Nedum on Mario + City Corners
Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2022 1:46 pmAnalysed: The fearsome simplicity of Manchester City’s corners
Manchester City, corners
By Sam Lee and Nedum Onuoha Feb 11, 2022 8
Manchester City are good at corners now, so much so that even Pep Guardiola admits it (remember, he often saves his praise for the opposition).
“Yeah, a lot, this is the best season so far for corners and free kicks, offensively, the best.”
What is behind this turnaround?
“We take a look and just do it simple,” Guardiola insists. “At the right moments, not be too complicated.”
There is bound to be an element of the City boss playing down his side’s intricate tactical approach but, actually, it is pretty simple.
Last week, Nedum Onuoha, the former City, Sunderland, Queens Park Rangers and Real Salt Lake defender — and editorial consultant for The Athletic — helped cast an eye over their his old team’s routines this season and the upshot is this: their approach is simple but effective.
Let’s start with the actual kick itself and whether City go short or “out” the ball into the box.
This is normally determined by whether the number of City players in the corner outnumbers the opposition. If so, they will often take it short and try to work the ball into the area from a different angle — either from one of the two players involved in the initial kick or, for example, by bringing Joao Cancelo into the equation.
City actually take more short corners than anybody else in the division, although they do get more corners than everybody else.
Overall, most of City’s corners go directly into the box and the signal for this is the taker raising and lowering his arm. This is, as far as can be established, for timing rather than to signal whether the ball is going to the front or back post.
When the taker starts running, that’s the cue for the players in the box to make their movements.
Now, let’s look at the set-up inside the box, which does have some variations, but the only real “secret” behind any “success” is that they have a well-defined structure and three main attackers who are aggressive in trying to win the ball in the air. These are the two centre-backs and the holding midfielder.
“We are strong in that department,” Guardiola says.
The rest are essentially there to create space for the main threats, with players such as Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva taking up positions elsewhere in the box.
The three main threats all work hard to get free from their markers and try to get free headers.
Below is a very cartoonish but common example against Leicester, with Ruben Dias, in this case, trying to occupy two markers so another team-mate can get a free run.
Aymeric Laporte, with the blurry face here due to his speed of movement, makes a dart for the near post. Fernandinho peels off around the back.
Dias simply gets the better of Hamza Choudhury in the air and should score, but his mistimed header is converted by Sterling.
[/img]https://cdn.theathletic.com/app/uploads/2022/02/10085752/export-2022-02-09T154607.681.png[/img]
Let’s look at some similar movements in the recent game against Chelsea.
John Stones is on the inside.
Then the outside.
Then he moves back in as Laporte moves around, a switch triggered by the taker, Kevin De Bruyne, beginning his run-up.
It’s common for this trio to set up shop at the near post, which usually means one of them will spin around the back and try to get a free header.
Here’s a good example from City’s win at Swindon Town in the FA Cup. If a marker can’t be blocked off by getting caught in the crowd, a simple push and run might do the trick, as Rodri demonstrates.
With City’s other players stationed at the near post, it creates more space for the free header but, on this occasion, Rodri’s contact isn’t great.
This one below shows a bit of variation as City have four big men on the pitch, as Stones played right-back against Leeds, so the three are at the front post and Laporte is behind.
As the taker begins his run, Rodri runs around the pack…
Stuart Dallas, his marker, runs into Stones and falls, allowing the Spaniard a free header at the far post, but the ball is too high.
Incidentally, Guardiola believes his side’s delivery could be better: “Phil (Foden), Riyad (Mahrez), Kevin, Gundo (Ilkay Gundogan) — we have to improve a little bit to put the ball on the right spot because I believe we can be dangerous in that position.”
They certainly do look a threat these days and this is about as complicated as their approach to corners gets: they have three guys who are very aggressive in going after the ball and who work hard to break free from marking.
There are some variations, but not a lot. Against Arsenal on New Year’s Day, City had Nathan Ake at left-back, adding another good option, so they used a group of four to attack the ball. Against Brentford on Wednesday, when Stones played right-back, they stuck with the group of three and had Stones at the near post.
And keep an eye out for Foden lurking in positions like these:
He got the ball in one of these examples but not the other, and one of the key reasons is that Brentford’s two men in the corner blocked off his route to it, whereas Fulham left him wide open. (Foden stood there often against Brentford but the option was never on.)
When the option is on, it is something that City like to use, and they have done for a few years now: Foden scored from this position against Burnley in June 2020, as well as Borussia Dortmund last season and Wycombe earlier this season.
Finally, the positioning of the players not expected to win headers serves several purposes. Not only do they take markers away from the main targets but they are also there for second balls, of course, and to prevent transitions if the opponent clears, by ensuring they can quickly counter-press.
This is important but in the Wolves game in December, City seemed to leave the edge of the box unattended.
At one corner, Bernardo makes Cancelo (off-screen) very aware of where he should be (although he rarely takes up that position).
It’s not something that City fix but for three of the next five corners from that side, Sterling, who notes the above exchange taking place, occupies that space.
It is rare for these sorts of issues to arise on the pitch, with Guardiola crediting two of his backroom staff, Carlos Vicens and Carles Planchart, with doing an “incredible job”.
“Carlos Vicens is a great communicator,” he says. “The meetings about set pieces are simple, so inspired and clever, and I think the players are perceiving that.”
Simply but effectively.
Manchester City, corners
By Sam Lee and Nedum Onuoha Feb 11, 2022 8
Manchester City are good at corners now, so much so that even Pep Guardiola admits it (remember, he often saves his praise for the opposition).
“Yeah, a lot, this is the best season so far for corners and free kicks, offensively, the best.”
What is behind this turnaround?
“We take a look and just do it simple,” Guardiola insists. “At the right moments, not be too complicated.”
There is bound to be an element of the City boss playing down his side’s intricate tactical approach but, actually, it is pretty simple.
Last week, Nedum Onuoha, the former City, Sunderland, Queens Park Rangers and Real Salt Lake defender — and editorial consultant for The Athletic — helped cast an eye over their his old team’s routines this season and the upshot is this: their approach is simple but effective.
Let’s start with the actual kick itself and whether City go short or “out” the ball into the box.
This is normally determined by whether the number of City players in the corner outnumbers the opposition. If so, they will often take it short and try to work the ball into the area from a different angle — either from one of the two players involved in the initial kick or, for example, by bringing Joao Cancelo into the equation.
City actually take more short corners than anybody else in the division, although they do get more corners than everybody else.
Overall, most of City’s corners go directly into the box and the signal for this is the taker raising and lowering his arm. This is, as far as can be established, for timing rather than to signal whether the ball is going to the front or back post.
When the taker starts running, that’s the cue for the players in the box to make their movements.
Now, let’s look at the set-up inside the box, which does have some variations, but the only real “secret” behind any “success” is that they have a well-defined structure and three main attackers who are aggressive in trying to win the ball in the air. These are the two centre-backs and the holding midfielder.
“We are strong in that department,” Guardiola says.
The rest are essentially there to create space for the main threats, with players such as Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva taking up positions elsewhere in the box.
The three main threats all work hard to get free from their markers and try to get free headers.
Below is a very cartoonish but common example against Leicester, with Ruben Dias, in this case, trying to occupy two markers so another team-mate can get a free run.
Aymeric Laporte, with the blurry face here due to his speed of movement, makes a dart for the near post. Fernandinho peels off around the back.
Dias simply gets the better of Hamza Choudhury in the air and should score, but his mistimed header is converted by Sterling.
[/img]https://cdn.theathletic.com/app/uploads/2022/02/10085752/export-2022-02-09T154607.681.png[/img]
Let’s look at some similar movements in the recent game against Chelsea.
John Stones is on the inside.
Then the outside.
Then he moves back in as Laporte moves around, a switch triggered by the taker, Kevin De Bruyne, beginning his run-up.
It’s common for this trio to set up shop at the near post, which usually means one of them will spin around the back and try to get a free header.
Here’s a good example from City’s win at Swindon Town in the FA Cup. If a marker can’t be blocked off by getting caught in the crowd, a simple push and run might do the trick, as Rodri demonstrates.
With City’s other players stationed at the near post, it creates more space for the free header but, on this occasion, Rodri’s contact isn’t great.
This one below shows a bit of variation as City have four big men on the pitch, as Stones played right-back against Leeds, so the three are at the front post and Laporte is behind.
As the taker begins his run, Rodri runs around the pack…
Stuart Dallas, his marker, runs into Stones and falls, allowing the Spaniard a free header at the far post, but the ball is too high.
Incidentally, Guardiola believes his side’s delivery could be better: “Phil (Foden), Riyad (Mahrez), Kevin, Gundo (Ilkay Gundogan) — we have to improve a little bit to put the ball on the right spot because I believe we can be dangerous in that position.”
They certainly do look a threat these days and this is about as complicated as their approach to corners gets: they have three guys who are very aggressive in going after the ball and who work hard to break free from marking.
There are some variations, but not a lot. Against Arsenal on New Year’s Day, City had Nathan Ake at left-back, adding another good option, so they used a group of four to attack the ball. Against Brentford on Wednesday, when Stones played right-back, they stuck with the group of three and had Stones at the near post.
And keep an eye out for Foden lurking in positions like these:
He got the ball in one of these examples but not the other, and one of the key reasons is that Brentford’s two men in the corner blocked off his route to it, whereas Fulham left him wide open. (Foden stood there often against Brentford but the option was never on.)
When the option is on, it is something that City like to use, and they have done for a few years now: Foden scored from this position against Burnley in June 2020, as well as Borussia Dortmund last season and Wycombe earlier this season.
Finally, the positioning of the players not expected to win headers serves several purposes. Not only do they take markers away from the main targets but they are also there for second balls, of course, and to prevent transitions if the opponent clears, by ensuring they can quickly counter-press.
This is important but in the Wolves game in December, City seemed to leave the edge of the box unattended.
At one corner, Bernardo makes Cancelo (off-screen) very aware of where he should be (although he rarely takes up that position).
It’s not something that City fix but for three of the next five corners from that side, Sterling, who notes the above exchange taking place, occupies that space.
It is rare for these sorts of issues to arise on the pitch, with Guardiola crediting two of his backroom staff, Carlos Vicens and Carles Planchart, with doing an “incredible job”.
“Carlos Vicens is a great communicator,” he says. “The meetings about set pieces are simple, so inspired and clever, and I think the players are perceiving that.”
Simply but effectively.
