were treated to the spectacle of city defensive players grouped in two's and threes keeping a tidy little zone pristine and action free, while the massed hordes of the opposition roar into the area passed most of those defensive players who are on the back foot immediately. Surely there is ample evidence by now that this is a strategy doomed to continual failure and that at least a couple of minutes here and there dedicated to good old fashion man marking might be appropriate. So a polite and genuinely respectful question to Mr. Farke. Why are you still playing it?

He's not got a profile on here so don't expect his reply and I'm not a qualified defence coach. I do however agree we concede alot from set pieces, crosses, corners. so something needs to change, personnel or system. We outscored our defensive inadequacies in the chumps so got away with it. 

[Feedthewolf 4,846]

14 minutes ago, Rhiadd said:

After another frankly depressing and sadly predictable result I wonder if a question or two might be appropriate. I would be the first to admit that nobody here is equipped to coach a professional football team or for that matter financially manage one. And even if it is possible to claim that the preparation for life in the premier league was woeful inadequate we can't claim to know what could not should have been done better. However I do feel equipped to ask for an explanation of the totally inept and embarrassing zonal marking system employed by the team. Perhaps it works elsewhere, in a different league with different personnel to play it but that is not the case here.  To watch set pieces against the team week after week is absolutely painful. Several times today we were treated to the spectacle of city defensive players grouped in two's and threes keeping a tidy little zone pristine and action free, while the massed hordes of the opposition roar into the area passed most of those defensive players who are on the back foot immediately. Surely there is ample evidence by now that this is a strategy doomed to continual failure and that at least a couple of minutes here and there dedicated to good old fashion man marking might be appropriate. So a polite and genuinely respectful question to Mr. Farke. Why are you still playing it?

Farke already answered your question a few weeks ago. He said that physically our players aren't as big as our opponents', so it's more of a mitigation of that physical disadvantage than man-marking would be (or words to that effect). I'm a bit sceptical about zonal marking, but then again I don't have a UEFA Pro Licence. Read more here:

https://www.pinkun.com/norwich-city/canaries-daniel-farke-defensive-debate-sheffield-united-game-1-6413965

[Rhiadd 7]

Thanks for your reply Feedthewolf. I am sure there are many possible explanations and defenses for zonal marking systems however I suppose I would rather see our undersize defense have a go one on one for a bit because at the moment they are simply spectators far too often in the box.

[Feedthewolf 4,846]

39 minutes ago, Rhiadd said:

Thanks for your reply Feedthewolf. I am sure there are many possible explanations and defenses for zonal marking systems however I suppose I would rather see our undersize defense have a go one on one for a bit because at the moment they are simply spectators far too often in the box.

I tend to agree; if an attacker has momentum when running into the box they have a distinct advantage against a static defender.