[Football] Free kick from 46 yards - stick it in the box?

[Triggaaar]

Just watching the Burnley vs Newcastle game and Burbley had a free kick from near the half way line. The player on the ball knocked it a couple of yards forward for a teammate to take, who then moved it another couple of yards forward before taking it. He then stuck it in the box and it was headed straight at Elliot, but a bit either side of him and it could have been a goal.

This made me think back to two free-kicks we had in the same area yesterday:
1) Gross was fouled 17 minutes into the second half - the foul started at 48 yards from goal and finished 45 yards from goal. We moved the ball forward and Knocky took the free kick 40 yards from goal, where Propper got a header on target (not as well taken as the Burnley effort)
2) Murray was fouled 30 minutes into the second half - pretty much the same blade of grass as the foul on Gross. Bruno takes the free-kick, playing it backwards, and nothing happens.

Watching a little more of the Burnley game and they'll stick free kicks into the box from deep in their own half. We have players who can put in a good ball, and a few who are good at heading it goalwards, shouldn't we, as they say in Burnely, gerrit in mixer? (at least from under 50 yards)

 

[Dorset Seagull]

I read Barcelona very rarely send corners into the box and normally play short. It’s felt that possession is more worthwhile to create a better chance than just slinging in a 50/50 ball. Perhaps the same applies in this example

 

[GT49er]

I read Barcelona very rarely send corners into the box and normally play short. It’s felt that possession is more worthwhile to create a better chance than just slinging in a 50/50 ball. Perhaps the same applies in this example

Yes, but most people who expect their team to play like Barcelona are, frankly, deluded (and that's the politest way I can think of putting it).

 

[Dorset Seagull]

Yes, but most people who want their team to play like Barcelona are, frankly, deluded (and that's the politest way I can think of putting it).

It’s not about playing like Barcelona it’s about playing percentages

 

[Da Man Clay]

It’s not about playing like Barcelona it’s about playing percentages

Exactly that. Corners lead to a goal in something like 6% of attempts. Much better off playing short and manoeuvring the ball around. It’s telling that even with our excellent set piece takers and headerers of the ball we still haven’t scored from a corner this season.

 

[Bakero]

It’s not about playing like Barcelona it’s about playing percentages

You're right. Few goals are scored from corners so it makes sense to play it short. According to The Numbers Game:

The data show that, on average, about 20.5% of all corners (that's 1 in 5) led to a shot by the team that took the corner within three touches of the ball. . . Of the corners that actually led to shots within three touches, what were the odds that the ball crossed the line? . . . On average, about 11% or 1 in 9 shots created from corners produce goals. Incidentally, that's also right around the average ratio for goals to all shots taken in soccer matches (the Reep ratio). . . The yield from corners ranges from 0 to .07. On average, the data show that a corner is good for (drumroll ....) 0.022 goals. This means that the average EPL team scores 1 goal from a corner about every 10 games. And this helps to explain the lack of a correlation between the number of corners and goal scoring. The infrequency of the goals from corners combined with a lack of dispersion between teams in corners per game lead conspire to make corners mostly, well, useless when it comes to scoring goals.

 

[Hugo Rune]

Just watching the Burnley vs Newcastle game and Burbley had a free kick from near the half way line. The player on the ball knocked it a couple of yards forward for a teammate to take, who then moved it another couple of yards forward before taking it. He then stuck it in the box and it was headed straight at Elliot, but a bit either side of him and it could have been a goal.

This made me think back to two free-kicks we had in the same area yesterday:
1) Gross was fouled 17 minutes into the second half - the foul started at 48 yards from goal and finished 45 yards from goal. We moved the ball forward and Knocky took the free kick 40 yards from goal, where Propper got a header on target (not as well taken as the Burnley effort)
2) Murray was fouled 30 minutes into the second half - pretty much the same blade of grass as the foul on Gross. Bruno takes the free-kick, playing it backwards, and nothing happens.

Watching a little more of the Burnley game and they'll stick free kicks into the box from deep in their own half. We have players who can put in a good ball, and a few who are good at heading it goalwards, shouldn't we, as they say in Burnely, gerrit in mixer? (at least from under 50 yards)

Here here!

And I recall Duffy playing as a centre forward for a brief moment yesterday. He got his noggins on the ball although his flick-on effort was misdirected.

 

[studio150]

Just watching the Burnley vs Newcastle game and Burbley had a free kick from near the half way line. The player on the ball knocked it a couple of yards forward for a teammate to take, who then moved it another couple of yards forward before taking it. He then stuck it in the box and it was headed straight at Elliot, but a bit either side of him and it could have been a goal.

This made me think back to two free-kicks we had in the same area yesterday:
1) Gross was fouled 17 minutes into the second half - the foul started at 48 yards from goal and finished 45 yards from goal. We moved the ball forward and Knocky took the free kick 40 yards from goal, where Propper got a header on target (not as well taken as the Burnley effort)
2) Murray was fouled 30 minutes into the second half - pretty much the same blade of grass as the foul on Gross. Bruno takes the free-kick, playing it backwards, and nothing happens.

Watching a little more of the Burnley game and they'll stick free kicks into the box from deep in their own half. We have players who can put in a good ball, and a few who are good at heading it goalwards, shouldn't we, as they say in Burnely, gerrit in mixer? (at least from under 50 yards)

Not really comparing like for like given the time left in the game on your second example. With 15 minutes to go, we would want to control the ball and to look to create an opening for a clear chance to win the game, as opposed to playing the ball into the Southampton box, to give them an opportunity to regain possession and to attack our goal.

There will be times when pushing Dunk and Duffy forward for free kicks some distance from goal is seen as worthwhile and others when it is not. Much will depend on the time left in the game and our need to score.

 

[mothy]

Bruno took the free kick about 15 yards back from where the foul was.. we need to wise up there

Saints were stealing yards at throw ins

 

[beorhthelm]

often occurs to me that the use of the direct free kick is similarly overrated. if you have the sublime touch (or fluke) to get over the wall and back down and beat the keeper, its great. just how many actually go in? we see the best of them whack it into the wall or sky it often enough. isnt it better to play square or down the channel were you completly bypass their wall, which is occupying half their team?

 

[Easy 10]

We got a free kick against West Ham in the first half from around 40-45 yards out if I recall.

That worked out alright.

 

[LlcoolJ]

GET IT IN THE MIXER! #BigRon

 

[Triggaaar]

I read Barcelona very rarely send corners into the box and normally play short. It’s felt that possession is more worthwhile to create a better chance than just slinging in a 50/50 ball. Perhaps the same applies in this example

That's because they're a possession based team, with the skill to open the other team up. I'd expect Man City to do the same. We're not a possession based team, and while I'd like us to try and play nice football when we have the ball, when we have a free kick let's gerrit in mixer.

 

[Triggaaar]

We got a free kick against West Ham in the first half from around 40-45 yards out if I recall.

That worked out alright.

Yep, that was 40 yards out - so we're happy to put those in, but not always 45 yard ones, which seems like a waste to me. It was different when we were in the Championship and were just better than most opposition, but this season I think we need to take these opportunities to get it in there.

 

[Triggaaar]

Not really comparing like for like given the time left in the game on your second example. With 15 minutes to go, we would want to control the ball and to look to create an opening for a clear chance to win the game, as opposed to playing the ball into the Southampton box, to give them an opportunity to regain possession and to attack our goal.

I hear you, but it was less than 13 minutes apart, with the score 1-1 both times

 

[GOM]

Not really comparing like for like given the time left in the game on your second example. With 15 minutes to go, we would want to control the ball and to look to create an opening for a clear chance to win the game, as opposed to playing the ball into the Southampton box, to give them an opportunity to regain possession and to attack our goal..

Why not ? We sit back and give possession to the opposition for the last 10 minutes anyway

 

[studio150]

Why not ? We sit back and give possession to the opposition for the last 10 minutes anyway

Because we wouldn't have our defensive shape in place given Dunk and Duffy would be upfield.

 

[Peter Grummit]

Everton won their penalty from a similar long range free kick.

It's all about your relative strengths. Given we have Duffy, Dunk and Murray and Knocky and especially Gross with quality delivery, I favour gerrin' it in t' mixer.

PG

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

 

[GOM]

Because we wouldn't have our defensive shape in place given Dunk and Duffy would be upfield.

I think that applies at any time in the game.

 

[Marshy]

Stealing yards and time wasting to the max escpecially Forster.... I hope we do it away from home if leading.

I bloody hate time wasting, something needs to be done about it.