The mancityfans.net football forum

might as well just give the oppo a goal kick

It's baffling isn't it, I don't even know what to say on the subject.

Some Sunday league shit. Seriously, what coach watches this shit and thinks - yep that'll work in the champions league. Clueless.

A fact we will not shoot or unless Kolarov is in the team no crossing with pace or a plan.

If Dzeko goes off, who do we aim a set piece at other than a defender ?

How many do they score between them per season ?

Absolutely dreadful tonight. The amount of short passes that broke down was something to behold. We were great at it last year! What's happened!

Ted Hughes wrote:If Dzeko goes off, who do we aim a set piece at other than a defender ?

How many do they score between them per season ?

Last year Demichelis and Kompany were alternating, very effectively, front post flick ons from corners. That's just not happening at the moment.

Ted Hughes wrote:If Dzeko goes off, who do we aim a set piece at other than a defender ?

How many do they score between them per season ?

What ever the answer, this would increase if we actually put a (decent) ball into the box.

It's pathetic watching these stupid routines fail time after time

twosips wrote:

Ted Hughes wrote:If Dzeko goes off, who do we aim a set piece at other than a defender ?

How many do they score between them per season ?

Last year Demichelis and Kompany were alternating, very effectively, front post flick ons from corners. That's just not happening at the moment.

One, the delivery has been shit & two, teams are filling that area because they've seen the videos.

That may be with the videos etc, but the delivery is the problem. Why is it so so bad all of a sudden? And these shit short free kicks need to stop. They're just woeful. They keep breaking down and we lose the ball after three passes.

They are currently so shit that I would even rather do as Barca, ie.just continue playing as if we never got a free kick.
And I hate that.

I seriously don't get it what's the issue. They must've worked on those in the training grounds but how is the execution so goddam poor?!

Nigels Tackle wrote:might as well just give the oppo a goal kick

Ha ha ha. I said exactly the same thing tonight.

We are fucking bobbins at them.

Nigels Tackle wrote:might as well just give the oppo a goal kick

aside from Kolarov's corner to Demich to draw at Arsenal when have we looked dangerous from a set piece this season? rarely if ever…

It's one of those things that is spoiled by the big breaks, & of course World Cups etc.

Last season there were loads of complaints re set pieces, but in the end, we were the best team at set pieces, when everything else early season had settled & we got more time to practice.

Yaya spent pre season practicing shooting from free kicks. This season he's had a World Cup & the fallout from a bereavement to deal with instead. Most of our pre season was done with half a team, then we have been getting fit. Some players have only just got upto match fitness in the last week or two, then we had Arse, Bayern, Chelsea to deal with.

When it settles, we will be back on free kicks & corners etc.

But teams are guarding against our near post corner routine by packing the area, so it may need a rethink.

Our "set piece" repertoire at the moment consists of ...

a) Centrally from 35 yards out or more, an aimless lob into the box, which is overthit and goes for a goal kick
b) Corners - a short corner that leads to Silva and the City player he plays it too getting hemmed in on the touchline by 2 defenders, and usually leads to us conceding a throw by the corner flag
c) a corner by Silva, when taken directly usually hits the same defender every time, eg Shawcross, Dawson being two recent examples. I swear Shawcross must have had concussion after the Stoke game as he headed every cross away like they were all aimed at him.
d) Centrally 30 yards an in - a shot by Ya Ya or Kolarov which represents our best chance, simply because we don't piss around with it and at least go direct at goal.

Yeah, but did we not just score from one short corner recently ?

Then there is the header by Demichelis.

You only score so many per season percentage wise, & in spite of the shit deliveries, we are probably not that far behind schedule. Mangala hit the post with a volley too. Once him & Fernando settle in, I think we will have more targets to aim for .

Ted Hughes wrote:Yeah, but did we not just score from one short corner recently ?

Then there is the header by Demichelis.

You only score so many per season percentage wise, & in spite of the shit deliveries, we are probably not that far behind schedule. Mangala hit the post with a volley too. Once him & Fernando settle in, I think we will have more targets to aim for .

the issue for me is getting free kicks 35/40 yards out.... we play the ball short, then back, back again and then back to joe who then he moves it forward. fucking pointless.

Nigels Tackle wrote:

Ted Hughes wrote:Yeah, but did we not just score from one short corner recently ?

Then there is the header by Demichelis.

You only score so many per season percentage wise, & in spite of the shit deliveries, we are probably not that far behind schedule. Mangala hit the post with a volley too. Once him & Fernando settle in, I think we will have more targets to aim for .

the issue for me is getting free kicks 35/40 yards out.... we play the ball short, then back, back again and then back to joe who then he moves it forward. fucking pointless.

Any time the ball goes to Joe it's pointless. Better to look forward & kick for touch in the oppo's own corner like Johnny Wikinson. It's only what Hart will do but at the halfway line. I actually feel a touch of misery whenever the ball goes to Joe, as I know we have just gone from Barca to Bolton in half a second.

Almost like a set piece is beneath us, chucking a ball in is not holistic. Oh and love Silva, but he could not cross the road or finish. Frank would have scored that last night and the one at Arsenal 1v1 at 1-0 up that would have been good night.

I have no problem with taking the quick free kick and keeping the ball moving, even going back to Joe doesn't bother me as its the possession football we play. We move the opposition around with our movement to create gaps and opportunities. We don't lump the ball into the box, because its just like another corner from a different angle but the result is the same 49 times out of 50 and its not a good one for us.