Set Pieces

[refugee]

An article on the Guardian site today has a few stats on set pieces.

Considering how woeful our set pieces are, it's interesting to read that on average only 3% of the corners taken lead to goals. Gerrard gets a lot of criticism (and indeed he always has done), but most of our options have been equally useless since Garry Mac or maybe Spud when he was in the mood. Alonso and Coutinho are two that spring to mind who in theory should be better at set pieces than they are.

Full article here: http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/nov/09/real-atletico-madrid-set-pieces-steve-bould

A few interesting quotes:

Only 6% of free-kicks from dangerous positions lead to a goal. Corners? More like 3%.

over the past three years in the big five European leagues, 31% of goals have been scored from set pieces. 31%!

But it is no surprise that, since 2004‑05, teams coached by Sam Allardyce are better at scoring from corners than the Premier League average. Allardyce’s teams have scored 56 corner goals in 296 league games – an average of one nearly every five. The Premier League average is one in seven.

42% of Atlético’s league goals have come from set pieces since Simeone’s arrival – the third highest percentage in Europe, just behind Levante and Granada, with Espanyol fourth. Stoke, meanwhile, are fifth. And the two teams with the lowest percentage of their goals from dead balls since December 2011? Barcelona (18.9%) and Arsenal (18.6%).

 

[Athens]

I often wonder why Gerrard takes the corners. Then I wonder why he hasn't gotten any better at them.

 

[nealmac]

It's also quite worrying that we are completely fucking shit at defending set-pieces as well.

 

[OLD_Lewy]

Bring back the greek god of towering headers

 

[leftpeg]

I often wonder why Gerrard takes the corners. Then I wonder why he hasn't gotten any better at them.

Especially given that he's one of the better headers of the ball at the club.

 

[Brizzle]

Especially given that he's one of the better headers of the ball at the club.

This... he is a threat in the box, i'd rather have someone else taking them for sure.

 

[Red Mullet]

This... he is a threat in the box, i'd rather have someone else taking them for sure.

Yes but who?

Coutinho constantly skies it or hits the near post defender. Suarez could but he's gone. I've never seen Hendo take a free kick let alone a corner. Allen? but he's not in the first 11. How about Mario, who can hit a dead ball and he might contribute more than he does in the box.

 

[Athens]

Surely it's not too difficult a task to teach a professional footballer how to take a decent corner? Fuck sake, pay me 5 quid an hour and I could learn in my spare time.

 

[nealmac]

Surely it's not too difficult a task to teach a professional footballer how to take a decent corner? Fuck sake, pay me 5 quid an hour and I could learn in my spare time.

This. It's a fucking corner kick. Beat the first man and keep it away from the goalkeeper and you've pretty much nailed it.

 

[Brizzle]

You expect full backs and wingers to be able to cross so get one of those doing it.. Gerrard isn't even great at them and is more of a threat in the box. I'd have one of the full backs on the case.