Gower and corners

[fbm]

I was so, so angry with Gower last night.

Recently against Millwall, we bossed the game in the first half until they equalised in the 41st minute. Then, late in first half injury time (only 1 minute of it), we get a corner. Gower goes to take it and I'm thinking "Just get it in the box and maybe Barrett of Clarke can knock it in". So what does he do?

Plays a short one to Black and as soon as he gets it back the ref blows for half time and clearly indicates to Gower that he should have got it into the box when he had the chance.

So, last night, after his best game for some time, there are just 2 minutes of injury time at the end of the match. For those who weren't there, this is what happened.

The board goes up with 2 mins added time. Forest have the ball. they are pushing forward and someone commits a foul just outside our box. We line the wall up, there is the usual delay while the kick is taken. The kick comes in, hits the wall and eventually goes out for a corner.

So, the corner comes in and time is nearly up. The ball finds its way to Flavs who is preparing to knock it long - we have a 2 v 2 situation - but the ref blows up as a Forest player is injured in the box. Is it a head injury? No, it's cramp. Flavs is livid, because now the advantage is lost and Forest have regrouped. But the ref clearly indicates he is adding additional time on.

So, Flavs kicks the ball from the floor. It is flicked on and somehow finds it's way to Gower who cuts in from the left and unleashes a shot from outside the box that dips in front of the keeper, kicks up and hits him on the shoulder before going over the bar. We have a corner.

There has now been over 3 minutes since the 2 minute board has gone up.

I see Gower going to take it and say out loud - "Please have learnt from Millwall - please get the ball in the box!"

So what happens?

Black comes short, Gower plays it to him but stays in an offside position. He gets it back and yes, is caught offside.

He knew it was injury time and must have known it was near the end. Why oh why didn't he just get the ball into the box! Who knows what would have happened? Did he not learn from the Millwall experience?

Anyone from the club reading this, please sort this out! It's criminal to waste chances!

Threaten to fine Gower if he plays another short corner in injury time!

 

[Cricko]

I agree, maybe we could find excuses if it was a Cup game and we were winning with seconds left...of even an away game we are winning with little time left that we should of lost, but at home it seems to look like we are afraid of loosing rather than trying to win the game .

 

[The General]

I must admit, i was pretty ****ed off at that too.

 

[shrimpfan]

I agree, maybe we could find excuses if it was a Cup game and we were winning with seconds left...of even an away game we are winning with little time left that we should of lost, but at home it seems to look like we are afraid of loosing rather than trying to win the game .

watch your not classed by some as a ----gower boo boy--------!

 

[Alex]

I was so, so angry with Gower last night.

Recently against Millwall, we bossed the game in the first half until they equalised in the 41st minute. Then, late in first half injury time (only 1 minute of it), we get a corner. Gower goes to take it and I'm thinking "Just get it in the box and maybe Barrett of Clarke can knock it in". So what does he do?

Plays a short one to Black and as soon as he gets it back the ref blows for half time and clearly indicates to Gower that he should have got it into the box when he had the chance.

So, last night, after his best game for some time, there are just 2 minutes of injury time at the end of the match. For those who weren't there, this is what happened.

The board goes up with 2 mins added time. Forest have the ball. they are pushing forward and someone commits a foul just outside our box. We line the wall up, there is the usual delay while the kick is taken. The kick comes in, hits the wall and eventually goes out for a corner.

So, the corner comes in and time is nearly up. The ball finds its way to Flavs who is preparing to knock it long - we have a 2 v 2 situation - but the ref blows up as a Forest player is injured in the box. Is it a head injury? No, it's cramp. Flavs is livid, because now the advantage is lost and Forest have regrouped. But the ref clearly indicates he is adding additional time on.

So, Flavs kicks the ball from the floor. It is flicked on and somehow finds it's way to Gower who cuts in from the left and unleashes a shot from outside the box that dips in front of the keeper, kicks up and hits him on the shoulder before going over the bar. We have a corner.

There has now been over 3 minutes since the 2 minute board has gone up.

I see Gower going to take it and say out loud - "Please have learnt from Millwall - please get the ball in the box!"

So what happens?

Black comes short, Gower plays it to him but stays in an offside position. He gets it back and yes, is caught offside.

He knew it was injury time and must have known it was near the end. Why oh why didn't he just get the ball into the box! Who knows what would have happened? Did he not learn from the Millwall experience?

Anyone from the club reading this, please sort this out! It's criminal to waste chances!

Threaten to fine Gower if he plays another short corner in injury time!

I thought the same thing at the time

 

[Matt the Shrimp]

fbm - a brilliant summary of a frequently recurring problem.

Dare I say that it's a combination of (a) footballers frequently not being over-endowed in the brains department; and (b) a lack of confidence.

Practically every corner Gower took against Luton at the weekend failed to beat the first man. If you can't back yourself to get a decent ball in the box from the corner flag, then you're going to knock it short, try to improve your angle by getting the return ball, and then dinking it in.

Given (a) how important set pieces are; (b) that we play half our league fixtures at Roots Hall; and (c) that the corners of the pitch famously slope away at an odd angle at the Hall, I've never understood why Tilson doesn't release a few specialist set-piece takers (I'd suggest that Gower, Mulgrew, Moussa, Hunt, Bailey and possibly Francis should all be tasked with working on set pieces, with Francis and Mulgrew both also being our tallest defenders, and thus posing obstacles for Gower to beat) and both the keepers to have training sessions at the Hall - rather than at B&L - in order to familiarise themselves with the lay of the pitch.

Perhaps they do this already; if that's the case, then they need to do it more. Practice makes perfect - and it frequently seems as if we don't practice the set pieces enough.

:(

Matt

 

[The General]

Even i can manage decent corner/s on the pitch. Its not actually as hard as it looks!

 

[Matt the Shrimp]

Even I can manage decent corner/s on the pitch. It's not actually as hard as Mark Gower makes it look!

Typo corrected.

:whistling:

 

[Andy_S]

I'm quite frankly staggered that Mulgrew isn't on corners from the right wing. We keep him in the box for his height, yet the ball never goes near him and last night we kept him back! Crazy considering his ability to whip a good ball in.

And he might keep it away from Barrett, which is something too complex for the others to consider seemingly.

 

[loz]

I'm quite frankly staggered that Mulgrew isn't on corners from the right wing. We keep him in the box for his height, yet the ball never goes near him and last night we kept him back! Crazy considering his ability to whip a good ball in.

And he might keep it away from Barrett, which is something too complex for the others to consider seemingly.

absolutely- the whip he gets on dead-balls would pose a very different problem for opposition defences, especially when the wind is up like last night. Gower's corners from the right all seemed to be quite pedestrian outswingers.

 

[BoyWonder2]

That annoyed me last night as well.

I'd like to see Mulgrew and Francis taking them, Bailey and our other central midfielder (Macca, Moussa, Grant) back defending and everybody else in and around the box.

 

[ozzy-shrimper]

absolutely- the whip he gets on dead-balls would pose a very different problem for opposition defences, especially when the wind is up like last night. Gower's corners from the right all seemed to be quite pedestrian outswingers.

He floated them in all night long! And I cant remember how many times a Southend player got their head on one! Whip it in!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Jam_Man]

Actually the corners from the left wing in the first half were superb, he almost scored from one. Maybe it was the wind but he has recently been 'maher'ing'them and not getting past the first man hence they stood out.

He shouldnt be taking them from the right wing though.

 

[Magnum PI]

Gower is crap at corners... it beggars belief he is still taking them

 

[OldBlueLady]

I don't really understand why TB kept offering himself for the short one anyway - it's taking a man away from the area where we need players, including the area where an overhit corner ends up. There have been several in recent games which have ended up on the far wing with no-one there, purely because both Black and Gower are together. I agree about that one at the end of the game last night, with the momentum we'd had for those last 10 minutes or so it was a criminal waste of a corner. I also hope Mulgrew will get the chance soon, his free kicks look pretty accurate and deadly.

 

[BILLERICAY BLUE]

It wasn't the short corner that annoyed me, more the fact that the he was caught offside in getting it back.

Agreed about his corner in the 1st half though, my mate called it as well :stunned:

 

[BaileytheQuitter]

Since we've lost Hammell I feel we have lost our best set piece taker. However I have been impressed with some of Mulgrew's deliveries.

I do however agree about Gower- his set pieces have been very poor recently.

And considering we concede so many goals from set pieces it a shame we cant capitalise and score more ourselves.

 

[Jedi Shrimper]

Totally agree, Mulgrew should be taking corners from the right to whip them in.

And ban all the players from taking short corners, i can't stand them they never work, can't remember us ever profiting from a short corner. Although I'm sure sure someone will correct me...

 

[Pubey]

bring back lewis! i'm sure ive seen him take some quality corners!

last night in 6-a-side it was so windy up here in sheffield i took a corner and it missed everyone and went out for a corner at the other end! skills