Set Pieces & Aquilani

[JohnDoe]

Gerrard is a bad corner taker, but the problem is we don't have good headers either. Torres and Kuyt are the only ones good.

Carragher and Skrtel never score. I don't remember Agger scoring a header from a corner either. Masch is a short arse, Benayoun is a short arse. Riera's tall but he hasn't been a threat from there. We might consider getting Johnson in the box instead of Carragher.

Aquilani's got height, but he's only got 10 in heading on FM , he's got 14 on corners so maybe he should take them.

[Guest]

Do you know that Rafa's main source of statistics is from FM2012?

[PTP]

It's a real weakness - look at United with Vidic, Chelsea with Terry - they have players dangerous in the air for corners. Even if they don't score they put more pressure on the defending team, as firstly they'll be reluctant in losing a corner and so might make a mistake during play, and secondly they'll likely double team the dangerman, leaving more space elsewhere.

Ideally, we'd tell Gerrard not to go near corners. He'd be far better either loitering near the D for knock downs or ghosting in far post.

i'd agree with that - have gerrard on the edge of the box looking for knockdowns or alternating and making late runs into the box - i know people take the piss out of zonal defending at corners, i actually think we use zonal attacking too - our movement did improve though, and i do think the likes of agger, torres and kuyt seemed to have a few decent tactics, i'd also like to see skrtel try and become a threat

A majoir thing tho is the quality of the delivery.

[kris90210]

Are you being serious? Gerrard takes an awful corner, we haven't had good delivery from a corner since McAllister left. I think it was Stoke at home were we had something like 30 corners and not once did we threaten the goal, I remember we were trying to lay siege to the Stoke goal and their defenders were happy to kick the ball out.

Yes I am being serious. I think he has good delivery. Its a lack of targets in the middle thats the problem. We'll just have to agree to disagree

[Exiled_red]

Worse now the Legend Hyppia is gone.

Sami was our main threat from corners, I noticed the difference in that respect when he played, I think the problem is he was the only player who really attacked the ball and that's what we lack. I think the delivery would improve if we had people who attacked the ball, it would give the corner taker someone to aim for whereas I feel recently we've just launched them in and hoped for the best

[RedProf]

i'd agree with that - have gerrard on the edge of the box looking for knockdowns or alternating and making late runs into the box - i know people take the piss out of zonal defending at corners, i actually think we use zonal attacking too - our movement did improve though, and i do think the likes of agger, torres and kuyt seemed to have a few decent tactics, i'd also like to see skrtel try and become a threat

A majoir thing tho is the quality of the delivery.

I'm sure SG used to hang around the box on corners early in his career and headed in a couple of corners. Not sure why we don't go back to that idea.

[RedReet]

I actually like Kuyt's corners, but I suppose he's needed more in the box.

[DeeTheDog]

It's almost like a chicken and egg argument. I still maintain it's down to the quality of the ball into the box, too often we hit the first man or lose the ball playing a short corner. Yossi scored a goal against Madrid even though he was the shortest player on the pitch, this was down to the quality of the ball.

[Redspin]

Yes I am being serious. I think he has good delivery. Its a lack of targets in the middle thats the problem. We'll just have to agree to disagree

I think you're very much in the minority. It's nothing to do with lack of targets in the middle, it's Gerrard's terrible delivery. He has an unerring ability to pick out the first defender. I'm sure he fails to clear the defender 9 times out of 10 at least. It's a complete waste, both for the failure to produce any decent corner kicks, but also because he's so strong in and around the box and a decent header of the ball too. He should be putting himself about in the box rather than wasting his time taking poor corners

[kris90210]

I think you're very much in the minority. It's nothing to do with lack of targets in the middle, it's Gerrard's terrible delivery. He has an unerring ability to pick out the first defender. I'm sure he fails to clear the defender 9 times out of 10 at least. It's a complete waste, both for the failure to produce any decent corner kicks, but also because he's so strong in and around the box and a decent header of the ball too. He should be putting himself about in the box rather than wasting his time taking poor corners

Ive watched him take enough to know he clears the first defender more than 1 in 10... Alonso took a terrible corner. Gerrards delivery is good in my opinion.

I agree we'd be better off having him in or around the box though.

[-V-]

Babel is actually a decent corner taker. I have always said that Gerrard should be attacking corners not taking them. Big lad like him should be making full use of his height.