Player on Half way line when defending.

[Big MAC]

Liverpool just showing why you should do it, if only we had a striker who could do what Salaj did.

[Barmby Rover]

I agree, leaving Taylor up there would force most teams into keeping two defenders back there, or risk a break away goal from a very fast attacker.

[drfchound]

I am also a fan of leaving someone upfield but as I posted a few days ago, we do it because stats prove that teams concede fewer goals when they bring everyone back to defend a corner.

[Bentley Bullet]

Coventry left a player forward.

[keith79]

Once McCann left 3 up.

[drfchound]

Coventry left a player forward.

Yes I noticed that too.
Maybe Robins didn’t get the memo.

[jmt23]

It winds me up, it’s just inviting unnecessary pressure, get the smallest or fastest player to hover around the halfway line, and give yourself a chance to stop their pressure or create something.

[dickos1]

It’s brought from the same philosophy as playing out from the back

[adamtherover]

It’s brought from the same philosophy as playing out from the back

How so,  one invites a very quick potential counter attack, that may lead to a goal,  the other brings unwanted pressure on the team playing out from the back.
In this exact game , where Utd hastily gave the ball away to Liverpool and Henderson struck the post with a fine strike, How is that in any way the same as The keeper doing a quick punt to a quick on running striker?

[dickos1]

Don’t understand your point

What I’m saying is keeping everyone back when defending a corner is a tactic to keep possession when you manage to get the ball.
Having everyone back gives the person with the ball options to keep possession, rather than booting it anywhere

[Colin C No.3]

What’s Taylor’s role when defending corners?

Get him upfield.

[mattco]

Remember Brentford. If We hadn't a player just near the half way line as they took their penalty,  we wouldn't have scored the wonder goal.

[elmsallrover]

To be fair to Billy he was off the field getting a drink

[RoversAlias]

Yes, it certainly wasn't a tactical move that. Paynter admitted afterwards he had basically given up and was so dejected he just sat down by the bench to watch the penalty.

Not that that devalues the point I suppose. It's a debate over which is the better tactic, personally I'd leave someone out for a counter too but Darren clearly feels we don't need it. And we have scored several goals on the counter attack this season without this tactic.

[Barmby Rover]

What’s Taylor’s role when defending corners?

Get him upfield.

He's marking the 6foot 8 inch centre half of course!

[i_ateallthepies]

I am also a fan of leaving someone upfield but as I posted a few days ago, we do it because stats prove that teams concede fewer goals when they bring everyone back to defend a corner.

Hound, was that stat accompanied by a stat about goals scored by a breakaway after clearing from a corner?

[drfchound]

I am also a fan of leaving someone upfield but as I posted a few days ago, we do it because stats prove that teams concede fewer goals when they bring everyone back to defend a corner.

Hound, was that stat accompanied by a stat about goals scored by a breakaway after clearing from a corner?

No mate but we have scored goals after breaking away from an opponents corner.

[i_ateallthepies]

Thanks Hound, I just think the choice is a reflection of the individual manager's innate instinct.  Personally I think the odds of a defender managing to lump the ball upfield and your front player getting to it ahead of the defender are a few times better than that of a striker lumping it in the opposite direction and finding the back of the net.

[adamtherover]

Don’t understand your point

What I’m saying is keeping everyone back when defending a corner is a tactic to keep possession when you manage to get the ball.
Having everyone back gives the person with the ball options to keep possession, rather than booting it anywhere

this makes little sense, firstly you only need 2 players at a time, not 11 to keep possession, one with the ball, and one to pass to.   Secondly who is keeping possession in their own penalty area with a body of opposition players everywhere...,  nobody!  After a corner, the defending side have one aim, and that is to clear the lines. How many times, (its countless), have a defender just booted the ball out of harms way, and its gone straight to the opposition on the half way line, who just punts it right back into the danger area. If we keep one man on the half way line, they will keep 2, and so on. One extra body at the back in the grand scheme of things is going to make little difference, especially if its Jon Taylor.   One body on the half way could make a difference, especialy if its Jon taylor.

[Bristol Red Rover]

Thanks Hound, I just think the choice is a reflection of the individual manager's innate instinct.  Personally I think the odds of a defender managing to lump the ball upfield and your front player getting to it ahead of the defender are a few times better than that of a striker lumping it in the opposite direction and finding the back of the net.

Agreed. And it's scientifically proven that certain people have genes that are centred around the life and death caused by goals, Bill Shankley famously so, but beyond innate instinct, and unless defending a one goal lead in the last mins of a game, at least one player up AND one player just beyond the pen area in a must. Use the smallest players, bring any tall centre forward back to defend.

[dickos1]

I’m just saying why they do it
SOD explained it once.

Even when I played as a youngster there was a coach at barnsley called Colin walker who used to do this and that’s the reasoning so you can break as one and all have options rather than lumping it upto someone who’s stood there on his own

[sedwardsdrfc]

Doesn't work like that often we clear in and it goes to their spare men who aren't under much pressure so it comes back in. I'd be a big fan of leaving 2 up. Be positive, Dieng is the best keeper i've seen for ages at claiming crosses give him room to get it and then go straight for the throat.

Not sure on the keeping the ball argument having 11 player in close proximity if anything makes it harder. I'd agree it's from the same textbook of modern day, short goal kick, coaching though which everyone seems to try. I'd like us to be a bit different though there's lots of ways to win and playing in behind teams has worked pretty well for liverpool

[dickos1]

We always did it under sod, as did arsenal under wenger.
So much better people than us think it’s worth doing

[i_ateallthepies]

I too heard SO'D explain it in an post match interview.  Didn't go into any technical detail, simply said it was a straightforward gambling decision.  Put a player on the halfway line and it gives the opposition a man advantage in our penalty area.

[Big MAC]

Only if they leave him all on his lonesome, generally they will have to mark him, with one, or usually 2 defenders.

[i_ateallthepies]

Perhaps I should have worded it differently, his point was - irrespective of the actual numbers - that the defending side would have one fewer players, and of course a little more space to share around.

[sedwardsdrfc]

We always did it under sod, as did arsenal under wenger.
So much better people than us think it’s worth doing

It probably is the right thing to do. As you say so many others do it. I’d still like us to at least mix it up and occasionally leave one or two up just to put the opposition off their game, they’ll always plan for set plays with 11 defenders. Think Mexico did it in the World Cup and it caused a few teams to think twice

[drfchound]

Strange how posters tell others that DM knows what he is doing with the transfer in policy but then criticise his tactics and insist it is wrong to take all players back to defend corners.

[sedwardsdrfc]

The thing is transfer policy can’t really be judged until the end of the window. But tactics can be judge every game, or corner as it is here. Maybe some people just have more patience. Should the window pass without any 1st team additions I think everyone will question transfer policy and be worried for the summer

[Colin C No.3]

Strange how posters tell others that DM knows what he is doing with the transfer in policy but then criticise his tactics and insist it is wrong to take all players back to defend corners.

Pardon? The post is about the pro’s & con’s of having 11 players back to defend for a corner thus ‘inviting’ more of the opposing teams players to come forward to attack that corner, or leaving one player (preferably someone with pace & an eye for goal who would be ‘best placed’ in such a position i.e. Taylor in our team for example) whereby the opposition no longer have the ‘luxury’ of deploying all their players in offensive positions.

This is not a criticism on DM’s, SO’D’s, or any other past Rovers managers to have adopted this style of defending corners, merely a discussion on the merits of the two tactics.

Don’t put a ‘twist’ on a post where none is intended.