Saints v Man U tactical analysis on Zonal Marking

[The9]

http://www.zonalmarking.net/2011/01/30/southampton-1-2-manchester-united-fergusons-switch-back-to-a-system-with-width-turns-game/

 

Decent enough article, does focus a bit on the Mancs, but then the site has plenty of their other matches to compare it to.

 

...have to disagree a little that O'Shea didn't get forward much due to being closed down by our front players, as I felt we deliberately stood off him and allowed him to have the ball, but at the same time seeing the sides laid out like that makes Chamberlain's narrowness make more sense, and his reluctance to attack down the flanks a bit more understandable (given the 3 v 3 in the middle). Obertan was also much more effective out wide than he was in the first 60 minutes, when he was gash.

 

It also means the Dickson substitution makes a little more sense with us trying to match their 4 across the middle once Giggs and Nani came on.

 

Have to say I didn't spot all that at the time (though it was obvious the Man U wide players actually playing on the touchlines and Nani's individual ability made a huge difference).

 

Will be nice to get a few more of these kind of things as we get back up the leagues. I expect a similar write-up of Exeter v Saints soon !

[Secret Site Agent]

I have never seen this site before. Don't know why but I must admit the technical aspect does excite me.

 

And not only that, we can see why and where we have succeeded/failed.

 

Loved to have seen what they made of the Dutch style and 'Total Foosball' we played before.

[Kingsland Codger]

Intriguing ... and all the more memorable for the use of the word 'trequartista'.

[Fowllyd]

A very interesting read, and well worth a thread of its own. I feel the comment that the first half balance of play was mostly down to Ferguson getting it wrong gives too little credit to Adkins and Saints; deprived of our best player, Adkins used a formation which he obviously expected to counter United, the players stuck with it excellently - and it worked.

 

The tactical switch that Ferguson made was clearly pivotal, but it would be foolish to ignore the quality of the players brought on at that time. Giggs and Nani would cause problems to any defence, after all. As the Zonal Marking piece says, though, another important aspect of the switch was to free Paul Scholes to play the way he does best; the previous formation didn't really allow him to.

[The9]

Intriguing ... and all the more memorable for the use of the word 'trequartista'.

 

There is a glossary on the site.

 

I prefer the "false nine" myself, but horses for courses, as I've no doubt Michael Owen says.

[The9]

another important aspect of the switch was to free Paul Scholes to play the way he does best; the previous formation didn't really allow him to.

 

Although to be fair I don't remember him hitting many 40 yard balls, hammering shots from just outside the box OR tackling crappily even after the change !

[Boris Karloff]

I know it's easy with hindsight, but I thought Adkins was a bit slow to change. It was clear that Fergie was going to change them around, and by the time Adkins really did anythign about it it was too late. Taking Barnard or Do Prado off and bolstering the midfield area was entirely logical as they didn't have very attacking full backs.

[The9]

There's also a hint of what Adkins claims our formation was () here : http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10280~2280546,00.html

 

"Guly played that position well I thought at the tip of the diamond.

 

The last game against Blackpool we played the diamond and we wanted to do that again. We then put Alex at the tip of it and gave Guly the situation where he could bomb forward and Chaplow on the other side."

[The9]

I know it's easy with hindsight, but I thought Adkins was a bit slow to change. It was clear that Fergie was going to change them around, and by the time Adkins really did anythign about it it was too late. Taking Barnard or Do Prado off and bolstering the midfield area was entirely logical as they didn't have very attacking full backs.

 

I thought we did well to concede our right to O'Shea early in the second half after he switched positions, because he was never going to be a threat going forward. Either that or Lambert was too knackered to chase him by then.

 

As yet I'm not entirely convinced we didn't just fold 'em at 2-1 down, knowing a replay was a game we didn't want - the substitutions certainly hinted at it. Another 2 weeks of not being much good in the league could have been very damaging with the number of games we've got to fit in.

 

And of course the Dickson switch directly led to their winner within seconds, but no-one's thinking that was deliberate !

[eelpie]

Very interesting analysis.

So we were at fault in not defending in depth once Giggs and Nani came on, and levelled the score? But I think Nigel was thinking of the long term promotion strategy. So there was no point in settling for a draw, a result one way or the other had to be achieved. Better to go down fighting, give Chaplow a rest with Tuesday in mind and have a look at Ngessen.

Good thinking in the circumstances.

[benjii]

The non-response to United's change was quite deliberate IMO. The solution was so obvious I can't believe Adkins failed to make the change by ineptness. I think we viewed the last half hour as a useful training exercise and weren't too fussed about countering United's change.

[Window Cleaner]

Very interesting analysis.

So we were at fault in not defending in depth once Giggs and Nani came on, and levelled the score? But I think Nigel was thinking of the long term promotion strategy. So there was no point in settling for a draw, a result one way or the other had to be achieved. Better to go down fighting, give Chaplow a rest with Tuesday in mind and have a look at Ngessen.

Good thinking in the circumstances.

 

Problem is Chaplow was baked by the time Giggs and Nani came on, could be a result of him being out through injury a couple of time already,could be because of the running he did in the first half but he was all in. Left Morgan all alone in CM and with less outlets in front of him.We tired badly and because we had nothing significant on the bench we paid the price. If we'd had say Hammond on the bench to come on at 65 and steel up the midfield and let Morgan push forward it would have been a different story I'm sure.Gobern couldn't do that job so we had to persist with the knackered Chappers who wasn't producing anywhere as near as much as in the first 45.

[The9]

Problem is Chaplow was baked by the time Giggs and Nani came on, could be a result of him being out through injury a couple of time already,could be because of the running he did in the first half but he was all in. Left Morgan all alone in CM and with less outlets in front of him.We tired badly and because we had nothing significant on the bench we paid the price. If we'd had say Hammond on the bench to come on at 65 and steel up the midfield and let Morgan push forward it would have been a different story I'm sure.Gobern couldn't do that job so we had to persist with the knackered Chappers who wasn't producing anywhere as near as much as in the first 45.

 

The other issue of course being that once United got ahead they could play "keep ball" without needing to threaten. Which if anything makes our ability to do it early in the second half, when they should have been chasing us for all they were worth, all the more impressive.

[suewhistle]

As yet I'm not entirely convinced we didn't just fold 'em at 2-1 down, knowing a replay was a game we didn't want - the substitutions certainly hinted at it. Another 2 weeks of not being much good in the league could have been very damaging with the number of games we've got to fit in.

 

Must admit that thought occurred to me as the substitutions were made. A result either way was what we wanted, even if we'd quite happily have accepted a 1-0 win!

[derry]

The first goal was preventable, as Harding was working his socks off to block off Obertan Chamberlain stood five yards away and didn't bother to get goalside of Harding which would have blocked off Obertan.