Short Corners

[Wolf316]

totally agree,the next player that takes a short corner should be shot...but not by one of our players,they would miss

Our lot wouldn’t even be able to pull the trigger.

 

[MasWolf]

Fixed it for you

Haha fair enough!

 

[MasWolf]

Moutinho has hardly taken a corner all season or barely all year ... It's been rayan, Neto, even neves n nunes more than moutinho.......all I'm saying is we ain't very good at corners if we lump it in as well ...it barely results in anything.......

The first two season in the premier league under Nuno , mouthiho short corner routines did have some results at times....

Were not a tall team , it isn't gonna be a good source of goals , without being inventive....even man city yesterday towered over us.

Sticking moutinho, Jonny, Neto, podence and rayan in the box and lumping it in, isn't gonna work is it.....

Maybe I should clarify my initial statement. You're right that the others have taken corners this season, however with the short corners, Moutinho seems to be involved more often than not e.g. he's the player they pass to initially.

Whilst you're right in saying putting it in the box isn't that great either, it's much better than losing the ball before we can even do so like what happened yesterday on at least one occasion.

 

[YouGottaRaulWithIt]

What are lage and his coaches doing on the training ground? Set pieces are woeful.

When you have three forwards under 5'10 on the pitch, none if which have a leap, then what is the point of putting it in the box? Much better to pass it around a bit before we give it back to Sa for a lump up field. Sorry, am I being too sarcastic?

 

[MasWolf]

Anyone else think Bruno should scrap the 3 forwards and play 2 who are more central? I noticed yesterday we had so many runs on goals from the likes of Nunes and the only option he had to pass was to a wide player which effectively killed our attack as we can't seem to go anywhere from there. In my opinion, I think we need to drop Neto and for the moment have Podence as a 10 and Guedes as the striker.

I think with them both being more central, at least we can get the final pass to them in a position where they can actually test the GK.

 

[lets all have a disco]

Maybe I should clarify my initial statement. You're right that the others have taken corners this season, however with the short corners, Moutinho seems to be involved more often than not e.g. he's the player they pass to initially.

Whilst you're right in saying putting it in the box isn't that great either, it's much better than losing the ball before we can even do so like what happened yesterday on at least one occasion.

Either idea is potentially right, but there is no point if the execution is wrong..... moutinho is normally involved with the short corners yes but without his inventive input at best it's hit and hope.....was the same under Nuno.....

The only player we have had who was dominant in the air was PRE injury Raul....the rest at best have been ok....even kilman for his height isn't strong in the air...A routine creating a shot from just outside the box for instance for say neves is probably our best avenue for a goal from a corner...but again at best it will only be occasional.....

 

[Jay Jay de Wolf]

Short corners + lack of killer crosses like De Bruyne's assists yesterday is Bruno Lage's Wolves team's big problem in games for sure is the reason for lack of goals.
Take the Southampton game we only scored with Nunes crossing the ball for Podence who should have square it for Sasa to tap in. Fortunately for us Podence miss hit his connection on the ball which bobbled over the keeper. These introvert wingers don't help the cause with Neto cutting in most of the game which the defending teams are going know about with him going onto his stronger left foot most of the time.
Defenders cant do much running back if we have wide players going to the byline and crossing with our forward players running onto the crossing ball. This is what's missing killer crosses for assists for goals!!

Look back to the end of last season when Bruno brought in Chiquinho he was making some killer crosses from the right side..
Like the assist for Conor Coady to score the goal against Chelsea

 

[Anglostone]

Whenever we get given a corner I just pick up my phone and start having a browse about, had enough of watching a one-two on the wing slowly passed back to the keeper or cleared by the first man

 

[SingYourHeartsOut]

Short corners + lack of killer crosses like De Bruyne's assists yesterday is Bruno Lage's Wolves team's big problem in games for sure is the reason for lack of goals.
Take the Southampton game we only scored with Nunes crossing the ball for Podence who should have square it for Sasa to tap in. Fortunately for us Podence miss hit his connection on the ball which bobbled over the keeper. These introvert wingers don't help the cause with Neto cutting in most of the game which the defending teams are going know about with him going onto his stronger left foot most of the time.
Defenders cant do much running back if we have wide players going to the byline and crossing with our forward players running onto the crossing ball. This is what's missing killer crosses for assists for goals!!

Look back to the end of last season when Bruno brought in Chiquinho he was making some killer crosses from the right side..
Like the assist for Conor Coady to score the goal against Chelsea

Absolutely our introvert forwards are the issue. We definitely need some more extrovert players.

 

[JOSWolf]

Isn’t Tony Roberts our set piece coach? They are dire. Even when we do put a ball in the quality is atrocious.

A joke he is the set piece coach.

 

[WolvTown]

We're lacking height throughout our squad, all our set play ideas are nullified because we have zero height beyond Kilman and Collins.
Thankfully Nunes is slightly taller and B.Traore but they don't look like the type of guys who will be competing for heading opportunities.

 

[Fifty Niner]

Love Neves to death but don't get his "chip it over the bar" special every time we get a free kick in a dangerous position.

It's made even more annoying by the commentator piping up that he just loves shots from distance followed by "not to his usual standard, that one". It is, sadly.

After Neves skied a free kick over the bar, Andy Townsend pointed out that City had most of their tall players in the wall so we should try to be more imaginative. Chip it over and to attacking players where they can take advantage of all of City’s tall men being in the wall.

 

[WasStefan]

We're lacking height throughout our squad, all our set play ideas are nullified because we have zero height beyond Kilman and Collins.
Thankfully Nunes is slightly taller and B.Traore but they don't look like the type of guys who will be competing for heading opportunities.

No we arent. This has been addressed by signing B. Traore, Nunes, Collins, Sasa and Costa. It’s been an obvious trend for all our signings this summer- much bigger physically than we have recently been signing

 

[Fifty Niner]

Anyone else think Bruno should scrap the 3 forwards and play 2 who are more central? I noticed yesterday we had so many runs on goals from the likes of Nunes and the only option he had to pass was to a wide player which effectively killed our attack as we can't seem to go anywhere from there. In my opinion, I think we need to drop Neto and for the moment have Podence as a 10 and Guedes as the striker.

I think with them both being more central, at least we can get the final pass to them in a position where they can actually test the GK.

The flanks were Nuno’s main areas of attack and Bruno hasn’t changed this. No creativity just a rigid way of playing, most of the time.

 

[MasWolf]

The flanks were Nuno’s main areas of attack and Bruno hasn’t changed this. No creativity just a rigid way of playing, most of the time.

So if we did have 2 upfront, I would expect the wingbacks to be more involved with the attacks. Whether they would go to the lime to cross or cut inside, I'm not sure. In my mind this should work quite well if we start B Traore as a CDM, Neves and Moutinho and CMs and Nunes as AM. This means when we have possession we can actually get it from the defence to attack effectively through the middle and if needed via wingbacks on flanks and when out of possession, Traore can go deeper and help out the defence.

 

[Fifty Niner]

So if we did have 2 upfront, I would expect the wingbacks to be more involved with the attacks. Whether they would go to the lime to cross or cut inside, I'm not sure. In my mind this should work quite well if we start B Traore as a CDM, Neves and Moutinho and CMs and Nunes as AM. This means when we have possession we can actually get it from the defence to attack effectively through the middle and if needed via wingbacks on flanks and when out of possession, Traore can go deeper and help out the defence.

The final ball most of the time seems to come from out wide. Rarely anything through the middle. In my view, this is where we need to improve.

 

[MasWolf]

The final ball most of the time seems to come from out wide. Rarely anything through the middle. In my view, this is where we need to improve.

Exactly. I think us trying to go into central areas may work out better. Surely anything is worth trying at this rate.

 

[Fifty Niner]

Exactly. I think us trying to go into central areas may work out better. Surely anything is worth trying at this rate.

Bruno doesn’t seem to know how to exploit these areas though.

 

[Madmalc]

Until we improve at corners and set pieces, ( yeah, right ), I think we should just lump the ball back to Collins at the halfway line………at least we’d keep poession.

That's what is happening. You don't have to run if you play that way.

 

[WolfInSheep'sClothing]

What everyone who complains about short corners fails to realise is that putting the ball into the opponents penalty area risks losing possession to their defenders followed by some exertions, like running back, to defend the counter attack.
It's much easier to pass the ball back to the Centre halves and for them in turn to pass it back to the Goalkeeper. You don't have to break into a run. That also means you can last the full game time as let's face the chance of you being substituted off before 80+ minutes is virtually nil, and you know you'll have to save some energy for when the opposition puts fresh legs on the pitch.

Also it's another pass completed, which ups your pass completion rate.

 

[WolfInSheep'sClothing]

The final ball most of the time seems to come from out wide. Rarely anything through the middle. In my view, this is where we need to improve.

Cos we always lose it when we try and beat people on the inside.

 

[Oh When the Wolves]

I don’t get this. It’s not rocket science

Put the ball between the 6 yard box and penalty spot , in the width of the six yard box

Have all the players start on the edge of the box and make a different run , couple of blockers - and try to win a 50/50 header to score a goal

You might only score 1 in 20 or whatever but it’s better than whatever we have at the moment

 

[FJRWolf]

There's nothing wrong with a short corner as long as you don't do it every time, plus we take so long with it, the opposition now exactly what's going on and it invariably ends up back with Sa.

 

[Pengwern]

Get Ronan to take all dead balls!

 

[WickedWolfie]

Get Ronan to take all dead balls!

A little hard when his PL game time this season is a nice round zero ...

 

[Ian]

A little hard when his PL game time this season is a nice round zero ...

And probably will remain so .....as always why bother keeping these players if you don't intend to play them?
As for short corners , I've never liked them and ours are some of the worst I've seen from a professional team.
I've always viewed going short as just prolonging getting the ball where it's eventually going to go ( except in our case) " in the box" .

 

[Eastern Wolf]

Need Ronan in squad as he qualifies as “home grown”.
I do think there is a player there and should do no worse than moutinho currently as he’s become less and less effective.
He should be at least as mobile as Mouts given his younger legs and can do the short range passes. He definitely has a better long range shot than Mout. But Moutinho may be calmer and more assured under pressure.
I guess if we are winning games Ronan may even have been given minutes just to give Moutinho a rest.

 

[The Clock]

The reason we play short corners is simple.
Bruno gave specific instructions not to cross the ball ( at all).
Players just following what they are told.
He seems oblivious to the fact that for the ball to go in the net it first has to enter the box.

 

[SteveBullsKnee]

I’ve no issue with the odd short corner to mix it up, it changes the angle of the ball in and drags an extra defender out. What I do have a problem with us pretty much every corner being short which means the opposition are ready for It and close down the second man which negates any benefit of changing the angle

 

[WolfLing]

I don’t get this. It’s not rocket science

Put the ball between the 6 yard box and penalty spot , in the width of the six yard box

Have all the players start on the edge of the box and make a different run , couple of blockers - and try to win a 50/50 header to score a goal

You might only score 1 in 20 or whatever but it’s better than whatever we have at the moment

The Sam Allardyce school of playing the percentages. There's certainly a place for that approach.

I get the feeling that Bruno is perhaps a but of a perfectionist. On that basis, he will never play the percentages game. He could maybe buy a couple of goals by playing the percentage game more, but I think he's quite stubborn and headstrong about how he wants football to be played.

If you boot it long from a goal kick, or swing it into 'the mixer' from a corner, the chances of gifting the opposition a quick turnover of possession are very high.

Playing out from the back, short corners, etc. are all a sign that he believes his team can be superior in possession and that he doesn't want to give the opposition those quick, easy turnovers and chances for 'transitions'. Those transitions are where most goals come from.

But it all comes down to the same problem. We do nothing with our possession. So then questions are asked as to why we are doing the things that help us to control possession (like playing out from the back and short corners) when nothing comes from it.

Bruno is not going to change the philosophy that being in control of the ball is key and everything else will follow. So playing out from the back and short corner routines will stay.

Unless he fixes the issues in creating and scoring chances, that stubbornness might end up being his downfall.

 

[marrs-guitar]

I get the feeling that Bruno is perhaps a but of a perfectionist. On that basis, he will never play the percentages game. He could maybe buy a couple of goals by playing the percentage game more, but I think he's quite stubborn and headstrong about how he wants football to be played.

If you boot it long from a goal kick, or swing it into 'the mixer' from a corner, the chances of gifting the opposition a quick turnover of possession are very high.

That doesn't fit with his keenness to just have a lanky target man up front though. He plainly wanted Kieffer Moore last season for that role and decided to commit all our budget for a forward on the injury-prone, yet 6 foot 7 inch Kaladzjic.

We also do a fair amount of trying to boot it forward out of defence and chase as well, especially vs Southampton.

 

[WolfLing]

That doesn't fit with his keenness to just have a lanky target man up front though. He plainly wanted Kieffer Moore last season for that role and decided to commit all our budget for a forward on the injury-prone, yet 6 foot 7 inch Kaladzjic.

We also do a fair amount of trying to boot it forward out of defence and chase as well, especially vs Southampton.

Which is exactly why we need that sort of player. We played differently against Southampton because Sasa started. So until we have that sort of player again, Bruno won't change it.

Bruno's reluctance to do that at the weekend was because we had Podence, Guedes and Neto up top. So going long at any point just wasn't the right thing to do. But the alternative against City is trying to play out from the back against a side that presses relentlessly. It was a bit of a no win!

 

[Rauls Headband]

Which is exactly why we need that sort of player. We played differently against Southampton because Sasa started. So until we have that sort of player again, Bruno won't change it.

Bruno's reluctance to do that at the weekend was because we had Podence, Guedes and Neto up top. So going long at any point just wasn't the right thing to do. But the alternative against City is trying to play out from the back against a side that presses relentlessly. It was a bit of a no win!

Ironically one of the best chances of the game for us came from a long ball from Sa, rather than trying to play out from the back.

One of the reasons Man U got the result they did against Liverpool was because they continually put over the top of the high press.

Not that I'm advocating going back to 'off-ball' but mixing it up wouldn't have hurt much either especially as 'Plan A' (whatever that was) went out the window after 25 mins.

 

[WolfLing]

Ironically one of the best chances of the game for us came from a long ball from Sa, rather than trying to play out from the back.

One of the reasons Man U got the result they did against Liverpool was because they continually put over the top of the high press.

Not that I'm advocating going back to 'off-ball' but mixing it up wouldn't have hurt much either especially as 'Plan A' (whatever that was) went out the window after 25 mins.

Yeah. But that's what I mean about Bruno's perfectionism.

He will not change his stance because he refuses to rely on creating chances on the basis of a mistake by the opposition.

Ederson, Akanji and Dias should deal with long balls all day long against Podence, Neto and Guedes.

But there will be times where we get lucky breaks, or they make a mistake and we get a chance as a result.

Bruno does not ever seem to want to rely on the chance that that might happen. He wants us to dominate possession and create our chances ourselves.

But yes, there is absolutely a need to mix it up and try different things. The issue we have is plan A hasn't worked all year, but there is a reluctance to try anything different!

 

[JOSWolf]

Its not just the corners either. Its set pieces in general and our crossing. All mostly very poor. Moutinho free kick on Saturday, dreadful, Neves free kick on Saturday, dreadful. A lack of inventive free kicks and almost looks like we dont practice crossing and different free kick options along with corner routines. It is that bad.

 

[Wolfman jack]

Think I read somewhere that Mouts was our corner coach under Nuno. We really need to do better when we can attack the box be it from fk, corners or throw ins.