23 Sept 2009

Steven Gerrard should be banned...

..from taking corners and (some) free kicks for Liverpool. Why Rafa Benitez allows one of Liverpool's key match-winners to continue taking them is beyond me, especially since Gerrard is often very effective at getting on the end of balls into the box.

Gerrard is a fantastic player but let's be honest, his corners are not the greatest. His set-pieces in general have been pretty hit-and-miss over the years and in my view, it's time for him to step aside and let someone else take control.

The benefits of having Gerrard in the box for corners/free kicks are obvious:

1. Accurate and effective header of the ball.

2. Great at picking up and capitalising on knock-downs/loose balls

3. Unsettles defenders as they have to spend more time concentrating on him

4. Creates space for other players as a result of number 4 above

5. In the best position to assist the team if the opposition counter-attacks

6. In the best position (as Captain) to organise other players for the corner


What is the point in Gerrard taking corners? What are the benefits? It's just as ridiculous as Thierry Henry taking corners for Arsenal. Shouldn't the team's match-winners be in the box/on the edge of the box, from where they will be in the best position to score goals and positively influence the play?

Gerrard should still be involved in set-pieces that provide a direct goalscoring opportunity, but for those free-kicks that involve a floated/driven ball into the box, surely he would be better utilised in the danger area?

Players who can take corners instead of Gerrard:

Lucas
Insua
Aurelio
Riera
Mascherano

Realistically, who is going to be more effective goal-threat in the box/on the edge of the box - Lucas or Gerrard?



27 comments:

  1. Laurence Kilgannon4:51 pm, September 23, 2009

    Good idea. I think Aurelio is our best corner kick taker (whether he can secure a spot in the team is another matter). As demonstrated last night there's a real whip and venom to his delivery. And they tend to clear the first defender, unlike some of Stevie's. Anyhow, enough of this blasphemy...

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am surprised you never mentioned Benayoun in your list Jaimie, he did afterall take the corner for the goal Saturday and I think I have read somewhere you are a fan of his. :-D  Not too sure about Mascherano though, but he is more likely to be  athreat putting in a cross than getting on the end of one I suppose. I agree I think Aurelio when fit and playing should take them, it is a shame we cannot have specialist kickers like in American Football, then we could have big Jan back.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Exactly.
    Have been saying the same for seasons.
    Just like I've been asking, "When will Liverpool learn the lesson and put a defender on each goalpost when defending corners?"

    ReplyDelete
  4. Benayoun is another match-winner who should be getting on the end of corners/picking up looseballs and knock-downs.  He'd be wasted taking corners, don't you think?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Fuck off Jamie Kanwar and your sensationalist headlines. You should be ashamed.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I think for the first time I am in COMPLETE agreement with you Jaimie :-D . I've been thinking this for years. When Alonso was still here I thought he should have taken all of our corners and freekicks and Gerrard should have been in the middle. Like you say we still have other players who can deliver; Riera, Lucas, Aurelio.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Yeah possibly, but it was a cracker he delivered on Saturday. Haven't saw the others apart from Aurelio take any effective ones maybe they do in training and that's why they don't in games.

    ReplyDelete
  8. you're a douche bag. masch to take a corner i am surprised you didn't put reina.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Why shouldn't Masch take corners?  He's a professonal footballer, isn't he?  Are you suggesting that he is not capable of floating a ball into the box, a comparatively easy skill to accomplish?

    ReplyDelete
  10. *recoils in shock*

    Well, there's a firstim for everything ;-)

    Agree with you re Alonso - I could never understand why he never took corners and free kicks.  Given his prodigious passing power and accuracy, it seems like a no-brainer.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Well, I totally agree with you about Stevie not taking the corners. I think that Benayoun is the best corner taker in our squad. He took some corners last season and those were very good, like the one against West ham. Lucas and Aurelio aren't bad either, but Mascherano isn't a very clever option as we need him if there's a counter attack afterwards.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Whoa, Riera should be getting at the end of the Corners/Free Kicks... How can anyone forget Agger whispering something into his ear and him surging ahead and scoring that sublime goal against someone, I forget... :P

    ReplyDelete
  13. Lucas has been taking quite a few corners lately. They beat the first defender at least.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Most fans wouldn't want the ball floated in. Easy to defend against. Corners should be a threat. Somebody that can whip a dangerous ball in would be more effective.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Of course, I'm generalising.  Surely Masch and others are capable of whipping in a corner every now and again/

    ReplyDelete
  16. How many have we scored from though?

    ReplyDelete
  17. No mention of Benayoun? Who took the corner which lead to the goal at West Ham?

    ReplyDelete
  18. obviously benayoun is very effective in both delivering the corner(last game) and getting on the end of one(everyone forgot Real Madrid away??).
    gerrard did score a few from free kicks but i think aurelio have a much better free kicks to goals ratio. probably agger would be a good FK taker as well.

    jaimie - i also tend to not agree with you but this is so obvious. go to rafa and tell him this right now!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hopefully Aquilani can be a corner taker

    ReplyDelete
  20. Are you all kidding, when Gerrard is not taking corners (and this has happend a bit latley) they have been wasted. His delivery is the best in the team and it is no good having you best players ready to get on the end of corners if the delivery is poor.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Marbus - Liverpool DID once 'learn the lesson' as your post said and DID always USED to put a man on the post at corners but methinks after Tevez' goal at Anfield in December 2007 - remember the one where Yossi played him ONSIDE? - Rafa' got the jitters and changed his system at corners to stop that being done with the result that Carlton Cole had half the net to aim at on Saturday with a goal thus conceded. 

    Moral of the story - put a man on the post and you may concede (as Leeds did to Ngog the other night with a VERY similar goal to Tevez' and as we did in 2007), Don't put one on the post and you'll still concede as we did on Saturday and if I'm not mistaken also to Curtis Davis just before halftime against Aston Villa putting us 0 - 2 down to them THIS season.  We can't win either way, just do our best...............................

    ReplyDelete
  22. Masch should never take corners for 2 major reasons:

    1. He doesnt have the neccessary ball striking ability to consistently whip good corners into the box. Floated balls are too easy for defenders and esp a good keeper to come and claim it. Of course he is a professional footballer and as such should be able to get an occasional good corner in but not consistently enough

    2. More importantly if the defending team manages to get quick possesion from our corner and look to hit us on the counter attack Masch is by far and away our most effective player and snuffing out these attacks

    I think Insua or Lucas should take them. Both capable of putting good balls in the box with neither player tall enough to be a major threat in the air. Once Aquliani is fit he will be our main set piece taker. Quality frees and corners on a consistent basis

    ReplyDelete
  23. Test comment

    ReplyDelete
  24. Yossi is my choice any day

    ReplyDelete
  25. Stevie G should be up there with Aurelio and Aquailani when it comes to taking direct freekicks. Indirect Freekicks should be done by Aurelio, Yossi, Lucas or Aquaman when fit. Corners defo Aurelio, Insua or Riera. Need Aqua/Stevie to be lurking outside the box to hit a cracker ala Paul Scholes/Lampard or Stevie in the box as he is probably our 2nd best finisher.

    Not Masch, need him for counter attacks.

    ReplyDelete
  26. i agree with u.... but free kicks??? You can't avoid gerrard from taking freekicks.... it's like avoiding him to shoot the ball and blast the net... But if it's like 30 yards... u can let aurelio shoot....It all depends on where the free kick is going to be taken from??? But i agree with u on corners....

    ReplyDelete
  27. I agree with andy. I think Gerrard's services are superb. He has a lovely touch. Mascherano taking corners? Now that's ugly.

    ReplyDelete