toffeemax
Player Valuation: £15m
Over the past few weeks I've noticed more and more how poor have been at defending set pieces, most notably corners, but also how bad we are at then controlling the next phase.
We seem to think that defending with every player back in our box is the best way to do things but it just isn't. a) it diffuses the element of responsibility, you think someone else may pick up a man/the space you're meant to and as shown today, the unit becomes lacklustre in their determination to mark. b) there is no out ball. You are asking for a ball to be played back into the box and one point tonight that happened and they very nearly scored from this second phase. What are players like Mirallas and Valencia bringing in a defensive capacity from a corner? You may as well place them up-field to put pressure on the second ball if we do win the initial header.
I went to the derby with my mate - he's a red, and he actually made some sense! The numbers are so in your favour as a defending unit that it's absurd to think you need every player back, especially if you don't have players on both posts. The attacking team have two players back and another taking the corner not to mention their goalkeeper. On top of this they usually have a lad floating around the edge of the box. Essentially therefore there are 6 oppo players in our box being marked by 10 outfield players, 9 if you have a man on the post (why we don't have one on each post is another strange ideation of this 'modern' game.). Why on earth there is this need therefore to have all eleven players back in the box is mind boggling.
We seem to think that defending with every player back in our box is the best way to do things but it just isn't. a) it diffuses the element of responsibility, you think someone else may pick up a man/the space you're meant to and as shown today, the unit becomes lacklustre in their determination to mark. b) there is no out ball. You are asking for a ball to be played back into the box and one point tonight that happened and they very nearly scored from this second phase. What are players like Mirallas and Valencia bringing in a defensive capacity from a corner? You may as well place them up-field to put pressure on the second ball if we do win the initial header.
I went to the derby with my mate - he's a red, and he actually made some sense! The numbers are so in your favour as a defending unit that it's absurd to think you need every player back, especially if you don't have players on both posts. The attacking team have two players back and another taking the corner not to mention their goalkeeper. On top of this they usually have a lad floating around the edge of the box. Essentially therefore there are 6 oppo players in our box being marked by 10 outfield players, 9 if you have a man on the post (why we don't have one on each post is another strange ideation of this 'modern' game.). Why on earth there is this need therefore to have all eleven players back in the box is mind boggling.
