Corners

[Corky]

There are not many decent targets for corners in the team, after Kompany and Demichelis there wasn't anyone on the pitch yesterday who can really attack a ball in the air yesterday.

Yaya taking them today for the Elephants but he is needed as a target for City.

 

[Stoned Rose]

Did anyone see West Ham's corners today? Or West Brom's?

That's how you take a fucking corner.

 

[Pezzer2]

Are the players actually aware of the statistic and how bad our corners really are?. I'm sure it would have hit home yesterday after the sarcastic cheering and chants. West ham looked dangerous from every corner today and Di Maria was whipping them in for the red s***e. Our lads cant beat the first man or they just drift in the air for the keeper to gather.

 

[We're not really here]

Have any of our legion of video analysts fucking stealing a living pointed out the stats?
It is over 24 hours on and I am still absolutely livid.

 

[Balti]

it's unbelievable that great professionals being paid so much money can be so shit at corners

 

[Blumers Bloomers]

Two hundred and twenty effing seven???!!!

Lord above.

Bring back Andy Hinchcliffe!

 

[Corky]

Two hundred and twenty effing seven???!!!

Lord above.

Bring back Andy Hinchcliffe!

I thought of that his combination with White for about 6 or 7 matches seemed to work, When Pearce took over we scored a lot off corners too, can't remember all the takers but Reyna (NYCFC) gave Fowler a tap in at the near post away in Kent.

 

[wolfie1988]

It'd be bloody lovely if we set players up to win a second ball from them. We never pick it up from the initial clearance.

I'm easily pleased me. If we win a second ball from a corner at Stoke on Wednesday I'm going on the pitch

 

[Nelly's Left Foot]

There are not many decent targets for corners in the team, after Kompany and Demichelis there wasn't anyone on the pitch yesterday who can really attack a ball in the air yesterday.

Yaya taking them today for the Elephants but he is needed as a target for City.

I can't remember Yaya ever heading the ball when under anything even close to pressure. He's big enough but doesn't really do headers does he.

But you don't have to be especially big to get headers in.It's all about movement and ,blocking defenders and the opposition making a mistake....provided of course you get the corner past the front man.

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

You're welcome, mate. If you can hold of it, take a look at Spurs' first against the Arse yesterday. Dembele (who was otherwise pretty poor) makes a diagonal run to the near post. The corner is put in just above head height. Dembele flicks it back over, the way you should, just to see what happens. Not complicated. Complete chaos in the Arse defence, Kane comes in from somewhere beyond the far post and, cool as you like, slots it home. A goal worthy of Aguero at his best. I'd like Pellegrini to show them that on Monday.

Just seen it now, absolute pathetic how Arsenal completely forgot about Kane, but even if Kane had been marked there can always be another player unmarked who can get the lose ball. Like you say, that was a well worked corner that resulted in a goal.

I'd like Pellegrini to show the players the second Kane goal en'all, but not going to happen as he appears to be stubborn in not wanting the players to play basic football.

But that's just it, isn't it? That how you take a good corner. You have a danger man sitting over in the far corner of the box, as if butter wouldn't melt in his mouth. He makes himself forgotten. It's an art which all the good strikers have. You have a couple of fairly dangerous decoy players run to the front post, as the corner is being taken, not before, not after, hypnotising most of the defence into following them. Seen it happen a million times. Flick back over the head, chaos, your danger man is sneaking in from the far corner of the area to the far post. Bang! Goal. I don't say it works every time, or even one in ten. I say that if you vary corners — some to the very far side of the box, beyond the keeper's reach, some swinging in and dipping so that they're coming down onto someone's head round about the area of the penalty spot, some doing just what I've said, some even taken short with a player who plays a very quick one-two, cuts to the byline and cuts the ball back and away from the keeper — again, a nightmare ball, that — you will make corners dangerous set pieces. Variety is the spice of life. And of footie. These men are amongst the what? two hundred ? best in their trade in the entire country, a country of literally thousands of footballers, amateur and professional. It's difficult for me to understand how they cannot put into practice what I — a shit footballer when I played the game, sadly — know.

P.S. The second Kane goal was class, and reminded me strangely of the stunning goal that Edin scored in 2011 against the spuds themselves at White Hart Lane, the one that left Friedel standing helplessly. Edin's best game for us, hands down. I kept yearning secretly for him to repeat that performance, and finally understood that it was a once in a lifetime thing.