Not to get straight in with the knee jerks, but what's going on? I've never seen us so bad at set pieces before, it's not even just how bad we are at defending them it's how bad we are taking them. We've yet to score from a single corner this season. 

Whenever we concede a corner I feel as though we've just let a striker in on a one on one opportunity, that's what it usually feels like because we are so bad at defending them, it's almost always a massive chance for the opposition. And I think we've been fortunate on set pieces, because some teams we've played against have missed absolute sitters from them. Take the palace game for instance, we absolutely destroyed them, they had no clear-cut chances, we are 1-0 up and just before halftime they missed an absolute sitter on their first and only corner so far in the game, if they score from that corner it changes the game. 

And given how dangerous West Ham were on corners today, and how awful we were at taking them, the issue doesn't seem like it's going to be solved any time soon. What do you think is mostly the fault for this? People have said zonal, but I think it's mostly down to lack of leadership in the box, the number of times we've had Tammy marking their strikers on set pieces is ridiculous. 

Yeah I agree on the lack of leadership.

You look at both our defenders and keeper, and even midfield, and there really doesn't seem like any stand out person that will call out his teammates on their positions in the box. We could have easily lost this game from corners if it wasn't because of VAR and Kepa's save. 

Also another point to address, set piece takers, who's our best choice? It can't be Willian surely... I hope we are working on set pieces more in training, they are crucial to football and we could've done with it today badly, in games where in open play it's just not cutting it. 

Maybe we've been spoiled of having the likes of Terry and Ivanovic for years who would come up and score about 10 between them a season, but even so, I would like to see the statistics on our set pieces because we have to be the worst in the league for it surely, even the relegation clubs are scoring from corners. 

2 minutes ago, Frankie8Lampard said:

Yeah I agree on the lack of leadership.

You look at both our defenders and keeper, and even midfield, and there really doesn't seem like any stand out person that will call out his teammates on their positions in the box. We could have easily lost this game from corners if it wasn't because of VAR and Kepa's save. 

Set pieces have been a problem all season, but it doesn't look like it's getting any better for us. Pundits are blaming Kepa for his lack of organisation in the box, but a keeper can't be responsible for every man marking and positioning in the box. I don't know what it is but it's been a problem all season, our winning run has papered over the cracks so nobody has really been talking about it. And like I said in a lot of games we've actually been lucky and the other team has missed a set clear cut opportunity from a set piece. Burnley missed a few before we even scored a goal, think of how much of a different game it would've been if Barnes wasn't a donkey. Shoulda woulda coulda, but what other teams are giving away clear cut chances from set pieces like we are? Even teams like Southampton are better organised in that department. 

13 minutes ago, Slojo said:

Also another point to address, set piece takers, who's our best choice? It can't be Willian surely... I hope we are working on set pieces more in training, they are crucial to football and we could've done with it today badly, in games where in open play it's just not cutting it. 

Maybe we've been spoiled of having the likes of Terry and Ivanovic for years who would come up and score about 10 between them a season, but even so, I would like to see the statistics on our set pieces because we have to be the worst in the league for it surely, even the relegation clubs are scoring from corners. 

I'd say it's Mount but there's no guarantee he'll start every week if today's performance is anything go by?

Even if the delivery is nailed I don't think we have the CBs to get on the end of them tbh

Edited November 30, 20195 yr by the special one

I think Zouma scored a few for us under Mourinho didn't he? Arsenal springs to mind, Christensen is useless at heading, Tomori I'm not that sure he rarely gets on the end of anything. 

It's not really the CB's I don't think, we rarely see a good ball into the box, always either the goalkeeper or it doesn't beat the first man.

Might as pass them back to the keeper like we do in every other situation in the match. Even if we have a good delivery and a free header we don’t even hit the target. 
 

This isn’t a knee jerk reaction, my knees hurt to much to be jerking... 

8 minutes ago, Slojo said:

Set pieces have been a problem all season, but it doesn't look like it's getting any better for us. Pundits are blaming Kepa for his lack of organisation in the box, but a keeper can't be responsible for every man marking and positioning in the box. I don't know what it is but it's been a problem all season, our winning run has papered over the cracks so nobody has really been talking about it. And like I said in a lot of games we've actually been lucky and the other team has missed a set clear cut opportunity from a set piece. Burnley missed a few before we even scored a goal, think of how much of a different game it would've been if Barnes wasn't a donkey. Shoulda woulda coulda, but what other teams are giving away clear cut chances from set pieces like we are? Even teams like Southampton are better organised in that department. 

I also wouldnt put all the blame on Kepa for the organisation, it does seem harsh. I think the team is lacking a defensive "Marshall" (for lack of a better team) this season. Azpi seems to be the more 'lead by example' type of player versus the more confrontational leader. I beginning to wonder whether Lampard has done the most he can do because if we are still making the same mistakes by the mid-point of the season, I dont know whether we can improve further. Yeah the team are young but you can only do so much tactically regardless of age. Unless Rudiger can be that player but he has fitness issues. Otherwise, we might just have to cut our losses and try to not concede set-pieces and outscore teams until the ban is lifted.

Corner kicks both attacking and defending has been poor for a while now. From attack, Zouma has got his head to fair few of the rare good ones we take, but he misses the target every time. The rest of the team don't seem to get on the end of them at all. Defending them is an even bigger concern though, we seem to give teams a chance to score from them in every game. It's like Arsenal under Wenger in the mid to late 2000's with corners. We never look like scoring from them, but we always look like conceding from them.

Attacking and defending corners used to be one of our best strengths, now it's a weakness.

Seems like more often than not when the other team get a corner or attacking set piece, they are the ones getting a head on it and having a chance at goal. Whereas at the other end, I honestly can't remember one.

emerson put a decent one in today, then fidnt take another for the entire game, i think it was the one that zouma shouldve buried. 

We dont have enough players that are aggresive enough in both boxes. We also dont have goalkeeper that can come and deal comfortably with bals in the box, and generally at the other end, the crosses are pretty poor. 

Not really a lot we can do with how the squad is made up at the moment.

Corners - we are sh*t at defending them, taking them and attacking them.

23 hours ago, Slojo said:

I think Zouma scored a few for us under Mourinho didn't he? Arsenal springs to mind, Christensen is useless at heading, Tomori I'm not that sure he rarely gets on the end of anything. 

It's not really the CB's I don't think, we rarely see a good ball into the box, always either the goalkeeper or it doesn't beat the first man.

Zouma has a good leap and is better than anyone on the team when it comes to heading the ball but his technique is poor and most of the time he can't connect with the ball properly so he rarely gets a shot on target. Christensen is yet to score a goal, I think, which is a shocking stat. I can't get on Tomori's case because this is his first season, but I do wonder if he's tall enough to deal with long balls when defending and be a legit goal threat at the other end.

I think a big problem is we don't have the players that are a massive threat from high balls into the box anymore, it's been the case ever since Terry and Ivan were phased out. As much as Willian and recently Mount aren't helping matters, we could have Beckham or De Bruyne taking our corners and we'd still carry little threat.

That's why I couldn't for the life of me understand why people got so angry when Conte decided to have us take more corners short instead of direct, that was absolutely the right thing to do and I hope Frank decides to follow suit sooner rather than later.

Edited December 2, 20195 yr by Argo

7 hours ago, Argo said:

I think a big problem is we don't have the players that are a massive threat from high balls into the box anymore, it's been the case ever since Terry and Ivan were phased out. As much as Willian and recently Mount aren't helping matters, we could have Beckham or De Bruyne taking our corners and we'd still carry little threat.

That's why I couldn't for the life of me understand why people got so angry when Conte decided to have us take more corners short instead of direct, that was absolutely the right thing to do and I hope Frank decides to follow suit sooner rather than later.

When conte was here we still had a decent aerial threat, Cahill, luiz, Alonso, amd Costa, (matic aswell although he was poor aerially for his size). 

2nd season we had Cahill, Rudiger, Alonso, Morata, and Bakayoko. 

This season, we only really have Zouma in most games. Tomori, Christiansen and Abraham, havent really looked too dangerous from  balls into the box, so i agree with your overall point, it would be better to mix things up.

We lack physicality on the whole at the moment. City get away with it because they dominate games, and kill teams off pretty quickly. We leave ourselves open because every game is usually in the balance for at least 60 minutes. 

Its just going to be a weakness we have this season imo. Its horrible to watch, and everytime a corner is conceded, we are all going to be bricking it! 

Maybe it will be less of an issue if Rudiger and RLC can get fit and back into the side.

7 hours ago, Argo said:

I think a big problem is we don't have the players that are a massive threat from high balls into the box anymore, it's been the case ever since Terry and Ivan were phased out. As much as Willian and recently Mount aren't helping matters, we could have Beckham or De Bruyne taking our corners and we'd still carry little threat.

That's why I couldn't for the life of me understand why people got so angry when Conte decided to have us take more corners short instead of direct, that was absolutely the right thing to do and I hope Frank decides to follow suit sooner rather than later.

I've rarely seen us take a good short corner.

I would prefer we vary our corner routines. I think Abraham can score from headers though surprisingly he does seem great at scoring from corners yet why not have him on the front post flicking corners on.

Of have another on the front post nodding the ball to an onrushing midfielder or someone like Tomori to have a crack,

The biggest problem for me is lack of creativity and practise to get it right. 

 

We are just sh1t at taking the corner kicks, most corners either too close to the GK or get knocked out by the first defender. I don't think height is the major problem, On Saturday we had Giroud, yet he never got his head at the end of anything, corners or crossing. I think it's one of the area got overlooked and under estimated in training. If players from bottom half teams could good take corners, why can't our players do it?

I think we've created our fair share of opportunities from corners and havent taken nearly enough, Zouma should've buried the one on the weekend. Pulisic had one cleared off the line against Brighton (I think) and Foster made an incredible save from one against Watford.

Christensen is another who has missed numerous opportunities over the last couple of years, I dont think its a case of us being unlucky but maybe with the whole transition from defensive counter attacking football to one which is more possession based has probably not allowed enough time to focus on set pieces as we originally probably would have.

Reece James is a very good crosser of the ball. I'd be interested to see how he does with corners.

3 hours ago, Imran_CFC said:

I think we've created our fair share of opportunities from corners and havent taken nearly enough, Zouma should've buried the one on the weekend. Pulisic had one cleared off the line against Brighton (I think) and Foster made an incredible save from one against Watford.

Christensen is another who has missed numerous opportunities over the last couple of years, I dont think its a case of us being unlucky but maybe with the whole transition from defensive counter attacking football to one which is more possession based has probably not allowed enough time to focus on set pieces as we originally probably would have.

Unfortunately Christensen is the worst header of the ball I've seen, he's missed so many sitters. 

On 30/11/2019 at 19:00, Zeta said:

Seems like more often than not when the other team get a corner or attacking set piece, they are the ones getting a head on it and having a chance at goal. Whereas at the other end, I honestly can't remember one.

I know we definitely haven't scored one yet, the one Pulisic scored was a rebound that went back to Mount for another cross, so it doesn't really count. 

We haven't scored any set pieces this season besides freekicks, pretty sh*t that really... Although I guess you may consider Tomori's goal one. 

At defending lamps has moved from pure zonal to part zonal and some markers man on man, but not working as zouma is in a zone and the opposition team just play to their biggest runners and bypass zouma - we can improve that though with a tweak. Agree with the lack of leaders though - rudi can be vocal when playing but it's a need overall.

for attacking it is all over the place, long high balls to the back post, or hit the front defender - apart from the one Emerson corner. Last few years we majored on short corners and mixed it up but all looks so predicate le - but again can be tweaked and improved with some focus.

WE COULD WITH A DEFENSIVE ASSISTANT COACH........ one of those visits on weds?