In The Zone

This is post number 700.

700 moments of reflection on the world of football.

700 steps towards learning about football.

700 lessons to bring me to the point where I consider one of football's most profound questions.

Which is better - the more traditional man marking or, as favoured by Rafa amongst others, zonal marking?

With my usual vim and vigour I have been investigating this vexatious issue.

Apparently one of the main problems with zonal marking is that it relies upon collective responsibility. As The Independent explained in a recent article;

"Once upon a time, there were four Liverpool defenders: Everybody, Somebody, Nobody and Anybody. Whenever Branislav Ivanovic needed to be marked Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. When Nobody did it, Everybody, and Pepe Reina, got angry because it was Everybody's job. Everybody thought that Somebody would do it, but nobody realised that Nobody would do it.So consequently Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done in the first place. And then, from another corner, it all happened again".

On the other hand, as described by a contributor to a discussion thread I read , man marking appears to require a degree of telepathy and having eyes in the back of your head;

"The man-marking defender has to watch the ball and the attacker as well as his own nearby team-mates (who may contest the same ball) and other attackers who may have lost their own marker (a regular occurrence, leading to the 'free' headers - something that should never happen with the zonal system) and on top of that he has to try to second guess the attacker's run (meanwhile, of course, the attacker is jinking everywhere to put you off the scent)."

So to summarise, if you are going to adopt a man marking system, you need to be able to do this (should be a steal for Sheffield Wednesday players).

And if a zonal marking system, this is more the order of the day.

So now you know.

Vigilance and Vengence

I've been having a little look at the league tables.

Last week we were only just above the relegation zone in 21st place but after Saturday's performance we are at 18th. It's not earth shattering but in fact our record is not too bad. Of all the games we have played this season, including the League Cup, we have only lost 2. 5 have been draws and the other 5 wins. Our goal difference is 2, which is respectable.

Of course it is not simply a case of how well your team does. It is true to say (even if stating the bleedin' obvious) that the fortunes of a team are also dependant upon how others perform. So although we might bemoan our fate at having to play strong teams like Watford and Charlton, thank goodness for the QPRs, Norwich's and Sheffield Wednesdays.

The moral of the story then is that as a fan you have to watch what other teams are up to as well as your own. Be vigilant. Monitor the enemy. Watch the devil at your back.

Speaking of which, you may be wondering how Leeds are doing. 12th in Division 1.

No doubt you are as sorry for them as I am.

Left Is Best

I'm left handed. And proud of it.

Unfortunately, being left handed has not always been regarded as a good thing. Indeed, right handers have a history of persecuting us poor lefties.

There have been many famous left handed people through the ages. Leonardo Da Vinci, Ghandi, Aristotle, Beethoven and even, according to this article, Jesus Christ.

We Lefties (who are controlled by the right hemisphere of our brains) are reputedly good at music, art, creativity, perception, spatial awareness and, (not surprisingly if you have met me), genius. We are also supposed to be able to think more quickly, and this is deemed to be particularly valuable in sport, including football.

Predictably, then, there have been a number of famous football players who favour their left side. Diego Maradonna is deemed by some to be the best left sided footballer ever.

This commentator thinks the best footballers are those who can play with both feet and that not enough attention is paid to practising with the weaker limb.

Not sure of the 'handedness' of any of The Foxes players but I would settle for one effective foot on each if it meant they beat Sheffield Wednesday tomorrow. Given their disappointing 0 - 0 draw against Wolves earlier in the week, though, I am not holding my breath. If I did I would probably risk asphyxiation.

PS: I have solved my internet problem. Turned out to be interference from my lover's car alarm! So I've made him park down the road - and told him I will tolerate no more interference.