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If clearing the danger is the definition of a proper defender, I am happy to announce Lindelof cleared the ball 5 times, which is more than anybody else on the pitch. So please, stop using the ” he is expecting other to do his job” because its obviously not true.
The deflection went in Sevilla's favor. Lindelof was covering the space in front for the near post run or if De Jong spun off AWB. AWB tracked De Jong from outside the box or at the very top and that was his man to mark, no space. The CB marks space and is feeling the space and feeling anything behind him knowing okay, I've got my teammate there (who by thr way isn't goal side and still hasn't been).
It's Lindelof's man. He should take responsibility, same as against Chelsea where he passed the buck on to De Gea hoping he'd make the save.
We do not know what Bruno told him, in the first place
De Jong when he makes contact with the ball is literally in the middle of the goal, on the edge of the 6 yard box. And Lindelof doesn't even know he's there. Zero exaggeration.
No, it's not. Lindelof should have been a bit closer to the goal to clear the cross (or De Gea could leave his line for once) but that was 100% AWB's man all the way up to the point he inexplicably stopped and stood still.
And it's Lindelof's responsibility to have the area in front of him covered. The center forward makes runs off a defenders movements and decided to go straight, in front of AWB who was next to De Jong the entire time until he stopped.
So he's accounting for one possible eventuality? what kind of defending is that?
Unless he has his eyes behind him, he did not see the man until it was too late. I know this is a Lindelof bashing thread, but it is ridiculous to say it is not AWB's fault, when the man was strolling right in front of him. He just stood there blinking for whatever reason. Just because his job is to stop the attacks from the sides, doesn't mean he allows players to run through centre.
Of course Lindelof knows he's there....but where was AWB? Defensive cover and rotation are always taught and covered.
Course he knows he's there. He checks over his shoulder, twice, and sees AWB picking him up twice - as he should be. So that's 100% exaggeration. If AWB, for whatever reason, can't start what is essentially a static man, then he communicates with Lindelof. This notion that FBs are incapable doing their job without being baby-sat is total nonsense. That man is AWBs responsibility. Always.
Lindelof and any other CB are anticipating a cross. Ground or air. They are ready to play and react off of any cross. The ball was aimed at De Jong, it wasn't a header that beat Lindelof or United. It was a deflected pass that De Jong kicked into the net.
Totally agree. AWB has let his man go, whether it's tiredness, or just switching off I wouldn't know, but AWB was close to him, Lindelof closed the space at the near post, so it's an AWB mistake in my opinion. I think Bailly is a better defender than Lindelof, so would always have him in my team, but fairs fair, Lindelof did nothing wrong in my eyes. Hindsight is a wonderful thing isn't it.
But what if the cross had been aimed at De Jong's head? You'd have been happy with AWB as the man to mark him? Don't you think it would be better to have the player that's stronger in the air marking him? Again, nobody could possibly know what type of cross is going to come in... so the argument that he kicked it into the net doesn't fly, as unless I've missed something, Lindelof cannot predict the future.
Why does lindelof need to cut off space at the front post with 1 man in the box?
Its a strange point really. He anticiped a cross? By standing in an area in which he thought the cross would come. You anticipate a cross by marking an attacker who is right near you. Not to mention Maguire was in front of him too.
I do not understand how there can be any kind of argument about what you are saying. Its 100% correct.
Because A). Players move and B). Balls can't teleport. They need to move through the space the 'ghost' I'd occupying. But Lindelof standing on AWBs toes, doing the same job as AWB makes much more sense.... somehow.Why does lindelof need to cut off space at the front post with 1 man in the box?
He should be worrying about the man that scored the goal, not the invisible ghost at the front post
Yes AWB could have done more to block him also, but Lindelof needs to be aware of his surroundings and realise there is literally 1 threat, and that's De Jong.
If he marks him tightly he block De Jong moving forwards on the cross and he doesn't reach the ball. Instead he doesn't do anything to effect him and he gets an easy tap in 5 yards away form the goal. None of the defense cover themselves in glory but Lindelof is the main culprit.
De Jong isn't AWBs man to mark, it's Lindelof and he should be taking responsibility.
De Jong is literally the only player in the box. The only way that ball is going into the net. He should not just be content that our RB is picking up their 6"2 centre forward and leave him 1vs1. At the very least he should be be opening up his body position that he can see the danger and help out AWB. The fact De Jong scored from where he did (middle of the goal, 6 yards out) and Lindelof did nothing to affect him says it all. That is why Bruno was going mad.
You don't mark someone that is already marked, because that makes one of you entirely redundant. Which is why DMs when they are the extra man don't stand next to the CB to mark the striker. They shield the space in front to try and stop the ball reaching the player at all.
Yes he's literally the only player in the box. He's also literally able to move, meaning preventing the ball reaching him is as important as challenging him when he gets it. What has being 6'2 got to do with it when he used his feet to finish? Yes he should have opened up his body. Unfortunately, the deflection from the cross meant even if he was side on he wouldn't have got there. If there is any kind of low cross or near post run then that's Lindelof all day long. Do we think LDJ is incapable of making that run? If the ball takes a natural flight into the box then Lindelof wins the header. If AWB doesn't explicably decide he doesn't want to defend then we don't concede. If Maguire doesn't go waaaay past the near post then Lindelof doesn't have to cover across. Honestly, it's like defending space and shuffling across is a foreign concept and hadn't been occuring in football for 50 years.
I think the argument is that Lindelof has the ability to predict the future, and so knew beforehand exactly where the cross was going to go and so stood their in anticipation... but this new found superpower has one weakness - deflections. Once deflections come into play, his predictive powers failed him and he is helpless to do anything. Or something.
People double up on people all the time... at corners/crosses etc... one in front/one goal side. It's a pretty normal thing when you have men over.
Yeah he was like I'll deal with the cross withoud doing anything and standing in no man's land.
You either try to shield the space standing a lot closer to the player making the cross or you mark the player. this way he expected AWB to deal with De Jong but was poorly positioned, he concluded he'll be able to deal with the cross and he concluded that or stood in that position based on really nothing.
No they don't. The smaller player gets touch tight to prevent the run while the bigger player tends to zonal defend. They literally 'mark the space.' And usually, if a team concedes a goal from that set up, we get the same old its a mismatch!' nonsense spouted.
And if AWB was positioned properly, and let's be honest he absolutely should be positioned properly seeing as he followed him into the box and stood stationary next to him; is that goal scored? If there is a near post run do we think it's fine that two players are marking one man? Or do we then use the power of hindsight and wonder why we just left a chasm at the front post? Both situations would be deemed wrong
Defending space, sometimes also called ball watching depending on how it's done.
You don't understand football mate. AWB stopping to mark his man is stupid. But even if AWB was continuing to mark his man it's still De Jong who would likely get to the ball first because AWB was behind him.
So we've moved from not marking, to bad positioning to ball watching. Keep the consistency chaps!
Well if you have two men on him he'd probably be unable to make that run as the man in front would be blocking him off... and even if he were able to make such a run, one of the defenders could easily match it and make the block (this is something that Lindelof is actually very good at when he's marking someone).
I agree. He makes really bad mistakes and needs upgrading. Another bench player
