Marco Silva has explained the importance of maintaining Everton’s zonal marking defensive tactics, despite a few early issues.
So far this season, the Blues have looked vulnerable from set pieces, conceding three goals from corners alone.
While the squad are becoming accustomed to their new way of defending, Silva has acknowledged that there have been early issues, but the squad must press on and adapt.
Speaking to the Liverpool Echo, Silva said of his plans to continue zonal marking training at USM Finch Farm:
First, it’s the best way because I believe you can be stronger and play in that way in that moment.
It is something I have done since my first day as a coach and so it is my way.
In those moments you can do everything you can to study set-pieces but you don’t always find the magic in zonal or the magic with man to man.
But it is important, it is a new thing and, like our style, something we are working everyday to improve and it is something new to our players and I only know one way to improve: here, day by day and working hard.
Of course, it is clear we need to improve in that situation for us, as a team, to be stronger in that moment because if you can achieve a clean sheet in that moment then our confidence will grow as well.
One of the key arguments for man marking over zonal marking is that players can be held accountable, but Silva argues that zonal offers the same.
Rotherham made it 2-1 with a Will Vaulks header from a corner, four minutes from time in Wednesday’s Carabao Cup second round tie at Goodison.
And Silva has revealed that Dominic Calvert-Lewin, the scorer of two goals on the night, was at fault. He continued:
But you have your responsibility as well.
I can tell you, because I already told him, in that moment when Rotherham scored we don’t mark man to man but in that moment one of our players still had that responsibility.
I can tell you, because he knows as well, Dominic has that responsibility to attack that ball.
If he is man to man, he has that responsibility, if he is in a zone then he has that responsibility, it is clear to me.
