Learn how to defend crosses or lose the FA cup to Stoke

[ayrshire_blue]

Simples. All season long our weak point in defending is high balls into the box. Today we conceded yet another two headed goals.

Last week we never dealt with a very hopefull ball into the box against West Ham.

Stoke are far better in the air than both Everton and West Ham. Jones etc will run riot giving half a chance.

Signed,

A very worried blue.

 

[mancunial]

if you can,t handle crosses then you have to stop them coming in?

 

[Blue Haze]

Greatly agree. Horrible because they beat us in the first game with crosses.

Rodwell could have bagged one or two in the first half.

That was a piss performance defending crosses.

 

[BLUEMATT23]

I posted on this the other week.
EVERY game the following happens & it's NEVER rectified.

1/ Numerous free kicks given away in danger areas
2/ Corners not defended
3/ Numerous "free" headers from set pieces, only down to luck that they are not converted to goals
4/ The team switches off to much, it's no good Mancini saying we played well for certain parts of the game!, a game lasts 90 minutes!

 

[KolarovsLeftPeg]

Stoke won't have as much as the ball as Everton did second half. Home advantage played a part. Calm down, it's knee-jerk reactions like this that make our mentality so piss poor.

 

[ayrshire_blue]

if you can,t handle crosses then you have to stop them coming in?

Agree with this also. I don't like to single players out but Everton found it so easy to cross balls in to our box from their right hand side for the entire second half.

Ryantheblue - why won't they have as much of the ball? Plenty of times we have played "lesser" teams this season and they have managed to get balls into our box and win corners and free kicks without even trying. They know where our problems lie and will be looking to exploit them.

 

[KolarovsLeftPeg]

if you can,t handle crosses then you have to stop them coming in?

Agree with this also. I don't like to single players out but Everton found it so easy to cross balls in to our box from their right hand side for the entire second half.

Ryantheblue - why won't they have as much of the ball? Plenty of times we have played "lesser" teams this season and they have managed to get balls into our box and win corners and free kicks without even trying. They know where our problems lie and will be looking to exploit them.

I'm not saying they won't cross it. I'm just saying, they won't have the ball as much as Everton did in the 2nd half today. Home advantage played a BIG part today, our players shit themselves. On Saturday, they'll be 25,000 Blues there to lift them when 25,000 'Stokies' try and get on their back!

 

[citytill1die84]

I agree but if we had taken our chances we would of won so I say put the ball in the net and win the fa cup :)

 

[ayrshire_blue]

Hope you're right mate.

Very worried though, I can see the media reaction already if/when we concede from a set piece or cross into the box, that's what scares me. Well that and the fact Stoke are the most physical team in the league, Jones and co score plenty of headers.

 

[waspish]

if you can,t handle crosses then you have to stop them coming in?

This is my bug bear it's seems we are set up just to make sure we clear the headers that come into our box not STOP the crosses