Corners

[City & Blue Brazil]

Teams need more than one way of scoring and dead balls usually produce a significant number of goals for most teams . When we were winning the title dead balls were an important part of that success and our failures in this regard will undoubtedly be part of the reason for our failure this season .

 

[CC1]

Do we ever win a header from one? Leicester, and every other team just head the corner away, and when they got a corner they win that one as well. What do we do in training? If we get a corner, we might as well just give them a goal kick and get back into position.

Nothing changes. All set pieces are dire: throw ins; corners; free kicks - nothing. We never see anything different- no planned movement. Training is a mystery.

 

[Kompany is King]

We need variety at corners & free kicks.

For throw ins we need to be far more aware & have pre-planned options available.

Hopefully Pep will drill players next season. This season though is a concern, we are only early March!

 

[Kompany is King]

Very good point. Get City to watch his delivery, practice it and produce it in matches.

Cannot understand why more players don't attempt what Khazri did against us for Sunderland. Might not score, but the ball being that close to the goal, and moving that quickly, is sure to wreak havoc.

 

[Mantel]

we are shit at them.

 

[Pringletelli]

Outswinging corners are just totally ineffective. They require an unbelievable header to get anywhere near the goal. Inswinging corners on the other hand usually are usually whipped and close to the goal, so they require a simple header to score. Until we sort out this fundamental flaw, we'll remain completely ineffective from them.

 

[Gabriel]

Very good point. Get City to watch his delivery, practice it and produce it in matches.

Only players currently capable of doing that are de Bruyne and Kolarov, and we'd be loathed to have the latter taking them from the other side of his defensive duties.

 

[Bluekiwi]

We are also absolutely shit with throw-ins.
A couple of our players might wander up to the vicinity of the throw but how many times do we win the ball and either mount an attack or get out of defence?

 

[Hesh]

They've been absolutely fucking appalling for years. Our training for corners is either non existent or perfunctory. Assuming that the ball beats the first man - arbitrary fines of 10k for failing to do this might concentrate the taker's mind - the only reason that we aren't getting on the end of our fair share is that we don't want it enough. We need a specialist setpiece coach whose remit is to get our delicate flowers to win headers in the box - Andy Morrisson maybe.

It's not likely to happen though is it. Barca aren't famous for their headed goals from corners and because we've made copying Barca our whole fucking raison d'etre we can expect shite corners til the Pep experiment is over.

 

[cleavers]

Assuming that the ball beats the first man - arbitrary fines of 10k for failing to do this might concentrate the taker's mind - the only reason that we aren't getting on the end of our fair share is that we don't want it enough.

Well most of the time the ball doesn't beat the first man, but when it does, our players attacking the cross have usually ran past it, ie its not directed to an area where we can attack it, and they end up having to stop and try to head a ball with no momentum.

 

[Exeter Blue I am here]

Well most of the time the ball doesn't beat the first man, but when it does, our players attacking the cross have usually ran past it, ie its not directed to an area where we can attack it, and they end up having to stop and try to head a ball with no momentum.

Part of the problem there is who's taking the corner, ie Navas. It's hard to explain but he has a very angular technique and a particular way of kicking the ball. Almost everything he does comes off the instep in some capacity even when he's trying to put his laces through the ball. When it comes to corners then his delivery is so pronounced that the ball's already out past the edge of the 6 yard box when it clears the first defender, and out beyond the penalty spot by the time it gets perpendicular to the front post. As you say, our players end up constantly having to try and head balls that are almost behind them and have no chance of generating any kind of power as a result. It's truly fucking painful to watch. Why he's allowed to take them I have no fucking idea, as he's probably the most ill suited player in the entire squad to do so. De Bruyne is far better at it, but alas............

 

[lastmanback]

One of the things you'll notice when pep comes will be corners.
We will not launch them in randomly.
Mostly be played short. Corners are a lottery and he'll try to keep
possession rather than the gamble of just lumping it in the box.

 

[cleavers]

It's truly fucking painful to watch.

Yep, as are most of our free kicks, and throw ins, and the biggest reason I won't be sad to see the back of Pellegrini, but the players don't improvise so they are just as guilty for me.

 

[Mr Ed (The Stables)]

I dream to ever see a "Hinchcliffe" type in-swinger, met by a 6 foot 2 inch player attacking on the back post.

Or a Bobby McDonald flick on at the near post with someone running in to head in.

It's obvious we don't practise corners or any set pieces and we just make them up as we go along.

 

[Ajm1985]

Yep, as are most of our free kicks, and throw ins, and the biggest reason I won't be sad to see the back of Pellegrini, but the players don't improvise so they are just as guilty for me.

Yep, it'd be quite easy for Silva to say 'hang on guys, these last 400 outswinging corners have been wank, Navas we're swapping'. But alas. I pretty much dread us having corners as we take them so poorly and it leaves us open for a counter

 

[cleavers]

Yep, it'd be quite easy for Silva to say 'hang on guys, these last 400 outswinging corners have been wank, Navas we're swapping'. But alas. I pretty much dread us having corners as we take them so poorly and it leaves us open for a counter

Silva takes plenty himself already, and they are no better.

 

[Ajm1985]

Silva takes plenty himself already, and they are no better.

I meant swap sides, it wasn't a Navas dig. They were both dire at Norwich. Outswinging corners offend me.

 

[Armaan]

Silva takes plenty himself already, and they are no better.

He's atrocious at set pieces, appreciate the one for Dzeko against QPR but majority for a while are poor.

 

[gomer27]

I hate our corners but they are no where near as bad as our throw ins which make me want to stop watching them

 

[blue b4 the moon]

Our corners are a great chance to counter attack us.

Our throw-ins we may as well just let the other team take them it'll save a few seconds as we never win the second ball even if we fluke the first.

The entire team ethos is just lack luster with no planning. It's almost as though the team are sent out with no real tactics or plans and we just hope for a mistake or a bit of individual brilliance.

The jokers in charge of the team are charlatans.