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Set plays

Set plays

S

Schofe

Joined
Jan 16, 2015
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Just seen a stat during the Brentford/Leeds match and we have the second worst record when it comes to conceding from set pieces, shipping 19 in 44 games. That averages out that we concede from a set play every 2 and a quarter games, that sort of record will never see you pushing at the right end of the table.
Defending set plays is as basic as it comes, so what is the issue, Zonal marking, a goalkeeper who wont move off his line or a combination of both?
For what it’s worth I think Rudd is a major issue in this, not helping his defenders out enough with balls into the box.
Either way this MUST be improved on next year.
 
It’s a mixture of things.

Rudd - has his fans but simply not commanding enough.

Davies - brilliant talent and good defender but aerial duels are not his strong point.

Hunts - liability from set plays this season. Struggles to get off the ground (see Abraham goal for Villa at Deepdale)

Full backs - lacking height.

Generally as a team we have lacked height/ aggression in the air most of the season.
 
Kenmare_White said:
It’s a mixture of things.

Rudd - has his fans but simply not commanding enough.

Davies - brilliant talent and good defender but aerial duels are not his strong point.

Hunts - liability from set plays this season. Struggles to get off the ground (see Abraham goal for Villa at Deepdale)

Full backs - lacking height.

Generally as a team we have lacked height/ aggression in the air most of the season.
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I rate Rudd as a shot stopper and much prefer him to Maxwell but if I have to watch another game where our defenders have to tell him to come for the ball 5 or 6 times in a game...
 
Probably need to add a bit of height to the team. Thought we looked lightweight today by a limited, but physical and big Wigan side who just bullied us.
 
Might be an idea to leave a couple of players up and let the opposition think about us breaking. We keep bringing everyone back which just encourages the opposition to put more players forward. I know we don't always break very well, and there are issues with distribution but I can't understand the reasoning behind not having at least one player at the halfway line to keep 2 of their players back. I'd probably consider leaving 2 up given our weakness with set-pieces, which means they'll leave 3 back and it gives a bit more space for our players to attack the ball.
 
Schofe said:
Just seen a stat during the Brentford/Leeds match and we have the second worst record when it comes to conceding from set pieces, shipping 19 in 44 games. That averages out that we concede from a set play every 2 and a quarter games, that sort of record will never see you pushing at the right end of the table.
Defending set plays is as basic as it comes, so what is the issue, Zonal marking, a goalkeeper who wont move off his line or a combination of both?
For what it’s worth I think Rudd is a major issue in this, not helping his defenders out enough with balls into the box.
Either way this MUST be improved on next year.
Click to expand...
looking back at our poor run of results since the international break we have conceded 10 goals but only 2 from set plays - Sheff U and WBA's 4th.

both those teams had 'many' big men'.......
 
PNEFC_2004 said:
Might be an idea to leave a couple of players up and let the opposition think about us breaking. We keep bringing everyone back which just encourages the opposition to put more players forward. I know we don't always break very well, and there are issues with distribution but I can't understand the reasoning behind not having at least one player at the halfway line to keep 2 of their players back. I'd probably consider leaving 2 up given our weakness with set-pieces, which means they'll leave 3 back and it gives a bit more space for our players to attack the ball.
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If the opposition have a height advantage then it’s generaly best to crowd the penalty area so as not to give extra room to the attackers. The first job at corners is to defend, very few teams would leave more than one attacker up front, unless they’re desperate for a goal.
 
The problem is that because we mark zonally anyway, there's an opportunity for the opposition to get a run on us anyway. I'd take the approach that we should be creating some room for the goalkeeper to come and claim the ball. I wouldn't leave 2 up all the time, but being brave enough to do it would force the opposition to put an extra man back when perhaps they wouldn't be expecting to. At the moment, we're just inviting trouble bringing everyone back because when we do clear the ball, it's coming straight back and we have no opportunity to break.
 
PNEFC_2004 said:
The problem is that because we mark zonally anyway, there's an opportunity for the opposition to get a run on us anyway. I'd take the approach that we should be creating some room for the goalkeeper to come and claim the ball. I wouldn't leave 2 up all the time, but being brave enough to do it would force the opposition to put an extra man back when perhaps they wouldn't be expecting to. At the moment, we're just inviting trouble bringing everyone back because when we do clear the ball, it's coming straight back and we have no opportunity to break.
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we no longer mark zonally every game - it is a game by game thing depending on the opposition and our 11..... zonal the preferred but not every game this season.

Having said that, if we left 10 up front so the keeper had room to come off his line I'm not sure Dec would !!
 
We tend to go “half half”. Usually a few players marking zones (front of 6 yard box and then a few along the line) and then 2/3 man marking/ blocking the opponents biggest players. So we aren’t purely zonal.
 
Kenmare_White said:
We tend to go “half half”. Usually a few players marking zones (front of 6 yard box and then a few along the line) and then 2/3 man marking/ blocking the opponents biggest players. So we aren’t purely zonal.
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The tallest players are left free on the six yard line to attack the ball while the others try to block the runners, it’s because we invariably have a height disadvantage
 
Pilot said:
The tallest players are left free on the six yard line to attack the ball while the others try to block the runners, it’s because we invariably have a height disadvantage
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Sheff Utd exploited our set up perfectly. A ball right to the back post cutting out our better headers of the ball right to their guy who had run off Robinson who probably hasn't blocked a runner in his life and they ended up with a goal.
 
Pilot said:
If the opposition have a height advantage then it’s generaly best to crowd the penalty area so as not to give extra room to the attackers. The first job at corners is to defend, very few teams would leave more than one attacker up front, unless they’re desperate for a goal.
Click to expand...

Yeah but when your Goalkeeper is very poor at coming for crosses it allows the opposition to put the ball in the 6 yard box.

For me, Rudd is a huge part of our inability to defend set pieces. Hopefully Ripley can be an imporvement at number 1 next year
 
Rudd's not great at commanding his area, and Davies isn't aerially dominant either. I wonder what that stat looks like for the games we had Hughes and Clarke in the full back roles though?
 
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