This is something I was told when I was 11 years old. It is something I tell my boys team that I coach. Every game, there is at least one golden opportunity to score a goal by being in the rough vicinity of the far post. You may be next to it, beyond it by 5 yards or even beyond it and 10 yards out. Every game I watch, there are chances if someone occupied that position. Every game I watch Saints, we don't have a player occupying that space. I don't understand why not?
I think it works better at 11 years of age. The adult game requires a little more sophistication. But it's a good place for youngsters to start before the centre backs become too savvy for it.
Sophistication? Like... make a run towards the far post? Game after game, I watch us leave that space empty. Set-pieces especially. It is a simple game remember. As an 18 year old playing at a good level, my job at corners was to stand on the far post. I was never marked as there was a player on the post who would appear to be marking me. As the corner was taken I would move backwards towards the corner of the 6 yard box .... the number of times that the ball would miss everyone and come through was numerous. It happened yesterday a few times too.
That's where Rickie's positional awareness was so good, he must've have scored and created countless amount of goals by pulling on the shoulder of the full back and waiting for the diagonal ball to him. He was probably the best at doing that since the late, great Ron Davies. It is a simple tactic, but a very effective one with the right personnel in the team.
Absolutely. How many times does Pelle pull off to the far post? He usually stays central. Pulling off to the far post gives the defenders a problem... they have to go with you, but also leaves a big hole I the middle for someone else.
Watch Fonte when he comes up for corners and free kicks. He normally stands at the edge of the box near the middle, but once the ball is played he often runs for that far post. I think the problem is that so many of our corners either fail to beat the first man, or soar way over everyone's head.
**** - you have seen me play. If it was in the air, I'd always duck... too dangerous to be going up for headers
Shane Long makes the far post run. Jay Rodriguez did as well. Not that either of those players is the greatest aerial threat in the world, but they at least knock some balls down or get the occasional poacher's goal off of bounces/deflections. Pelle does it when he has time to get there. Elia and Mane don't. Which is okay I guess, both of them are somewhat small and it's not really their game. But when you play both of them together, it's all speed. Teams just hack them down, or they outrun our own attack so when they cross no one has time to get into the area. I think we miss Bertrand, because he is always willing to make the overlapping run and get to the byline. It gives us an extra attacker which means that someone can fill that space at the far post. Tadic as well, because he will actually hold the ball for a bit instead of driving at/trying to get behind defenders all the time. When you have both of them creating havoc down the left, it pulls defenders out, which opens up more space. Pelle has had some off games recently, but I thought he played pretty well yesterday. We were disorganized in attack save for the longballs, which I know we probably should have had at least one pen but still, we were a little too one dimensional, IMO. It seems like most people want to go with the three fast guy attack, and I can see the argument for it. But I think we need to get Tadic and his creativity involved in the game, which means moving him back to the left. Also not sure about Djuricic yet. But maybe he can be a central player in the hole, and provide a little more defense-unlocking prowess than JWP or Davis.
I am interested that you thought Pelle played pretty well yesterday. He hardly won a ball in the air against Skirtl and most of his service was in the air. Can't blame him for that, but can't see that he played pretty well.
Admire the honesty...! On the Pelle front, I thought there was/has been a noticeable change in his facial expressions on the pitch - he is almost apologetic now, blaming himself for some of the chances he scuffs; whereas he used to be ultra-demanding of other players, and be having a go at them for not giving him the type of service he needs, even when he has skied a shot from 10 yards. It was clear yesterday he was questioning himself.
I totally agree. Everyone bangs on about not beating the first man at corners and free-kicks but a ball sailing out of play without anyone challenging for it is equally as bad IMO. Even if they can't score directly they can get it back into the box. As TFL says, we rarely have someone in that position and it's a real waste of an opportunity. It also makes the dead ball kicker (usually JWP) look poor when in reality he's quite often being let down by his team mates.
MLT took amazing corners. Maybe we hire him as corner coach? Is it just me or are a lot less goals scored from corners in the PL these days? Not just us but generally? A corner used to feel like a FK, now it feels like a throw in.
I've got a question for you - what's the rule in setting 'screens' in football? Seems this tactic is quasi used with one player in front and another hiding behind him as a corner is taken, in an attempt to shake a defender. I assume this is ok as long as the screen is stationery? But I'm surprised it's not used more often, like in basketball. A manager could set some elaborate obstacle courses for defenders if they had a mind to.
Diego Costa is a player who does this. We're missing a trick for sure. Our corners have been awful deliveries of late anyway.
