12 Aug 2017 22:28:40
Wanted to throw my opinion in on our defending.
Redknapp and Carragher both made se valid points.
Loads of people are laying into Klopp because he hasn't foxed our defense, since the Rodgers days, and the reason behind that is because he still believes in Zonal marking.
Carragher was right in what he was saying about the Okaka goal, no CB will stop that because they still won't be in the right area, because they will be positioned for zonal marking.
Where Redknapp was right, the third goal. A commanding CB would have headed that ball far and away, instead of not getting it clear. We didn't get it clear at the near post and we were punished.

Would VVD fix all our defensive problems? No.
Would he stop us conceding as many goals? Yes.

I really can't see how there is a place for zonal marking in the Prem. Have a man on the post, and a man to stop follow ups on the edge of the box, but beyond that just mark your men.

I would not get carried away either way though reds, its match day 1 and were unbeaten this season.

Today did confirm one thing for me, we will score goals with or without Coutinho, but our defense definitely needs attention.
Genuinely fancy putting a dark horse £10 on Firmino for Golden Boot, will score a hatful on the end of our attack and taking pens too.

1.) 12 Aug 2017
12 Aug 2017 23:14:19
Think this was battered around before and the issue today looked like the same problems and not a zonal issue. Zonal marking doesn't mean you stand in an area and stay put. You still have to track runs and communicate. That first goal happened numerous times last season because everyone watched the guy make the run or switched off. Man marking isn't suddenly going to make players wake up.

2.) 12 Aug 2017
12 Aug 2017 23:42:13
Man marking gives each individual player more responsibility imo.

3.) 13 Aug 2017
12 Aug 2017 23:54:06
^^ Their professional footballers for god sake and get paid a hell lot of money? The least they can do is take more They should responsibility picking up their man in the area.

4.) 13 Aug 2017
13 Aug 2017 08:16:21
No one really plays a full zonal or man marking any more. Most teams play a mix of zonal and man marking and we did that a lot last season with a zonal system across the six and man marking outside of it. I also agree that zonal marking does not mean that you don't stay switched on, attack headers and track runners and show leadership in such situations. That is a cop out. Our boys were not at the races the whole game yet we scored 3 goals and should have killed them off. There is the mixed bag we are in right now.