01 Feb 2026 19:06:08
Ed001 I've not played football for close to 20 years now but I don't know why or when defending corners and free kicks teams started bringing everyone back.
We would never do it would always leave 2/ 3 fast players away from our box for a break.
When you see teams defending corners now there is that many players in the 6 yard box it is chaos.
You leave 3 out of the box the attacking side have to leave 4 to cover the break.
That instantly give more space for keepers to come claim the ball it seems coaches and managers just seem to over think the basics nowadays.
{Ed001's Note - I agree. I don't understand the thinking on bringing everyone back. It just makes a mess.}
01 Feb 2026 19:59:02
Spot on Grino. leave our smallest fastest players on the halfway line, so if we have t2 players, they've got to bring at least 3 back to cover them. old skool isn't a bad thing is it, these coaches over complicate simple stuff.
01 Feb 2026 20:06:55
Indeed, Ed. Even on long throws. Bringing all the players back creates all types of chaos and suddeny, the marking gets slack cos there is too much traffic. It just makes things worse.
01 Feb 2026 19:52:01
Plays perfectly into arsenal hands Ed and everyone is doing it if teams just went back to the old way Ed I bet Arsenal's would score only half the goals the score from corners.
01 Feb 2026 20:35:01
I was saying this yesterday, leave two players outside the box, means less players in the box and also that you have an out ball. With everyone in the box once cleared is is just coming back in again.
01 Feb 2026 20:37:00
We have been utterly clueless on defending and attacking corners for 20 years.
01 Feb 2026 20:47:51
Ron, it goes back longer than 20 years. I remember us, back in the 80s, having a fanzine called Another Wasted Corner. Nothing changes, mate.
01 Feb 2026 20:49:44
Tell you what I don't get. Why is Gakpo at 6ft 4 our main corner taker.
01 Feb 2026 20:54:40
80s Rome there was a lot of just long ball teams with a lot of big players and we never had a big sized team so worked against us. Nowadays most teams play football and the new rules don't help them teams so it levels up more.
But we use to be good at set pieces a few years ago but we have been awful last few years. But the defensive side we are just making things harder for ourselves.
01 Feb 2026 21:09:48
Hey Grino I was managing my lads u16 match today. We were talking about leaving 3 lads up when defending corners. Crazy how the conversations happen.
Personaly I think doing the simple. things becomes boring for those coaches who want look clever.
01 Feb 2026 21:45:05
Hi Grino
I remember doing a coaching workshop a while back
I think the guest coach was Martin Thomas (ex Newcastle keeper)
He said back when he was playing some coaches wanted to bring everyone back- as if their own keeper was decent and everyone was switched in- it provided a great opportunity for a counter attack
Not for me- I always keep two forwards up as chances are opponents keep 3 back plus their keeper, plus the corner taker and you've got 8 of your own players (plus your keeper) defending against 6 opponents in your own box
If your players can't defend with those odds- time to find some new players….
01 Feb 2026 21:54:33
Keepers claiming corners! Now that's a rare sight these days ain't it? The art of a GK catching football is as rare as a flying saucer these days.
01 Feb 2026 23:06:47
You can only presume it's a ploy from the 'anti football' brigade, with the object to fill the box as densely as possible, making it difficult as possible for any one player to get a good run uo attack the ball, making the chance of an attempt on goal as minimal as can be.
The same folk who encourage players to fall down to stop a football match breaking out!
01 Feb 2026 23:15:16
Too many players in the penalty area makes players lazy they start leaving things to each others and the next thing its a goal YNWA.
02 Feb 2026 09:02:28
Ron and Rome, and how did both of you work that out when btw. 2018 and 2020, LFC led the league (in 18/ 19 for sure) or was in the top 3 in goals scored/ conceded from set pieces, if Im not mistaken?
Even last season, we were very good at attacking and defending set pieces so again, how did both of you work that out? This is where absolute or blanket statements like yours are easily debunked if one bothers to look.
02 Feb 2026 10:31:52
In fairness we've been far betters defending setpieces since Briggs got the chop.