Corners (again)

[Chippy_boy]

Not really, because averaged out over all teams it might be 3%, but some of the more shall we say 'direct' teams do much better (see Atletico comment above). Also that stat of ours being 30 over three seasons, I'd like to know how many of them are actually within a couple of touches after the corner is taken ? I'd bet its not many, and the point is that most of ours are (and continue to be) pretty woeful (until the last couple of games at least).

I agree mate, and as Neville points out, it's just it could be so much better. If Stones and Otamendi were taught how to head the ball goalwards, we'd score 1 every couple of games.

 

[CrownPointBlue]

corners are so immensely overrated it's untrue. better off belting them back to the half way line and starting again.

Opening up the play is a legitimate plan. There are probably 10 options available from free corner kicks. I'd like to see Pep really innovate with a variety of plans. We can't do any worse...can we ?

 

[blueparrot]

Opening up the play is a legitimate plan. There are probably 10 options available from free corner kicks. I'd like to see Pep really innovate with a variety of plans. We can't do any worse...can we ?

I'd say the last 2 or 3 games he has tried a variety of plans, especially against Burnley with lot's of shorter corners. and against Palace we scored from taking it low across the box. As has been pointed out our record isn't as bad as we think so we could do better obviously, but we could do worse as well.

 

[Neville Kneville]

Despite what many pundits tell us I always prefer a good zonal system for defending corners. I remember reading a few months ago that Bayern and Barcelona dont put players on the posts, the idea being for the amount of goals that saves it is better to have more defenders in the box cutting out the ball in, or picking up the second ball. I can't say I've looked but if we arent putting players on the post it could also explain our better defending of corners.

Yeah the posts may be a factor. One day when someone eventually scores, Neville can highlight it & tell everyone what a dick Pep is for not putting anyone on there & they can all nod to each other sagely whilst steam comes out of Jamie Carragher's ears, as he's the only one who understands it..

I haven't studied it yet re corners tbh but it just looks better, which is weird considering the lack of height & ability in the air. But the attitude (shown by Sterling's ludicrous pen on Shawcross) is also much more intense. That is noticable. Silva etc are fighting with the oppo for key spaces rather than just staggering about as in past seasons. 2nd ball could be much better still & not giving the fucking ball away straight after, when we should be counter attacking.

Set pieces it's obviously very different, we line up half a mile from the keeper & that gives the oppo a bunch of new problems (apart from if we ignore onside runners or bent linos do) plus the oppo can't be on top of the keeper when the ball comes in, plus they have half City's team to worry about on a counter attack if they get the delivery wrong. All kinds of stuff.

But corners, very interesting & different, at both ends, whatever. DeBruyne's pass to yaya, fucking fantastic.

If we sign players who can head the ball, we might start scoring a fair few at the other end, which would be funny. Pep Allardyce.

 

[Chippy_boy]

Because I am sad, i've just checked how many corners we've had in our league games and it's 99 in 13 games. So we're averaging between 7 and 8 per game.

Make of that what you will.

 

[SWP's back]

Because I am sad, i've just checked how many corners we've had in our league games and it's 99 in 13 games. So we're averaging between 7 and 8 per game.

Make of that what you will.

So we've nailed 3%?

 

[Chippy_boy]

So we've nailed 3%?

I would guess so, but I don't know how many we've scored (my memory is crap and I haven't seen it in the stats).

As I said in an earlier post, perhaps I should have changed the thread title to reflect that what I am really talking about is headed goals from corners. We are probably getting around 3% overall, based on the general ensuing mêlée when the ball is bouncing around in the box. Rather than scoring directly.

But firing crosses over when we are one of the shortest teams around, and our tall players can't head for toffee, would seem like a dubious strategy to me. I'm all for us mixing it up a bit... or learning how to head the ball. Just imagine if we could lift that 3% to 5 or 6%, and the extra points we might pick up.

 

[Neville Kneville]

I would guess so, but I don't know how many we've scored (my memory is crap and I haven't seen it in the stats).

As I said in an earlier post, perhaps I should have changed the thread title to reflect that what I am really talking about is headed goals from corners. We are probably getting around 3% overall, based on the general ensuing mêlée when the ball is bouncing around in the box. Rather than scoring directly.

But firing crosses over when we are one of the shortest teams around, and our tall players can't head for toffee, would seem like a dubious strategy to me. I'm all for us mixing it up a bit... or learning how to head the ball. Just imagine if we could lift that 3% to 5 or 6%, and the extra points we might pick up.

It would make a huge difference. But I doubt Pep can teach the players we have, to head a ball properly. It probably needs new players.

I recon that was the biggest difference between us & the rags prior to us overtaking them. Well corners & free kicks (plus dodgy pens obviously).

It would probably have won us a couple of the games we have drawn.

 

[Sir peace frog]

why don't we get rid of aguero and get crouchie and john walters in

 

[cleavers]

why don't we get rid of aguero and get crouchie and john walters in

....or better still, why don't we try something different (we seem to have the last couple of games) than putting the ball into the box almost every time, which is the point the thread is actually trying to make, not that we need a "crouch".