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[Albion] BHA are BOTTOM of the table in set piece goals









Garry Nelson's Left Foot

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2003
13,522
tokyo
it's interesting how differently people can see things. There seem to be a lot of people who are totally affronted by the point that we have scored the least number of goals from corners/set plays in the league.

We're having an immense season that could end up in us playing our first ever European campaign next season. The more goals we are able to score the more chance we have of making that reality. Who, apart from palace fans, doesn't want that to happen?!

If there is an area that we can improve on and score more goals from where is the harm in highlighting it?

Take, for example, our recent game against palace. Mac Allister missed a fantastic opportunity from a Gross corner to win us the game. If he'd have scored that we'd be two points better off in our quest for Europe and, pleasingly, palace would be a point closer to relegation.

If we'd scored against fulham from one of our many corners we'd be 1 or 3 points better off while they'd be 2 or 3 points worse off.

If we'd won both those games we'd be on 40 points, 5 behind spurs in 4th with three games in hand, 1 behind Newcastle with a game in hand, 3 above fulham with 3 games in hand, 4 above Liverpool with a game in hand, 5 above Brentford with 3 game sin hand and 9 above Chelsea with two game sin hand. In short we'd be in an incredible position. And that's just from scoring two more goals form corners.

Of course those extra corner goals could come in games where we're already winning so don't affect the outcome but that's not the point. The point is, as I see it, that if we can improve in this particular area then we could be having an even better season than we currently are.

No one is slagging the team off, no one is saying we need to change our style of play, no one is saying stop scoring goals from open play so we can focus on corners. They're just saying we're currently not very good at them and it would be better for us if we improved on them.:shrug:
 


Nobby Cybergoat

Well-known member
Jul 19, 2021
8,617
Yeh. It's quite ok to say we're a great team, it's great that we're scoring so many from open play, but, is there a way we can get better than being the worst team in the league at set pieces
 






tigertim68

Well-known member
Sep 3, 2012
2,619
I also think we not a particularly big team height wise, so this will affect our goal scoring opportunities from set pieces
 


chickens

Have you considered masterly inactivity?
NSC Patron
Oct 12, 2022
2,684
I haven’t read the whole thread, so suspect fixtures, but I’d far rather see us play the corner short and then try to fashion a chance, rather than fail to beat the first man ad-nauseum.
 


Machiavelli

Well-known member
Oct 11, 2013
17,752
Fiveways
To be clear, I'm obviously very happy at how things are going this season. We've been brilliant, that goes without saying.

But I still found it quite startling to see that we are the WORST team in the League at set pieces. And it leads the the question of how many more points on the board we would have, if we were even half decent in this area. Because I think we have the tools in delivery and the armoury in the box to score.

But...apparently not.
At attacking set pieces. Any figures for defending them? Can't remember conceding too many this season from them.
 




Easy 10

Brain dead MUG SHEEP
Jul 5, 2003
62,377
Location Location
At attacking set pieces. Any figures for defending them? Can't remember conceding too many this season from them.
Well, thats a different conversation isn't it. You don't get to the top 6 with an overly leaky defence, so I'm confident we're far from the worst defensively in this area. The point of the thread is that considering how good we are overall, its genuinely startling how appalling we are at scoring from set pieces.
 








JBizzle

Well-known member
Apr 18, 2010
6,213
Seaford
Interesting... We're 6th for number corners taken in the league, BUT we are also on average the shortest team in the league too:

1677517195177.png


Mind you, I haven't got excited about a corner since the Micky Adams (Mk 1) days
 


brighton_tom

Well-known member
Jul 23, 2008
5,508
Is it too much to say that if a pro tennis player can regularly ace a serve, or a pro golfer can hit the green from hundreds of yards away, then a premier league football team should have at least one player who can ping at least 8/10 corners to that edge of the 6 yard box danger zone? I find it baffling that you see so many shit corners in the Prem, not making it past the first man for example, not just us.
 






Easy 10

Brain dead MUG SHEEP
Jul 5, 2003
62,377
Location Location
Interesting... We're 6th for number corners taken in the league, BUT we are also on average the shortest team in the league too:

View attachment 157696

Mind you, I haven't got excited about a corner since the Micky Adams (Mk 1) days
Considering the average difference between bottom and top is 0.04 of a meter, I don't think this can be counted as much of a factor in our miserable goal return from set pieces.

Despite what we see happening on the pitch, the team obviously do work on it in the week, but maybe not enough ? Perhaps we focus more on our passing, movement and patterns of play, which I wouldn't have too much of a problem with being as only 2 teams have scored more in open play than us. Its just a pity we can't seem to supplement all that good work with some effectiveness from set pieces, which ARE a crucially important facet of the game. When playing poorly or under the cosh, it can be an obvious route to snatch something.

I don't think we're bottlers. I don't think its a case of not having the delivery, or the height / guile in the box. But I just can't put my finger on why we are officially the worst in the league at it right now. I hope RDZ and his staff are looking into it.
 


Weststander

Well-known member
Aug 25, 2011
69,174
Withdean area
Considering the average difference between bottom and top is 0.04 of a meter, I don't think this can be counted as much of a factor in our miserable goal return from set pieces.

Despite what we see happening on the pitch, the team obviously do work on it in the week, but maybe not enough ? Perhaps we focus more on our passing, movement and patterns of play, which I wouldn't have too much of a problem with being as only 2 teams have scored more in open play than us. Its just a pity we can't seem to supplement all that good work with some effectiveness from set pieces, which ARE a crucially important facet of the game. When playing poorly or under the cosh, it can be an obvious route to snatch something.

I don't think we're bottlers. I don't think its a case of not having the delivery, or the height / guile in the box. But I just can't put my finger on why we are officially the worst in the league at it right now. I hope RDZ and his staff are looking into it.
Imho.

Delivery has greatly improved, March’s corners and crosses are often crying out for an Albion forehead to bury it.

I just think it boils down to Dunk, Webster, Colwill, Undav all being shit in the moment. Either a lack of skill/execution at a fast ball coming their way or lacking mental composure in front of 30,000. Every single time heading over or wide, game after game.

Genuinely we’re bored stiff, resigned when we get a corner. Whilst the rest of Amex excites as if we’ve got Kane, Mitrovic and VVD ready to power bullet headers past the keeper. We haven’t.

Duffy and Muzza were our last, Welbeck has occasionally done it.
 


Uh_huh_him

Well-known member
Sep 28, 2011
12,086
Ferguson's header against Leicester was superb, surely he must offer us something from corners?

Webster's goal against Chelsea last season was pretty good.
But a rarity clearly.
 


Uh_huh_him

Well-known member
Sep 28, 2011
12,086
Considering the average difference between bottom and top is 0.04 of a meter, I don't think this can be counted as much of a factor in our miserable goal return from set pieces.

I guess it depends on how that average is split out across the team.
When our aerial target is one of 2 centrebacks, it's easier to defend than 3 or 4.
 






Easy 10

Brain dead MUG SHEEP
Jul 5, 2003
62,377
Location Location
We have scored 4 headed goals this season. Off the top of my head (HAH!) I can think of the two Mitoma ones vs Wolves and Muff, both of which were from open play, as was Fergusons at Leicester. Can't think of the other one.

This is just below average. Spurs lead the way with 13 headers, then Fulham with 11 (surprised they're not scared to use their heads). Then you're down to 7's with Liverpool and City. Leicester and Wolves prop things up with 1 apiece, and West Ham with 2, but they're just generally shite all round anyway.

So we're not the worst in that respect, but I don't think any of our headers came from corners, unless the one I forgot did.
 


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