Set Pieces

If you look at teams that have dedicated coaches it can literally win titles with the difference it makes. Especially in Europe would be another thing that could separate us against superior opposition.

 

I think the set piece coach is overrated at Arsenal.

They have an amazing corner taker in Declan Rice, his deliveries are absolutely devilish, plus a back 4 made up of big athletic guys who are dangerous in the air.

But it's clearly a thing and couldn't hurt to have one.

 

Aye, their whole team are massive and some of them are really aggressive in the air Gabriel, Calafiori, Merino, Timber then they are backed up by like Saliba, Gyokeres. They've basically signed players like that on purpose.

If our team was

Schmeichel
Denayer Boyata Jullien Mulgrew
Wanyama
Engels Ledley
Fortune Dembele Samaras

We'd be scoring incredible amounts from set pieces. Probably every other game and sometimes multiple a game. Not through any coaching just by having 2 good corner takes and everyone else superb in the air and aggressive from a corner.

 

Im not even sure what the average height of our team is and whether it's above average or not.

 

Below average for sure.

Donovan, Murray, Trusty, Scales, Engels, Nygren and Kenny are tall but only 2 of them ever really play, everyone else is probably average to small.

But not even just the height, you can be not that tall and good in the air especially in the oppositions box, Ajer was massive and hardly ever headed the ball. Larsson and Petrov were great in the air and only about 5'9, Raskin from the huns similar even Scott Brown I thought was quality in the air, he used to defend our own box great although we never put him forward for any corners he'd probably have scored goals as well.

Our most aggressive players in the air i'd probably say were Ralston and Johnston but again they barely ever get put in the oppositions box even though they'd probably be our best goalscorers from set pieces.

If I was a manager i'd leave back CCV and use Johnston or Ralston in the box instead even Donovan. When you think of it what is the point of putting CCV in the oppositions box when he only wins 1 header every like 5 games, he's never going to score. Ralston and Johnston for sure would out do him by far.

 

We did have two headers from set pieces yesterday, to be fair. I'm more worried by our defense never clearing the dropped second ball after a FK/corner.

 

Just a point to consider, in the League...

Hearts are sitting top on 16 points (P6 W5 D1) to Celtic 14 (P6 W4 D2). Hearts have scored 15 goals to Celtic's 8. Hearts have scored 2 FK's & 4 corners. That is 40% of their overall so far. Celtic... 0 FK & 0 corners in the league. Obviously, this is not the biggest sample size at the moment, but those numbers do tell a story.

Again, I have not and never will advocate for Celtic to be entirely dependant on set pieces, but they are a valuable aspect of the game that is seemingly disregarded and completely left to waste. There are games when a goal, doesnt matter if it is a corner or a FK, can win a game or claw a point, especially in Europe or any game when the margins are so narrow, where we really need to be trying to maximize our chances from any such attacking set piece situation.

 

Definitely with someone like Bloom in charge he will look for every edge.

 

Sure I read the other day that the last direct free kick we scored in domestic football was during the Covid season. January 2021.

And the last overall was Jota against Real Madrid. November 2022.

Embarrassing that.

 

We're definitely missing out on opportunities to score with our poor set pieces, unless Engels is on the park the ball into the box from corners is usually poor, the fact a midget like raskin is regularly scoring headers just highlights our waste, do we even have an expert set piece coach?

 

Whoever is in charge in defending them, should have been sacked long before today. The diets will have a field day next week if this continues.

 

Set piece for = pointless. Set piece against = terrifying

 

Coaches like Rodgers who don't place emphasis on set pieces are going to be left behind, and fast. You see it with Ange too, getting shown up big time down south against managers who are using set pieces as one of their main tactics.

I honestly think we're going to see a return of football from 25 odd years ago, albeit with some changes. Emphasis on big strong *, set pieces, long balls. What's MON up to these days?

 

Hearts have a set piece coach and have scored more goals than anyone else in the league from set plays this season.

They will have a * field day against us next week

 

See what happens when do corners properly. If taken short, then be quick. No point waiting for the defence to get set. Otherwise, put it into the box and give the guys in there a chance... not to mention it causes a bit of chaos, so why not?

How many goals did we score tonight from open play, or trying to walk the ball into the net? 0.
How many came from a corner tomight? 2.

And at the end of the game the final score read 2-1, not 2**-1. There is no asterisk denoting that somehow they are worth less than a goal from open play. They count every bit as much. Hopefully it is a lesson that has been learned now.

 

Nygren was unlucky with that save at point blank range as well. Sunday will be a big test though, both attacking and defending.

 

I think it’s mental given the nature of teams we play domestically we don’t work on set pieces a lot more. We get so many of them in games when teams sit in that having a few different routines on them and being well drilled is a must.

Engels delivery tonight was excellent by and large particularly from the left but that ball he fizzed in near the end that Kenny shined over the bar was a peach too.

 

Engels in swinging corners were superb tonight. We get the winner from one and unlucky to not get at least another one. More of that on a consistent basis from Engels would be big for both him and his own confidence and for the team.

 

I know it's not our ideal starting eleven, but MON basically mostly nullified their threat from corners. Trusty, Scales, JSP, Saracchi and Kenny all gave us the height we were lacking in some previous games. Ralston and Nygren also adding height when they came on.