Anyone know any stats for how often an opposition team scores on counter attacks from defending corners in the PL?
It might be seen that trying to directly score from corners rather than keep possession is deemed more of a risk than benefit
I agree.
Corners are a rather high risk, high reward proposition. Teams who fully commit to them tend to eat a lot more goals from resulting counterattacks.
For all the "risk" Pep demands with the ball at our feet, he seems absolutely risk adverse with situations that involve second balls, sheer luck and potential counterattacks.
Situations like corners... It's not our main strenght so why risk the exposure?
This is reflected in how we set up but also in how the corners themselves are taken.
Virtually none of our corners are at the backpost because they can be caught by the keeper or easily headed away into the opposition feet. Potentially starting a counterattack.
Short corners or corners towards the front post are a much lower risk for counterattacks so that is why you see us taking that route more often than not.
Another perceived benefit to the front post corners could be that you are forcing the opposition to try and counter from a less favourable position. (The side of the pitch the corner originated from...)
This makes it much easier for us to instantly win the ball back and cause havoc.
Don't have the numbers but we do seem to score a lot of goals from the secondary phase after a corner is headed away.
LOL. Just guessing here. I don't know what Pep and staff actually think. But it's fun trying to figure it all out... ;-)
