Set-Piece Shortcomings

[Aesthetic Relic 301]

Goal.com

Scolari Explains Chelsea Set-Piece Shortcomings

Ahead of their FA Cup thrid round replay with Southend United, 'Big Phil' has revealed some of the reasons behind Chelsea's recent defensive problems.

Luiz Felipe Scolari thinks that Chelsea are currently making too many defensive errors, especially from set-pieces, but insists that he still has the full backing of every member of his squad.

The Londonders travel to lowly Southend United for an FA Cup replay on Wednesday night, and Scolari is taking nothing for granted for the trip to Roots Hall.

"There is not a problem with the spirit. It is a problem of mistakes, not spirit," he explained.

"It is the game of the year for Southend and it is the same for us. We need to think the same as them.

"But if our spirit is not the same as Southend's, it will be difficult to win. If we have the same spirit and are thinking about the FA Cup, we have more chance than them. We have very good players who are technically better, but we need to prove it on the pitch."

The Brazilian particuarly identified set-pieces as a problem for his team, a view echoed by defender Ricardo Carvalho yesterday, and insisted that his charges must improve quickly, and adapt to a system that he has changed from man-to-man to zonal marking.

"What has happened is a lesson for us," he continued. "It is a problem because we give chances for all teams to score goals from set plays.

"What has happened in the last three or four games has not been good. We have done well in 25 games and not well in five. I need to change something. I have changed the system to zonal and not man-to-man.

"The responsibility now is for the group and not one man. But if we talk about the mistakes all the time, maybe we make more mistakes.

"Mentally it is a problem. We lost many points from set-plays and mistakes. Now is the time to talk with the players about what is happening.

"All the players know what I want from set plays. Sometimes mistakes happen. But my team, in the last four games, we have conceded five goals. It is more my mistake than the players' because it is my system.

"I tried to do zonal marking but changed it back to man-to-man sometimes, now we change the system again."

Scolari also highlighted the tricky nature of accommodating both Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka in the same Chelsea line-up, though he had earlier claimed that there was no rift between him and the Frenchman, despite press reports to that effect.

"Everybody thinks it is easy to play two strikers because they are good. But I try to prove to the people and for me and Chelsea, that is difficult," added the coach.

"When one player is outside, as was Didier Drogba, he needs to play two, three or four games, and in that time I need to look at what's happened. Afterwards I have to decide. It is my option."

[warnie_666 1,081]

Had we carried on with Zonal, we would have atleast had a draw at OT and won the game at Fulham. and would be 46 by now. Why the fuck he changed it to man to man i will never know specially when we were good with Zonal marking.

[Ollie 4,400]

Zonal? Zonal is a waste of space. Every team should mark man to man, we just did it badly. If we mark zonal, we'll concede many many more and more than we usually do. Mark space and let them do as they please? great thinking...

[EskWeston 696]

Bit of confusion over what he is changing to. We clearly over the period of conceeding silly goals have been using the Zonal marking system, and it has failed big time. Now i hope we will be going back to what the players are used to and has worked so well over the years and that is Man Marking.

We have seen other teams suffer from the Zonal marking system and personally i just don't see any advantage in using it.

[Fulham Broadway 16,383]

Bit of confusion over what he is changing to. We clearly over the period of conceeding silly goals have been using the Zonal marking system, and it has failed big time. Now i hope we will be going back to what the players are used to and has worked so well over the years and that is Man Marking.

We have seen other teams suffer from the Zonal marking system and personally i just don't see any advantage in using it.

I think they're on about switching from zonal to man marking ?

With the third goal, zonal or man marking wouldnt have helped. On the TV replay you can see Vidic and Berbatov conspiring. I've seen Manutd do it before, Vidic impedes the marker (Di Santo) leaving Berbatov marker free, with a near post strike.

[Aesthetic Relic 301]

I think they're on about switching from zonal to man marking ?

With the third goal, zonal or man marking wouldnt have helped. On the TV replay you can see Vidic and Berbatov conspiring. I've seen Manutd do it before, Vidic impedes the marker (Di Santo) leaving Berbatov marker free, with a near post strike.

Riccy and Jt have done the same thing loads of times.......the one that comes to mind instantly is against Bacelona a few years back when Riccy impeded the goalkeeper for JT's goal.

[Fulham Broadway 16,383]

Riccy and Jt have done the same thing loads of times.......the one that comes to mind instantly is against Bacelona a few years back when Riccy impeded the goalkeeper for JT's goal.

That was legitimate against the Catalan cnuts. The Beetroot Glaswegians lackeys shouldnt be allowed to pick on young Di Santo

[warnie_666 1,081]

Bit of confusion over what he is changing to. We clearly over the period of conceeding silly goals have been using the Zonal marking system, and it has failed big time. Now i hope we will be going back to what the players are used to and has worked so well over the years and that is Man Marking.

We have seen other teams suffer from the Zonal marking system and personally i just don't see any advantage in using it.

He is changing it back to Zonal. All these days he implemented Man to Man. Hence we had no one at the post. Cus the men were marking their players and had they been at the post, you would have had 2 of the opposition players free.

Hence now we will revert back to Zonal where a group of individuals defend the set peice together and not one particular man. And with that we can have 2 men at the post.

I think he changed it to Man to Man marking because of the Roma game where Panucci was unmarked and he scored a an easy goal and all our defenders kept looking at each other.

Edited January 14, 2009 by warnie_666

[warnie_666 1,081]

Riccy and Jt have done the same thing loads of times.......the one that comes to mind instantly is against Bacelona a few years back when Riccy impeded the goalkeeper for JT's goal.

We did it recently when JT scored the winner against Roma at the Bridge. Belleti Blocked JT's man marker as JT ran and headed the ball. It is common.

[Laylabelle 9,292]

Well again..no one on the post!!!!

[warnie_666 1,081]

Well...he doesnt beleive in it..He said that be it Zonal or Man to man......

[Laylabelle 9,292]

I dont care lol heck Sat I'll run on the pitch and stand by the post..not sure how far I'll get lol but hey!!

[terry26 6]

Zonal? Zonal is a waste of space. Every team should mark man to man, we just did it badly. If we mark zonal, we'll concede many many more and more than we usually do. Mark space and let them do as they please? great thinking...

i hate stupid zonal marking

their goal was a classic example of it - the man outjumped alex and he was attempting to kick the ball away :thumbsdown: :thumbsdown:

I dont care lol heck Sat I'll run on the pitch and stand by the post..not sure how far I'll get lol but hey!!

maybe we can join you and the team will play Follow the leader

[Fulham Broadway 16,383]

It's not only defending set pieces. 30+ corners against Southend ? and all wank.

Someone needs to sort out set piece attacking and defending, with some kind of proper TRAINING SESSION, and sack the cnut who's currently responsible.

[Elliott 7]

I thought our corners against Southend were mostly good, but then I'm comparing them to the usual of hitting the first man.

[EskWeston 696]

I thought our corners against Southend were mostly good, but then I'm comparing them to the usual of hitting the first man.

I agree they were better. But we have got to start putting men on the posts when defending corners, it is beyond a joke! A defender on the line clears that goal easily. Zonal marking is not the way to go, and i find it hard to believe that we was man-marking against Man you.

[Fulham Broadway 16,383]

I thought our corners against Southend were mostly good, but then I'm comparing them to the usual of hitting the first man.

Man Utd, Liverpool, Arsenal vary them. OK the Ronaldo disallowed one just happened to be in ''You are the Ref'' in a national newspaper the week before, but they at least keep the opposition guessing.

If you have 30+ corners against a Div 1 team, cant for the life of me see what's good if fuck all comes of them.

[warnie_666 1,081]

Zonal marking is not the way to go, and i find it hard to believe that we was man-marking against Man you.

We were Man Marking against Man UTD. Check the Third Goal again. Di Santo was left to mark Berba. He couldnt as Vidic blocked him....Thats Man Marking..