Set Pieces?

I dont know if anyone else feels the same way but I think that this season (so far anyway) we have seem to have lost the ability to take a decent corner! I dont recall seeing us take a corner that clears the near-post marker's head. Not only that...but when we are defending we dont have that edge anymore cause Carra is not exactly aerially dominant, Agger still learning and Hyypia not being as good as he was 2 or 3 years ago (had a great game against Fulham btw). The only Aerially dominant player in our defence is Reina, he doesn't make any mistakes when he goes up for the ball.

It also seems that what we have lost in the corner department, we have made up in the free kick department because every single free kick we have taken has been dangerous. I think we have scored about 3 this season (if you count Alonso's one against derby) while we haven't shot one miss yet.


Does anyone agree or am I just very tired on this Monday morning?

Umm....we've conceded how many off a corner exactly?

Zero sounds about right.

We conceded 2 against Reading in the Carling Cup. 3 penalties at the start too.

We have only conceded 6 goals in the premiership (tied with Mancs i think) so i dont know where this worry has come from.

Yes I know its hardly a problem area (yet?), but before we used to dispatch balls so much more swiftly with the head. Often in recent matches I've seen a cross being headed straight up in the air (some times in succession!).

Well that can hardly be seen as a problem as defenders want to get anything on it to clear it.

Any examples?

...vs Fulham

Score?

If we had conceded we would all be talking about it now wouldn't we? I'm just saying its an area which, compared to past few seasons, we are not as effective as we used to be. Do we really want to wait until we are conceding to address this problem?
 
Anyways there are other points in my first post too...

My point is, we have conceded 2 goals from set plays which were in the same game in a Carling Cup match. 2 from 20 games in all competitions. Hardly seems something to bring up.

This is just like talking about how we should prepare if a player gets injured.

Just my opinion.

Just my opinion.

..and it is appreciated, and respected

Its just that Im always worrying about the fact that attacking has been a area in which we've been lacking in past seasons and now that we've been splashing the cash to strengthen our attack, I hope we dont neglect the defence which has always been our best attribute. I'm very grateful that we have not conceded yet.

..sure....
  defence we are gud but..need more CBs..rem the game of arsenal... carra was devastated..he needed to be rested for at least one..but holla 2 boys  coz they havnt let in much.. only  some pena's..

Offensively our corners have been poor for longer than just this season, I have said for a long time that it is something we seriously need to work on.

I also think Venom-C is right about how we've defended corners recently, it's easy to jump on his back because we haven't conceded from one yet but the fact is we nearly have on quite a few occassions. However I feel a lot of that is down to us having a patchwork defence at the moment, and will only get seriously worried if it continues with our full strength back line in place.

Agree with you on the corners Venom mate. It is the most frustrating thing in football when a player can't clear the first man when taking a corner.

We haven't been doing much with corners for several seasons.  Be interested in any stats of goals converted from corners.  I bet it's abysmal.

I agree we are not defending corners as well this season as last season but as Eddiec says this is probably down to injuries which should right itself when Agger gets back and hopefully we buy in another centre back in January.

If you take a look back over the past few seasons we have never had a good success rate from corners,this as always frustrated me,i would like to see Carra coming up and nodding a few in.

If you take a look back over the past few seasons we have never had a good success rate from corners,this as always frustrated me,I would like to see Carra coming up and nodding a few in.

Well it has always seemed in the last few seasons that Carra is the one who stays back while Sami/Agger go up for the corners.

As for our set plays, its been a long time since i saw us consistently taking good corners, we must have one of the worst records in the league for goals scored from corners. It's defo a problem area that needs sorting.

Haven't Liverpool always been poor from set pieces - historically I think we have always been sh*te at corners.

Offensively I certainly think it's an area we could work on. Have done for some time. But I think compared to other teams we don't use corners as a major weapon. A lot of other teams will see set pieces as their best chance of scoring.

Thats my major frustratioon Venom, when we get a corner, I never expect anything to come from it becasue we either can't get it past the 1st man, who just hacks it out of there and when we do get it over, it goes way beyond the man at the back post. You think they'd have practised it a few time in training, wouldn't you?

If you take a look back over the past few seasons we have never had a good success rate from corners,this as always frustrated me,I would like to see Carra coming up and nodding a few in.

Our main problem lies with the fact that our forwards/midfielders already lined - up at the opposition goalmouth and waiting for the ball to land on their head, but opposition defenders would have taken enough precautions aganist that. Look at the teams above us, they don't park themselves permanently at the opposition goalmouth before the corner kick is taken, they keep running an confusing the defenders and to create the opening for others. Once the ball is pumped from the corner, those standing at the edge of the box will rush-in and try to nod the ball into the goal before the opposition defenders clears the ball. Tommy Smith's header in our 1st European cup is a real classic example, and almost 30m years on the scums are doing exactly the same, while we backtracked. Besides that, I don't understand why Crouch needs to stand so far back when he can easily stand in front, nearest to the post where the corner kick is taken, and his height would allow him to get to the ball first before others, and he just need to aim at the target to score or flick it backwards to create chaos.

Besides that, I don't understand why Crouch needs to stand so far back when he can easily stand in front, nearest to the post where the corner kick is taken, and his height would allow him to get to the ball first before others, and he just need to aim at the target to score or flick it backwards to create chaos.

I agree with you here. Crouch should definitely look to attack the ball instead of waiting for it to come to him. The defenders watch the ball as it floats from the corner and that gives them time to react and clear. A quick deflection before the first pole would definitely create chaos for the opponents.

Little Luis used to creat havoc from corners.

I dont know if anyone else feels the same way but I think that this season (so far anyway) we have seem to have lost the ability to take a decent corner!

to be honest mate i felt the same last season so theres nothing new to my mind