So after what feels like the 5 millionth goal we've conceded from a set piece this season, I tried to find statistics regarding our defensive performance from set pieces. After failing to discover any, I put together this list:
League:
Southampton (H) 0-1 loss - corner - Lovren header against Agger
Crystal Palace (H) 3-1 win - free kick - Gayle header against Gerrard
Newcastle (A) 2-2 draw - free kick - ball falls to Dummett off of Toure's head
West Brom (H) 4-1 win - penalty - Morrison scores after Jones is clipped by Cissokho
Everton (A) 3-3 draw - free kick - Skrtel loses a header and Mirallas scores after losing his marker, Gerrard
- corner - Lukaku heads it in over Flanagan after losing his marker, Johnson
Hull (A) 3-1 loss - free kick - Toure fails to clear, Sagbo gives it to Meyler who scores
Cardiff (H) 3-1 win - set piece - Mutch heads in as he is left completely unmarked
Man City (A) 2-1 loss - corner - Kompany heads in over Skrtel
League Cup:
Notts County (H) 4-2 win (extra time) - free kick - Johnson loses his opponent, letting him head the ball into the box for Arquin to head in over both Wisdom and Toure
Man U (A) 0-1 loss - corner - Hernandez loses his marker, Enrique, to score
(If I've missed anything, please let me know and I'll correct it!)
In the league, we've conceded 21 goals in total. 9 have been from set pieces. That means 43% of goals scored against us so far have been from set pieces. I haven't been able to compare it to the records of other teams, but that looks absolutely dire as a percentage. Of the teams who have scored against us, only Swansea, Sunderland, Arsenal, West Ham and Norwich have scored goals against us in open play. If we include the League Cup, we've conceded 24 goals in total, and 11 from set pieces, making it 46% of goals conceded being from set pieces, which is even worse. If we take the 2 Skrtel own goals (one against Hull, one against West Ham) out of the equation as well, I suspect we would have one of the best defensive records in England in terms of goals conceded in open play.
So what's going wrong? Almost half of all goals that we've conceded this season have been from set plays. That seems like a ridiculous statistic on paper - is there something we're missing? I would guess that this isn't something that can be put down to personnel - the more or less constant switching of defensive formations and players has been well documented this season, and yet, no matter who we put on the field, we've consistently looked very vulnerable defending corners and free kicks. So is this down to Rodgers and his tactics or preparations? It's also important to remember the number of set pieces on which we've defended poorly but escaped without conceding from - it seems virtually every corner falls to an opposition player, and every free kick lands at the head or feet of the other team.
Perhaps it's not only set pieces that are the problem? After watching the highlights of all the games we've conceded goals in, it's disturbing to see just how many of them have been from crosses where we've defended poorly by failing to attack the ball, or leaving players unmarked in front of goal. Aside from the Negredo effort today and a couple of longer-range goals like the ones from Ki and Shelvey, the vast majority of goals scored against us have been tap ins or headers from crosses. Could this mean that the inability to properly defend set pieces is merely a symptom of a bigger issue - a failure to cope with crosses?
It's worrying because we're being undone by goals that essentially feel soft when we've looked so convincing in almost all other aspects of the game. Is it likely that this inability to defend set plays will cost us big come May?
I'll try and keep this updated as we go along the season, but right now, I'd love to read the opinions of some of the more tactically astute members of this forum. What are we doing wrong, and how can we go about fixing it?