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In the first season when Bob came here, we were the best team in the league at set pieces. We scored 19 goals from corners or free kicks, but we had problems with the defending. Bob used a zonal marking, instead of a man to man that made us receive a lot of goals.
Last year, he started to fix the defending problem, but the offensive set pieces started to decline. We scored just 3 goals.
This year, our offensive set pieces were again not very productive, scoring only 3 with huge lads up front like Dzeko, Micah, Vinnie, Savic, Lesco, Yaya.

The delivery into the box is usually shit and often fails to clear the first defender. Drives me mad.

I like our short corners, they tend to draw defenders out before putting a cross in (AJ chose to shoot today though, and put it over)

Never seem to work.

Beside those above, i think we have a crossing problem. We have the tendency to use almost every time arial croses and in 90 % of the times, the defenders don't have any problems with them. On the other hand, although i hate this, Scum almost in every moment, they prefer low crosses, in front of the 6 yard box where anything can happen.

I thought we were a bit unlucky with a couple tbh but I'm always for working to improve it.

The short corners seem to have provided opponents with plenty of problems this year. Bit worried about the ordinary crossing option as the movement hasnt been that good of late but there again neither have the crosses.

I was really disappointed today when we go that one which was ideal for Nasri to hit that one to the far post that curls in to give the keeper nightmares and instead he played it short to Kolarov for a shot.Needless to say he didnt get a shot in.

PeterParker wrote:Beside those above, i think we have a crossing problem. We have the tendency to use almost every time arial croses and in 90 % of the times, the defenders don't have any problems with them. On the other hand, although i hate this, Scum almost in every moment, they prefer low crosses, in front of the 6 yard box where anything can happen.

You mean low crosses like we did against United at the swamp?

The issue with crosses is that more often than not the player who should be on the end of the cross actually contributed to the move a couple of passes before so is rarely in an advanced anough position to profit from the final ball. That is what Hernandez excels at, and what I thought we might get from Aguero, but he is playing more and more withdrawn as time goes by so we still need an out and out goal scorer to stand on the shoulder and occupy the last man.

No idea who would fit the bill though

Douglas Higginbottom wrote:The short corners seem to have provided opponents with plenty of problems this year. Bit worried about the ordinary crossing option as the movement hasnt been that good of late but there again neither have the crosses.

I was really disappointed today when we go that one which was ideal for Nasri to hit that one to the far post that curls in to give the keeper nightmares and instead he played it short to Kolarov for a shot.Needless to say he didnt get a shot in.

Didn't Bob and the other staff member have any tactics at training for the pieces? In most of the times they look like they are executed chaotically.

Im_Spartacus wrote:

PeterParker wrote:Beside those above, i think we have a crossing problem. We have the tendency to use almost every time arial croses and in 90 % of the times, the defenders don't have any problems with them. On the other hand, although i hate this, Scum almost in every moment, they prefer low crosses, in front of the 6 yard box where anything can happen.

You mean low crosses like we did against United at the swamp?

The issue with crosses is that more often than not the player who should be on the end of the cross actually contributed to the move a couple of passes before so is rarely in an advanced anough position to profit from the final ball. That is what Hernandez excels at, and what I thought we might get from Aguero, but he is playing more and more withdrawn as time goes by so we still need an out and out goal scorer to stand on the shoulder and occupy the last man.

No idea who would fit the bill though

On swamp we used those crosses and the result was good. My example is more clear (unfortunately) with the last 20 minutes in that 3-4 and 1-3 three years ago, where they were bombing us.

The City 'Corner Curse' is back!

PeterParker wrote:

Douglas Higginbottom wrote:The short corners seem to have provided opponents with plenty of problems this year. Bit worried about the ordinary crossing option as the movement hasnt been that good of late but there again neither have the crosses.

I was really disappointed today when we go that one which was ideal for Nasri to hit that one to the far post that curls in to give the keeper nightmares and instead he played it short to Kolarov for a shot.Needless to say he didnt get a shot in.

Didn't Bob and the other staff member have any tactics at training for the pieces? In most of the times they look like they are executed chaotically.

WE have seen plenty of the short corners in matches and yes they do work on them in training.But the opposition have seen them plenty of times and do set up to stop us doing them. Our plan B is a hit and hope option

We lack a really great corner or free kick taker even if we did have a plan. Kolarov at his best is excellent but his best doesn't happen that often.

Ted Hughes wrote:We lack a really great corner or free kick taker even if we did have a plan. Kolarov at his best is excellent but his best doesn't happen that often.

I would prefer to not have a very good corner taker on the pitch if Kolarov is the option

Im_Spartacus wrote:

Ted Hughes wrote:We lack a really great corner or free kick taker even if we did have a plan. Kolarov at his best is excellent but his best doesn't happen that often.

I would prefer to not have a very good corner taker on the pitch if Kolarov is the option

I've seen enough of him. He can be brilliant on a good day & may have some spectacular moments between now & May but imo he's a not especially great winger rather than a class attacking fullback. I want to replace him in the summer. We rarely look as good a team when he starts.

Most of our corners seem floated in rather than driven. I'd suggest we allocate or Aj to smash the balls in from the right and Nasri form the left.

When the ball is floated it's hard for the big lads to time their jumps and it also gives the defending guys time to adjust their footwork. It would be good to see some scruffy headers of Micah's or Jolean's ear soon before we turn into a team that only uses the short option.