our free kicks and oponents corners

[Tamworthram]

Wishing to avoid commenting on the awful display tonight, two questions keep coming into my head. Why do we insist on short (sideways or backwards) free kicks? When we're struggling to break teams down it wouldn't hurt to try floating the odd free kick into the area instead of the usual laborious build from the back. Secondly, why do we bring everybody back for their corners instead of leaving someone up (as pretty much all other teams seem to do)? 

Rant over and onto Birmingham. Drop Martin and Russell and try Blackman in the middle up front? 

[Bridgford Ram]

Both valid points, very valid.

We had two free kicks in the final minutes of a first half where we had created nothing.  What is wrong with putting it in the box every now and then and having the 50/50 there instead of playing it across the back and losing it near the half way line.

Always agree with the second point too.

[Carl Sagan]

I hate bringing everyone back for corners. It makes it much harder to defend the crowded box and means every clearance just comes straight back. The defence will always leave at least one extra player back, so I would do what Mourinho does and have three forwards up. Many corners lead to a 50:50 ball into the box and can be a tremendous opportunity for the defending team to catch their opponents with a quick break. The rationale for bringing everyone back is probably to do this, but it's not optimal because it makes it harder to defend and there's no one upfield to hold the ball up while the runners pour forward.

As for our own freekicks, what does the opposition fear most? A sideways pass across the defence, slowly switching possession from one side of the pitch and then back, or a ball into the box and the chance of creating mayhem?

[Rev]

The defending corners one concerns me, can't remember doing it since the days of Cox!

I guess Clement knows what he's doing though, there must be a statistical analysis that proves that's the best way to defend, just seems a waste, always the opposition will leave one extra player on halfway than you do, at least gives you a fighting chance of gaining possession of a cleared corner, rather than defending a second ball into the box.

[Rich84]

2 of my bug bears, never understand the lack of variety in free kicks around the halfway line, especially when we are not playing well, even if don't win 1st ball if put in box it can't be a bad thing it coming out to Ince, Butterfield or Thorne at 25-30 yards out.

Personally I'd leave 2 up top at corners, stops ball coming straight back and clears bodies out of area, easier to defend as not running into others, plus keeper has more room to come and claim the ball.