One thing that bothers me...

[The Hitman]

Every title winning side has a goal threat from set plays,particularly corners.Look at how many times sides like Chelsea and United score from corners whenever they don't look like scoring.See Chelsea last night as a prime example.

 

This normally comes from the centre half position-look at Vidic and Terry,Ferdinand and Carvalho.

All score a reasonable amount of goals for their position,and often at times when it doesn't look likely that they're going to score.

 

Can't say the same for us,and I'm not sure why-our centre halves are big guys,good in the air at the back.

So why not us?

Ball delivery is at times brilliant,but in the main it's terribly poor,not beating the first man.

 

To me scoring from corners is a fairly basic thing to be trying to do.United,Chelsea,Everton are all very good at it.

[Magic8Ball]

Every title winning side has a goal threat from set plays,particularly corners.Look at how many times sides like Chelsea and United score from corners whenever they don't look like scoring.See Chelsea last night as a prime example.

 

This normally comes from the centre half position-look at Vidic and Terry,Ferdinand and Carvalho.

All score a reasonable amount of goals for their position,and often at times when it doesn't look likely that they're going to score.

 

Can't say the same for us,and I'm not sure why-our centre halves are big guys,good in the air at the back.

So why not us?

Ball delivery is at times brilliant,but in the main it's terribly poor,not beating the first man.

 

To me scoring from corners is a fairly basic thing to be trying to do.United,Chelsea,Everton are all very good at it.

Villa are making a title challenge out of it

[muleskinner]

Every title winning side has a goal threat from set plays,particularly corners.Look at how many times sides like Chelsea and United score from corners whenever they don't look like scoring.See Chelsea last night as a prime example.

 

This normally comes from the centre half position-look at Vidic and Terry,Ferdinand and Carvalho.

All score a reasonable amount of goals for their position,and often at times when it doesn't look likely that they're going to score.

 

Can't say the same for us,and I'm not sure why-our centre halves are big guys,good in the air at the back.

So why not us?

Ball delivery is at times brilliant,but in the main it's terribly poor,not beating the first man.

 

To me scoring from corners is a fairly basic thing to be trying to do.United,Chelsea,Everton are all very good at it.

 

It's a long standing Liverpool tradition.

[The Hitman]

It's so frustrating.

They're almost like "gimmes".

[muleskinner]

It's so frustrating.

They're almost like "gimmes".

 

There used to be a fanzine called Another Wasted Corner. Pretty good it was too.

[richwilks]

It causes me to say the same thing everytime we get a corner.

 

"We never score from corners"

[ManxRed]

Whither Hyypia?

 

Who will replace him?

[The Hitman]

Sami's not scored as many as he should've done either,imo.

[Jim D]

We're a side who has never been good at set pieces since Gary Mac left, either the delivery is poor or the men in the box aren't making the right runs . Sami when he plays seems to be our only aerial threat from set pieces.

 

In some games you will have off days where everything you try to do from open play doesn't seem to be coming off. However if your good from set pieces it gets you out of jail and you nick the points you deserve.

 

We play similar to Mourinho's Chelsea when he won the league twice but in games they won I remember them scoring a lot of crucial goals from corners. We aren't capable of that it seems and it is something that needed to be addressed this season, it hasn't and we still can't score from them on a consistent basis.

 

Countless times this season we've come off the pitch, not winning and had something like 15 corners+ during the match and not looked like scoring from any of them. We just never take advantage of our superiority and its frustrating.

[Bigal]

there was a counter attack from them last night which was from a short corner.

 

I was fuming

[Flasher]

Villa are making a title challenge out of it

 

I think people are massively underestimating just how good Villa have been and can be.

[Chili Palmer]

I think people are massively underestimating just how good Villa have been and can be.

 

 

I don't think they are all that good, Portsmouth battered them and would have got at least a draw if Crouch had his shooting boots on. The one thing they have that we don't is momentum

[D.Boon]

Considering our cautious nature im surprised we dont spend every minute of every single training session working out a way to nick a goal for a set piece.

[Buzz]

I think people are massively underestimating just how good Villa have been and can be.

I agree. Very much like Valencia in Rafa's first La Liga winning season, just steadily going along with no-one really paying attention to them, could defo be worth an outside punt for the title.

[Bootle Buck]

A decent free kick taker would be nice too. We get the occasional one from Stevie but little threat from anyone else.

[Flasher]

I don't think they are all that good, Portsmouth battered them and would have got at least a draw if Crouch had his shooting boots on. The one thing they have that we don't is momentum

 

 

Utter nonsense.

 

Villa didn't even leave 2nd gear in that game. If needed to they could have done.

 

Granted Crouch missed some sitters, but Villa were the away team and didn't need to push forward.

Edited January 30, 2009 by Flasher

[Barnesy_10]

Laursen scores a hell of a lot for Villa from corners. He's very much like Sami.

[muleskinner]

Laursen scores a hell of a lot for Villa from corners. He's very much like Sami.

 

By hell of a lot do you mean 1 in the Premier League this season?

[Chili Palmer]

Villa didn't even leave 2nd gear in that game. If needed to they could have done.

 

yep. football is that simple.

[Ronnie Whelan]

I think he means Scandanavian.

[allawee]

there was a counter attack from them last night which was from a short corner.

 

I was fuming

I really hate short corners and can never understand the point. Also, while Stevie is our best corner taker, there need to be variation, whether Aurelio, Xabi or even Reira should be allowed to alternate as they may offer something different and unexpected.

 

As much as I hate Everton and Cahill, both of their corners that led to the goals were clever and pre-planned. The last goal that I remember for us which came from a pre-planned set play was the Agger goal vs. Chelsea in the CL semi final. May be in the current situation where we lacking creativity and confidence, should be an avenue that Rafa should focus on. He is known for perfection and meticulous pre-planning, but our set play definitely does not endorse that at the moment.

[Earl Hafler]

I think our set plays improved when Rafa was absent at Christmas. Probably coinsidence.

 

Maybe we don't practice them at all

[_00_deathscar]

That, or Newcastle are absolutely turd at defending a tissue blowing in the wind, nevermind a set piece...?

[anfield11]

Utter nonsense.

 

Villa didn't even leave 2nd gear in that game. If needed to they could have done.

 

Granted Crouch missed some sitters, but Villa were the away team and didn't need to push forward.

 

 

So everyone is wrong about our approach at Wigan then....sorted!

[Earl Hafler]

That, or Newcastle are absolutely turd at defending a tissue blowing in the wind, nevermind a set piece...?

 

True, but the corners looked rehearsed and the delivery was better