BensGrandad
New member
That is true we are s..t at defending set pieces. It is open to discussion as to who you blame central defenders, goalkeeper or other players the truth is we do not defend them very well.
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There's only one problem we need to rectify in our team this summer...
- Thread starter Ninja Elephant
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That is true we are s..t at defending set pieces. It is open to discussion as to who you blame central defenders, goalkeeper or other players the truth is we do not defend them very well.
I'd check the stats on this, if I were you. I think you'll be very surprised.
BensGrandad
New member
I do not have the stats available but am going based on my own view of the games and a couple of goals from 2nd ball at set pieces come to mind Blasckpool and Cardiff at The Amex but I am sure that there were many more. I know i was on my seat edge every time we had a corner against us.
Try to think of some of the 'many more'. I think you'll stuggle to be honest.
- Jul 7, 2003
- 48,653
Yeah, just imagine what difference the six Championship goals Murray managed last season would have made to our position. We'd probably have won the title.
Ninja Elephant
Doctor Elephant
- Feb 16, 2009
- 18,855
- Thread starter
- #26
Cheers for that. Would have been a more relevant point to make if I had said he did, wouldn't it?
Ninja Elephant
Doctor Elephant
- Feb 16, 2009
- 18,855
- Thread starter
- #27
Unlike you, Edna. Murray would have added a lot more to our team than he did to theirs and he would have scored more than 6, too.
BBassic
I changed this.
- Jul 28, 2011
- 13,751
There's no way you can know Murray would have had a better season for us than he did with Palace or that he would have scored more than 6. I have therefore decided to proclaim your post to be 100% cobblers.
Lower West Stander
Well-known member
Murray's time here has gone. I thought it was real shame when he left as he was at the top of his game playing in a team whose style was suited to him. I don't know if it was him or Gus who was responsible but it's just a shame he never got to play for us at a higher level as it clearly hasn't worked out for him at Palace. I wouldn't have him back now as his confidence is shot and given he's a bit of a moody sod there,s not guarantee he would reach the heights of our promotion year.
Ninja Elephant
Doctor Elephant
- Feb 16, 2009
- 18,855
- Thread starter
- #31
I didn't say Murray had scored them, did I.
BensGrandad
New member
Perhaps and I only say perhaps not a lot of goals were conceeded from actual set pieces but if you incorporate high crosses into the box, which amounts to virtually the same thing, except the ball wasnt stationary. we conceeded a few like Southampton at St Marys and Forest away plus I would think that more will be shown when the seasons DVD comes out, if it shows goals given away. I know that I along with others around me felt uneasy whenever a cross came into the box or from a free kick or corner. Perhaps I am hedging my bets a little but the basis is the same.
BensGrandad
New member
Whether or not Murray is better than what we have we have certainly missed his defending high balls punched into the box.
saafend_seagull
Well-known member
Man City have not scored a free kick all season - they seem to have no problems?
Ninja Elephant
Doctor Elephant
- Feb 16, 2009
- 18,855
- Thread starter
- #36
The goal against Man Utd was reasonably important, wasn't it? Where did that come from again?
People talk about Plan B, corners and free-kicks. Plan B.
bn1&bn3 Albion
Well-known member
I don't think Brez/Capser/Gonzales are good enough but if you looks at our defensive record its really not that bad. If we could score goals our defense wouldn't be that big of an issue.
saafend_seagull
Well-known member
Erm I doubt we scored more goals last year than this season from corners. Our weakness is creating chances, not scoring from set pieces.
We just don't score enough goals ! ( except from right back ) .Every club wants that 20+ goalscorer,maybe it is CMS ,But i cannot think of any striker that we could afford that would give us that return ,even Murray.IMO we will not even try. We will sign Vokes or similar and spend most of our budget on a goalscoring midfielder.
We won League 1 because we were fantastic at set pieces. We had some striker who would get his head on them when defending them, and would get his head on them when attacking them as well. How many crucial goals did we score from corners and free-kicks on our way to the title? It was massive, and a lot of them were goals which really changed the course of games. I'm thinking Charlton away and then Peterborough away just after it. All we need to do this summer is get a dominant presence who is going to do the job this former striker, whatever his name was, did for us, and boom. For all our brilliant football, it was our rock solid defence (which still exists) and our lethal combination of set piece taker and set piece attackers which set us aside from the opposition.
Find the right combination again this summer, and we'll be a Premier League team after the coming season.
i don't really think losing glen murray has been the difference between us being league champs, and us not being in the PL.....