how can Argyle improve in 2022/23

[Joe Totale]

I think our lack of scoring from set pieces is more about the poor delivery than actually having players that can attack the ball. I too think Scarr could score plenty if the ball is was generally decent. Unfortunately for us Houghton took the majority of our set-pieces last season and for me I'm afraid he doesn't consistently provide a good enough delivery. I would be more optimistic of scoring from set pieces if say Adam Randell was our primary dead ball man.

Conor Grant can sometimes put a decent ball into the box but I'd agree that a consistently good set piece taker should be high on the recruitment agenda.

The coaching though would also help with defending set pieces, too many times last season we left big set piece threats unmarked.

 

[The Doctor]

There seems to be a reluctance to shoot at goal within the Argyle team.
Very often it’s taking on one too many opponents and the chance is lost.
I wonder if they are discouraged from shooting on sight or is it a confidence issue?

Well the data shows that you are MUCH more likely to score from positions closer to goal than further out and so a team is generally better served by retaining the ball and working it into better (more likely) goal-scoring positions on fewer occasions rather than taking lots of hopeful potshots on many more occasions. At Home Park there is often a "shooot" roar from the crowd when a midfield player has the ball 25 yards out to which I can usually be heard to mutter "no, don't shoot"...

I know I have added a few points onto oldage's post (e.g. proximity to goal, 'hopeful potshots' etc) but I suspect that the instinct behind his post is a commonly held one - that we'd be better off shooting more/earlier/more speculatively than not shooting and trying to work perfect goalscoring chances. In fact it is quite hard NOT to subscribe to this view. But I'd be pretty confident that Argyle players are not encouraged to shoot from distance or 'on sight' because the management will know that this rarely produces a goal and usually just gives the ball back to the opposition. The emphasis will be on creating (and taking) a small number of excellent chances rather than lots of unlikely ones because that's what the data analytics demonstrates is the best way to score goals.

 

[Joe Totale]

Well the data shows that you are MUCH more likely to score from positions closer to goal than further out and so a team is generally better served by retaining the ball and working it into better (more likely) goal-scoring positions on fewer occasions rather than taking lots of hopeful potshots on many more occasions. At Home Park there is often a "shooot" roar from the crowd when a midfield player has the ball 25 yards out to which I can usually be heard to mutter "no, don't shoot"...

I know I have added a few points onto oldage's post (e.g. proximity to goal, 'hopeful potshots' etc) but I suspect that the instinct behind his post is a commonly held one - that we'd be better off shooting more/earlier/more speculatively than not shooting and trying to work perfect goalscoring chances. In fact it is quite hard NOT to subscribe to this view. But I'd be pretty confident that Argyle players are not encouraged to shoot from distance or 'on sight' because the management will know that this rarely produces a goal and usually just gives the ball back to the opposition. The emphasis will be on creating (and taking) a small number of excellent chances rather than lots of unlikely ones because that's what the data analytics demonstrates is the best way to score goals.

I recall after Kari Arnason scored a screamer against MK Dons for a while he had it in his head that he was good at long shots and was endlessly spanking shots into row z.

 

[Balham Green]

Conor Grant can sometimes put a decent ball into the box but I'd agree that a consistently good set piece taker should be high on the recruitment agenda.

The coaching though would also help with defending set pieces, too many times last season we left big set piece threats unmarked.

Don't remember us conceding many goals from set pieces at all.

 

[memory man]

I recall after Kari Arnason scored a screamer against MK Dons for a while he had it in his head that he was good at long shots and was endlessly spanking shots into row z.

That Real Madrid Brazilian left back was another example - Roberto Carlos was it? Every time there was a fee kick within a mile of the goal they will roll him out to see if he could repeat the trick a second time. Cannot recall him building on his early success.

 

[Joe Totale]

Don't remember us conceding many goals from set pieces at all.

This states that we conceded 15 goals from set pieces last season:

https://www.whoscored.com/Regions/252/Tournaments/8/Seasons/8620/Stages/19795/TeamStatistics/England-League-One-2021-2022

Of the teams around us at the top of the table, only Wednesday were worse.

 

[Balham Green]

This states that we conceded 15 goals from set pieces last season:

https://www.whoscored.com/Regions/252/Tournaments/8/Seasons/8620/Stages/19795/TeamStatistics/England-League-One-2021-2022

Of the teams around us at the top of the table, only Wednesday were worse.

But were they from players unmarked? E.g. the direct free kick by Mk Dons. We didn't let in that many anyway. Only a couple of teams conceded many fewer.

 

[Greendawe]

Which raises the question, who should we have as our back 3 if we stick to the present system out of the current very competent group of Bolton, Wilson, Scarr, Gillesphey, and Galloway?

 

[JannerinCardiff]

Don't remember us conceding many goals from set pieces at all.

I thought we conceded plenty from set pieces myself.

 

[JannerinCardiff]

Which raises the question, who should we have as our back 3 if we stick to the present system out of the current very competent group of Bolton, Wilson, Scarr, Gillesphey, and Galloway?

If all fit, Of the current defenders.. I’d prefer .. Wilson (RCB), Scarr (CB) and Galloway (LCB).

 

[Emu]

If all fit, Of the current defenders.. I’d prefer .. Wilson (RCB), Scarr (CB) and Galloway (LCB).

Agreed. A very uncompromising bunch!

 

[EyeOpener]

If all fit, Of the current defenders.. I’d prefer .. Wilson (RCB), Scarr (CB) and Galloway (LCB).

Scarr should not be starting. We need someone that is much better with the ball at his feet. Think of Darling from MK Dons.

There have been a few games where teams have set up to force Scarr to play the ball out and invariably he gave it away - Wycombe at home springs to mind. We need someone with the confidence and ability to take it into the middle if needs be

 

[saxman]

Talking about set pieces, have you watched that GC10 showreel linked on the other thread. That's what you call good delivery!

 

[saxman]

Scarr should not be starting. We need someone that is much better with the ball at his feet. Think of Darling from MK Dons.

There have been a few games where teams have set up to force Scarr to play the ball out and invariably he gave it away - Wycombe at home springs to mind. We need someone with the confidence and ability to take it into the middle if needs be

But Scarr's defending is very good, what we needed was a tactical change to adapt to the targetting of Scarr.

 

[EyeOpener]

But Scarr's defending is very good, what we needed was a tactical change to adapt to the targetting of Scarr.

Really? Someone earlier in the thread mentioned that we were one of the top teams to concede at set pieces.

Considering the stat people reckon we got him in for the number of headers he wins, I would say his defending isn't very good. I appreciate he isn't the only one defending but it seems he is meant to be our man for attacking the ball in both our box and the opponents.

Would be interesting to see how many of our set pieces he converted.