Defending Set Plays, we have improved?

[davieG]

It would seem we've improved under Puel having moved to zonal marking. Now we just need to start scoring from a few more.

 

Can't say I'd noticed although have seen an improvement with our thrown-ins.

 

 

Quote

 

Why Leicester City are actually quite good at defending set-plays
Liverpool's second goal in the defeat at the King Power Stadium came from a corner

 

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/leicester-city-liverpool-set-play-1974905
ByJames SharpeLeicester City Correspondent
06:00, 6 SEP 2018
SPORT

Liverpool’s second goal against Leicester City at the weekend left many supporters lamenting the side’s age-old problem of defending set-plays.

On the stroke of half-time, Roberto Firmino squirmed away from James Maddison to head Jurgen Klopp’s side into a two-goal lead.

For heaven’s sake. Here we go again.

Not quite. That was the first goal City have conceded this season from a set-play, which does not including the penalty at Manchester United. Penalties do not count in set-play statistics.

That’s not a bad record, especially when you consider City have already defended 26 corners so far in the Premier League this season. A whopping 11 of them came against Southampton. And that’s not even beginning to count free-kicks in various dangerous positions.

Everton, meanwhile, have let in four of their six conceded goals from set-plays. In contrast, they have faced just 18 corners.

This is not to say that Leicester were not previously bad at defending set-plays. They used to be rubbish. Opta stats say City conceded 16 goals from set-plays last season. That was the joint-third worst of anyone in the division.

Here’s the thing, though. Twelve of those came in the first half of the season. After the defeat to Watford on Boxing Day until the end of the campaign, City conceded only a further four set-play goals. Claude Puel had taken over at the end of October.

And there is a reason for this, says Marc Albrighton. Leicester changed from man-marking to the dreaded zonal marking. Instead of each defender being assigned an attacker to mark, players take charge of their own ‘zone’ inside the area.

According to the City winger, this has been the reason for the improvement.

“Last season, at the start, we had trouble from set-plays and conceded a lot of goals while man-marking,” said Albrighton.

“We have gone to zonal and I think our record since then has been great. We have had a brilliant record defending set-plays.

“I am not sure what happened on Saturday, where Firmino has come from, and where he has got his head in but obviously it is disappointing, more so the timing of the goal.”

He can say that again. The second goal stuck a pin in City’s swelling momentum and left Puel’s side with a real task to battle back.

They tried, fought valiantly, but failed. Another slow start, a rare set-piece goal conceded, and a defeat.

“We had played quite well for 25 minutes of that first half but once they got that second goal before the break it knocked the stuffing out of us,” added Albrighton. “Credit to us, we came out fighting in that second half and deserved at least a point.

“I think in a few games this season we have had a slow start, even in pre-season we started slow. That is something we have to look at and put right. I thought we dominated in parts and definitely didn’t deserve to lose the game. No one could argue that we didn’t deserve at least a point from the game.”

 

 

[StriderHiryu]

It sure doesn’t feel like it after that second goal versus Liverpool!

 

But statistically we have improved defending on set pieces even if through open play we still look highly vulnerable. 

 

Oh for the days of the 15/16 defending when we were so hard to break down!

[davieG]

1 minute ago, StriderHiryu said:

It sure doesn’t feel like it after that second goal versus Liverpool!

 

But statistically we have improved defending on set pieces even if through open play we still look highly vulnerable. 

 

Oh for the days of the 15/16 defending when we were so hard to break down!

Fuchs Huth Morgan Simpson

 

Not much ball playing skill in that lot but they could defend (with the help of Kante)

 

Let's hope with the eventual  preferred back four plus Mendy and Ndidi we can get back to that and soon.

[sylofox]

6 minutes ago, StriderHiryu said:

 

Oh for the days of the 15/16 defending when we were so hard to break down!

I'm sure that will come in time. We still have a CB to come in. Not like 15/16 season started that well we could just score more. 

 

Has anyone told Puel how much our players like pizza. 

Edited 6 September 2018 by sylofox

[OhYesNdidi]

5 minutes ago, davieG said:

Fuchs Huth Morgan Simpson

 

Not much ball playing skill in that lot but they could defend (with the help of Kante)

 

Let's hope with the eventual  preferred back four plus Mendy and Ndidi we can get back to that and soon.

Understaement of the century  

[davieG]

15 minutes ago, OhYesNdidi said:

Understaement of the century  

Well he didn't help much with the set plays though.

[Lovejoy]

I know it's a boring and well discussed point, but having Iborra in the side gives us so much in both boxes, I just don't know where he fits in with Mendy's form.

 

Good to see the problem has been addressed though. I'm not on of these who hates zonal marking, in all honesty all it takes is one player not doing their job in either system and you probably concede.

[Guest ttfn]

What I find particularly interesting about our approach to defending set pieces is that it appears to be a pure zonal approach rather than a hybrid with man-marking (which I am led to believe is the norm). The statistics bear out that whatever we’re doing is working but that doesn’t make me feel any less uneasy about allowing the likes of van Dijk to go about their business without a designated marker.

 

I’d also be interested to know if any teams mark zonally and manage to leave men up  at corners - I wonder if about the extent to which the two things are interlinked. I suppose the more men you have back in the box the smaller the zone for each player to defend.

[ScouseFox]

couldn’t care less how we mark space or men, put a fuc king midget like mendy on the post. it was pretty crap marking for firmino’s goal but it literally rolled into the net. a man on the post and we win the game, imo. 

[Ian Nacho]

Think we have done overall. Southampton the other week had about 15 corners and we didn't concede. 

[STUHILL]

I detest zonal marking! Adds more confusion than needed IMO.It also means that the biggest aerial threats, often match up against some weaker defenders aerially, such as the goal from Firmino at the weekend.

 

I'd prefer we stuck with man for man, and have players like Maguire, Wes, N'didi etc, matching up with the oppositions biggest aerial threats.

 

Let's see how it pans out though, as I can't complain if zonal works on a consistent basis and the players prefer it. 

[dayday]

I never understand why we don’t have players defending the near and back post, it would certainly have stopped the Liverpool goal

[l444ry]

2 hours ago, STUHILL said:

I detest zonal marking! Adds more confusion than needed IMO.It also means that the biggest aerial threats, often match up against some weaker defenders aerially, such as the goal from Firmino at the weekend.

 

I'd prefer we stuck with man for man, and have players like Maguire, Wes, N'didi etc, matching up with the oppositions biggest aerial threats.

 

Let's see how it pans out though, as I can't complain if zonal works on a consistent basis and the players prefer it. 

Puel opts for the semi-zonal where the six yard box is zonal and players on the edge are man for man markers. The goal was caused by Maddison losing Firmino. Nothing to do with the zonal aspect other than maybe another player could have been in zonal area. Theoretically the man for man markers should block the runs as well as mark whereby no aerial height is then gained. Zonal marking on corner has statically out performed man for man marking for years. 

Edited 6 September 2018 by l444ry

[Stadt]

You have 10 outfielders, 9 in the box usually so if you have 2 on the posts that's 7 players in the box defending actively against probably 6 attackers. 9 v 6 is obviously more advantageous and more proactive than 7 v 6. It doesn't always go to plan but Pep's Bayern (with better players but there's a smaller skill gap with set pieces) conceded no corner goals one season playing zonally. What works for one team doesn't necessarily work for another but well executed zonal marking is more effective.

[Ian Nacho]

Don't people realise that no team will go the entire season without conceding from a corner?

[fuchsntf]

4 hours ago, ScouseFox said:

couldn’t care less how we mark space or men, put a fuc king midget like mendy on the post. it was pretty crap marking for firmino’s goal but it literally rolled into the net. a man on the post and we win the game, imo. 

Yes it really is that simple....plus make sure the guy,defending centre of the box in set plays is tall enough or can mix it and hold his ground.

That said,in these 4 games our defending at set plays,looks not to be so panic ridden,and I don't feel so uncomfortable as last season...

 

[Fox92]

Amazed to see we only conceded four last season under Puel. Shows we are getting better surely. 

[Clever Fox]

The one thing I've noticed at corners is Kasper is being more self assured and coming for crosses which he wouldn't do previous years.

But we do lack a tall physical presence in the Box. We really only have Maguire and Morgan and NDiddi and Amartey to a lesser extent.

I'd like to see Chilwell and Mendy take a post each and the Amartey or NDiddi take the front of the Box for near post crosses. Then the other

3 mark up the center of the goal along the 6 yd line. That way we'd be reasonably covered, But as said your never going to totally prevent the

opposition from scoring at corners and set plays. It usually comes down to who wants to win the Ball the most.

[l444ry]

2 hours ago, Fox92 said:

Amazed to see we only conceded four last season under Puel. Shows we are getting better surely. 

Average corners conceded per Premier League game is around six. On another note, only Newcastle have gained less corners than us (three per game). 

Edited 6 September 2018 by l444ry