Gary Neville MNF, Everton Tactics - merged

[Beamer]

but why did we leave Hughes to mark their big and well known best header Fellaini when Hangeland would have been, to my limited knowledge, far more likely to negate his threat. Does look like a major tactical error which is not just hindsight but should have been obvious given the depth into which sides research and our previous experience against them.

[PokerMatt]

This just seems to be the way we defend, for as far back as I can remember with H&H.

Hughes always man marks the big guy - Crouch, Carew, etc, etc while Hangers covers the other striker/attacker. I always find it strange. But it used to work, at least.

[Steven Ageroad]

I commented to my son on Saturday that the man marking Fellaini most of the first half happened to be Riether, 5ft3in marking 6ft3in! Riether didn't bother to jump for high balls to Fellaini on a number of occasions, he just ran into him to try and put him off, unsuccessfully.

[Admin]

"Why wasn't Hangeland marking Fellaini? No disrespect to Hughes, he's a good centre half but Fulham's biggest mistake of the game was not swapping the pair and giving that job to 6ft 6 Hangeland".

Watching it again myself and looking at both goals, I think Neville has got it spot on. 

[JackyFulham90]

Yeah Hughes is a good defender but Hangeland needs to start taking control of headers in the box again, I think we may see Senderos soon

[JackyFulham90]

Fellaini is a top player he is tough to mark he played well Saturday he won't be at Everton next season

[Herbie]

It seemed to me that Fellaini was drifting along the line looking for space, therefore making man-marking difficult.

[EJL]

Neville is the best pundit around. Goes into detail rather than just explaining it like the viewers are idiots.

[Forever Fulham]

I don't think you have to match up height for height as a defender.  If you are stout enough, strong enough, with quick feet and good balance, you should be able to defend a taller striker.  Sure, he can use his height to glance a redirection shot off his head while his back is to the goal, but when the ball comes down, the quality defender does his job, denies separation, stands him up, shuts him down.   Vidic isn't that tall...  Seems like Crouch is scoring most of his goals with his feet, not his head, yes?  Fellaini has become a world class player.  I have to admire Everton and Moyes.  They manage to routinely do well with less money.   You look at some teams and you see a collection of players.  I look at Everton and see a team, where the whole is better than the sum of its parts.  Seems like they are missing that one creative attacking player to give them separation on the table.  Much as I hate to admit it, they outplayed us.  But we have way more new players than they.  It takes time to gel as a unit. 

[TWFL]

Did notice that in the match. The only reasoning behind it, that I can think of, is that if you make Hughes mark men, it leaves Hangeland free to go for the headers and direct threats. Saying that he didnt really do either of those things too much..

[LRCN]

hughes on the right and hangeland on the left. its how it's always gone. hence why they dont want to swap.

[Jack Fulham]

I always thought if they switched Fellaini would just follow Hughes.

[ffcbulgaria]

I always thought if they switched Fellaini would just follow Hughes.

yea its much easier for the forwards to shuffle around and if we had a stupid enough manager to have one of our defenders running all over the pitch chasing Fellaini we could've lost by 5...

Maybe Hangeland shouldn't have been marking the 6yard box for Fellaini's first instead of getting a step or two in his way to cut the pass or block the shot?

As for the other goal I dont see how switching Brede and Hughes would influence the game in any way but completely messing up our defence.

I don't watch mr Neville regularly if ever but I don't think he has got it right this time. Apart from set piece situations it just doesn't make sense.

[ffcbulgaria]

how do you use one of your defenders to man-mark someone who can be on any side of the pitch in open play without messing up your own defence completely?

[JBH]

how do you use one of your defenders to man-mark someone who can be on any side of the pitch in open play without messing up your own defence completely?

Exactly you can't  065.gif

[MJG]

When people talk about marking, are you talking about at set pieces? During a game the striker goes where he wants so its a case of the defender he's closest to picks up.
Hughes does tend to mark the big guys as he has a good jump and quicker than Hangeland around them.

[Herbie]

I assumed the reference to mean during the game, hence my point, as others have also suggested, that in open play you pass players on to make sure that you maintain a solid defensive shape.

Therefore, in reference to another thread about Neville's comments, which I didn't see, it seemed a bit odd since, from what I remember, both Fellaini's goals came open play didn't they? I might be wrong. 

During the set pieces down the Hammersmith End, i saw Brede swap with Hughes to mark Fellaini, so I'm not sure what Neville is referring to.  As i say, I havent seen the analysis so he might make a good case, but my opinion of the game was that Fellaini was a handful and was difficult to pick up.  It's not as simple as saying just stick Brede on him.

I do like Neville's analysis usually, but think he's being a bit unfair on Hughes here.

[White Noise]

http://theexecutionersbong.wordpress.com/2012/11/04/tactical-deconstruction-fulham-2-2-everton/

[ffc73]

I thought that Fellaini was intelligent in that he picked on players he could dominate (to be fair most in the PL) and avoided Brede.  Brede picked Fellaini up at set pieces.

Re Everton tactics.  Spot on apart from Moyes taking Mirallas and Jelovic off to run down the clock and put on defensive players to keep a 1-2 result.  Back fired on him.

[ffc73]

Thank's for that link White Noise.  It is an excellent deconstruction and spot on