When you analyse the 3 goals we conceded due to a mixture of poor positional sense and individual errors. The first goal conceded from Shaun Derry was a standard corner Liverpool tried to defend. As you can see, Jaime Carragher is circled in red, he was originally marking Cisse (behind Carragher) before the corner was taken. However, as the ball came in Carragher noticed that Henderson had let his man run of him so Carragher tried to come across and cover. You can see the white line between Derry and Henderson, that yard of space Derry found was vital in him scoring the goal. In the end Henderson was stuck on his heels and didn’t even jump with Derry. Carragher was the player who actually ended up battling for the ball. I think it’s safe to say Henderson was at fault for the first goal for losing his marker at the corner.
The second and equalizing goal by Cisse is a little more complicated. In the first phase of QPR’s attacking play down the left, we can notice a few things about LFC player’s positions. From the still attached at first glance maybe it doesn’t look like there’s much wrong. Jay Spearing is circled in red, and as a defensive midfielder do you really want to be leaving that much space in between the (blue) lines for attacking players to run into?
Also as the play develops it becomes clear that Spearing is too far forward to have any influence over the concession of the goal. Coates is marking Zamora (yellow box) and the ball (white line) is about to be played into the space in front of him.
As the ball is played into space then the danger becomes more apparent. Spearing again is marked in the red circle (phase two screenshot). If his original position in the first still was 5 yards back in between the lines then in this phase of the play he would be in a great position to cover in behind Coates.
Zamora now has the ball and if he turns Coates he has a free shot on goal. What happens is Carragher, circled in green (phase two screenshot), spots the danger and comes across (red arrow) to cover in behind Coates. This leaves space for Zamora to lay the ball off (yellow arrow) to Taiwo to get a decent cross in the box. Carragher does the right thing, he spots the danger and comes across, however, if Jay Spearing is in the correct position in the first place then Carragher does’t have to come out of position.
Continued on next page…
