It's a strange one with our set-pieces. We've gone from being by our own admission a bit of a joke from corners, to being the top scores from them in the league. I always got the impression even when we were a really top side that we almost looked down on goals from such situations, to the extent that half the time we didn't even bother crossing them in when we were in our glory years. Now of course we cause teams all sorts of problems, but it's essentially the same personnel we've had for quite a few seasons which were largely impotent in the past. It's not like Gerrard is suddenly delivering it better or we've acquired a man mountain to attack everything, it's with the same players.
I've been looking at it for a while and I think it's mostly about our improved preparation and homework. By a combination of factors such as more adept use of blockers, we're managing to avoid the oppositions best header and isolate their most vulnerable more often. People often ask what Pascoe and the analyst who's name I can't remember do (Brendan brought him with from Swansea) and although I obviously don't know for certain they're responsible, somebody is and they're doing a top job. Skrtel of course is our chief beneficiary, and speaking as someone who has questioned him in the past I think out of our "normal" players (ie not Gerrard, Suarez or Sturridge) he's our player of the year.
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