[Albion] Defending Corners

[timbha]

Thought we defended the corners and crosses much better when Duffy came on

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

There's one thing wrong with this and I'll use Dan's words rather than my own

" Well I'm rubbish at heading the ball"

At 6ft 8inch this is quite unusual but I can't think of anytime he's been close to scoring with his bonce.

Burn should be a absolute nightmare to defend against from corners but he's not, for some reason he rarely gets a header in on goal, I like Burn as he brings so much more to the team than just his height but surely at some point he really has to start causing defenders problems.

He's pretty good at defending stuff along the ground but there's about 8 inches he's not putting into good use! (I know that feeling).

I reckon we'll see Burn again quite soon so who knows he may read this tell Potter and they'll work on it as it's probably not been mentioned to him before

Whatever the solution I prefer the Dunk n Duffy partnership at defending so hopefully they will get it sorted because West Ham certainly pounced on a obvious weakness last night and we were fortunate to get away with the second non goal.

So we're talking about defending corners. The idea is to have an imposing barrier at the front post, to limit the option of the near post inswinger and to nod away anything under hit. He's not great in front of goal, but at the very least can head it in a general direction while defending.

 

[Raleigh Chopper]

Different approach I know but if we are that bad and Bob is not protected from 2 or 3 tall players then until we sort it out then bring everyone back bar 1 and stand on the goal line and in the 6 yard box with Bob in front, hoof it out to the 1 up front who bangs it in the goal from 30 yards.
Simples.
I agree that it is better with Duffy and zonal marking does not work for us.

 

[Arthur]

They are not marking the players (Brighton play zonal marking), they are blocking their runs.

But they weren't though.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

This is why I don;t really like zonal marking. Plenty of defenders marking a zone. Only Sanchez near their 3 main aerial threats. I prefer individual responsibility for these situations

 

[nwgull]

Are we that bad at defending corners specifically? Apart from last night, I can only remember conceding 1 other goal from a corner, which was Burnley on the opening day.

 

[Jim Van Winkle]

Zonal marking innit. Maybe Potter needs a rethink on this one.

 

[Swansman]

Zonal marking innit. Maybe Potter needs a rethink on this one.

Whats wrong with zonal marking?

 

[Is it PotG?]

Whats wrong with zonal marking?

A zone can't score.

 

[brighton_tom]

Not a fan of zonal marking but it can work if your defenders really attack the ball and make it theirs when it comes into their zone, but we seem bit too passive with it.

 

[albionalex]

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This is why I don;t really like zonal marking. Plenty of defenders marking a zone. Only Sanchez near their 3 main aerial threats. I prefer individual responsibility for these situations

This was actually great play from West Ham. The corner taker put the ball in literally the perfect spot. If they retook that corner 100 times and we defended it the same way, I would be very surprised if they could do it again (but maybe that's because I'm used to our corners that don't beat the 1st man).

 

[Sirnormangall]

I think this is more due to the quality of West Ham's corners than any major floor in Bob's ability. Alisson Becker was caught out in exactly the same way, twice.

I agree, but our coaching staff must have been very disappointed at conceding an early goal like that. They’d have known about the quality of WestHam set pieces and surely would have drilled the team on that this week.

 

[Iggle Piggle]

Thought we defended the corners and crosses much better when Duffy came on

We've clearly got armies of analysts, play different against different teams (back 4 last night, much higher press for instance) and spend a huge amount of time working out tactics for each game often to a huge degree of success. Despite all that we don't do the obvious. Duffy should surely be playing against a team who are Wimbledon 1987 reincarnated at set pieces and dropped against Frodo Baggins FC.

I love Potter and will be gutted when he eventually goes but sometimes I wonder if he has been smoking weed before he picks the team.

 

[Hugo Rune]

We can all pick holes in the 2 or 3 major weaknesses the team have (the biggest by far being shooting).

What is harder to do is argue with our record of losing just 3 games. Only the top 3 can better this stat.

Remember, when teams play us, they are normally totally reliant on us missing big chances. Sometimes, that does not happen.

 

[Robinjakarta]

Are we that bad at defending corners specifically? Apart from last night, I can only remember conceding 1 other goal from a corner, which was Burnley on the opening day.

That's what I thought. Wasn't defending set pieces a pre-Sanchez problem that was solved with him and Duffy?

 

[amexer]

Looked like Spurs went man for man against Brentford last night

 

[Super Steve Earle]

I wanted Duffy to start for Webster on Wednesday, because he is more likely to head the ball away. Sanchez was saying sorry for the goal judging by my lip reading and West Ham aren't the first to put that lethal corner ball where they did against us. I'm glad Duffy will play against Saints. Big, brave and reliable defending corners with his head, plus an attacking presence that Webster doesn't have in the opposition box. Even if Burn gets rotated in, he will discourage dropping corners in to the 6 yard box and the opposition will assume he can head it. To be fair, I like the different dimension Burn brings and he deflects a lot of balls away at set pieces.

 

[fisons]

We're shit at defending them because we're shit at taking them... How can they train against them when no-one can put in consistently decent corners in the box during training?

Dont have any stats but that feels a bit harsh on Pascal.

 

[Swansman]

We've clearly got armies of analysts, play different against different teams (back 4 last night, much higher press for instance) and spend a huge amount of time working out tactics for each game often to a huge degree of success. Despite all that we don't do the obvious. Duffy should surely be playing against a team who are Wimbledon 1987 reincarnated at set pieces and dropped against Frodo Baggins FC.

I love Potter and will be gutted when he eventually goes but sometimes I wonder if he has been smoking weed before he picks the team.

Its not like West Ham stopped creating chances from corners when Duffy came on, including the offside goal where Duffy jumps into Rob Sanchez.

 

[amexer]

However good Duffy is at defending corners have never seen him in the position West Ham scored from