Defending Corners (or lack thereof)

[Babylon]

Ranieri might have wanted Huth and Morgan to cover the six-yard box, and put smallest players on the posts.

 

I've seen this method before with many teams, and those teams had crap defensive set-piece tactics (yes, like ours).

Many teams put smaller players on the posts, we certainly did with Pearson also. It's certainly not out of the ordinary

[Bettsj2]

It's not though. The corners we have conceded this season were not towering headers where our defenders were out jumped, they were almost all free headers scored after the opposition either outmuscled or outsmarted his defender.

If Ulloa was marking at the weekend instead of Shinji we dont concede. If a player of greater height was marking Rondon away at West Brom, we dont concede.

Its not always the case but if you have a bigger team, its certainly less likely that we'll concede.

[Sol thewall Bamba]

Many teams put smaller players on the posts, we certainly did with Pearson also. It's certainly not out of the ordinary

Almost always smallest lads on the post. Even if you have big fvckers on there, if someone nails it top bins there's no way you'll get near it anyway.(see Howard's goal vs Leeds, they had a big chap on the post and he got nowhere near because he has no time to react).

[Fox92]

We aren't exactly a big side and once Morgan and Huth are marking big opposition players we haven't got any more good height/heading ability. 

 

Ulloa used to do a great job on the near post and could even mark a tall opposition player, but he wasn't playing. Same applies to De Laet and I think that was one of the reason's he came on for.

[4ever and ever]

Schmeichel's lack of confidence claiming corners in the 6 yard box is an issue.

 

But also, we are beaten too often on balls swung into the near post (e.g. Rondon at West Brom, Fonte at Southampton).  Surely there always needs to be one player whose job it is to clear the corner aimed at the near post.

 

We are also beaten by in-swinging corners (like on Saturday) because we try to man-mark the opposition players as they attack the ball, which means 1) we are trying to defend by watching the man not the ball, 2) our defenders are facing our goal as they try to defend, 3) unless man-for-man we are physically stronger than each player being marked on the corner, we take the risk that we lose out physically and give a free header to the opposition, as happened when Shinji was outmuscled by Schweinsteiger.

 

I'd like to see our man marking approach on corners replaced by some combination of zonal and man-marking, e.g. we should have one player defending the near post, and at least two defenders attacking the ball while facing away from our goal.  I don't see other teams man-marking at corners to the extent we do.

Ranieri is trying to address this, if you look at the goals from corners against West Brom and Southampton the taker was allowed the chance to whip a ball into the near post, thus exposing our very short team. If you look at the corners that Manchester United had on Saturday, Ranieri has decided to have albrighton as a blocker 10 yards from the taker, this forces the taker to either go around him or loop it over him, which would negate the front post issue. The problem is that Schmeichel just doesn't seem to have any confidence in his own ability whatsoever in terms of coming and collecting and this along with his lack of communication to the back 4 (something I noticed at QPR away last season when you are so close to the pitch and here everything) means we are exposed.

 

He needs to start coming to either catch or at the very least punch as otherwise we will continue to let in goals from "free headers"

[shen]

Ranieri is trying to address this, if you look at the goals from corners against West Brom and Southampton the taker was allowed the chance to whip a ball into the near post, thus exposing our very short team. If you look at the corners that Manchester United had on Saturday, Ranieri has decided to have albrighton as a blocker 10 yards from the taker, this forces the taker to either go around him or loop it over him, which would negate the front post issue. The problem is that Schmeichel just doesn't seem to have any confidence in his own ability whatsoever in terms of coming and collecting and this along with his lack of communication to the back 4 (something I noticed at QPR away last season when you are so close to the pitch and here everything) means we are exposed.

 

He needs to start coming to either catch or at the very least punch as otherwise we will continue to let in goals from "free headers"

 

Ironically, Schmeichel came out for an identical corner from which we scored!

His decision-making certainly needs to improve, because he is quick off his line and has a decent enough jump.

[Vicki Vixen]

If Ulloa was marking at the weekend instead of Shinji we dont concede. If a player of greater height was marking Rondon away at West Brom, we dont concede.

Its not always the case but if you have a bigger team, its certainly less likely that we'll concede.

 

I disagree on the height point - this is about strength and quickness off the mark, not about feet and inches.

[filbertway]

I disagree on the height point - this is about strength and quickness off the mark, not about feet and inches.

 

Which is generally related to feet and inches, as shown by Shinji being bullied out of the way by Schweinsteiger. I agree it's not always the case, but it doesn't take a genius to work out that a smaller team will lose more aerial duels then it will win.

[Clever Fox]

Height makes a massive difference. It virtually guarantees the taller player a free header. As for Kasper he's not going to change or improve now. If his father cannot convince him to come for crosses then I don't think anyone can. The funny thing is he has good hands when he does come.

[ForzaFerrari]

For Kasper，it is funny that he handles it well when he comes off the line but he always does not dare to! He did well in the corner kick which Vardy later scored from.

[Thracian]

Schmeichel's lack of confidence claiming corners in the 6 yard box is an issue.

 

But also, we are beaten too often on balls swung into the near post (e.g. Rondon at West Brom, Fonte at Southampton).  Surely there always needs to be one player whose job it is to clear the corner aimed at the near post.

 

We are also beaten by in-swinging corners (like on Saturday) because we try to man-mark the opposition players as they attack the ball, which means 1) we are trying to defend by watching the man not the ball, 2) our defenders are facing our goal as they try to defend, 3) unless man-for-man we are physically stronger than each player being marked on the corner, we take the risk that we lose out physically and give a free header to the opposition, as happened when Shinji was outmuscled by Schweinsteiger.

 

I'd like to see our man marking approach on corners replaced by some combination of zonal and man-marking, e.g. we should have one player defending the near post, and at least two defenders attacking the ball while facing away from our goal.  I don't see other teams man-marking at corners to the extent we do.

 

 

Covering and attacking the near post are basics. I don't know why it's not a "given".   

[NotTheMarketLeader]

He isn't the whole problem, but a set piece ball looping into the 6 yard box should be the keeper's every time, especially when we know our players are at a height disadvantage.

There's no way that corner should have got as far as Schweinsteiger, and that is two points dropped. Shinji wasn't great, but realistically Schweinsteiger is going to get the better of a man of his stature pretty regularly. It was in Kasper's power to prevent that goal and he fluffed it.

Agreed.

MOTD had a decent graphic for once, which showed earlier in the game Kasper 'came out' (not sure it classes as that when 5 yards from the line! ) and caught a previous corner in exactly the same position.

It's a recurring problem with him sadly, and one that he should have sorted out by now.

[NewEnglandFox]

Kasper's problem is he either watches the ball and forgets where the players are or watches the players and forgets where the ball is.

[EverybodyDannsNow]

Always been a fan of Kasper, and I still think he's a half decent Prem keeper, but for me he has to be doing more from corners and crosses in general. Granted he's not the tallest but he needs to be more confident and commanding. But as I say I think he's good enough to be our number 1, he'll save us more points in a season that he will cost us.

[NewEnglandFox]

Even though Kasper needs to claim every ball in the 6, height mismatches are a recurring theme.

 

Norwich: Ball is sent at Shinji's mark but overshot. Ball bounces and that creates chaos every time.

 

Southampton 1: Ball is sent straight at Kanté.

 

United: Shinji vs. Bastien.