Corners and Free Kicks

[Lighthouse]

As the debate about Jol and the MD continue. Who is in charge of dead ball training? I only ask because we didn't seem very good at either yesterday. In fact have looked a bit iffy for a time. Just wondered if that is down to luck, poor skill or lack of training?

[Jack Fulham]

Set pieces is an odd one, under Hodgson, we were pretty rubbish at them. Under Hughes we were excellent at them and under Jol, we've gone to being rubbish at them again.

In regard to freekick attempts at goal, Ruiz has probably been the best at them, usually get them on target but for some reason Petric decided to take them all yesterday and I'm thinking about that amazing freekick he scored against us but every time he's blasted it over. We were so wasteful yesterday with freekicks at the edge of there box yesterday it was ridiculous.

[Burt]

Agree, really poor...

You would have thought that these would have been training ground basics but the corners were generally bad and the free kicks we had were laughable (in a non-funny kind of way). Same with the crossing - very noticeable that our wing play yesterday lacked the ability to skin their man and whip in a decent cross.

[CurryForMario]

To be fair, everyone was shouting at Ruiz to take it, but Richardson and Petric (And Karagounis) both have track records of taking a great freekick.

Links:
Petric against us HSV vs Fulham (Petric Traumtor Freistoß)
Richardson for us Fulham U21s 2-2 Wycombe Wanderers U21s (1:03)

[cottage cheese]

Agree, really poor...

You would have thought that these would have been training ground basics but the corners were generally bad and the free kicks we had were laughable (in a non-funny kind of way). Same with the crossing - very noticeable that our wing play yesterday lacked the ability to skin their man and whip in a decent cross.

to be fair to kaca, richardson and duff everytime they looked up there was no one in the box. Thats our problem we do not have a player who makes the runs into the box, that was dempsey in a nutshell. Berbatov did it against west brom for the goal but yesterday he passed the ball and then just walked into the box. There was no urgency

[MJG]

I have said it before but would love to know the answers.
Do the players who take our corners practice them at the cottage at all? The drop off at each corner makes taking them quite difficult.

At MP do we have an identical sized pitch as the cottage? We seem to always go near post at corners and fail by a yard or two or even five yards. A professional footballer should be able to beat the first man.  Christ I do it for my Sunday team every week.

[BedsFFC]

In terms of corners, everyone we get, brede & arron wander up and have got the grand total of 1 goal between them in 2 seasons. Really poor return

[grandad]

Why does Hangeland not attack the ball at corners & set pieces. He is one of the tallest players around. Roger Brown & Chris Coleman were able to get 5 goals a year so why can´t Hangeland? He should be making runs from outside the box rather than stand on the 6 yard line trying to make a nuisance of his size.

[ffc73]

Kit Symons scored a fair few for us as well and he's on the coaching staff

In terms of practising at Craven Cottage someone I know who has done the Cottage Tour says that they were told the team never trains on the pitch.   

[cebu]

Our aerial threat at set pieces disappeared after the Sparky era. Back then it was obvious that our big lads had been practising attacking headers. There's not much to indicate that they're doing so now though.

[Burt]

Bring back Roger Brown... Best ariel attacker of the ball I have seen in my time.

[Burt]

McBride wasn't too shabby either.

[Edwatch_Winston_Malone]

I think our CBs should be ashamed of their goal scoring record...

[EJL]

It's been already mentioned but we have no one who's dangerous from set-pieces any more. Hangeland hasn't scored in a season and a half, Hughes hardly ever gets a goal, Berbatov will nod in the odd unmarked chance, Baird's okay and the rest are either too small or don't get in the box.

[jarv]

Poor doesn't begin to describe it. I play in the over 60 league and I still take better free kicks/corners than I saw yesterday.
Maybe we could go all American and have a kick specialist who comes on every time Fulham get one. :005:

[Ag]

I have said it before but would love to know the answers.
Do the players who take our corners practice them at the cottage at all? The drop off at each corner makes taking them quite difficult.

At MP do we have an identical sized pitch as the cottage? We seem to always go near post at corners and fail by a yard or two or even five yards. A professional footballer should be able to beat the first man.  Christ I do it for my Sunday team every week.

Funny, I've asked about this several times as well.  If I were manager, I'd have an exact (or as close as possible) recreation of the CC corners somewhere at the training ground.  If you're in the habit of taking them on a flat surface, I can see why success wouldn't translate to the actual pitch.   

[MJG]

I have said it before but would love to know the answers.
Do the players who take our corners practice them at the cottage at all? The drop off at each corner makes taking them quite difficult.

At MP do we have an identical sized pitch as the cottage? We seem to always go near post at corners and fail by a yard or two or even five yards. A professional footballer should be able to beat the first man.  Christ I do it for my Sunday team every week.

Funny, I've asked about this several times as well.  If I were manager, I'd have an exact (or as close as possible) recreation of the CC corners somewhere at the training ground.  If you're in the habit of taking them on a flat surface, I can see why success wouldn't translate to the actual pitch. 

exactly

[nose]

the nature of the way we take set pieces isstraight down to the manager, nobody else. The execution is down to the players, nobody else.

We endevour to play the ball to short, to slowly and generally put our own player receiving the ball under the maximum pressure. the best dead balls this season were ruiz corners that  baird got on the end of you will have to come to your own conclusion why jol decided to change a successful tactic.

what is also bizare is that at corners all our players are either very central or near post. We have nobody who drifts in at the far post or just stays wider in order to stretch the opposition defence. I once had a long phone call with ray lewington (he was filling  in selling cup tickets at lunch time) regarding tactics at corners and we agreed on many things such as a near post flick on is very dangerous, take advantage of defenders ball watching just before the ball is struck and how that can best be done, and make sure there are players coming in at the far post. It isn't rocket science but our first corner yesterday was just a joke, and the other deliveries not much better with one exception.

i usually favour get the ball in the box wether in the air or ground, it will sure as hell spook the defenders!

[MisfitKid]

Poor doesn't begin to describe it. I play in the over 60 league and I still take better free kicks/corners than I saw yesterday.
Maybe we could go all American and have a kick specialist who comes on every time Fulham get one. :005:

I hear "Golden Balls" is looking for a team...  :Get Coat gif:

[Lighthouse]

Becks is a bit on the young side for us.