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Set Pieces

Discussion in 'Celtic Chat' started by Taz, Sep 26, 2018.

Discuss Set Pieces in the Celtic Chat area at TalkCeltic.net.

  1. Random Review

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    For all their pressing and their good football, Salzberg impressed me just as much with their set pieces. I was bricking it every time they got a corner. I've no doubt it's been a big part of their success. We need to add that to our game too.
     
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  2. joemc

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    Was a major part of mon team ,almost as good as a pen.
     
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  3. Cobbs67

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    They seemed to fire the ball into dangerous areas but with also plenty of pace on the ball !! Noticed that with them at the match at Celtic Park
     
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  4. Callum McGregor The Captain Gold Member

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    Remember the days of MON’s team where we felt we would score from every corner? I miss those.
     
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  5. scootz

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    I miss the days when a set-piece world get the heart-rate up!

    Larsson could fly like Michael Jordan, and then there were the likes of Sutton, Hartson, Mjallby and Baldy. Big strong * who would win just about everything in the air... and lay waste to any daft * who dared contest the high ball against them!

    Hoopy days!
     
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  6. Taz Blind Justice Gold Member News Writer

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    That was dependant on 2 major factors.

    1. Either Lubo or Thommo could provide the ammunition, with their delivery.
    2. Having Bobo, Sutton, BBJ, Petrov, Mjallby and Larsson etc in the box to provide the finish.

    Miss those days as well, lol.
     
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  7. Big els

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    Big Varga and Vega were bruisers at corners too. So much threat. We'd be as well doin what Spain do wi their corners and passing it out.
     
  8. Taz Blind Justice Gold Member News Writer

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    Updated.

    Using the BBC statistics as the basis for this: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/teams/celtic/scores-fixtures/2019-04?filter=results

    The calander year 2018:

    Domestic:

    302 corner kicks.
    5 goals scored. 4 & 1 'short corner'

    2019 (So Far - Domestic)

    116 corner kicks
    1 goal

    We are 6-7 games away from completing all fixtures for the season.

    Scoring from set pieces is not as important when we are scoring from open play etc. But putting aside the games in which we ended up winning, because the extra goal, while it would be nice, it not essential, as we won. So focusing on games in which we dropped points in...


    2018/19 Season:

    In Draws and Losses (Domestic):
    9
    Matches
    62 corners
    0 goals

    As we have had a perfect record in the Cups for the past few seasons, these are all from the League, This is important, because on those games when we have struggled to unlock defences, it has resulted in us dropping points. Outwith the 2-0 loss to Hibs in December, every other game we have lost domestically has been by a single goal margin, so scoring 1 goal could make a big difference in a lot of these results.

    Yesterday's game is a case in point: 8 Corners, How many did we even seem threatening from, let alone created real chances from?

    Now, am not suggesting that we would have turned every defeat into a draw. nor all the draws into wins on every one of these occasions, but it underlines the point, that the extra goal in one or two of these 9 matches and we would already be crowned champions.

    In Draws and Losses (Europe)*
    8
    Matches
    26 Corners
    0 Goals

    * - cannot find accurate stats for the 2-1 loss to AEK Athens in August.
    BBC and Sky both have incomplete/incorrect stats for these games (0 fouls, 0 corners, 0 cards each etc) & can't find it on UEFA.com either.


    In Europe it is fair to say that we are generally up against more difficult defences to unlock again. Corner Kicks are even less common here again, but considering we don't score from these domestically, then there is even less of a chance doing so in Europe, where such opportunities need to be grabbed. The better we get at these domesitcally, I would suggest would see us improve in Europe also.

    Since Lenny took charge:
    7
    Matches
    50 Corners
    0 Goals

    While Lenny has resisted the temptation to tinker too much with the way the Bhoys have been operating for most of the season, I did have high hopes that this would be one area that we might see an improvement in. Lenny was able to turn this aspect of our play around when he took over from Mowbray, both defensively and scoring in these situations, which was why had these hopes might see an improvement here. Alas, not as yet.

    Haven't looked into freekicks, but to say the least our record in that area is far from spectacular either and we are all aware of our record from the penalty spot this season (7/12 scored) which is something hopefully we are looking at as well.

    Our penalty conversion ratio is that we have almost missed as many as we have scored - when it is literally one on one with the keeper from 12 yards. This is also down from last year. Not having reliable penalty takers such as Dembele and Griffiths is definitely hurting us in this area.

    But those corner kick numbers are horrible to contemplate.

    Since the turn of the year 2018 we have had 418 Corners and have scored 6 Goals.

    1.44% of Corners materialize into something for us in Domestic competition since January 1 2018.

    1.66% in 2018.

    0.83% in 2019.

    We are actually getting worse at Corners... and Set Pieces in general!


    This season we have not scored a single goal in any competition from a Corner in games which have ended in a draw or defeat. On most of these occasions, a single goal would have been enough to get something out of those games.

    We would be better off just passing it and playing it out as if it were a throw in or even just let the opposition GK have a goal kick for all our effectiveness we have from these situations.

    Freekicks are harder to quantify, as there is no set distance or angle to work with. However, don't think anyone would contend that we are all that proficient in this area either. I would be astonished if we converted even 5% of all our set pieces, when freekicks are added to this quantum of penalties and corners.

    I've been up for hours going through these stats and am pretty tired but am also reasonably sure this is as accurate as possible. Assuming the BBC records are accurate, these numbers are evidence of continued malaise in this area.
     
    Last edited: Apr 7, 2019
  9. buchanbhoy

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    It does make you wonder how much time the players spend on set piece play as we have been very poor on them this season .
     
  10. dmccourt95

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    I’m starting to wonder what we do at all on the training pitch because we have looked clueless a fair few times this season not just at set pieces
     
  11. bhoy81

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    Past years when we got a set piece I was expecting us to score since Rodgers took over I’ve been like this is a * waste * can’t beat the first man.

    This needs to change with the new manager in the summer.
     
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  12. Britwell bhoy Gold Member Gold Member

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    Said the same to my son against the huns we get corner after corner and it seems the ball is back in Bains hands within 10 sec
     
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  13. Free the Adblock Gold Member Gold Member

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    Great post mate :50:
     
  14. Leone Naka Fan

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    Griffiths is our only set piece specialist, and he's not available. We consistently pile up players in a predictable area, signalling where the opposition must concentrate their defenders. Our defenders are poor headers of the ball.
    We indeed should go for short corners until Griffiths returns, at least.
     
  15. StevieBhoooy!

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    I think broad football statistics show that only 1 in 30 corners results in a goal...

    It’s one of these things that fans hope and hope for but the probability is low at best of times.

    Celtic are however even further below that low average. We play attacking football so win a lot of corners. We should be doing more with them.

    Not sure on free kicks but you don’t have to do analysis to know that we don’t convert enough of them.

    The difference a Larsson or Nakamura made in this area was tremendous. What one of those guys could do for us now!£&!

    Penalty kicks seems to be a weak area that should and can be addressed though.

    We’ve had 13 this season and scored 5

    Most of the missed ones haven’t affected the match result but I think there’s been a few points dropped there.

    ( Lenny was asked about the Ntcham Penalty miss against St Mirren... he said he let the players sort out the taker)
     
  16. Westlondonscot Gold Member Gold Member

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    I can't believe none of them learnt to take a decent free kick. I'm hoping someone like Shved can take one and Bayo to knock them in.
     
  17. ILoveTheCeltic

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    We need a couple of guys who can attack a ball in the air. Boyata and Benkovic are the only two guys in the squad and both are leaving.

    Lustig and Bitton are ok, Edouard, Jozo and Ajer are shitebags in the air and even then Lustig also may be leaving and Bitton never plays.

    Of our new signings this summer i'd say if there are two centre-backs and a right-back all 3 of them need to be good in the air, we could also do with sellling Ntcham and signing a big defensive midfielder who is good in the air as well. And we could do with another big striker who is good in the air.

    Can be important for European quaifiers as well, when you think back to Malmo knocking us out and AEK this season, both only really knocked us out as they were good from set pieces and from crosses they were poor footballing outfits who we controlled the games against but were done almost solely from set pieces. We ourselves pretty much never score from a set piece or a cross.
     
  18. thomohoq

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    Basics need to be addressed from corners. It’s not as if we are trying any fancy manoeuvres either. I don’t think we have a dominant, aggressive header of a ball in there for a start. That being said, it’s beyond belief the number of corners we don’t even win the first ball on.
    One man effectively man mark the first man, flick ons galore. One man do a Mulgrew and mop up the overhit corners at the back stick. Crossing a ball from a dead ball into a 20 yd2 danger area can be taught to kids. Pro’s should be able to do it blindfolded. Unreal.
     
  19. McChiellini..

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    Abysmal yesterday..

    They're genuinely getting worse and worse..
     
  20. shaunbhoy67

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    ive never seen a team as bad at them in my life as we are right now and have been for a while , i dont get whats so hard about it , not even the scoring part of it as i suppose thats the law of averages but our CBs must be raging that nothing rarely gets by the first man