Torquay United Fans Forum

[quote=PL21gull post_id=259243 time=1636633401 user_id=15903]
Or, far too often this season, defenders can just watch the ball float over everyone's heads out of play. And we fans are right to question why that happens consistently, and with such little variety (no pun intended as there is insufficient change of tactic - indeed, the set piece corner for the equalising goal at Chesterfield was not taken by AL and was actually hit with pace into the near post area).
We seriously need to be less wasteful of set pieces and to make the defenders, and especially the opposition keeper, earn their money...if we mere fans can see this, why do our coaches and senior players not seem to try to rectify it?
[/quote]

Think your find it was AL who hit the corner with pace to near post !!

Or, far too often this season, defenders can just watch the ball float over everyone's heads out of play. And we fans are right to question why that happens consistently, and with such little variety (no pun intended as there is insufficient change of tactic - indeed, the set piece corner for the equalising goal at Chesterfield was not taken by AL and was actually hit with pace into the near post area).
We seriously need to be less wasteful of set pieces and to make the defenders, and especially the opposition keeper, earn their money...if we mere fans can see this, why do our coaches and senior players not seem to try to rectify it?

There's precision, and there's missing our players by 10 yards, or putting it straight out for a goalkick.

Plus we're not just talking about corners, any free kick near the opposition goal is an opportunity. Either a direct shot, or ball whipped in.
Back when Don was in charge in the 90s, we'd try clever set piece moves, some came off and some didn't. But at least it got defenders thinking a bit.

All they need do now is head it away.

[quote=portugull post_id=259233 time=1636401588 user_id=131]
Well after watching MOTD on Sunday Evening the message to Armani is simple. Put every corner in the 6 yard box with curve and pace.

Do it consistently and we will score more often from corners. Simple. It is a big target.

When I played South Devon League Football a long time ago I was a winger! It is not that difficult!!
[/quote]

We fans don't half get excited about our corner/goal ratio when according to OPTA Stats a corner in the Premier League leads to a goal only 3.2% of the time and has not varied over the last 5 years.

So we have to asked ourselves is it really true that, when footballers’ technical ability has seemingly improved in the past decade or so – particularly from an attacking perspective – their ability to knock a ball 25 yards into the penalty area has deteriorated?

You claim it's not that difficult, but using the term 'winger' suggest your talking 60's, an era where, I concur, corner crossing was not as difficult. But what you fail to put into context is it was an era when you could put a bit of physical pressure on goalkeepers who still preferred to catch the ball (meaning they could be easily nudged into dropping it), but these days, with more keeper protection, that kind of corner just doesn’t cut it.

You often hear the TV commentators phrase “You’ve got to be able to beat the first man” and for good reason as dipping the ball just behind the first player to unsight defenders can cause real panic in the opposing defence. Now that takes more than just lofting the ball into the box 60's style, todays corner-taker needs to get zip and bend on the ball making sure they don’t overhit it nor deliver it too close to the keeper - in other words it needs to be a a precision delivery.

Then you have to also take into account the change in defending. In the 60's always two defenders at the posts but today not always the case as the opposition's tactical approach is to use a corner conceded as a platform from which to spring their own potent counterattack.-

Finally, that’s not to say there aren’t occasions when Torquay players are just useless at them.

[quote=portugull post_id=259233 time=1636401588 user_id=131]
Well after watching MOTD on Sunday Evening the message to Armani is simple. Put every corner in the 6 yard box with curve and pace.

Do it consistently and we will score more often from corners. Simple. It is a big target.

When I played South Devon League Football a long time ago I was a winger! It is not that difficult!!
[/quote]

Let's get you in training showing the lads how its done :rofl:

Well after watching MOTD on Sunday Evening the message to Armani is simple. Put every corner in the 6 yard box with curve and pace.

Do it consistently and we will score more often from corners. Simple. It is a big target.

When I played South Devon League Football a long time ago I was a winger! It is not that difficult!!

I think we should all watch MOTD tonight. It appears West Ham playing the mighty Liverpool scored two great goals from set pieces.

I know we cannot compare the quality of little old TUFC with Premier League but it does highlight that at ALL levels set pieces really are scoring opportunities.

We have a good chance to show our real ability by giving every kick 100% concentration on Sat at home to Dover who have conceded 31 goals in 13 games. Make every kick a defenders nightmare not one every 10!!

It is a very fair starting topic heading I think. Yes we have been wasteful with set pieces so far. Yes it’s something that can be worked on and improvement made. That’s very apparent. However the way people talk about it’s as if they have been alone in spotted it and its capable of being able of having an award given for culpability. Do they seriously think management don’t see it as well and would want to improve things.? I am certain it’s been a lot lot better on the training pitch otherwise it wouldn’t keep being rolled out. Yes if it continues not to work it will be changed but that’s about it isnt it?!

That "we'd be in a relegation position without him," kinda works both ways though.

You could say, if we'd had someone taking more accurate set pieces, then maybe we'd of scored more goals and been mid to upper table now.

I'm not a Little hater, he can produce quality, he never hides from the ball, and is certainly putting a shift in now. But let's also not kid ourselves, the games I've watched him in at Plainmoor this season, the quality of a large proportion of his set pieces has been missing.

Armani Little will prove himself to be a quality player as the season progresses.

Simple fact is we are not the same team.
We have lost several players who, at set pieces caused the opposition problems.
I find the constant harrassment of Armani Little bizarre. As has been pointed out, we'd be well f**ked without his goals and assists.
Some posters on here need to get their heads out of their a*se.

After an indifferent first quarter of the season, there is now an opportunity to kick-start the campaign in an effort to get into the playoff zone. Looking ahead to the next five games, we should win at least three if we are to become a serious threat. It can be done but as it is TUFC, nothing can be taken for granted.

I agree with what Forevertufc posts regarding Armani and set pieces.
I think we need to look deeper into why we have started the season so poorly. There will be many opinions surrounding our recruitment , mentality, ability and a whole load of other stuff which has contributed to such a poor start. There is no single answer and to blame a single player is ridiculous.
For me the first 10-15 min at home to Woking tells you a lot about us and where we are going wrong and where and how we have to improve.
I think there are questions to be asked about individual players. Are you really giving 100% to your trade on and off the field??
Its alot more than just waiting for players to bed in, its a culture , a mentality to strive to improve in every area of the game.

Think all of us fans know the importance, especially at our level, of having the ability in your team to take advantage of good set pieces as well, as being able to defend against them. What this thread highlights is, this is one area that has been a big failing so far this season, however much you practise attacking and defending set pieces in training you just can't replicate match day pressure, so maybe the problem isn't in the individual players ability, maybe it's their mentality, perhaps trying to hard to get things right.

The team have had an unexpectedly poor start to the season, I've jumped to the defence of Armani Little from the start, because of what I've seen written and heard around the ground, not saying Little hasn't deserved some criticism, think we all agree he hasn't been as consistent as us fans have seen in the past, but there has been more than a few players who've been worse than Little yet seem to, in the eyes of us fans to be getting away with it.

I've felt some of the criticism, and yes, dogs abuse from some quarters, has been unjust, wrong and not called for, what this thread also highlights, is when us fans actually drill down into the 'facts' and then put those 'facts' against emotion, we soon realise without Little's goals and assist's, we'd been in a relegation scrap full on now.

So if your one of those fans who must point a finger, or blame an individual player, maybe the facts will make you realise, you've been scapegoating (Little) the wrong player.

Reading the TUFC Match Reports we have scored 5 Goals in 13 League Games from set pieces.

Notts County Away . Wright scores with a header from a long free Including Danny kick by Halstead.

Maidenhead Away. Hall scores from a free kick by Little.

Grimsby Home. Little scores from a Direct Free Kick. A real belter.

Chesterfield Away. Lapslie scores as the ball goes in off his backside from a good Little corner. They all count!

Wealdstone Home. Holman scores after Lewis nods a Little corner into Holmans path.

Now I have no idea how many Free Kicks within 30 yards of goal and how many corners we have had in 13 games but say 9 corners per game and

7 Free Kicks is 208 chances to score. So our conversion rate is 2.4%

What I would love to know if anyone is a stats freak is what are the normal averages in the various Leagues.

If you train as a full time pro should you spend more time on shooting and crossing. Look how Ronaldo made himself the highest scorer in the modern era. It was practice, practice and more practice. It is the same in all sports.

Gary Player famously said the more I practice the luckier I get!!!