Let’s make one thing very clear...zonal marking was NOT to blame for Liverpool’s failings against Chelsea on Wednesday.
Not even close.
When executed correctly, zonal marking is the very reason Pepe Reina has a collection of Golden Gloves that is worthy of 50 Cent’s box of bling.
Of course, there is one pundit (a co-commentator if you will) who will have you believe that zonal marking is the worst decision Rafa Benitez has made since he signed Jermaine Pennant.
Funnily enough, that same pundit stays embarrassingly quiet when Blackburn’s man-to-man system completely failed to stop Fernando Torres bagging his second of a quite superb Saturday for The Reds.
By the way, that same pundit also chose to claim that Paul Robinson should have saved Daniel Agger’s blinding third. You can almost see those credibility levels dropping through the floor.
The simple fact is this: Individually, Liverpool made mistakes against a very good Chelsea side.
Key culprit was Martin Skrtel, a man who does a lot of things very well but simply cannot defend set pieces.
The Slovakian was at fault for Tim Cahill’s late leveller for Everton at Anfield, he was at fault for Xabi Alonso’s own goal at Middlesbrough, and he was culpable again for Chelsea’s first on Wednesday.
When marking zonally, you start in your designated area but then the entire unit shifts to attack the ball. Skrtel, as of yet, doesn’t get it. He stands stationary time and again, undoing all the good work he does in other areas of his game.
The flaw is so serious that it currently makes him Liverpool’s fourth best centre back. Sami Hyypia never lets you down, while Dan Agger – when fit – is clearly the best partner to Jamie Carragher.
His distribution is worthy of most Premier League midfielders, The Dane is a threat inside and outside of the opposing penalty area (highlighted supremely by Saturday’s screamer) and, when fit and focused, only Didier Drogba has troubled him. (Amr Zaki has a case, but Agger was far from match fit).
It’s worth noting at this point that this blog was written at half time of Saturday’s 4-0 victory, this is no knee-jerk response to Agger’s stunner – the goal only served in rubber-stamping the point and making me re-write the article.
Benitez has stated time and again that he intends to keep Agger but, with only a year left on the youngster’s contract – and Milan and Real Madrid both circling – the situation may already have spiralled out of Benitez’s control.
Liverpool should desperately hope not. Agger remains the closest thing Kopites have seen to Alan Hansen and, in years to come, it’s possible he could build a trophy cabinet for comparison...man to man – not zonally – of course.