Corner Kicks

[FoxForceFive]

We're shite at corner kicks.

You know that though, don't you? What you don't know, or probably don't know, is that we are not the worst.

Man City are the worst, with a 1.5% conversion rate.
Man Utd just better than them, at 1.9%.
Then Sunderland, then Bournemouth, then..
Spurs, with 2.3%.
Then Liverpool, with 2.5%.

I can't be bothered typing them all out, but Chelsea have 5.2%, notably better than us, but Hull, West Ham & Everton are all better than Chelsea too, & top is WBA, with a massive 10.1%.

So yeah, we are shite, but most of our peers are as well!

The article was originally in the Times last week (so stats are a week out of date), if anyone has paywall access feel free to post the copied article here, in the meantime, this Talksport link has them, but it's annoying clicking through the pictures to see each percentage.

http://talksport.com/football/revea...ess-rate-corner-kicks-season-170510238614?p=5

 

[MomoWASright]

I think Paul Tompkins said the same thing a few seasons ago. Except that he used 1,307,816 more words.

Corners to goals ratio at the top level is strange.

 

[FoxForceFive]

I think the main reason we see it as an issue is that we have so many games where we struggle to score whilst getting so many corner kicks. City, Utd & Spurs may be below us in terms of ratio, but in general when they're on top in a game they score.

 

[Esoteric]

During practise matches our shite corner defending and our shite corner attacking nullify each other, resulting in a phlegmatic inability to improve either.

 

[Judge Jules]

Our frequently poor defending of corners is by far the more pressing issue IMO. Converting more of our own would be nice, but we score plenty from open play already.

 

[Rosco]

On a bit of a tangent - is there any evidence putting men on the posts is the best way to defend corners ?

 

[Modo]

I think we're slowly improving. Especially with Matip.

 

[Frogfish]

Matip was unlucky yesterday and Coutinho's corners from our right were generally very good.
I'm constantly amazed however that players on £100k plus a week can't kick a dead ball, at a reasonable height, 25m or so.

 

[leftpeg]

It never ceases to amaze me how many times highly paid professionals fail to deliver a set piece that beats the first man. Our standard corners are either cleared at the front post (or before) or are so high and floaty the defending team can get together for a planning meeting (with breaks) to discuss which one of them should hoof it clear.