Can someone please tell me what on Earth was going on with the corners yesterday? Everytime there was a corner, Sanchez and Imrie (or Hayes towards the end) went over and seemed to discuss amoungst themselves what to do. Sometimes it was a cross into the box, sometimes it was a short one, and sometimes it was a pass to the edge of the box. What's it all about? It must be something they were trying out in the week, and from what I could see it was pretty ineffective. IMO corners should be crosses into the box pretty much everytime. Discuss.

Makes sense to me.....send your 2 shortest guys out to take the corner and they take 2 opposition players with them...generally defenders who are taller.

To get that to work and to have teams send players to cover for the short corner, you have to play the short pass a few times, otherwise they know your not going to do it and don't make provision to cover it.

what should they do then Ren? set it up and punt it in.. with out anyone knowing who its aimed for and where its going, doing the same thing all them time makes a potential scoring chance easy to defend, doing this IMO lets OUR team know whats going to happen, and as you said in the OP no two were the same... for me this is a non started, Communcations is a very important thing so having a wee meeting before the kick only inforces it..

The strategy on corners yesterday is a good one. Ever wonder why teams don't leave players up when defending corners? The theory is that if you crowd the box with your own players, it makes it much harder for a forward to attack the ball. I'm fed up of people moaning that we don't leave forwards up the pitch when we defend set pieces - I have seen Chelsea, Manchester United and Barcelona this season on the box regularly bringing everyone back to defend corners.

So, if we have two people over the corner kick, then two defenders come out to them, leaving more space for our boys to attack it. As we also found yesterday, one of the players going to defend the short corner is often the man protecting the edge of the box and so the ball can also be cut back for someone to have a strike from distance - it's just a shame that yesterday it was Duncan!

Short corners are a pet hate of mine. However....done well.....they can be useful...NOW AND THEN....Not pretty much every fecking corner. ICT do short corners BADLY....there were a few times yesterday when we ended up defending in our own half due to a badly taken "short corner"

Are ICT players that bad, they cant get a first time ball into the box?

We do long corners badly as well.

im also a hater of short corners, but they can be effective when they take opposition players out.

I agree that ICT should mix it up

This is the basics fer the training grounds - every team has set play ploys - it isnt just a case of walloping the ball in to the middle. There just simply has to be a mix.

Seems to be the new tactic for all of our set plays, pass it to sanchez who looks for a man to break free and work it from there. I like it, cannot remember the last time we scored from a free-kick or a corner. With sanchez running at the defence, it encourages a few to break away and try to stop him, giving the perfect opportunity for someone to knock a ball over the top.

Noticed yesterday that we played it on the deck to great effect. Keep that up and most 1st division teams wouldn't know what to do.

Slightly off-topic, but related to tactics at set pieces.

No idea which team it was, but watching the highlights of the football out the corner of my eye while playing pool last night I saw a cracking one. Was a free kick and one player was standing with the ball in his hands....as he bent over to place the ball another player started his run up and just as the ball was placed he booted it, taking the opposition totally by surprise, and scored.

I love seeing new/cheeky plays like that....especially when they work out.

I would like to see someone stand infront of the keeper at corners.

what should they do then Ren? set it up and punt it in.. with out anyone knowing who its aimed for and where its going, doing the same thing all them time makes a potential scoring chance easy to defend, doing this IMO lets OUR team know whats going to happen, and as you said in the OP no two were the same... for me this is a non started, Communcations is a very important thing so having a wee meeting before the kick only inforces it..

Do the odd short one now and again, but for most, get the best crosser in the team to cross it in, send the big guys up, have a guy on the edge of the box and one on each post and cross it in with at least some aim and direction. Short one now and again but not constantly like it was yesterday. And obviously when defending a corner, you may as well hold at least one guy forward, and obviously when attacking from one at least hold one or probably two back at all times, unless you're desperately needing a goal.

Short corners are a pet hate of mine. However....done well.....they can be useful...NOW AND THEN....Not pretty much every fecking corner. ICT do short corners BADLY....there were a few times yesterday when we ended up defending in our own half due to a badly taken "short corner"

Are ICT players that bad, they cant get a first time ball into the box?

Exactly. Now and again is fine, but doing thm constantly as happneded yesterday is nonsense.

Everyone seems to be forgetting that we did score from a corner yesterday...

I would like to see someone stand infront of the keeper at corners.

Sounds good. Are you volunteering?

Makes sense to me.....send your 2 shortest guys out to take the corner and they take 2 opposition players with them...generally defenders who are taller.

I don't know of many teams who are dumb enough to send their two biggest defenders out to cover a short corner! That's just suicidal! They'll certainly get a couple of guys out to them (you would think) but I doubt very much it would be guys who are obviously best placed to stay in the box and pick up the target men.

I thought Stratford was sending in some good balls *snigger* the other week. Maybe we could sub him on for corners?

As far as corners go, it's called trying something different, which I am all for

I would like to see someone stand infront of the keeper at corners.

Sounds good. Are you volunteering?

:) :)

I think the two men at the corner approach is definately worth trying as it gives more options. It drags out two players from the box and regardless of size it means two less bodies to defend the corner. It was positive that we scored from a corner and could have had another when Duncan ran to the corner of the 18 yard box to collect a short corner and had a pop at goal which he should have had on target. It was a nice move though and caught the Morton defence off guard

Another option at a corner that is seldom used is the overhit to beyond the melee of players and the ball is then returned into the goalmouth from the far side leaving the defenders to turn, thereby losing concentration.

Result? Defenders lose their man, keeper unsure and attacking players have more chance.

This plan is OK on paper but very often getting the ball as far as the the six yard box is a problem for the person taking the corner!

Another option at a corner that is seldom used is the overhit to beyond the melee of players and the ball is then returned into the goalmouth from the far side leaving the defenders to turn, thereby losing concentration.

Result? Defenders lose their man, keeper unsure and attacking players have more chance.

This plan is OK on paper but very often getting the ball as far as the the six yard box is a problem for the person taking the corner!

Gee, I never knew they did that on purpose. This thread is educational.

btw did anyone see Rosco's near post header late on, not far off target.

I would like to see someone stand infront of the keeper at corners.

Sounds good. Are you volunteering?

Aye, or i could throw something at the keeper :D

Another option at a corner that is seldom used is the overhit to beyond the melee of players and the ball is then returned into the goalmouth from the far side leaving the defenders to turn, thereby losing concentration.

Result? Defenders lose their man, keeper unsure and attacking players have more chance.

This plan is OK on paper but very often getting the ball as far as the the six yard box is a problem for the person taking the corner!

Gee, I never knew they did that on purpose. This thread is educational.

btw did anyone see Rosco's near post header late on, not far off target.

Don't be daft.. Some of us have homes to get to before FT.

Edited November 2, 200916 yr by ICTFCkev

I would like to see someone stand infront of the keeper at corners.

Sounds good. Are you volunteering?

Aye, or i could throw something at the keeper :P

Well throw the broken drumsticks at him. leave the only one intact alone! :boldblue: