Our set pieces

[Bastian]

We've been poor from corners since almost forever. Was there anyone after Becks who consistently produced good deliveries? 20 years ago...

And we've not had a consistent threat from free kicks since Ronnie, and before that Becks. Of course, those two are world class free kick takers.

When van Persie came in he took both corners and free kicks right away, both because he was class and because everyone else was pretty shit at it. But that was a short stint.

Now we've got Shaw running over to the right hand side to whip in a shite corner and Lindelof taking a deep free kick that he smashes out of play. Seems the only hint of danger is Rashford smashing free kicks in the hope we get the ricochet. But even when he took a free kick today, we had 2 players standing in an offside position.

There seems to be zero organising around our set pieces. Both in terms of delivery and in terms of how we set up to attack the ball. Maybe Ole needs to draft in someone who understands this.

We can't have Maguire, Pogba and McTominay all massive and all know beforehand that there's almost no chance we'll create danger.

 

[Crashoutcassius]

Ronaldo was absolute muck from free kicks.

Andreas can take them but you really have to carry him for the game until a set piece comes up... worst subbing him on the last 6 mins just for that

Mata can score then... Pogba too... Maybe we will sign maddison next summer

 

[Sandikan]

We've got a huge problem with the set pieces.

The biggest problem is that the best takers would either be

Pogba - who we need in there, as otherwise it's just Maguire and McTom.
Perreria - who won't be on the pitch much.

Rashford does take free kicks, but for shots generally.

We need some urgent training on this, but you fear it's simply one of those skills you either have or don't


It's not new, we didn't score that many even with the likes of Ibra and Fellaini in there.

 

[Marcelinho87]

That Rashford FK from miles out

 

[el3mel]

I have given up on them. Once we got a set piece I know it's a goal kick for the opposition.

 

[kouroux]

That Rashford FK from miles out

You gotta wonder about the thought process that leads him to shoot from there. I mean, I don't know, I'm lost for words.

 

[Marcelinho87]

You gotta wonder about the thought process that leads him to shoot from there. I mean, I don't know, I'm lost for words.

From them positions we need to be aiming solely for Maguires nogging, simple as.

 

[Jacob]

I don't get why we hoof the ball to the back post for Maguire to head it back in again. Why not whip it in? It's always going to be hard to score from a second header, the ball is moving too slow.

 

[Bastian]

I have given up on them. Once we got a set piece I know it's a goal kick for the opposition.

I'd rather always take short corners (like Barca) than to see Shaw run out of position to whip in a shit ball.

 

[kouroux]

From them positions we need to be aiming solely for Maguires nogging, simple as.

Hit it hard, towards a dangerous area that's hard for the keeper to reach and the defenders to head. It's about percentages and just using the method that can generate the biggest chance of creating danger. Shooting from there is extremely stupid and immature.

I'd rather always take short corners (like Barca) than to see Shaw run out of position to whip in a shit ball.

The fact that Shaw, our LB, who is average at them still takes them shows you something is fecking wrong there.

 

[Ace of Spades]

You gotta wonder about the thought process that leads him to shoot from there. I mean, I don't know, I'm lost for words.

Tbf, the other thing was not working either. Shaw's delivery was just too floaty, the players just could not attack that.

 

[Bastian]

Hit it hard, towards a dangerous area that's hard for the keeper to reach and the defenders to head. It's about percentages and just using the method that can generate the biggest chance of creating danger. Shooting from there is extremely stupid and immature.


The fact that Shaw, our LB, who is average at them still takes them shows you something is fecking wrong there.

Yeah. One of his faults is getting dragged out of position leaving his wing exposed. But to compound that by having him trek all the way over to take a corner he can't do is just stupid. And that's on the coaches and Ole. If they can't come up with something better, they need to hire someone who can think more than that one thought.

 

[kouroux]

Tbf, the other thing was not working either. Shaw's delivery was just too floaty, the players just could not attack that.

Rashford can whip it in, he has the technique and power but not to shoot from there, the angle was so wrong for a direct shot anyway. It would have take a proper miracle to even hit the target

 

[kouroux]

Yeah. One of his faults is getting dragged out of position leaving his wing exposed. But to compound that by having him trek all the way over to take a corner he can't do is just stupid. And that's on the coaches and Ole. If they can't come up with something better, they need to hire someone who can think more than that one thought.

If he was like Baines then we wouldn't have this discussion indeed, the risk/reward with Shaw as a corner taker makes little sense.

 

[Djemba-Djemba]

In the last 10 years the only time we've ever been a consistent threat from set pieces was when Van Persie was taking them.

 

[Wheato]

Not got one player who can cross a dead ball. Even when Mata came on, he didn't clear the first man. Maddison in January....

 

[DevilRed]

That Rashford FK from miles out

Pissed me off when we had maguire waiting. Rashford could have put in a nice inswinger for us to attack.

We really need to work on the delivery aspect.

 

[DevilRed]

Not got one player who can cross a dead ball. Even when Mata came on, he didn't clear the first man. Maddison in January....

Perreira is pretty good. I’d play him in these away matches just so that we stand a chance to score from set pieces.

 

[Paul778]

I find it utterly baffling that we have noone in the club who can deliver a decent corner.

Trying hard to think and it must be Young who is our best, but that is purely a relative statement and in no way a ringing endorsement.

This is not hard. Surely a few weeks of drilling attack vs defense on corners during training would sort this out.

 

[EvilChuck]

Loved it when Mata came on, did nothing except take a corner straight to the first Wolves player. Its like when the ball is stationary we can't kick it off the ground.

We should ask the FA if we can play monkey rush goalies and get DDG out for set pieces

 

[Ace of Spades]

Rashford can whip it in, he has the technique and power but not to shoot from there, the angle was so wrong for a direct shot anyway. It would have take a proper miracle to even hit the target

Rashford can hit the ball well from that distance, but he is not good at taking set pieces or corners. We need a better set pieces taker, that is usually Mata or Periera.

 

[groovyalbert]

Get Fernandes on them.

 

[Eddy_JukeZ]

We never seem to whip corners in nowadays.

We loft them in.

And I absolutely hate it.

 

[TwoSheds]

That Rashford free kick today, fecking hell. If a coach doesn't say to him "when it's forty yards out and basically on the touchline, tell you what, just deliver it into the fecking box instead of piddling it at the backboards" then I despair. Thought he had a very good game but he makes some fecking ludicrous decisions sometimes.

 

[noodlehair]

We clearly do not practice them at all which I find quite astonishing.

Just let whoever feels like it take a penalty. Take a short corner and just feck about aimlessly with the ball while your entire defence is in the opposition area. Let your striker shoot at goal from a free kick 50 yards out and practically on the touchline.

There is obviously Some one in the team who is the best penalty/corner/set piece taker. It is such a basic thing to not botther sorting out that it makes you question what our coaching staff and management actually do. I mean you might as well just let the players pick the team themselves if you aren't even going to bother working on the A1 basic stuff.

Also the other problem is, if we have no plan and clearly don't work on attacking set pieces, how on earth are we practicing defending them? We aren't, as it's impossible to. How did Wolves get their goal again?

It's quite infuriating as this is very simple stuff that makes a big difference to how many goals you score and concede. For example, it was probably the difference tonight between drawing 1-1 and winning 2-0.

It's unforgivable. It's quite possible we're the only professional team on earth who so obviously don't work on this stuff. Just plain lack of professionalism.

You play your goalkeeper in goal because he is the best at goalkeeping. I mean this is basically the level of detail you're talking about.

 

[Eddy_JukeZ]

That Rashford free kick today, fecking hell. If a coach doesn't say to him "when it's forty yards out and basically on the touchline, tell you what, just deliver it into the fecking box instead of piddling it at the backboards" then I despair. Thought he had a very good game but he makes some fecking ludicrous decisions sometimes.

I don't think any player in world football would have taken that shot besides our Rashford.

The worst part is he clearly feels enabled to do so.

 

[minoo-utd]

Our corners are the worst ever.

 

[Konimey]

Well well well wonder who is person in charge of not only practicing the set pieces, but getting them right. Lots of fans are deluded and emotionally swayed by "Ole's at the wheel', but the truth is, he is not good enough. Tactically inept, no proper set piece plans has only one method of attacking aka "counter" and worst sin, no designated Penalty taker. Ole is no Guardiola, nor has the luxury of a Messi(with Xavi & Iniesta) or a Ronaldo(with Modric & casemiro). United needs to be realistic or suffer being a mid table team.

 

[TwoSheds]

I don't think any player in world football would have taken that shot besides our Rashford.

The worst part is he clearly feels enabled to do so.

I think I've got it guys, how about we let Pogba take free kicks and Rashford take penalties.

 

[TheGame]

If we haven’t got one then surely one of the starters can practice whipping crosses in training?

 

[golden_blunder]

Employ Becks as crossing coach

 

[Jacob]

Well well well wonder who is person in charge of not only practicing the set pieces, but getting them right. Lots of fans are deluded and emotionally swayed by "Ole's at the wheel', but the truth is, he is not good enough. Tactically inept, no proper set piece plans has only one method of attacking aka "counter" and worst sin, no designated Penalty taker. Ole is no Guardiola, nor has the luxury of a Messi(with Xavi & Iniesta) or a Ronaldo(with Modric & casemiro). United needs to be realistic or suffer being a mid table team.

Get a grip son. The one thing I think Ole is lacking is the ability to change with the game, however, that is partly down to our ultra thin squad.

With a proper creative attacking mid and right winger - we will improve significantly.

 

[Konimey]

Get a grip son. The one thing I think Ole is lacking is the ability to change with the game, however, that is partly down to our ultra thin squad.

With a proper creative attacking mid and right winger - we will improve significantly.

Sorry, we are discussing about set pieces here. Also please explain his tactics if you can. Except for "high press" which every team does and "counter" what else does he bring to the table?

 

[Bastian]

If he was like Baines then we wouldn't have this discussion indeed, the risk/reward with Shaw as a corner taker makes little sense.

Yeah, that's a fair point. But he seems to me to be the worst option to do this. Our positionally weak left back. Who also can't deliver a set piece.

We clearly do not practice them at all which I find quite astonishing.

Just let whoever feels like it take a penalty. Take a short corner and just feck about aimlessly with the ball while your entire defence is in the opposition area. Let your striker shoot at goal from a free kick 50 yards out and practically on the touchline.

There is obviously Some one in the team who is the best penalty/corner/set piece taker. It is such a basic thing to not botther sorting out that it makes you question what our coaching staff and management actually do. I mean you might as well just let the players pick the team themselves if you aren't even going to bother working on the A1 basic stuff.

Also the other problem is, if we have no plan and clearly don't work on attacking set pieces, how on earth are we practicing defending them? We aren't, as it's impossible to. How did Wolves get their goal again?

It's quite infuriating as this is very simple stuff that makes a big difference to how many goals you score and concede. For example, it was probably the difference tonight between drawing 1-1 and winning 2-0.

It's unforgivable. It's quite possible we're the only professional team on earth who so obviously don't work on this stuff. Just plain lack of professionalism.

You play your goalkeeper in goal because he is the best at goalkeeping. I mean this is basically the level of detail you're talking about.

I agree. This is obviously a management/coaching issue and needs addressing asap. A fundamental that we need to at least not get terribly wrong.

 

[kouroux]

I don't think any player in world football would have taken that shot besides our Rashford.

The worst part is he clearly feels enabled to do so.

That's a great point right there. Rashford has been doing these weird FKs from crazy angles and distances for a while and looks like nobody is telling him to stop it.

 

[Cassidy]

Perreira is pretty good. I’d play him in these away matches just so that we stand a chance to score from set pieces.

Problem is he isn't much good at the rest of the game

 

[Tarrou]

we've been absolute gash for years

with Maguire to aim for now we seem to have implemented a new tactic of floating corners up to the back post (as opposed to smashing them against the first defender) which is a minor improvement I suppose but still not the most optimal way to score from a corner (a pacey delivery with good trajectory)

 

[kouroux]

Lofted towards Maguire to do what exactly ? It's not like it's a move that is hidden. Why do our players stand in offside positions ? What has this shit ever produced ?

 

[elmo]

Lofted towards Maguire to do what exactly ? It's not like it's a move that is hidden. Why do our players stand in offside positions ? What has this shit ever produced ?

They're waiting for the day that that shit routine finally pays off.

 

[Foxbatt]

We have players like Shaw who can take a decent one. It is the not the corners or free kicks but it looks like we do not work on it. I have never seen a near post corner being worked out and even a pull back on the ground. If they did a pull back on the ground the player at the edge of the box looks surprised. These things needed to be practiced and practiced and practiced every day.
We have players who can create problems in their box. Maguire, Lindelof, Pogba, Martial are players who are good in the air. Get near post corners and get either Lindelof or Maguire to flick it on at the near post. It certainly would cause more problems than just putting at the far post for Maguire every time.