So we've switched to Zonal marking?

[Limee]

Because a player or players forget what they're supposed to be doing?

2005-06 we were as solid as we've ever been, 2006-07 was a horror show. Several factors were involved, but Jol and Hughton surely didn't forget how to organise a defence in training. It doesn't matter which system you're playing, or how often you practise set pieces, it takes just one player to forget what his role is and everything goes to pot. Chimbonda was a particular offender, I recall.

I always thought Carrick did an excellent job for us as the first man making sure not many corners got passed him.

 

[Gassin's finest]

Lineker always remarks how much he loves zonal marking... as a striker!!

 

[Adam]

I think a lot of people, pundits especially, favour man marking as it gives them someone to blame whenever a goal is scored, making it seem like its a rectifiable problem. The main problem with man marking for me is that, if the right attacking run meets the right ball, it's almost impossible to stop your man from scoring as you don't really have much of a run on the ball as you're headed towards your own goal. In theory, with Zonal, you should always be running forwards onto the ball, making it easier to clear effectively, if you do your job right.

To be honest, as interesting as the marking system is, we'd have saved ourselves about 6 goals from march to may had we had a man on each post. I'd sort that out first, then get on with the rest of the system.