Getting 'cheap' goals - a unseen issue?

[bat-chain]

We all want Spurs to play better, be more creative against these bus parking teams but there is another way, goals from free kicks and corners. Eight corners yesterday and yet how much advantage did we really take? Some good free kick situations as well but Eriksen doesn't score those anymore.

Arsenal last week didn't open us up with great play, just a big bloke heading in a free kick, then they could play. If we scored more ugly goals everything would be easier. I saw a stat a few months ago saying we have scored the most goals from set pieces but it doesn't feel that way. Am I alone in thinking we are becoming less effective in this area?

 

[Lilbaz]

Don't know why kane doesn't take more free kicks.

 

[dondo]

Don't know why kane doesn't take more free kicks.

And corners

 

[Donki]

Don't know why kane doesn't take more free kicks.

And corners

OMG we are Team Kane....

 

[Lilbaz]

And corners

Not corners. Like him in the box trying to score.

 

[Geyzer Soze]

Anyone got some stats on corners? I (like a lot of people, I think) feel that we’re so poor at converting them - so bad in fact sometimes I’ve felt the other team should be penalized a tactical foul for conceding one

But I recall last year someone proved that incorrect with stats

 

[THFCSPURS19]

Don't know why kane doesn't take more free kicks.

Because they're usually quite shit? He's hit the post a couple of times but generally they aren't good at all.

 

[Roynie]

Trippier certainly puts in good corners, maybe he should take some free kicks and see how he does.

 

[Dazzazzad]

Two seasons ago we were scoring like crazy from corners and free kicks. But it feels like the well has dried up. Lamela would help, I think he's the most consistent corner taker.

 

[Univarn]

Two seasons ago we were scoring like crazy from corners and free kicks. But it feels like the well has dried up. Lamela would help, I think he's the most consistent corner taker.

You can tell Poch and co regonized this as an issue which is why we are no longer a "99% of corners and free kicks are taken by Eriksen" team and you see Davies, Trippier, Kane, and Son being involved more but I don't really think Eriksen is the sole issue. The communication and execution between where we are setting up and where our free kicks end up just doesn't seem connected. One of our best efforts Saturday required Kane to run diagonally backwards across the goal to head the ball back diagonally across the goal the way we came... I hardly imagine that's how it was drawn up. Between Dier, Sanchez, Vertonghen, Kane, Dele (and when back fit Toby) we have a collection of incredible headers and quick thinking shot takers that hardly touch the ball.

 

[Spurrific]

The free kick at the edge of the box yesterday should have been Dier’s. Eriksen should have been nowhere near it.

 

[Tottenham_God]

Winks. he should take them

 

[scat1620]

With our track record of previously accomplished set piece specialists becoming unable to hit a barn door with a banjo after moving to us, we could sign an in-his-prime Siniša Mihajlović and he'd still be hitting 100% of his free kicks straight into the wall or row Z within a month.

 

[sparx100]

Really frustrating that we dont seem to score from any set pieces. I wonder whether we spend any time on them at all.

 

[WiganSpur]

Dier is better at direct FKs than Eriksen now.

 

[spursfan77]

Eriksen hasn’t scored for ages with a free kick. He shouldn’t be anywhere near them nowadays.

 

[SUIYHA]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the last free-kick Eriksen scored for us was away at Swansea in October 2015.

That's over two years without scoring one, even though he is our main free-kick taker and has probably on average at least one direct shot from a free-kick per game. Which is utter madness when you think about how prolific he was at scoring them in his first two seasons here and how much better he's become overall.

 

[Kiedis]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the last free-kick Eriksen scored for us was away at Swansea in October 2015.

That's over two years without scoring one, even though he is our main free-kick taker and has probably on average at least one direct shot from a free-kick per game. Which is utter madness when you think about how prolific he was at scoring them in his first two seasons here and how much better he's become overall.

He's had a few hit the posts and scored some for Denmark in that period, but I'm definitely not brimming with anticipation when he steps up anymore.

 

[Sophos151]

He's had a few hit the posts and scored some for Denmark in that period, but I'm definitely not brimming with anticipation when he steps up anymore.

I get excited when someone else steps up, no matter who...

Lamela has a decent set piece on him, right? Maybe his return will help.

 

[hughy]

The free kick at the edge of the box yesterday should have been Dier’s. Eriksen should have been nowhere near it.

I feel like we're just playing the law of averages with Eriksen now, just assuming that if he takes enough free-kicks one will eventually find the net.

We need to freshen it up a bit. Let Lloris take them.