11 players defending a corner or free kick

Its hard to argue this point, because its hard to quantify the amount of goals we haven't conceded because we play this way. We could be slagging it off yet could be one of the reasons we are in the play offs.

 

I don’t like we do it but it did create us a couple of moments of transition that ended up with either a over hit pass (Phillips) and Cosgrove dragging a shot wide past the post first half.

 

Players aren't put on posts any more because they play everyone onside if there's a deflection or a knockdown.

 

It’s awful to put all 11 back for a corner (anti-Football)

 

Our last 3 or 4 head coaches have all done the same. I don’t like it but we’ve done it for years

 

I agree with you. If nobody is on the halfway line, we boot the ball upfield and it comes straight back. This was particularly noticeable in the Bolton game, when we looked certain to cave in eventually to incessant pressure.

 

I noticed for Man Utd’s 4th today they had 11 in the box defending the corner, but as soon as the defender headed it out Amad was closing down 10 yards outside the box and 2 other Utd players were chasing down and blocking off a pass, when Amad blocked the ball there were 5 utd players outside the box closing down.
that’s the difference - they might have 11 back but they don’t stand around like puddings, and you certainly wouldn’t say Utd are even a particularly hard working team.

 

During our automatic promotion campaign of 28/19, Stendel brought back all eleven players to defend corners, in order not to concede. However, after defending them, we counter attacked in great numbers, managing to score a great many goals with this ploy.

 

There's going to be hundreds of thousands of data points on corners. It probably makes sense to look at that data rather than just ignoring it for what you think is correct on gut feeling.

 

You say that but there won't be any data points for having our specific players forward or backwards will there.

There'll be data for all sorts but they don't necessarily reflect the reality of a specific team. Data says that you're considerably more likely to score an inswinging corner and much more likely to score if it's aimed short at the near post yet in March 5 goals have come from corners both for and against us. Only one was an inswinging corner to the front post which completely defies the data. Why? Because the data doesn't take into account who people are or what skills they have or lack.

 

No there won't be data on our specific players but the general data isn't irrelevant.

5 corners doesn't completely defy the data. We don't know during that time how many inswinging corners were taken, how many were aimed at the near post etc.

 

That's such a small sample size though. Decisions that we make will be based on thousands and thousands of repetitions and occurrences.

 

For everything a reason.

Up the Tykes.

 

No.

Scored 6 from counter attacks last season. 5 so far this.

Only Pompey have scored more (6) this season than we have.

Cole's goal at Northampton alone is proof that "Zero ability to hit on the break" is just categorically false.

 

Ask yourself this. How many times have you remarked that there aren’t many goals scored from corners any more? The reason is that coaches have an incredible amount of stats at their disposal and the stats show that having a crowded box makes it nigh on impossible for the attacking team to score. It’s difficult for any attacker to find the space to run and attack the ball to generate the power to beat the keeper, so the best they can usually manage is a standing jump, usually under pressure. Also, if the ball drops on the edge of the box there are an awful lot of legs in between the ball and the goal.

Regarding not having someone on the post, like we did “in our day”, they would only prevent 1 or 2 goals per season at most. Instead, we now see a defender at the near edge of the 6 yard box at corners, whereas we didn’t “in our day”. This defender clears 25-30% of corners. How often do we bemoan them “not beating the first man”?

There’s an awful lot that goes into football coaching that we in the stands are totally unaware of. And whenever you hear someone start off his great theory about where the coach has got things wrong with the old chestnut “I was always taught that…” just remember that he was taught whatever pearl of wisdom he’s about to come out with by A) a school PE teacher and B) in the 1970s!

 

Last 2 games now 11 players defending corners and we've not got close because we are static and zonal defending. The first goal v reading was diabolical. We were like a team of statues. They may as well get 11 of those plastic training aids and put them in the team if thats how we defend corners.