Premier League Season 2011-2012

[Guest Gary C]

Aye, Ferguson seemed to set-up the team for a draw, which is so odd considering his career mentality of attacking football. It was almost like a Chelsea team wearing red.

 

He probably waited too long to bring on Young and Valencia who added extra width and stifled Zabaleta and Clichy. I guess he figured that it was best to focus on closing down Toure, Silva, Tevez and Aguero, but after going a goal down you'd think he'd give up defending and open the game up a little.

 

Rooney is pretty toothless as a central striker, but everyone keeps putting him there.

[chenGOD]

I thought both sides were very poor, United especially. I really like Smalling, I don't think he made a huge rick for the goal, the block from Lescott worked perfectly and the ball was on a plate. When Kompany gets up like that then most defenders are going to look silly. I felt the 'champions league away' tactics from SAF failed and there are few players looking leggy. Also, Evra is so out of form it's ridiculous. Clichy was fantastic.

Yeah I don't think Smalling made a huge error. Just a slight lapse. But that's enough to punish you when a player of Kompany's caliber is going up.

I never understood why they don't work on switches - Rio could have easily switched to Kompany. It's just like a basketball pick and roll.

 

 

Aye, Ferguson seemed to set-up the team for a draw, which is so odd considering his career mentality of attacking football. It was almost like a Chelsea team wearing red.

 

He probably waited too long to bring on Young and Valencia who added extra width and stifled Zabaleta and Clichy. I guess he figured that it was best to focus on closing down Toure, Silva, Tevez and Aguero, but after going a goal down you'd think he'd give up defending and open the game up a little.

 

Rooney is pretty toothless as a central striker, but everyone keeps putting him there.

It was nothing like a Chelsea team wearing red. We pressed high for most of the match, and barring the last 15 minutes of the first half were pretty successful with that.

I really don't understand starting Giggs and Park over Valencia and Young. Park hasn't played in the league for 3 months, and you could tell. Giggs was nonexistent.

One thing is for certain - our "European" formation doesn't work for shit.

 

Rooney is on 35 goals for all competitions this season (and we didn't play much in the other competitions lol). His position is striker.

[jhonny]

I thought both sides were very poor, United especially. I really like Smalling, I don't think he made a huge rick for the goal, the block from Lescott worked perfectly and the ball was on a plate. When Kompany gets up like that then most defenders are going to look silly. I felt the 'champions league away' tactics from SAF failed and there are few players looking leggy. Also, Evra is so out of form it's ridiculous. Clichy was fantastic.

Yeah I don't think Smalling made a huge error. Just a slight lapse. But that's enough to punish you when a player of Kompany's caliber is going up.

I never understood why they don't work on switches - Rio could have easily switched to Kompany. It's just like a basketball pick and roll.

 

 

Aye, Ferguson seemed to set-up the team for a draw, which is so odd considering his career mentality of attacking football. It was almost like a Chelsea team wearing red.

 

He probably waited too long to bring on Young and Valencia who added extra width and stifled Zabaleta and Clichy. I guess he figured that it was best to focus on closing down Toure, Silva, Tevez and Aguero, but after going a goal down you'd think he'd give up defending and open the game up a little.

 

Rooney is pretty toothless as a central striker, but everyone keeps putting him there.

It was nothing like a Chelsea team wearing red. We pressed high for most of the match, and barring the last 15 minutes of the first half were pretty successful with that.

I really don't understand starting Giggs and Park over Valencia and Young. Park hasn't played in the league for 3 months, and you could tell. Giggs was nonexistent.

One thing is for certain - our "European" formation doesn't work for shit.

 

Rooney is on 35 goals for all competitions this season (and we didn't play much in the other competitions lol). His position is striker.

Zonal marking in the box is supposed to counter blocks/screens, often it works but it fails when you either have 2 players or no player going to attack the ball. It was established on the continent but English football has yet to fully take to it.

 

Personally (and the tactic we use for my club) I think it's best to bring everyone back and have a near post and far post player attacking the ball. Load the box with bodies so that the main attackers are covered. I think players are often wasted by being on the posts, and should be in the box either attacking the ball or blocking runs

[chenGOD]

Zonal marking is shit. A switch on a pick and roll is nothing like zonal marking.

A surprising number of goals are scored because the defending club hasn't put a player on the posts.

[Guest Gary C]

Yep. Players on posts. It might not be European standard, but it's a Premier League necessity.

[Guest Rambo]

fucking lol

 

putting players on posts is zonal

[chenGOD]

fucking lol

 

putting players on posts is zonal

 

Not at all.

[YO303]

Benitez was obsessed with Zonal Marking (end up loosing them the league).

 

Here is how he used to set up corners ..

 

 

Article - http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/rules_and_equipment/4685580.stm

[Guest Rambo]

fucking lol

 

putting players on posts is zonal

 

Not at all.

 

well of course. If we regard posts as humans.

 

what you were describing was a mixture of zonal and man marking.

 

Benitez was obsessed with Zonal Marking (end up loosing them the league).

 

Here is how he used to set up corners ..

 

 

Article - http://news.bbc.co.u...ent/4685580.stm

 

obsessed like you are with Liverpool apparently lol

 

Cant say i blame you. We are fascinating.

[chenGOD]

The purpose of zonal marking is to pick up a player who enters your zone.

The purpose of putting men on the posts is to prevent the ball entering at the post as often headers or shots from corners are close to the net and the keeper can't react in time.

 

Defending a pick/screen works like this (using the city goal as an example).

As Kompany runs Smalling into the screener, then Rio picks up Kompany. Smalling switches to Lescott. Both defenders are now goal side and able to react.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yKj6doFE2w

[Guest Rambo]

i dont care enough about this discussion. Still hate u chen

[YO303]

fucking lol

 

putting players on posts is zonal

 

Not at all.

 

well of course. If we regard posts as humans.

 

what you were describing was a mixture of zonal and man marking.

 

Benitez was obsessed with Zonal Marking (end up loosing them the league).

 

Here is how he used to set up corners ..

 

 

Article - http://news.bbc.co.u...ent/4685580.stm

 

obsessed like you are with Liverpool apparently lol

 

Cant say i blame you. We are fascinating.

 

You know what they say .. Its like watching a car crash

[Guest Rambo]

at least you have basically admitted to being obsessed. You're on the right track to recovery, champ.

[Guest Rambo]

Also, this would be the point where i might mention when Norwich last won the league cup but i haven't got a fucking clue because im a lIverpool fan.

[chenGOD]

i dont care enough about this discussion. Still hate u chen

 

f u mr x

[YO303]

Good one. Give Paul Lambert 100 million to spend and we'll win the league.

 

Look man, Liverpool are one of those teams people love to hate and i admit to be part of the crowd that enjoys the commical mishappenings of LFC, i'm not proud of it and hope to gown out of it some day.

[Guest Rambo]

Good one. Give Paul Lambert 100 million to spend and we'll win the league.

 

lol no you wont! You do know how much Man City have spent? How much Chelsea's squad is worth and more importantly, wages. Also, people rarely take into account just how much expectations play a part. Hodgson being a classic example of a manager who seems to do far better at smaller clubs (how the England job pans out for him should be interesting )

 

 

Also, i love this notion of watching a car crash. Maybe if the UK tabloids are your primary source of footballing knowledge this could be understandable. Written for idiots.

 

Example: tonights game against Fulham painted as some massive horrific event when in fact we've put out a reserve team because no-one actually gives a fuck about the match due to having a cup final on the weekend and our league season (which has been shit) is over

[chenGOD]

Look man, Liverpool are one of those teams people love to hate and i admit to be part of the crowd that enjoys the commical mishappenings of LFC, i'm not proud of it and hope to gown out of it some day.

 

I'm not quite sure how dressing up in ladies' evening wear will help, but if that's what it takes, well....

 

The only thing funnier than Charlie Adam's penalty miss this year was Sergio Ramos' miss.

 

 

[Guest Rambo]

There should be one where they meet in space

[Guest Blue Peter Cheat]

Rooney usually plays as either a false 9, dropping deep to collect the ball and conduct play, leaving a gap for the wingers (Nani or Young usually - Valencia tends to stick to the byline; or as a deeper playing forward when partnered with Welbeck/Hernadez, again moving out and leaving space for the other striker and left (usually) winger. Also, perhaps crucially considering the City game, when playing with a partner he helps out in midfield, putting pressure on the opposition's defensive mids and generally giving them something to think about. He's certainly not a line-leader in the style of Drogba.

 

In the City game Toure and Barry didn't have to worry about Rooney too much and were able to stamp their authority all over the ineffectual Man U three. The latter just didn't have the required drive or tenacity. (This was evident in the Everton game too; a midfield of Scholes and Carrick with Rooney dropping deep just wasn't good enough. Fellaini kept picking the ball out of the air in between defence and midfield, getting it down and laying it off to feet before any of Man U's mids got near him - there was always a defender at his back but he's too good at shielding the ball. Man U really need to buy two world class central midfielders in the summer. Someone like Tiote or Toure is essential). I know Rafael was blamed for some of Everton's goals but I'd have thought he should have been at right back and Jones should have played in midfield instead of Giggs.

 

Liverpool had a lot of good will from supporters of other teams until recently I thought. It's been on the wane certainly but the Suarez affair - and in particular how it ws handled by Kenneth and the club - this season has pretty much destroyed it.

[chenGOD]

Rooney drops deep, plays it out wide and then...what does he do? runs into the box, because he's a striker. Yes he doesn't play well as the one on top (though he could) because he's not satisfied with just waiting to be serviced (unless it's by a lady of the night) like drogba, but he's still a striker.

Fergie does play him lying too deep too often - it's a bloody waste.

 

Yaya Toure yes, Tiote no.

 

Rafael would have been murdered at right back against Clichy, Silva, Aguero, and Tevez. One thing Jones has over Rafael is pace. They're both positionally naive, but at least Jones can make up for it.

I do agree that he should be a midfielder though.

[Guest Rambo]

Liverpool had a lot of good will from supporters of other teams until recently I thought. It's been on the wane certainly but the Suarez affair - and in particular how it ws handled by Kenneth and the club - this season has pretty much destroyed it.

 

Outside the UK we always have and still do. The only goodwill i've ever noticed in the UK has come from older fans, not this modern Sky TV generation of fans.

[Guest Blue Peter Cheat]

Oh I agree he's a striker, I just think he's more of a Peter Beardsley than a traditional English striker or a Lineker/Inzaghi/Owen type playing on the edge of the defensive line (not sure their ilk even exist anymore). You think he's wasted playing too deep - maybe he is if he's too deep too often - I think he's wasted playing too far forward. He needs to come deep and get the ball and like you said, dictate play in that area of the pitch, play someone in and follow up for the return. Unfortunately he's one of those players who probably have the ability and intelligence to play practically anywhere. Owing to Utd's midfield paucity (before Scholes's return certainly) Fergie has often been forced to play him deeper than perhaps he'd like.

 

Toure's definitely a better player than Tiote but Utd don't even have a Tiote. If I were Fergie and I had enough cash I'd go for Fellaini in the summer. I really hope he doesn't because I'm an Everton fan but he'd be a brilliant purchase for them.

 

If he had Park right mid in front of him? Smalling at the right side of central defence probably wouldn't have helped either though I suppose. Fergie got it wrong tactically but perhaps you could argue that he didn't have the players to ever get it right. So that's two central midfielders and a right back he needs before next season, minimum.

 

As for Liverpool, times change quickly at the epicentre, memories fade and get sullied by more recent events. But the Suarez thing was bound to affect the UK more than anywhere else anyway, not least because it'd be hard for people outside to appreciate that the effects of LFC's stance went beyond football.

[chenGOD]

Park was not a good choice for the match, given he hadn't played Premiership football for 3 months (and I'm a Park fanboy through and through).

Valencia in front of Rafael maybe. We don't need a RB - Rafael will come on positionally. Smalling is an excellent CB, no worries about him there.

We already have a Fellaini, Michael Carrick (except Carrick is better). We need a creative midfielder. maybe 2.

 

Edit: Rooney certainly has the ability to play virtually anywhere on the pitch. But he is most valuable playing in the opposing half as a striker.

There are plenty of strikers who play just off the shoulder. Hernandez, Aguero, Tevez, Cisse, Ba...just off the top of my head.

[Guest Blue Peter Cheat]

We already have a Fellaini, Michael Carrick (except Carrick is better).

 

You're joking? Carrick's an Alonso type player only nowhere near as good. He's no defensive or box-to-box midfielder.

 

I'll give you Hernadez - at a stretch - but the rest have a lot, lot more to offer.