When was the last time we scored on a long throw? I can’t think of a single one before this past weekend
None spring to mind, but I’ve been banging on about the long throw being a useful weapon for ages. It’s driven me nuts over recent seasons that throw ins in attacking positions often led to the ball ending up back in our own half, or even back with our keeper.
But now we’ve got Edwards back, and Jones or Chuks to win the headers, it’s something worth exploiting as much as possible.
If that player is TC or perhaps Dixon, they will have to withdraw two players. Ideally any clearances not a hoof upfield bur like the Greek Euro side, a low grubber into space or along the touchline
Occasionally we play a team that leaves a player up when we have a corner, but these days it is a lesser spotted phenomenon. Having seen Dixon live, if he ever plays he is so fast that you could whack a ball away almost anywhere when defending a corner, and he would likely get to it first.
Compared to Tuesday night, that was as chalk to cheese, and whilst Tuesday was a great slab of the cliffs of Dover, today we saw a truckle of the finest farmhouse Cheddar, cave aged in a Welsh sleep mine.
Yes very welcome performance that steadies the nerves and gives us hope that this dire period of time in Div 1 may come to an end at some point. BUT the opposition was very different and played in a very predictable way and it was nullified by obvious counter tactics ( -yes very hard to maintain that effort, concentration and determination). We have seen this before ( Bolton) and last season. So a repeat of a previously successful tactic against passing teams. It doesn't answer the question of how we are going to beat the lesser teams in the division as they will kick it long ( especially after seeing that display).When we see consistent performance outplaying the lower teams thats when the dial shifts.
Chapter two, leaving a player upfield when defending corners.
Have we tried that at all this season? Pretty much every manager I can remember in recent times seems to bring the whole team back.
I enjoyed the tactic in the 2019 team of leaving LT and Grant up -wide on the wings so opposition had to leave 2/3 defenders back. Some exciting breaks
Chapter two, leaving a player upfield when defending corners.
Have we tried that at all this season? Pretty much every manager I can remember in recent times seems to bring the whole team back.
The modern way to defend a corner is a mix of zonal and marking. Because you usually have 3 zonal players that means you need everyone else back to mark
It’s definitely the best way to defend a corner, so probably worth sacrificing the one goal a season you score from a quick ball over the top to a player staying on the halfway line
Chapter two, leaving a player upfield when defending corners.
Have we tried that at all this season? Pretty much every manager I can remember in recent times seems to bring the whole team back.
The modern way to defend a corner is a mix of zonal and marking. Because you usually have 3 zonal players that means you need everyone else back to mark
It’s definitely the best way to defend a corner, so probably worth sacrificing the one goal a season you score from a quick ball over the top to a player staying on the halfway line
It’s nothing to do with the outside chance of scoring on the break.
It’s about hopefully keeping the cleared ball, so it doesn’t continually come back into your penalty box.
Chapter two, leaving a player upfield when defending corners.
Have we tried that at all this season? Pretty much every manager I can remember in recent times seems to bring the whole team back.
The modern way to defend a corner is a mix of zonal and marking. Because you usually have 3 zonal players that means you need everyone else back to mark
It’s definitely the best way to defend a corner, so probably worth sacrificing the one goal a season you score from a quick ball over the top to a player staying on the halfway line
It’s nothing to do with the outside chance of scoring on the break.
It’s about hopefully keeping the cleared ball, so it doesn’t continually come back into your penalty box.
I’d imagine that research shows that more goals are conceded from corners than the balls back into a box from corners. Which you often don’t win anyway as the opposition will leave an extra man back so will always have a numerical advantage to give them a better chance of continually sending it back
All of the smartest minds in the game are setting their teams up to defend corners in this way, so I’d imagine a lot of research and numbers are behind it. And there’s probably more benefit of having the extra man back, than having a slight chance of winning out in a 1 vs 2 battle on the halfway line
It was undeniably impressive. I can't remember the last time we so comprehensively "did a job" on a team. Even if a contributing factor was Birmingham being a bit off their best, it was still a great tactical plan executed to the letter. We've not had many managers since Curbs with that kind of tactical astuteness in their locker.
As good as it was though, it doesn't really address many of the concerns/issues we had coming out of the first 9 games, primarily where are the creativity and goals going to come from against sides that defended stoutly against us or who's style doesn't leave them as vulnerable to being pressed.
Much needed boost to confidence and hopefully calms everyone down a bit, but still lots of work to do.
The reason Birmingham got beat fair and square, and may I say should have been really put to the sword long before Matty got the goal, was because we had them sussed and outplayed them in every area, naff all with Birmingham being " a bit off their best". The reason they were not really a threat to our goal, was because we marshalled the defence and snuffed out their threat in the middle, and as for attack, well less said about that the better. No we deserved the win fair and square due to our own efforts and naff all to do with the opposition...
The reason Birmingham got beat fair and square, and may I say should have been really put to the sword long before Matty got the goal, was because we had them sussed and outplayed them in every area, naff all with Birmingham being " a bit off their best". The reason they were not really a threat to our goal, was because we marshalled the defence and snuffed out their threat in the middle, and as for attack, well less said about that the better. No we deserved the win fair and square due to our own efforts and naff all to do with the opposition...
The reason Birmingham got beat fair and square, and may I say should have been really put to the sword long before Matty got the goal, was because we had them sussed and outplayed them in every area, naff all with Birmingham being " a bit off their best". The reason they were not really a threat to our goal, was because we marshalled the defence and snuffed out their threat in the middle, and as for attack, well less said about that the better. No we deserved the win fair and square due to our own efforts and naff all to do with the opposition...
Well said. It pisses me off when people just say casually dismissive things like Birmingham were shit. It devalues our role in the dynamics of the football match. Birmingham were as good/bad as we allowed them to be on the day.
Well, there is that. It remains to be seen whether we can use this performance as a springboard. How will we fare when we next come up against a side that sits back and says, here's the ball, what have you got?
Only real disappointment yesterday were the home numbers. One of only two relatively high profile games this season but numbers wise it was very low, smaller than other homes this season. West and East quite noticeably.
Don't thing the recent form + Cat A pricing would have helped, but I suspect better numbers were hoped.
I suspect games being on TV have a lot to do with it, it’s easier than it’s ever been both legally and via a dodgy firestick.
If people knew ahead of time they were getting that performance from yesterday, you can add 2000-3000 to the attendance easily IMO.
People saw three losses in a row and decided to chuck in the towel. Home ticket sales will be up for Stockport in two weeks I have no doubt about it.
Comments
Having seen Dixon live, if he ever plays he is so fast that you could whack a ball away almost anywhere when defending a corner, and he would likely get to it first.
It’s definitely the best way to defend a corner, so probably worth sacrificing the one goal a season you score from a quick ball over the top to a player staying on the halfway line
It’s about hopefully keeping the cleared ball, so it doesn’t continually come back into your penalty box.
All of the smartest minds in the game are setting their teams up to defend corners in this way, so I’d imagine a lot of research and numbers are behind it. And there’s probably more benefit of having the extra man back, than having a slight chance of winning out in a 1 vs 2 battle on the halfway line
As good as it was though, it doesn't really address many of the concerns/issues we had coming out of the first 9 games, primarily where are the creativity and goals going to come from against sides that defended stoutly against us or who's style doesn't leave them as vulnerable to being pressed.
Much needed boost to confidence and hopefully calms everyone down a bit, but still lots of work to do.
The reason they were not really a threat to our goal, was because we marshalled the defence and snuffed out their threat in the middle, and as for attack, well less said about that the better.
No we deserved the win fair and square due to our own efforts and naff all to do with the opposition...
It pisses me off when people just say casually dismissive things like Birmingham were shit.
It devalues our role in the dynamics of the football match.
Birmingham were as good/bad as we allowed them to be on the day.
It remains to be seen whether we can use this performance as a springboard.
How will we fare when we next come up against a side that sits back and says, here's the ball, what have you got?