I get that direct free kicks require a rare talent to be consistent, and that teams don’t score from corners that often. But our ability to just get free kicks and corners into a half decent area is terrible. And yet we have some very skilful players. I don’t get it. They must be able to practice a ball sitting still and hit within an a couple of metres of where they want.
Agreed. I maintain crossing the ball is the one and only part of the game that has got worse over the past 30 or 40 years.
Corners, free kicks, long range shots, headers - there are just lots of ways teams score goals that we are utterly terrible at. We are just bereft of goal scoring ability, throughout the side. It's stark and obvious.
My u -10’s can do it, they very rarely get their head on the end of it. Sometimes hits them in the face and it goes in. Surely we could manage that Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I miss the feeling of being excited by the prospect of a corner or free kick just outside the box. Instead, it's just a feeling of resignation that nothing will come of them. And nothing ever does.
Shout out to Deulofeu's first two corners today. First one, innovatively teeing up Capoue for a great chance with a header from outside the area, and the second where he pretty much kicked it out for a throw on the opposite side. Oh and well done Bobby P for hitting that same free kick into the wall for the fifteenth time in the last two seasons.
Another one to file under the "rank incompetence" category. Pereyra is 28 and hasn't scored a single direct free kick throughout his whole career, yet he's our number one choice every time there's one in and around the box! https://twitter.com/BaitVic/status/1203456795198590977?s=19
Ironically in QSF's first spell we scored quite a few from set-pieces - in fact that was just about all we scored in the second half of 2015/16 when Iggy's goals dried up. And a few goals from set-pieces is better than scoring none at all, which is what's happening right now...
Luckily I'm in contact with Graham Stack who said to send over stuff for the Liverpool game if him and Mullins were still in charge (although I'm still gonna send it over to him even though they aren't and ask him to pass it on). I've noticed a glaring weakness with Liverpool's zonal marking so hopefully my advice and routine are followed and we'll all be celebrating a set-piece goal at the weekend.
#inReidswetrust Looking forward to Pearson giving a big shout out to "Stackie" for noticing a glaring weakness in Liverpool's zonal marking system after we win 1-0...
On another note, @reids - given the post earlier in this thread that Pereyra has never scored a direct free kick in his whole career, presumably if you were ever in charge of set pieces, you'd take him off them? Surely we could try and engineer a shot from a different angle if we don't have a single player in the squad capable of getting a ball over a wall and on target?
Depends, he might have never been on free-kick duty at previous clubs which could explain it. I imagine they practice them in training and RP must do alright from them to remain on free-kick duty. None of our players have ever been clinical from free-kicks though so it's a tough one. I'm a big fan of short free-kick routines instead of taking shots from free-kicks so would indeed likely try and go down that route instead!
We will have to win a corner first. On a serious note I hope somebody does listen to you. Coaching isn’t a secret we share ideas then add or take away use a different player etc... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Is it kicking the ball into row z to waste time? I think thats probably our best shout. Seriously though, if we get a corner, try some wierd short corner jazz, give the ball away and liverpool score on the break, I'm starting a Reids out thread.
just a waitin game m8 do nother 14 corners then weev reached the 3/100 chance of scorin n.b. Could @Davidmsawyer check my approximate figures please.
Can confirm those figures for you. Some other depressing figures for you: We have had the 11th most corners in the league We rank 19th in terms of xG from corners (with 1.13 xG - only Palace have worse with 1.12 xG) We rank joint last in terms of goals scored (with Palace - both on 0) We rank last in xG generated per corner taken We rank last in expected conversion rate (1.36% - xG divided by number of corners taken) and actual conversion rate (obviously 0%) We rank 18th in number shots taken from corners (with 25, Villa are joint with us whilst Palace have taken 23 and Newcastle 22) We have faced the 10th highest amount of corners We have the 10th highest xGA (expected goals against) from corners We have the 11th highest xGA per corner faced We have conceded the 10th highest amount of goals We have the 11th highest conversion rate against (with 3.33%) We have the 11th highest Expected conversion rate against (with 3.43%) We have faced the 11th highest amount of shots (with 30) Defensive numbers are really consistent and middle of the pack and more in line with what you'd expect to see, but we are god-awful at attacking them.
Oops. 23rd should read 19th and 21st should read 18th. Been messing around with Championship stats too much!
It's happeninggggggggggg. Graham Stack is showing my analysis to Nigel, Craig + Hayden tomorrow. Scenes if they use my stuff.