Set Pieces

[e14bee]

In general over the last few games our set pieces have been awful. I'm not addressing any other aspect of their play but Tabb, Hunt Frampton and Talbot have shipped some terrible deliveries into the box lately. Even Salaoko's corners and free kicks around the box haven't been up to much recently when he has played. Some times on corners we don't even get past the first man !!! My point is that this is such an easy part of the game to work on as play is dead. Look at Bolton this season, mixing it up with the big boys due to their set plays. The kick start for this thread was watching those two free kicks by AC Milan last night. By the looks of the highlights they were easily out possessed by Inter, yet two set plays with cracking deliveries and good headers at the end and they win 2 - 0. Imagine deliveries like that with Super Sam, Eddie H and Turner on the end, they'll bag them, job done. Let's get the quality of our set pieces bettered in the run in, this is where we might only got one opportunity per game and that needs to be taken.

 

[Simon C]

Too many of our corners are aimed at Turner or Hutch at the near post for a flick on.

 

[sussexb]

Why do we never have anyone at the back post, or making a late run round the back?? Burton's done it a few times recently, but in general there's no one there.

Schoolboy.

 

[maddogging]

and why on earth is dobbo still allowed to just belt his free kick, it is painful and sometimes embarassing to watch. It is during games this season that you think back on just how good Paul Evans was, every single free kick used to be a goalscoring opportunity, now they are just a complete let down.

 

[Berkshire Bee]

Too many of our corners are aimed at Turner or Hutch at the near post for a flick on.

Every time Talbot takes them all he does is chip it to the near post, so after the first few the opposition know whats happening, why don't they try and give it to someone on the edge of the penalty area to have a shot at goal (Just like Stephen Evans half volley last season when we demolished Blackpool).
As for free kicks every so often one will end up at the back post where Burton usually goes and he has a half chance but this doesn't happen often enough.

 

[Mr Cynical]

and why on earth is dobbo still allowed to just belt his free kick, it is painful and sometimes embarassing to watch. It is during games this season that you think back on just how good Paul Evans was, every single free kick used to be a goalscoring opportunity, now they are just a complete let down.

Yeh! IMHO we still miss Evo all round. Could definitely do with someone with his ability and leadership qualities..

 

[Streetboy]

and why on earth is dobbo still allowed to just belt his free kick, it is painful and sometimes embarassing to watch.

Exactly. Surely a professional footballer should be trying to do something with a bit more craft and guile than something anyone in the crowd could do – just belting the ball as hard as possible.
Oh for a Martin Grainger...

 

[Chop]

We need Marcus just in front of the near post for corners. We used to score loads of goals from his flick-ons. Mind you, we did have Holdsworth and Blissett in the team then to take advantage.

 

[warwickroadbee]

I'd give Kevin O'Connor a chance.. definately time for Dobo to stop belting them and if crossing them in to the box then I still think Salako is one of the best...

you're right though, we miss an Evans or a grainger or a tony folan, tony rougier... the list is endless

We need Marcus just in front of the near post for corners. We used to score loads of goals from his flick-ons. Mind you, we did have Holdsworth and Blissett in the team then to take advantage.

 

[North London Bee]

According to my calculations we have scored 11 goals from corners, 5 from free kicks and 3 times from long throws - that's 19 goals from our overall tally, an enormously high percentage.

Our corners have proved very productive.

Only 1 of the goals came direct from a freekick, Salako at Bristol City, hopefully an omen for Saturday

 

[warwickroadbee]

Good knowledge!

So we're actually quite good at set pieces... thats a turn up!

According to my calculations we have scored 11 goals from corners, 5 from free kicks and 3 times from long throws - that's 19 goals from our overall tally, an enormously high percentage.

Our corners have proved very productive.

Only 1 of the goals came direct from a freekick, Salako at Bristol City, hopefully an omen for Saturday

 

[Billy Hunt]

So we're actually quite good at set pieces... thats a turn on!

Floats my boat.

 

[Stuardo]

being good at and scoring from set-pieces is certainly not the perception that i have (nor others here it would seem). scored 11 goals from corners? really? do you mean: corner flighted in, header/volley and goal. or do you also count goals like Salako's against Colchester which got cleared but came out to him and he wallopped it back with interest?

5 from free-kicks? you have to also take into account that one of those must be Talbot's v Torquay which was just a blunder.

i am with most on this board - i find our set pieces disappointing.

YOU BEES! HERE'S TO 3 POINTS SATURDAY, TUESDAY AND SATURDAY!

 

[twig]

Set pieces, we seem to be hitting far to many of these low into the wall lately

Bring Back Terry Evans approaching at the far post

... at least we have the traditional wide on Gayles head option now.. who remember 'that' 0-0 at Elm Park when it seemed the only option we tried.

 

[shaun]

Good knowledge!

So we're actually quite good at set pieces... thats a turn up!

Or, we just have'nt scored that many goals in total......

 

[Beesnut]

Just like Stephen Evans half volley last season when we demolished Blackpool

It was two seasons ago,beat 'em 5-0,three of the goals came from corners.

We're not especially good at set pieces,let's face it.We get lots of corners,and quite a few free kicks.And we waste them.

If MA does train them to execute specific ones,then either they're not following them properly,or they're not up to scratch.

New ideas needed please MA

 

[jonny c]

Its not MA's fault, the players should be able to put their heads together and come up with a set piece other than smashing it into the wall.

 

[Beesnut]

Its not MA's fault, the players should be able to put their heads together and come up with a set piece other than smashing it into the wall.

When we had that indirect free kick against Peterborough,the one which was moved forward to the edge of the box,Adrian Whitbread was on the touchline motioning to the players around the ball to knock it back and then smash it.I didn't see who he was pointing at in particular,but as I said,he was certainly indicating that the ball should be laid back for someone to smack.Maybe there is a problem....

And I was refering more to corners than indirect free kicks,and over the course of the season,you're gonna get a lot more corners than indirect free kicks a few yards outside the opponents penalty area.

 

[jonny c]

When we had that indirect free kick against Peterborough,the one which was moved forward to the edge of the box,Adrian Whitbread was on the touchline motioning to the players around the ball to knock it back and then smash it.I didn't see who he was pointing at in particular,but as I said,he was certainly indicating that the ball should be laid back for someone to smack.Maybe there is a problem....

And I was refering more to corners than indirect free kicks,and over the course of the season,you're gonna get a lot more corners than indirect free kicks a few yards outside the opponents penalty area.

It shouldn't be a problem though, these are Pro players remember. Its not as if taking a corner and getting it past the first man is a big challenge. Or that MA can mastermind a goal - it needs a decent delivery, with some organization about who's running where - and of course a bit of luck.

And i dont really see your point about the free kicks? What im saying is the players shouldn't just blast it into the wall, it clearly isn't working - I would have thought it was one for the training ground, and not necessarily MA/AW to decide on.

 

[Beesnut]

It shouldn't be a problem though, these are Pro players remember. Its not as if taking a corner and getting it past the first man is a big challenge. Or that MA can mastermind a goal - it needs a decent delivery, with some organization about who's running where - and of course a bit of luck.

Then that,I agree is something that should be a matter of common sense,and the players should be able to work and adjust to the requirements of the situation.But MA is the manager,surely he has some ideas of what a good method of sticking the ball in the back of the net from a set piece is

I would have thought it was one for the training ground, and not necessarily MA/AW to decide on.

Isn't that one of the main points of the training ground?So MA/AW can tell them and train them what to do???

 

[jonny c]

Can see what your saying, but as you have said above surely it depends on the situation?

When above i said 'not necessarily MA/AW to decide on' i was referring to your post from earlier, where you say that AW was shouting at the players to blast it.
How useful was that idea? Id like to see the players take more responsibility.

 

[Beesnut]

Can see what your saying, but as you have said above surely it depends on the situation?

Yeah,fully agree,and that's when the player's common sense comes into it.What I'm saying is that we've used that front post flick on corner a lot,which would suggest it's one from the training ground,just like the Deon peeling off round the back from a free kick,so maybe a few new ideas from the training ground to give a wider range of possibilities.

When above i said 'not necessarily MA/AW to decide on' i was referring to your post from earlier, where you say that AW was shouting at the players to blast it.
How useful was that idea? Id like to see the players take more responsibility.

Well it was obvious for all to see that that idea was crap,and so yeah,the standard selection(as mentioned above)should be discussed and decided on the training ground,and then the players use their common sense the rest of the time.But surely they do that all the time,like Talbot thinks(you would hope)before taking his set pieces etc,and so is something needed to aid their thinking during matches?

 

[sussexb]

According to my calculations we have scored 11 goals from corners, 5 from free kicks and 3 times from long throws - that's 19 goals from our overall tally, an enormously high percentage.

Our corners have proved very productive.

Only 1 of the goals came direct from a freekick, Salako at Bristol City, hopefully an omen for Saturday

I find it amazing that we've scored that many goals from corners - but how many corners have we had in total? I just can't believe that we're that dangerous from them overall.

After all, if we had a "goals for" tally anywhere near anyone else's around us in the table, that 11 goals wouldn't seem quite so impressive!!

 

[Billy Hunt]

After all, if we had a "goals for" tally anywhere near anyone else's around us in the table, that 11 goals wouldn't seem quite so impressive!!

lol

That's funny. lol

 

[Beesnut]

What we need is Laurent Robert and Alan Shearer,their first goal against Sporting Lisbon a perfect example of what we want.

How much did we get for the cup run?

 

[Stanley]

Dare I say it... this is one area we looked more dangerous under Wally with Sonko et al??

Set pieces normaly require heading goal scorers, it is the one area Turner and others are weak on at the moment and maybe we are suffering from it, only Sodje looks likley to score.

 

[SCBee]

What we need is Laurent Robert and Alan Shearer,their first goal against Sporting Lisbon a perfect example of what we want.

How much did we get for the cup run?

After extensive consultation among board members and after the deduction of expenses, about £3.75 :

 

[warwickroadbee]

Naughty Billy Hunt... I could sue you for that

Floats my boat.

 

[e14bee]

Dare I say it... this is one area we looked more dangerous under Wally with Sonko et al??

Set pieces normaly require heading goal scorers, it is the one area Turner and others are weak on at the moment and maybe we are suffering from it, only Sodje looks likley to score.

It's far from the fact that the likes of Turner et al are weak at heading in the box, it's that the service is shocking !!! If North London Bee has calculated that we have scored that many goals from corners and set pieces (like to know whether they were all direct from those situations) then I'll have to go with it but 19 is only a small return on the amount of set piece opportunities we have had. Recently we have had situations crying out for a good ball into the box. Let's face it we have one of the best headers of the ball in the league who outjumped Crouch in two games, outjumped Evitt from Chesterfield and also in his one opportunity going head to head a few weeks ago at Donny outjumped Fortune West. Far be it from me to question MA and AW's training ground preparations but we know they watch the matches on video on Monday and must realise that this area of our game needs to be worked on and its not just up to the players to come up with ideas. Not only the AC Milan game on Wednesday but take note of Newcastle last night and for that matter Terry's goal for Chelsea against Barca. If you can score goals like that against some of the best teams in the world then surely you can apply the same rules to our division.

 

[Billy Hunt]

Naughty Billy Hunt... I could sue you for that

:blush

 

[Paul O'Brien]

I agree. Without JS in the side, our freekicks are poor, and our corners aren't that much better. The one thing that caught my eye early this season (and the eyes of some others) was how much better Jay Smith's corners were than anyone else's. Given his overall standard, that's a pretty damning condemnation of our general level.