[zac]

I sat there today not for the first time thinking why are we not more of a threat from set pieces? When you look at the regulars in our team, from corners we have at least Heggem, Bartley and Ajayi on the pitch and in the last couple games we have added Racic into that yet i can't think of us ever really threatening from a corner. There was even one point towards the end of the game today where Heggem wasn't even going to be in the box for one until he was told to at the last minute.

In games like today a set piece could make a difference, maybe it's a time to look at a set piece coach? It has worked for a couple of teams like Aston Villa and Arsenal.

[zippyandbungle]

I sat there today not for the first time thinking why are we not more of a threat from set pieces? When you look at the regulars in our team, from corners we have at least Heggem, Bartley and Ajayi on the pitch and in the last couple games we have added Racic into that yet i can't think of us ever really threatening from a corner. There was even one point towards the end of the game today where Heggem wasn't even going to be in the box for one until he was told to at the last minute.

In games like today a set piece could make a difference, maybe it's a time to look at a set piece coach? It has worked for a couple of teams like Aston Villa and Arsenal.

I think almost everyone in the ground agrees with you

For delivery,Mowatt,Swift,Johnston,Wallace…all very capable
Then the guys you’ve mentioned plus Furlong in the air …
It is truly baffling

Even more baffling is our decision never to leave a striker up when we defend a corner,thus allowing opposition to overload with all of their big hitters .

[iwastherein68]

I think almost everyone in the ground agrees with you

For delivery,Mowatt,Swift,Johnston,Wallace…all very capable
Then the guys you’ve mentioned plus Furlong in the air …
It is truly baffling

Even more baffling is our decision never to leave a striker up when we defend a corner,thus allowing opposition to overload with all of their big hitters .

You are on form this morning Zippy

[DevonInStripes]

If you look back through our recent history , a number of managers have thought bringing everyone back at corners is the right philosophy. Totally disagree myself . When I was involved in non league management a few decades ago I always looked to keep 2 up at opponents corners as it always then occupied 3 of the opposition outfield players!

[GrumpyBaggie]

For delivery,Mowatt,Swift,Johnston,Wallace…all very capable
Then the guys you’ve mentioned plus Furlong in the air …
It is truly baffling

That is as maybe, but NONE of our attackkers or midfield are good with their heads, and none of the defenders seem capable of getting a header on target.  AND - surely Carlos will have pointed out that the giant Cooper is pretty good in the air.  He headed out almost all of the high crosses so why did they not at least try to put the ball into an area where he wasn't?

[zippyandbungle]

That is as maybe, but NONE of our attackkers or midfield are good with their heads, and none of the defenders seem capable of getting a header on target.  AND - surely Carlos will have pointed out that the giant Cooper is pretty good in the air.  He headed out almost all of the high crosses so why did they not at least try to put the ball into an area where he wasn't?

Indeed
But even at our attacking set pieces ,if you put Heggem at front post ,Bartley penalty spot and ajayi back post…Copper can’t mark them all ?

[stoxman]

Remember a few years ago when commentators said “A corner is almost as good as a penalty for West Brom”? We scored something like 40% of our goals from set pieces under Pulis.  We genuinely thought we would score from every one.  I just can’t see where that threat has gone.  Yes, Brunt had a great left foot but as others have said, we have players at least as capable of a great delivery (I personally think Mowatt and Swift are every bit as good with a dead ball. Yes, we had Dawson/ Evans/ Gmac running in on those balls but our current crop are as big and scary and should be capable of hitting the target from 6-10 yards.  And yet the threat has gone.  I don’t get even remotely excited when we get a corner now…

[SmethDan]

There's a piece in today's Express and Dingle where Carlos acknowledges our return from set pieces is disappointing. International absentees aside set pieces are going to receive some serious attention during the international break. Sorry for not linking and formatting the article but I really can't be doing with negotiating all of the adverts.

Ed re bold print: Molumby and Johnston are away with the RoI, McNair is away with NI, Heggem is away with Norway, Ajayi is away with Nigeria and Holgate has received a first call up to the Jamaica squad (this had completely passed me by). So maybe not quite as much work on set pieces as Carlos would like.

[FallOutBoy]

Remember a few years ago when commentators said “A corner is almost as good as a penalty for West Brom”? We scored something like 40% of our goals from set pieces under Pulis.  We genuinely thought we would score from every one.  I just can’t see where that threat has gone.  Yes, Brunt had a great left foot but as others have said, we have players at least as capable of a great delivery (I personally think Mowatt and Swift are every bit as good with a dead ball. Yes, we had Dawson/ Evans/ Gmac running in on those balls but our current crop are as big and scary and should be capable of hitting the target from 6-10 yards.  And yet the threat has gone.  I don’t get even remotely excited when we get a corner now…

We don't have anybody in that team who can deliver a corner or free kick as well as Brunt did. When they compiled the statistics for the Premier League covering the 2010's, he was 10th for assists, and for a reason.

To suggest otherwise is either overrating these players, or underrating Brunt - and we tended to do the latter quite a lot as a fanbase.

[robnewbold]

Set piece coach set up seemed to fail badly for the garbage against Man Utd over the weekend.

[DevonInStripes]

Actually makesyouwonder what work is done on set pieces as it’s been so poor at delivering results . If you take away direct shots and Furlongs throws the return is seemingly even worse . The days of Chris Brunt will not be unfortunately repeated .

[KnaveofAlbion]

I know it's easy to be sat in the stands and criticise, but for me, a professional should have their technique be highly on point. The amount of shots from the edge of the area that are sky'd into the stands is beyond shocking. The amount of corners that hit the first defender... The standards of technique are miles below what i'd expect from players at this level.

[MarkW]

Actually makesyouwonder what work is done on set pieces as it’s been so poor at delivering results . If you take away direct shots and Furlongs throws the return is seemingly even worse . The days of Chris Brunt will not be unfortunately repeated .

Curious - why are Furlong's throws discounted?

You could argue we should go a bit more like Stoke and have him take some from the left as well, given they tend to be a better source of goals than our corners!

I'd like us to see us do more short corner routines. It felt like we used to mix it up a bit more. With Racic, Bartley, Ajayi, Heggem, and Furlong on the pitch we should be doing better, I agree

[OldburyWBA]

Actually makesyouwonder what work is done on set pieces as it’s been so poor at delivering results . If you take away direct shots and Furlongs throws the return is seemingly even worse . The days of Chris Brunt will not be unfortunately repeated .

Its not just a case of missing Brunts deliveries, we also miss a McAuley getting on the end of them.

[SmethDan]

Its not just a case of missing Brunts deliveries, we also miss a McAuley getting on the end of them.

We also miss the likes of McAuley, Olsson and Evans blocking defensive runners so Dawson could get on the end of them. Honestly never thought there'd be a time when I missed having that miserable poe faced doghead around the place........  .

[Aussie Baggie]

Ted Lasso's side had a good number of set pieces...

[zac]

I thought our deliveries against Oxford were better but again, i didn't think we looked threatening at all? One observation i made was that our 6 ft 4 central midfielder was on the edge of the box for every corner, can't get my head around that one.

[SmethDan]

I thought our deliveries against Oxford were better but again, i didn't think we looked threatening at all? One observation i made was that our 6 ft 4 central midfielder was on the edge of the box for every corner, can't get my head around that one.

Didn't Heggem get on the end of one which whistled past the frame of the goal or am I misremembering again?

[zac]

Didn't Heggem get on the end of one which whistled past the frame of the goal or am I misremembering again?

No you are right Dan i had forgot about that one. Funnily enough i think that came from one of the poorer deliveries of the day.

[SmethDan]

Much of our shooting in general play has left a lot to be desired this season. At the same time we've witnessed some truly awful attempts at converting free headers from set pieces. Woeful may be a better descriptor for some.

[robnewbold]

Much of our shooting in general play has left a lot to be desired this season. At the same time we've witnessed some truly awful attempts at converting free headers from set pieces. Woeful may be a better descriptor for some.

Mowatt and Grant would beg to differ.

[liverbaggie]

Our game management is zero!
You know when we all started playing football what’s the main thing you want to do? Score goals isn’t it,that’s from childhood through to adulthood, it’s almost an automatic thing you want to try and do.
So what’s going on with our professional players,they train every day to perfect this don’t they?
So why aren’t they shooting at every opportunity, the goals are big enough it’s as if they’re not being trained to shoot,how hard can it be to get shots away and on target,I’ve said this before it’s unbelievable how poor we are at at the very least giving the goalkeeper a shot to save cricket.

[SmethDan]

Mowatt and Grant would beg to differ.

Mowatt has three goals from seven shots. He can have a word with some of his more wasteful teammates any time he wants. Karlan may want to keep his head down (along with some of his teammates) though given he's scored twice from nineteen.

[colinmax]

 Surprisingly free kicks are free kicks and you can try and kick the ball where you want to.
 Corners are free kicks so why do we rarely try to kick ball into six yard box,near to penalty spot or even to the edge of the area near the D
 and actual free kicks  near the half way line seldom kit kicked directly into the opposition's half and are passed sideways or even back to our goalkeeper without an opposing player touching it.

[colinmax]

Just watch our free kick after 42 minutes to see what I mean