Defending Corners

[PTP]

Tompkins view...

that bloody tomkins! jesus wept he'd find positives even if we got beat 10-0 by accrington stanley

when has anything he ever said meant anything to anyone

[ric.williams]

i'd be more concerned if we'd conceded the same number from open play. it can be fixed on the training ground with hard work

tenner says adebayor scores a header from a corner against us

[Rich]

Hmmm, it is clear we're not up to scratch defending corners however I happen to think the Cole goal at the weekend was in no small part down to an excellent header - and yep sometimes the best defending in the world isn't going to help you. Class header, well played.

However utilising Torres as one of our main defensive headers is a recipe for disaster and the fact is we're a pretty short team all over the park. Lucas, Mascherano, Insua and Bennanoon are all relatively tiny. Skrtel is our tallest first teamer and doesn't dominate like Hyypia could, while Carragher seems to have really lost his form. All in all we're in a pickle. I'd probably have a go with what Craig suggests and stick a little player or two outside the area in the hope of clearing some of the congestion and letting Reina see if he can mop up any dangerous ball. It might not work but its clear the current personnel and system is suffering.

[Big-Red-Ed]

Mourinho used a system when he was at chelsea where he left 2 players on the halfway line at set pieces to give the other team something to think about.

I like it. Can you imagine the distraction to the opposition of having torres standing up field during one of our corners. They would be terrified of a quick break and would not load the penalty box at all.

[Craig_H]

You're missing the original poster's point. He's pointing out the fact that only Liverpool's zonal system is immediately criticised when goals are conceded from crosses, whereas in contrast man-to-man marking is never criticised by the media as a bad system in itself.

He wasn't bigging up zonal marking or saying that we're not messing up. Please pay attention

Which other team, operating a zonal marking system, has conceded 9 goals from set pieces this season? That may be why the system is being criticised.

Please wake up and pay attention.

[Craig_H]

Zonal marking is only used at corner kicks and is never used to defend free-kicks, apart from free-kicks taken by the corner flag.

Nobody uses zonal marking, Liverpool included, when a team is taking a free-kick punt from a wide position 45-50 yards from goal. Both teams usually line up at the edge of the box with the defending side trying to keep a high enough line, while attackers try to get a run on to a diagonal ball.

Last season we only conceded, I believe, two headed goals from corner kicks in league games which is hardly a stupid amount in 38 games

How about this season?

Unless we start being given points for last season, i would argue that this season is now more important.

How's our defending been from corners THIS season, would you say?

[billy_mac]

Against Burnley, he hovered at the edge of the box and it even resulted in a goal on the counter. Not sure who covered his position, probably Riera though.

Yes to this. Torres would demand the opposition keeping 3 rather than 2 players back to cover him. Rafa talked about Riena's delivery of a long ball and how it was a weapon. It is indeed, but only if he has somebody to deliver it to. Jack Charlton coached John Alridge to run into the corner as soon as he saw the centre back with the ball for Ireland. He knew roughly where the ball would be and was ahead of the play and in behind before the centre back could turn. John Alridge didn't have the pace of Torres and the tactic was effective.

Keeping Torres at the half way line keeps the oppostion honest. It also keeps him out of the collisions at the front post and saves on energy running up and down to defend corners.

For me, we should keep Torres up, put Riera/Kyut/Gerrard on the near post and put mascherano on the back post.

[Nick77]

You're missing the original poster's point. He's pointing out the fact that only Liverpool's zonal system is immediately criticised when goals are conceded from crosses, whereas in contrast man-to-man marking is never criticised by the media as a bad system in itself.

He wasn't bigging up zonal marking or saying that we're not messing up. Please pay attention

[calvoboy]

This season, there are a few problems that I can see.

1) We got caught out at the near post a couple of times in our first couple of games. So we moved a player from the goal line to cover the near post. This nearly caught us out a couple of times against West Ham. Solve one problem and create another...

2) Insua has been out-jumped a couple of times, and the oppo seem to be targeting the areas covered by our smaller players (understandably). Do we need to vary our player arrangement a bit to keep the opposition guessing?

3) The biggest problem for me though is that we are just a small team. Cole got in between Carra and Skrtel for his goal and was a good few inches above them both. From that point of view, going Man to Man would probably be the worst thing we could do, as we'd be outjumped in three or four positions. Maybe we should put Torres further back in the zonal set-up and keep Insua or Yossi on the edge of the box where they are less likely to get out-jumped for a header?

[Craig_H]

We bring back everyone for corners, surely we could spare one or two to put on the posts

[pondus]

that bloody tomkins! jesus wept he'd find positives even if we got beat 10-0 by accrington stanley

when has anything he ever said meant anything to anyone

True, he is an optimistic guy, I still like his writing, like a man on a mission trying to put everything right (zonal marking, money spent, scum-favoritism etc). He means a lot to me

[Craig_H]

I find him embarrassing to be honest, and not remotely credible.

[Scratch]

I find him embarrassing to be honest, and not remotely credible.

As a manc wum, you would. Bite you *******, bite!!

[Craig_H]

As a manc wum, you would. Bite you *******, bite!!

[Scratch]

Meh, the forums have been dead all morning, i thought i'd try and get something going