The benefits of a set piece coach

[Andy B.]

Set pieces are getting Americanised. There's dedicated blockers, fake runners and all sorts.
It's akin to plays in the nfl. Argyle should definitely hire one or give the job to someone in house.

 

[IPA]

I've been saying it for many years that set pieces are a fundamental part of football success.

Corners, free kicks and long throws etc can often determine the outcome of matches between 2 evenly matched sides and ours have been amateur for many years now. Sturrock used to utilize them very well in his first spell here but he was helped by having players who could deliver the ball properly and players like Friio and Cocko who were good at getting on the end of them. Tony Pulis was also very efficient with them and much of his success at various clubs can be attributed to this.

One of the problems we currently have is that we're not exactly the biggest side in the division but, that doesn't excuse the awful delivery at times which is surely something that has to be perfected on the training pitches.

 

[Brechin Hedge]

swansea away last season whittaker scored a corner move rather than just lumping it in the 6 yard box.

suspect we should initially focus on defending corners first! norwich looked particularly good this season as have others. perhaps back to the issue of having a goalkeeper with greater presence.

 

[elburtontrev]

We already have one of the best long throw-in specialists I’ve ever seen, Saxon Earley. I saw one of his last games on loan at Stevenage before joining us, where every throw caused panic in the Orient defence. He produces a long, flat fast trajectory which is very hard to defend against, and he achieves this by twisting his body at the end of the throw. In his few short appearances for us this ability was never used, which amazed me.

Who???

 

[Balham Green]

I’m sure that whilst his job is not specifically set pieces, one of our coaches is a set piece specialist. I’m not sure which one it is though.

Whoever it is is not fit for purpose.

 

[mervyn]

Who???

Currently on loan to Lincoln

 

[Lobster]

Wasn't this something specifically mentioned at the PACSA meeting when considering ways the higher ups can support Rooney? If so I'd imagine we're already recruiting here.

 

[Beyton Green]

It's all about the delivery and they've been very average, often not even beating the first man on corners.

Very average . Utter poo. Bottom decile.

 

[oldage]

It is but it’s also about the players in the box having the desire to score and not just going up for the sake of it. Look at the way the Arsenal centre backs attack crosses compared to ours. Gabriel would run through a brick wall to get on the end of a cross. It feels like our players have as little faith as we do that they might score. A good delivery would help mind

Spot on . Our players do not attack the ball. Don’t know what they're afraid of?

 

[demportdave]

If Argyle are looking to appoint a specialist Coach it should Defensive . We are shipping far too many goals, far too easily.

 

[oldage]

Who???

I think Lincoln supporters are probably asking the same question.

 

[Guiri Green]

We also improved defensively when Keith Downing was here, he specialised in out of possession play. That's certainly an area that needs sharpening.

I recall playing Wycombe and noting how nearly every attacking move seemed to be based on getting the ball wide and sending it into the box in a set piece style for knockdowns etc. It was typically Ainsworth but seemed to be based on their strengths at set pieces. Likewise, I've seen Wrexham employ a similar strategy on occasion.

Set piece or fuid, if you've developed a set piece routine that's well drilled, it must bring benefits, even if adapted for open play use. It certainly worked for Bristol City.

 

[Green 1886]

I’ve watched quite a few championship games this season. It is so noticeable just how much better other teams are at set plays and how much havoc they cause. QPR at Watford and Cardiff were causing all sorts of problems. Said it so many times but we’re missing a trick here. We can’t compete financially or on a talent level so we should be getting more balls (and bodies) into the box. Our set plays are generally floated in and are powder puff. I’d like to see someone whipping dangerous and fast balls into the box. Playing for 2nd balls if we can’t win the first. I believe this is a major reason for our appalling away record, we are just so lifeless with set plays

 

[The Doctor]

Watford completely outwitted us at a set-piece in the game at Home Park a couple of weeks ago. They set up really narrow and we naively followed them into the middle of the pitch. They then played the ball wider to a player who had run into the space exactly for that ball, it was knocked across goal and thumped home. So, so easy and all because we did exactly what they wanted us to do.

 

[aNorthernSoul]

Set pieces are getting Americanised. There's dedicated blockers, fake runners and all sorts.
It's akin to plays in the nfl. Argyle should definitely hire one or give the job to someone in house.

It makes sense. A set piece routine is the closest you would get to an NFL down in football. When they line up, everyone knows who they should be blocking and what route they should be running. Arsenal have embraced this and it is paying off.

It probably also helps that Arsenal are better than most teams in the world though so it may not be as simple as getting good on corners.