Set Pieces

Apologies, but I couldn't find a more recent thread.

It may be a small thing, but Brendan could really do with a direct free kick taker in the window. I'm never expecting us to score from one.

As for the other stuff, Daizen's goal was well worked.

 

We haven't scored directly from a free kick since jota in the bernabau and that was over 2 years ago now.

How have we went from larsson, lubo, thommo, maloney, petrov, nakamura, stokes, guidetti, griffiths to * no one who can hit a proper free kick

 

Arne clearly can
He was close to scoring one today

 

Its not just free kicks, its corners too. Pathetic that we dont have someone that can execute a free kick.
That corner yesterday was actually perfect-whipped in delivery with pace, Scales's movement and then his flick and of course the finish. We just dont do it often enough. Way too many times, we * around with short corners, delaying the delivery and see CCV and Scales trotting back into position before the ball gets delivered.

 

That's modern football for ye.

It's why you hardly see players crossing now too, the analyst dweebs see it as a "negative" as you arent technically in "control" of the ball if it's not received within about 3-5 yards of another player.

The long-lasting Pep effect...

 

There's some truth to that but look at Arsenal, they score most of their goals from corners. It's an underrated weapon in football that we should be utilising more, especially in Europe.

Felt like we scored a goal from a corner every week in the MON era. We've been pathetic at them for as long as I can remember.

 

Yeah, Arsenal are going "old school" though - although they've brought in the "best in the business" set piece coach.

All they're doing is doing what was done for years, inswinging corners, and getting * on the end of it.

Simple in it's style, but yet looks earth-shattering ground breaking stuff because it's so outwith modern football approach.

 

Engels should score a couple a season if starting his corner delivery is superb and he'd basically just shoot the same way from a freekick.

What was weird I thought was yesterday he moved the ball closer to goal/the wall before he hit it I thought he'd have moved it back a bit.

 

Engles delivery from corners is unreal. The amount of pace he generates whilst still controlling it is exceptional.

 

For me the attackers need to take some blame. A cross ball you have time to see and attack it.
Scales is pretty good at just attacking a cross.

 

Feel like we’re the most dangerous from corners we’ve been for a while. Now if Bernardo could sort out his free kick taking…

 

Mind Christies corners, jesus wept. Be better just passing back to their keeper.

 

Must say, well impressed with Engles deliveries recently.
Think Griff was the last player we had who could deliver a decent corner.
Next up for Engles is to nail a free kick.

 

Engels delivery from corners is as good as I’ve seen at Celtic. Quite often when players try to generate the pace he does, they overhit a lot, but I can’t really recall him ever doing this. It always seems to be in a good area where and sort of flick towards goal will be difficult to stop.

 

We've tried that low ball into the box from corners a few times. Almost paid off in the first half, and they inexplicably left Reo unmarked in the box for the second one.

Once again though, we waste a direct free kick.

 

Be as well just giving the keeper ball back when we get a free kick on the edge of the box

 

Almost scored from 2 to be fair but they're an abomination..

Any freekick or corner and it's low side to side or back in the main..

Becoming an easy team set-up for..

 

It feels like we've been abysmal at corners for the last 15 years.

We never scored them under Deila, Rodgers and Ange, it was better under Lennon but still below what it should be.

Since he joined on a permanent deal, CCV has 1 goal in 78 games in the league, Trusty on one as well, it's so, so poor.

 

It's a recurrent problem for us to the point where I genuinely feel we'd benefit from a dedicated coach for set pieces.

It's not just dedicated skills, it's the way we set up to defend, how predictable our delivery is, etc. From what various managers have described, it feels like an afterthought for us at present and it shows.

 

Ok, we don't to become a team heavily dependant on set plays be it corners or free-kicks. But we do need a change of approach I feel. Engels plays some excellent balls in to the box but we can't capitalise on them. The other options is short pass to Hitate who knocks it on to Schlupp to slide it back to Johnston then to CCV to McGregor on to Kuhn back to CCV on to Hitate for Jota to Engels to Schlupp and McGregor via Johnston to CCV to Sinisalo so ending any advantage. Needs a bit more work imo. The McCowan option is either a cross to anyone not in green near the front post or over hit to spectators on the far side or played to Johnston back to McCowan to Engels slide forward for Johnston to hard or off-side. We get a lot of corners in a game, they should be an advantage not another excuse to play between the back four. Free kicks the same, side, side, forward, back, side the only difference is the speed we take free kicks at. They should be a part of our arsenal, a weapon to utilise. Instead they're just it's a break in proceedings, very rarely a cause for a 'here we go' moments of expectancy, more a 'here we go again' disappointment. Other teams seem to grasp this concept against us very rewardingly, we don't take them well, we don't defend them well! Somethings not quite right there can't put my finger on it though.