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[Albion] The Policy For Attacking Corners



Luke93

STAND OR FALL
Jun 23, 2013
5,090
Shoreham
For years now I’ve been frustrated over Brighton’s ability to attack corners. Perhaps I’ve developed confirmation bias which stands out whenever a corner is taken poorly, but improvements can definitely be made here.

Current policy seems to favour short corners. I understand the benefit of two players standing over / near the corner. It either draws a minimum of 1 defensive player out of position to prevent the two players manufacturing a better crossing angle. This also decongests the box which may favour the attacking side. Even with a defender drawn out a better angle can be found with clever play around them, but over the season I feel the quality of crossing has been poor in general despite this. According to this site https://www.premierleague.com/clubs/131/Brighton-and-Hove-Albion/stats, Brighton have had a 24% cross accuracy in the premier league (including open play). I don’t have comparisons to other teams, but I’m going to assume this figure can be approved on.

If a corner taker was to take a corner first time the majority of time, surely that player will develop their corner taking skills? Mixing it up too much must disrupt the rhythm. After repetition of taking corners during a game do players get their eye in, or is it too much to expect from premier league level footballers to get it right regardless? Another factor here is Potter’s selection and formation policy where changes are made frequently. The player expected to take a corner can be Gross one week or another when he’s rotated. In fact I can recall at least 6 different corner takers in the league this season. This can’t be helping either.

Scoring any goal is a hard task. Across the league I’m sure the % of total corners to goals is low, but it seems Brighton are partially bad at attacking corners comparatively. Beyond any stat the ‘eye test’ from watching the corners don’t feel me with any confidence. I think most crosses look dreadful more often than not. Other teams have clicked on too and most now only deploy 1 defender to the 2 Brighton corner takers.
 




Guinness Boy

Tofu eating wokerati
Helpful Moderator
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Jul 23, 2003
37,339
Up and Coming Sunny Portslade
I posted about yesterday's corners on the Barn Door thread because they really annoyed me.

Two players shaping to take each one, three sat about 5 yards outside the box in a line, Sanchez sweeping. That leaves just five in the box to attack it, yet every corner was played into the box for a header and the delivery was mostly terrible,

If the point of the three on the edge was to shoot from a knockdown then they had more Villa players to shoot past / through than Brighton and, in any case, didn't shoot but spread it wide again. Maybe we over thought it and used the statistic that you hardly ever score from corners but that there is always a good chance with a a high press and quick transition to tempt Villa to run out with the second ball, press them, win it back and shoot. That didn't happen either.

And it was EVERY corner :rant:
 


Weststander

Well-known member
Aug 25, 2011
69,251
Withdean area
I posted about yesterday's corners on the Barn Door thread because they really annoyed me.

Two players shaping to take each one, three sat about 5 yards outside the box in a line, Sanchez sweeping. That leaves just five in the box to attack it, yet every corner was played into the box for a header and the delivery was mostly terrible,

If the point of the three on the edge was to shoot from a knockdown then they had more Villa players to shoot past / through than Brighton and, in any case, didn't shoot but spread it wide again. Maybe we over thought it and used the statistic that you hardly ever score from corners but that there is always a good chance with a a high press and quick transition to tempt Villa to run out with the second ball, press them, win it back and shoot. That didn't happen either.

And it was EVERY corner :rant:

Other teams leave just a single player 25 yards out, for the pot shot.

And many of them, completely unmarked, have hit the Albion onion bag.
 


Luke93

STAND OR FALL
Jun 23, 2013
5,090
Shoreham
I posted about yesterday's corners on the Barn Door thread because they really annoyed me.

Two players shaping to take each one, three sat about 5 yards outside the box in a line, Sanchez sweeping. That leaves just five in the box to attack it, yet every corner was played into the box for a header and the delivery was mostly terrible,

If the point of the three on the edge was to shoot from a knockdown then they had more Villa players to shoot past / through than Brighton and, in any case, didn't shoot but spread it wide again. Maybe we over thought it and used the statistic that you hardly ever score from corners but that there is always a good chance with a a high press and quick transition to tempt Villa to run out with the second ball, press them, win it back and shoot. That didn't happen either.

And it was EVERY corner :rant:

It’s very frustrating. Brighton were Villas best defender at times yesterday.
 


Sirnormangall

Well-known member
Sep 21, 2017
3,178
I think yesterday, for the first time, we not only had 2 players on corners but each of them held their hands in the air. I concluded that this was a signal that the ball was going to be played to a Villa player.
 




Swansman

Pro-peace
May 13, 2019
22,320
Sweden
The corners were not particularly good yesterday. At times this season I think they've been fine or even good, sometimes lacklustre. Being the shortest team in the PL isnt helping but still think a few more corner goals should have been scored this season.
 


Bry Nylon

Test your smoke alarm
Helpful Moderator
Jul 21, 2003
20,572
Playing snooker
Let’s not get too down.

We scored a great headed goal from a corner at Goodison when it was flicked on at the near post and Big Dan Bur…


Oh :down:
 
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Harry Wilson's tackle

Harry Wilson's Tackle
NSC Patron
Oct 8, 2003
56,097
Faversham
We are just so awful. How did we ever get into the premier league? ???

The probability of scoring from a corner is around 1-2 %. One goal in 100 to 200 corners is par forthe course.

FFS let's find something tangible to beat Potter with, please. ???
 




Stat Brother

Well-known member
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Jul 11, 2003
73,888
West west west Sussex
We are just so awful. How did we ever get into the premier league? ???

The probability of scoring from a corner is around 1-2 %. One goal in 100 to 200 corners is par forthe course.

FFS let's find something tangible to beat Potter with, please. ???

This.

The bottom line is corners just aren't what we think they are.


I get far more antsy when the ball is 20 yards out and there's a half hearted cry of 'shooooooot'.

Why?

Why would you request that?
What have you seen over the last X years that makes you think 'now is the time to have a pop from 20 yards'?


Sure if they don't shoooooot the ball will work it's way back to Sanchez through a series of 'death by 1000 passes', but as it's going to end up in the hands of a keeper anyway, it might as well be ours.
 


doogie004

Well-known member
Oct 12, 2008
6,526
wisborough green
This.

The bottom line is corners just aren't what we think they are.


I get far more antsy when the ball is 20 yards out and there's a half hearted cry of 'shooooooot'.

Why?

Why would you request that?
What have you seen over the last X years that makes you think 'now is the time to have a pop from 20 yards'?


Sure if they don't shoooooot the ball will work it's way back to Sanchez through a series of 'death by 1000 passes', but as it's going to end up in the hands of a keeper anyway, it might as well be ours.

Boring and clueless whichever way you look at it .


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Stat Brother

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
73,888
West west west Sussex
Boring and clueless whichever way you look at it .


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Yes I know but it's all I've got and I'm too old to change now!
 




One Teddy Maybank

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Aug 4, 2006
22,979
Worthing
Yet we all seemed so happy when Webster scored against Chelsea……and Burn versus Everton

Saturday was mainly due to delivery, but then Solly was involved, and whilst he did okay Saturday, he simply does not take a good corner.
 


Terry Butcher Tribute Act

Well-known member
Aug 18, 2013
3,672
Yet we all seemed so happy when Webster scored against Chelsea……and Burn versus Everton

Saturday was mainly due to delivery, but then Solly was involved, and whilst he did okay Saturday, he simply does not take a good corner.
And Webster v Watford.

Since the set piece coach came in corners have been miles better, although not so much in the last couple of games without Webster to attack them.



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Bold Seagull

strong and stable with me, or...
Mar 18, 2010
30,454
Hove
And Webster v Watford.

Since the set piece coach came in corners have been miles better, although not so much in the last couple of games without Webster to attack them.



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Feels like we’ve had more from corners this term than I can remember. We must be doing okay on an attacking set piece table?
 




WATFORD zero

Well-known member
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Jul 10, 2003
27,761
There's three players that are likely to score from a header at a corner, Dunk, Webster and Duffy (maybe Welbeck when he's on).

Consequently, when only one of those three are on the pitch we always look for the near post flick (often from Moder or Welbeck) from a low flat corner, whether it's AliMac, Solly or Pascal taking them. When all three are on the pitch we play the ball longer and wider looking for one of those three. It's what we do. Whether it's the right thing to do, I have no idea :shrug:
 


keaton

Big heart, hot blood and balls. Big balls
Nov 18, 2004
9,972
We are just so awful. How did we ever get into the premier league? ???

The probability of scoring from a corner is around 1-2 %. One goal in 100 to 200 corners is par forthe course.

FFS let's find something tangible to beat Potter with, please. ???

I think it's closer to 4% for the PL. Which doesn't sound a lot but I would imagine dwarves the percentage of goals scored by us pissing around with the ball and working good positions back to the keeper
 




Machiavelli

Well-known member
Oct 11, 2013
17,770
Fiveways
We are just so awful. How did we ever get into the premier league? ???

The probability of scoring from a corner is around 1-2 %. One goal in 100 to 200 corners is par forthe course.

FFS let's find something tangible to beat Potter with, please. ???

Well, H. If it's the case that scoring from corners ranges 1 to 2%, whereas we get one goal in every 100 to 200 attempts (ie 0.5-1%) then we're sh!t at corners, twice as sh!t at corners as the average.
Whether that says anything about us, or your maths, we can leave to others to decide :smile:
 




Harry Wilson's tackle

Harry Wilson's Tackle
NSC Patron
Oct 8, 2003
56,097
Faversham
Basic maths is clearly no longer a requirement for employees at a world leading university. UK education can't stoop much lower.

Bang to rights :facepalm:
 


Harry Wilson's tackle

Harry Wilson's Tackle
NSC Patron
Oct 8, 2003
56,097
Faversham
Well, H. If it's the case that scoring from corners ranges 1 to 2%, whereas we get one goal in every 100 to 200 attempts (ie 0.5-1%) then we're sh!t at corners, twice as sh!t at corners as the average.
Whether that says anything about us, or your maths, we can leave to others to decide :smile:

Very good point well made.

The numbers are low, though, which was my point. If I went down the pub and my mate offered me a choice of 0.5%, 1 % or 2% of a pint, I'd be nonplussed. If these were the odds of catching a fish per minute in 3 lakes, however, I'd be prepared to spend a bit of time at lake 3. :rolleyes:
 


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