Question about zonal marking...

[Craig_H]

Before you get your knives out, this is NOT a criticism or an example of me 'beating rafa with a stick', calling him satan or comparing him to Bin Laden...

At the game last night, while inter were preparing to take one of their few freekicks in a useful position, i remember looking at Zlatan and thinking "Christ, he's a big lad, could be dangerous in the air - let's hope Sami or Carra pick him up"...and then i remembered it's all zonal...

So my question is, what happens if a big lad like Zlatan puts himself into a zone occupied by a little fella, such as Lucas, who probably isnt likely to beat him in the air?

I was thinking, if i were a big striker and was aware of our zonal setup, i'd look to where there was a smaller opponent and attach myself to his 'zone'.

What's the solution to this potential danger, from the defensive side's point of view?

[Shaggy]

This happened with Spurs the other week v Arsenal.

Spurs mark zonally and had little Jamie O’Hara in Bendtner’s zone. The big Dane naturally beat him in the air and thumped the ball home.

One assumed that for the next corner, they’d stick O’Hara in another zone and let someone like Kaboul take ‘the Bendtner zone’, but it never happened. Again O’Hara found himself up against Bendtner.

No idea what we’d do in a similar instance.

[BFG]

The idea of zonal marking is that you have your best headers in the four or five zones. Carra, Hyppia, Crouch, Torres, Finnan, Riise, Gerrard.

There should always be enough of these guys on the pitch to cover each zone.

[Pacman]

Simple

You put the big fellas in the main goal scoring area's where the big attackers usually occupy and you put the little guys where they are less likely to have to compete with the big attackers.

[Shaggy]

Or maybe it was Spurs/Villa and O'Hara v Laursen. Can't remember. Maybe it was both. **** knows!

You get my point, though.

[Guest]

It's about marking the 'space' and 'securing' dangerous areas. What if the ball comes towards a small player in a not so dangerous place. It will negate dangerous situations.

[Harv]

you dont have small players marking dangerous positions.

[Guest]

you dont have small players marking dangerous positions.

[Shaggy]

you dont have small players marking dangerous positions.

Spurs do.

[Tee]

Well, last night I saw Materazzi go up for a free kick and his marker was Aurelio..

[Guest]

Spurs do.

They haven't got to grips with it.

[Craig_H]

Spurs apparently do and i think, at times, so do we.

If you think about it, the 'big' lads we have, who are likely to be on the field are Sami, Carra, Gerrard, Babel...and that's about it, i think. Obviously Skrtel and Agger could be there in place of Sami or Carra, but you've also got your Finnans, Mashers, Kuyts, Aurelios, Alonsos, Lucas' etc...

Crouch is obviously a taller option too, but not necessarily the strongest in the air.

[Joe King]

Spurs apparently do and i think, at times, so do we.

If you think about it, the 'big' lads we have, who are likely to be on the field are Sami, Carra, Gerrard, Babel...and that's about it, i think. Obviously Skrtel and Agger could be there in place of Sami or Carra, but you've also got your Finnans, Mashers, Kuyts, Aurelios, Alonsos, Lucas' etc...

Crouch is obviously a taller option too, but not necessarily the strongest in the air.

Quite right. We do have a generally small side which is why we see Reina picking up a lot of corners.

The taller players so from yesterday team it would be: Carra, Hyypia, Gerrard, Kuyt, Babel would be the five in the six yard area. Two players marking the posts which I think are Mascherano and Finnan. The rest mark in the box.

[Harv]

Well, last night I saw Materazzi go up for a free kick and his marker was Aurelio..

where was aurelio though...it was out wide wasnt it?

[Harv]

Spurs do.

amateurs