At this critical stage of the season, it only takes something small to change a game and indeed a season. Teams look jaded at the latter stages of the season and I feel a free kick, a converted corner could change a whole game. It seems as though the teams lacks innovation to try something different on the pitch (i.e Agger's goal against Chelsea)
When teams like Man U and Chelsea go up for corners, you could sense that they could score from one. We don't (I know people will point out Hyypia's goal vs Arsenal) We lack threat in the box, Carragher scores at every solar eclipse, Kuyt looks poor in the air, Babel doesn't seem to have the conviction to put his head in, Skrtel hasn't scored yet. The only two players who do look like scoring are Torres and Hyypia from a corner. If I was to reverse it and put them players in the defending box, they could header it away 20 yards up the field. Is is the players in the box or is it the delivery? We all know Gerrard's corners are absolutely shoddy, they either hit the first man or straight down the keepers throat. Nothing in with pure pace and whipped into the goal so oncoming attackers can cause defenders and the goalkeeper any threat. I believe Alonso should take them with Gerrard who has decent, not brilliant heading ability in the box. He seems quick enough to win the second balls so why not?
Free kicks are as frequent as Pete Doherty staying off drugs. Again, if we look at Man U and Chelsea, you could sense a threat. Liverpool just don't look like scoring from free kicks. We do all this shifting the angle and breaking the wall and eventually the ball ends up bouncing off the remainder of the wall. Its a shame as we do have some good long range passers but its more than having the ability to pick out a pass accurately. Its about deceiving the keeper with the flight of the ball, the shape and direction of the free kick and most importantly the pace in the ball. Currently we have as candidates: Gerrard, Alonso, Aurelio, Riise. Why not try Mascherano or Babel? Mascherano as we seen yesterday can really use the ball creatively from a deep position and Babel can really thump a ball.
So I pose these questions. What do you think it is? Am I being very critical on our set pieces? What could change?
When teams like Man U and Chelsea go up for corners, you could sense that they could score from one. We don't (I know people will point out Hyypia's goal vs Arsenal) We lack threat in the box, Carragher scores at every solar eclipse, Kuyt looks poor in the air, Babel doesn't seem to have the conviction to put his head in, Skrtel hasn't scored yet. The only two players who do look like scoring are Torres and Hyypia from a corner. If I was to reverse it and put them players in the defending box, they could header it away 20 yards up the field. Is is the players in the box or is it the delivery? We all know Gerrard's corners are absolutely shoddy, they either hit the first man or straight down the keepers throat. Nothing in with pure pace and whipped into the goal so oncoming attackers can cause defenders and the goalkeeper any threat. I believe Alonso should take them with Gerrard who has decent, not brilliant heading ability in the box. He seems quick enough to win the second balls so why not?
Free kicks are as frequent as Pete Doherty staying off drugs. Again, if we look at Man U and Chelsea, you could sense a threat. Liverpool just don't look like scoring from free kicks. We do all this shifting the angle and breaking the wall and eventually the ball ends up bouncing off the remainder of the wall. Its a shame as we do have some good long range passers but its more than having the ability to pick out a pass accurately. Its about deceiving the keeper with the flight of the ball, the shape and direction of the free kick and most importantly the pace in the ball. Currently we have as candidates: Gerrard, Alonso, Aurelio, Riise. Why not try Mascherano or Babel? Mascherano as we seen yesterday can really use the ball creatively from a deep position and Babel can really thump a ball.
So I pose these questions. What do you think it is? Am I being very critical on our set pieces? What could change?
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