Corner conundrum

Today there has been a lot of discussion about our ability to score, mainly with reference to our predilection of walking the ball in or taking too many touches before shooting rather than trying snap shots or efforts from long range. Graziano Pelle is a prime example of this, a player who used to have take a high number of speculative efforts every game, however with his confidence in decline these have evapourated.

In our last four games, we have had 26 corners and only conceded seven corners ourselves, however we have failed to convert or from any of these and I cannot remember many goal scoring opportunities arising from them. While we do not have the biggest side, we must surely be able to capitalise from some of these. Unfortunately, Ward-Prowse and Tadic have over-hit or picked the goalkeeper out on numerous occasions in recent times. Therefore should we have someone waiting on the other side of the pitch and should we also have someone at the front post as well as someone on the edge of the box for a long range shot?

Any thoughts or ideas.

 

One thing: we need someone lurking beyond the back post more often. It's good to have someone diving down when the corner comes in, but all those overhit corners seem to end up landing on the edge of the six yard box with no one in sight.

 

As I have said before, we've had a problem with corners for years. One great season of Fox (in the Championship) and that's it really.

Even when we get a corner in the 92nd minute, with scores level (or us one goal down), I can't get excited.

 

Jwp fizzed in a great corner against Everton and we scored, albeit a lukaku og. But they are few and far between.

Like you say can't get excited when we get a corner, we just don't look a threat.

 

One of the centre backs, or Pelle, should be making a back post run. Another player (or two) should always be making a near post run, to flick the ball on if it is under hit. Our corners are also too predictable at the moment. We need to mix it up more.

 

There's your solution.

 

I scream this every single week!!!

 

This was what Lambert used to do.

 

A few of the deliveries from corners have been incredible, whipped balls into the right areas but we just haven't been attacking the ball with enough purpose or regularity.

 

I agree. We seem to have a standing start. I tell my Under 14s to get three players to stand on the edge of the area and not to start their runs until just before the player connects with the ball. It is incredible how many times, they get headers at goal. They are 13 and 14 years old. It isn't difficult really.

Toby v Palace. The corner was put in a similar area to a lot of yesterday's corners ... he attacked it. He scored.

 

Didn't Fonte hit the crossbar from a corner lately? I think JWP is trying to hit the perfect corner. All that pace and fizz and bend - but the attackers aren't ruthless enough and the delivery isn't reliable enough.

 

Was indeed a shame yesterday that Liverpool just couldn't handle us down our right side yesterday, yet time and again we failed to threaten with our free kicks from out there. Almost every attack resulted a in a foul in the same area, usually on Clyne, who was a beast. and we failed to learn or improve on our attacks from those zones after countless attempts. You often hear phrases like so-and-so would put that away 9 times out of ten - but we had so many identical chances from the same zone yesterday, and always did the same thing. I still think if Mignolet had been sent off, the result (maybe not the score) would have been the same. Probably would have remained at 1-0. We were already all over them, even with 11 v 11. Just really wasteful from deadballs - none more than that free kick which Schneiderlin put to Djuricic and which just ran out of play for a goal kick.

 

JWP delivered a perfect corner against Palace away. The result: a thumping header from Toby past Speroni. JWP is more than capable of delivering, we just don't take advantage often enough.

 

The reason we're not scoring from corners is because goals from corners are astoundingly rare. If you count a goal from a corner as "within three touches after the corner", it takes 45 corners to get to a goal. Whether you agree exactly with that definition or not, it certainly reflects the perception of a corner crossed in and banged away.

Here's an excellent article on the subject: http://www.soccerbythenumbers.com/2011/05/why-goal-value-of-corners-is-almost.html

I read that about three years ago and since then have never feared our opponents' corners, though I do still try to get excited about ours, quite illogically.

Vin

 

as mentioned three posts up

 

Which suggests that we should take more short corners and probably why Barca in their pomp always took a short corner.

*sits back and waits for LTL*

 

Didn't see it. Anyway, I thought I'd post it as I witnessed it live.

 

Indeed. Unfortunately I can't remember where I read it but apparently Barcelona very deliberately decided to use corners purely as a way of (re)gaining possession in the final third.

I might have read it in "The Numbers Game" - which I recommend wholeheartedly if you like statistical truths rather than just gut feel impressions about football.

Vin

 

I suppose players must be better at defending corners than they used to be if scoring from a corner is rare (at least at a high level). I wonder if corners are more likely to result in a goal as the standard of football goes down. I know at youth level it seemed as likely that a defender would score as the attacking side....put a ball into the mix and anything could happen