• Dear Guest, Please note that adult content is not permitted on this forum. We have had our Google ads disabled at times due to some posts that were found from some time ago. Please do not post adult content and if you see any already on the forum, please report the post so that we can deal with it. Adult content is allowed in the glory hole - you will have to request permission to access it. Thanks, scara

Set Pieces

The Tweet isn't loading for me, so I don't know what it says, but I was very happy when Lamela swung over a corner which was NOT near post. It went straight to Foyth who got a strong header at goal. True, Lamela swung it out of play on the way, but it was so nice to see some variation, rather than hitting the first man in the chest or knee.
 
The Tweet isn't loading for me, so I don't know what it says, but I was very happy when Lamela swung over a corner which was NOT near post. It went straight to Foyth who got a strong header at goal. True, Lamela swung it out of play on the way, but it was so nice to see some variation, rather than hitting the first man in the chest or knee.
Same result though.
 
The Tweet isn't loading for me, so I don't know what it says, but I was very happy when Lamela swung over a corner which was NOT near post. It went straight to Foyth who got a strong header at goal. True, Lamela swung it out of play on the way, but it was so nice to see some variation, rather than hitting the first man in the chest or knee.
I agree, however low the probability of us scoring from one is, if we're going to put them into the box it's nice when they actually get there.

Obviously small beer when compared to the rancid pong coming from @Gazza's boot though.
 
If you can't see (or acknowledge) that there is a difference between a poorly taken corner and a corner that is poorly attacked , then I despair for you.
If a corner hits the first defender on the front post, is it well taken or not?
 
Almost never happens. Most defences initially line up to block early runs and defend later.
But you said "they got blocked/fouled". Surely if you are blocked/fouled and it is seen by an official (or VAR if being used), you'll get the penalty.
 
But you said "they got blocked/fouled". Surely if you are blocked/fouled and it is seen by an official (or VAR if being used), you'll get the penalty.
Not normally, no.

It has to be really, really blatant to get a pen there. Every single corner we take there will be players blocked from early runs
 
And how often does that happen?
Quite literally every single corner.

One of the many, many reasons why it's incredibly difficult to score from a direct corner - the defenders only have to stand their ground, you have to get around them.
 
I may have missed something but how do we know we're not practising corners? Has someone said something?

I always find this notion a little strange anyway because surely we practise defending them, which by logic means someone is practising taking them and attacking them?

Statistically speaking near post corners have the highest success rate. But they are also incredibly difficult to execute. Not just because the target area is so small but the runner needs to have timed his run perfectly and the ball also need to be delivered with the right amount of pace. And the defender needs to have lost their marker. There are just too many variables that need to come together in a perfect storm that it just doesn't seems worth the effort for something that has such a low conversion rate.

Is there even a problem anyway? We're 5th in the set piece table (1 goal shy of second, 2 off top). And to work on something that has such a low success rate means you have to spend a LOT of time on it. As training time is finite, that then means a LOT of time not doing something else.

For me if there was a choice i would opt for more skills training, or better yet 5 v 5 one touch only. Or even sit em in a room and go through mistakes in the game, tactics, strategy, motivation. Bottom line there are more important things to focus on in training. For me anyway, but i respect those that may have a different view.
 
Quite literally every single corner.

One of the many, many reasons why it's incredibly difficult to score from a direct corner - the defenders only have to stand their ground, you have to get around them.

Scara you're really setting yourself to fall with this Sissoko style belligerence, on the subject of corners not being worth the effort for an attacking team. I can pretty much guarantee you, that the game isn't going to change and there will be corners for the rest of our days. Granted, the quality of defending might improve, to reduce the odds of a goal like the one Kane got last month against Southampton, but when you watch someone like Pjanic deliver corners of the highest quality, they are worth pursuing. What will you say if Toby or Dier buries one in off the crossbar against Liverpool in the Champions League final?

 
Last edited:
I do wish people would understand football isn't math, 1 + 1 doesn't always equal 2.

- We practice corners, other teams practice defending them, because we don't score every game, or every x number of corners doesn't mean we aren't working on it, or we are brick.
 
Quite literally every single corner.

One of the many, many reasons why it's incredibly difficult to score from a direct corner - the defenders only have to stand their ground, you have to get around them.

Dont forget that "scoring from a corner" is actually, according to this thread, not the definition applied by OPTA and the like. Its far narrower and near impossible to actually happen. That way we have something to complain about when it doesnt happen every week.

And, of course, it is a major factor holding the team back. If only we gave up all other elements of training and simply practiced the perfect corner all week.

I do wish people would understand football isn't math, 1 + 1 doesn't always equal 2.

- We practice corners, other teams practice defending them, because we don't score every game, or every x number of corners doesn't mean we aren't working on it, or we are brick.

(some) People also understand that the likelihood of a corner regularly resulting in a goal is miniscule. To the degree where its not worth a 27 page thread!
 
Back