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Set Pieces

Discussion in 'Celtic Chat' started by Liam Scales, May 22, 2021.

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

  1. Liam Scales Gold Member Gold Member

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    It’s been a weakness for years, this year to an insane degree.

    if it was up to you, how would you set up to defend them.

    Listening to Open Goal them debating the tactics about it.
     
  2. Callum McGregor The Captain Gold Member

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    We've conceded 43% of goals from set pieces this season, the worst in the league. That's unforgivable.

    "According to statistics published by Sky Sports, 43 per cent of the goals Celtic have lost this season have been from set plays, more than any other Premiership side. Livingston are second with 35 per cent, with Dundee United third on 29 per cent."
    https://www.scotsman.com/sport/foot...orst-team-in-the-scottish-premiership-3142636

    There have been no noticeable attempts to rectify this, as the defence have played the same way time and time again. Our defensive organisation is pish, one that sticks out to me is the Ferencvaros goal from outside the box. We had about 5 or 6 players in the same area while their lad had a free shot on target.

    There's another statistic I saw, but I can't find it just now, is that we've got the worst record in history in terms of percentage of goals conceded within 30 seconds of a set play being conceded. It's just totally * and a huge reason as to why this season has been so bad.
     
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  3. Taz Blind Justice Gold Member News Writer

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    The thing is, we don't defend them. We don't score from them. And we have struggled for years for even having someone who can be half relied upon to deliver them with any degree of quality.

    At the 2018 World Cup, more than 40% of all goals scored came from set pieces of some description, be it free kick, corner or from the spot. Why is this significant? Because unlike open play, set pieces are something that can be practiced and drilled, worked on both in defending and attacking. So why are we seemingly incapable of this?

    Playing free-flowing passing and possession dominating football is one thing and makes for an ideal Plan A, but even when things are going well, some times things just don't click or that one final crucial pass goes astray, so set pieces should always be a reliable Plan B.

    Here's an old fashioned idea - how about men on the posts at the corners? how many goals would be saved by this alone? Secondly, learning to clear the ball, even it if it into row Z - better there than in the back of the friggin net.
     
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  4. Liam Scales Gold Member Gold Member

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    Does that include the 2nd ball? When we’ve not one it and it’s lead to it but not directly from the set piece?
     
  5. Callum McGregor The Captain Gold Member

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    The last bit? I believe it does. I'm trying to find the stat, it was taken from one of the analytics sites.
     
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  6. Liam Scales Gold Member Gold Member

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    It was the biggest thing for England that World Cup.

    Lennon said after we beat Barca he knew, any free kick Alba’s got the zone at the back past and had Wanyama attack it. Knew that’s where we have a massive advantage. It’s a big equaliser.

    The 9 in a row season Duff was in charge of drilling set pieces and it was a big part of our game.

    Defensively though, I can’t remember the last time we had a man on the post, at least the back post. And I don’t understand why when you look at how many times we’ve been punished for it.
     
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  7. Liam Scales Gold Member Gold Member

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    Aye it was a tweet that said 87% of goals we’ve conceded. I’ve not checked that or looked into it but the fact it would be believable tells its own story.

    Said Dynamo Kiev, I think, we’re previously the worst with 40 odd percent.
     
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  8. Callum McGregor The Captain Gold Member

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    Aye that's the very one.
     
  9. Liam Scales Gold Member Gold Member

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    Wasn’t till a week later after I was talking bout that to my Da and my brother I realised I juat accepted it as fact. Usually I double check, that’s how believable it is.
     
  10. Dan Breen

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    New manager to employ a specialist set piece coach?
     
  11. Liam Scales Gold Member Gold Member

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    Or just a normal one who can include it in his normal duties would do me.

    I’ve had a debate with friends this year about how we try to defend, is it Zonal, is it Man Marking, is it a mix?

    * knows everybody disagrees.
     
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  12. DonnyCelt

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    This has been a joke for years and an extremely embarrassing one for us.

    Even as a kid you are taught to pick a man and stay with him.

    So naturally we, especially under Lennon, let guys roam freely in the box and not pick them up.
     
  13. Garrymac1888 Gold Member Gold Member

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    I'd put our biggest best header of a ball on their biggest best header of the ball and so forth man on man with a couple of spares to pick up loose and stray balls.

    I'd invest in a big * off goalie who leaves his goal line and cleans out folk. The modern game dictates he will get 95% of the decisions in the event of a collision.

    I'd also have a man on the back post
     
  14. Callum McGregor The Captain Gold Member

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    Including the players. :giggle1:
     
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  15. Foley1888

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    We are clearly not set up right but it doesn’t help that in our team we overly rely on a few players across the team, the rest are smaller players so it is inevitable we will have mismatches.

    This season it’s been worse as both our full backs are short, all our midfielders are small and Edouard is the only forward with a bit of height and not the best in the air. No matter what system we play we would struggle at our level with that lack of presence in both boxes.

    It can’t be the only reason to sign players but we need at least one of our full backs to be a decent size, someone in midfield and one of our forwards add in Julien and another CB then we will be naturally better. You then add in a clear system and proper coaching and we should be able to reduce this significantly.
     
  16. ILoveTheCeltic

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    Biggest thing I think is just having players who will header a ball, thats what we lack.

    Best headerers of a ball at the club were probably Bayo, Duffy, Jullien, Bitton and Ajer and only Ajer really played this season and he's the worst of the 5.

    If McGregor and Turnbull are going to be starters, the other centre-mid has to be someone who is quality in the air. If only the two centre-backs from the defence were good in the air then one of the front 3 has to be a well so if it was Edouard and Forrest we'd want the other guy to be like Samaras or Dembele.

    Lennon and O'Neill's teams were absolute lethal in the air. The Lennon team with Lustig, Ambrose, Mulgrew, Ledley, Wanyama, Samaras, going into games with 4-6 guys, rarely threatened and scored a lot. O'Neills team it feels like we scored every week from a set piece with Larsson, Sutton, Hartson, Mjallby, Balde, Valgaeren, Varga even Petrov in that team would be better than most we have now.

    Instead we just went a whole season where the only guys who could head a ball played at centre-half and they weren't even that good. The huns team is a bit like Lennon's where defending a set piece they have 2 centre-halves, Barisic, Jack and sometimes even Morelos and Roofe, sometimes 6 guys who are decent in the air mostly at least 4.
     
  17. Liam Scales Gold Member Gold Member

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    That’s simplistic but it’s what you should do when you’re struggling. I prefer MON’s style. Bit of a mix.

    Have Harston, Sutton, Mjallby picking up guys. Have Bobo in his ‘zone’ to attack anything within the 6 yard to penalty spot.
     
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  18. McChiellini..

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    We only have Jullien who is physical at attacking ball's in the air..

    Always gonna struggle when you don't really have many other's..

    We've seen Broony, McGregor, Kenny and many other's who are brutal in the air yet picking up guy's that are well over 6 foot plus in the box. I remember Broony at home to the sheep a midweek game where it was happening all second half..

    Need more physicality and aerial threats, as well as pace (but that's for another thread)..

    Man marking, holding a decent line that the player's are drilled on and trust, as well as player's on the post..

    When ball's go in our box there always seems to be big gaps. Player's no marking need to take up better position's around the 6 yard box to snuff out second ball's/danger. A good keeper with a presence also takes the burden off..

    Add some height and dominance and it'll be a very good start. Turnbull will rack up the assists going the other way as well..
     
  19. Liam Scales Gold Member Gold Member

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    I’ve always been of the mind that you should have a mix of zonal and man marking. There best players in the air should get marked and you should have somebody defending the front post regardless of who’s there, a man on the back post and somebody blocking runners in the middle of the box.
     
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  20. McChiellini..

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    Basically what you said mate..

    Man marking but the smaller guy's about the 6 yard box snuffing out danger and at least 1 on a post..