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Set Pieces

I know some of you have been throwing shade at our coaching team
Particularly @metalgear

I know many of you feel we are poor at our own set pieces and weak at defending them; tell me then, is this man lying?

From https://www.football.london/tottenh...ews/ange-postecoglous-key-mathys-tel-30927706


Also key for Postecoglou has been the dramatic change in set piece work behind the scenes within his staff.

football.london understands that assistant coaches Nick Montgomery and Mile Jedinak have been working closely together this season with hours spent on the Hotspur Way training pitches improving the team's set pieces at both ends of the pitch and the difference is clear.

When Son Heung-min swung in a dangerous corner in the 29th minute that struck Vitaly Janelt and bounced into the net, so Spurs made it eight set piece goals scored in the Premier League this season. That's just two fewer than the much-lauded set piece kings down the road Arsenal.

Montgomery and Jedinak's work at the other end has resulted in only six goals conceded from set pieces in the Premier League. That's fewer than Arsenal and Bournemouth, while Manchester United have conceded 11 and Wolves a whopping 17.

What makes the set piece work all the more impressive is that Spurs have been doing it without their key defenders and many of their tallest players. There's been no Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven or even Dominic Solanke to get their head to the ball.

Players like Ben Davies and Pedro Porro are not the tallest and Archie Gray has had to be taught how to defend like a centre-back, having not played in the role other than as a schoolboy. Davies spent much of Sunday's game talking the teenager through what he had to do against Frank's huge side.

Even Djed Spence at 6ft was coming up against the giants in the Brentford team yet all of them defended in exactly the way they had been drilled and with real determination. Richarlison also added his heading ability to the mix, taking one powerful shot bravely on his forehead in the first half.

Spurs are now right up there in the stats of being an attacking threat from set pieces and defending them.

It's about crosses as well with Brentford curling 30 of them into Tottenham's box on Sunday, as well as a barrage of long throws. Yet Spurs held firm and made it back-to-back clean sheets
 
We need to review each goal conceded, ask questions aa to why it was conceded and what could be done differently if a similar situation played out in future or to prevent that similar situation. We need to learn to defend well from far post crosses, to have that player there to cover and to stop that opportunity.

But, our set pieces improvement is impressive and has gone so under the radar. I didn’t have any idea that we would be so close to Arsenal in terms of set pieces scored. I do think that we have looked better defensively from them which showed some level of overall improvement without the stats. I wonder how long the narrative about us being poor at defending set pieces will continue with the media though.
 
I
El Guepardo said:
We need to review each goal conceded, ask questions aa to why it was conceded and what could be done differently if a similar situation played out in future or to prevent that similar situation. We need to learn to defend well from far post crosses, to have that player there to cover and to stop that opportunity.

But, our set pieces improvement is impressive and has gone so under the radar. I didn’t have any idea that we would be so close to Arsenal in terms of set pieces scored. I do think that we have looked better defensively from them which showed some level of overall improvement without the stats. I wonder how long the narrative about us being poor at defending set pieces will continue with the media though.
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We also became better when vicario got injured right? Foster, Austin and Kinsky all dealt with being manhandled and covered the six nos line like any other epl keeper would. We will see when Vicario returns.
 
metalgear said:
I
We also became better when vicario got injured right? Foster, Austin and Kinsky all dealt with being manhandled and covered the six nos line like any other epl keeper would. We will see when Vicario returns.
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Around the same time we brought in a physical and aerial presence in Dragusin. I know people have been blowing smoke up Gray's arse, and more recently Davies, but some of the basic defending Dragu did was immense.
 
Does anyone remember the days when Dier used to win almost every header at corners, BUT still always put them just wide or over?
Since we have played with Dragusin and Gray I don't think I've seen either of them win a header. Maybe that is why we have Son just swinging them in towards the keeper and players piling in like Arsenal were doing earlier in the season.

VDV and Romero win the odd header when they go up for corners but are not exactly monsters. I wonder what Danso will be like...
 
I played for mens football for 20 years I'm no tactical genius but I know you conceed most goals in open play by losing possession in your own half. Our forwards do not retain the ball well enough and get us caught with our midfield in wrong position to defend, a good holding midfielder would help but not solve the initial problem.
 
dingdongo said:
Does anyone remember the days when Dier used to win almost every header at corners, BUT still always put them just wide or over?
Since we have played with Dragusin and Gray I don't think I've seen either of them win a header. Maybe that is why we have Son just swinging them in towards the keeper and players piling in like Arsenal were doing earlier in the season.

VDV and Romero win the odd header when they go up for corners but are not exactly monsters. I wonder what Danso will be like...
Click to expand...

I agree but virtually every goal scored from a corner should be disallowed due to the WWE melee at them, its pot luck if referee and his bum chums sorts it out.
 
K.D.D.D.D.Soc said:
I played for mens football for 20 years I'm no tactical genius but I know you conceed most goals in open play by losing possession in your own half. Our forwards do not retain the ball well enough and get us caught with our midfield in wrong position to defend, a good holding midfielder would help but not solve the initial problem.
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I think that's harsh on Solanke...one of the best forwards at holding and retaining possession.

(Sonny...yes indeed not great)
 
ricky2tricky4city said:
I think that's harsh on Solanke...one of the best forwards at holding and retaining possession.

(Sonny...yes indeed not great)
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I'm thinking "just pass the ball, don't lose it" 90% of the time Son receives the ball facing our goal under any kind of pressure...

Ball retention and turning average possession under a bit of pressure into a decent attacking move is one of the key reasons we've been missing a dribbly winger, like Odobert.

But also some issues deeper with losing possession and not progressing the ball with purpose.
 
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