City and corners

[cibaman]

Yep, I'd seen your earlier post and almsot commented in my broad agreement. I also suspect we've read some of the same articles :)

In the tables I've put up the total number of corners is 8337 with 241 goals scored - a conversion rate of 2.89%. This is a bit lower than your range of 3% to 5% but broadly in the same ballpark and accept totally it depends on the definition of when the corner is over. The figures I'm using are pulled through from sites using OPTA feeds and IIRC their definition is it is a goal within 3 touches of the corner being taken.

I agree to an extent about the barren patches and that was highlighted in no uncertain terms during the "corner counting" sequence last year! City's record of conversion is good as per the tables but perception is skewed because all teams have a low conversion rate. In the example we have failed 671 times out of the 697 corners taken so it is human nature to see the negative from what they consider is repeated failure. This is then probably compounded from the likes of MOTD highlights and seeing a team scoring from a corner.

The inswinging/outgoing debate is another interesting one as well and this was prominent under Mancini as well.

I also think that when this subject is debated fans tend to only remember goals that are scored from headers. I'll bet that when this subject is debated again in a few months, many fans will have subconsciously discounted Yaya's goal. Just as Fernandhino's winner against Villa last season, Kompany's title clincher etc are not taken into account when people discuss the quality of our corners.

 

[Marvin]

Even though we scored our first from an out-swinging corner, I do believe we would have more joy overall if we used the in-swinging corner. A right footer should take it from the left and a left footer from the right. If they are on the pitch then that would be De Bruyne and Kolarov, as they are our two best crossers of the ball.

Silva's corners are generally poor. Kolarov and De Bruyne should take them all

 

[Keepingthefaithsince1976]

I think out swingers work better. It makes the goalie work harder as the ball is going away from him. It is easier for the attackers as heading the ball back the way it came from increases the ball speed. If the corner taker aims to get the ball at about 6.5-7 feet in the air at the penalty spot area we will undoubtedly score more.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

So let me get this right. The tables I posted suggest we get just about the best results than any other team in terms of goals scored from corners and that has been consistently the case for some time. So you completely ignore that and infer a complete lack of planning or working on anything. Your viewpoint doesn't make sense mate.

I've looked at the 6 league goals we scored from corners this season:
1) Kompany v West Brom - hit straight and delivered in front of the near post. Looped over the keeper to just inside the far post
2) Kompany v Chelsea - similar to (1) in delivery and headed across the keeper.
3) Otamendi v Norwich - out-swinging and delivered just in front of the penalty spot.
4) Delph v Southampton - Kept on the floor. Everyone missed it and it came to Delph just outside the 18-yard box. Got a deflection on the way in.
5) Bony v Swansea - In-swinger delivered to the near post
6) Toure v Watford - low one to the near post.

The only one which you could describe as a "traditional" corner was number 3, which was an out-swinger that landed in front of the penalty spot. Of the others, apart from 4, all were delivered to or in front of the near post. The ones we've not scored from, which have been the overwhelming majority, have been out-swingers delivered past the penalty spot.

The moral of the story is that 5 out of the 6 we've scored from have involved us doing something different. If we have 12 corners in a game, I'd expect to see maybe 4 to the near post, 6 towards the far post (but split between in and out-swingers and maybe a couple involving something like the one at Watford. But what we'll get is 11 out-swingers to a place beyond the penalty spot, where the chances of scoring are minimal. A corner is a chance to get the ball into the area on your terms. We should make more use of that opportunity and we don't.