All in all whats the point of a wall....

Topfarrier

UTC Legend
Unless a free kick is so close thats it's impossible to get it up and over the wall whats the point of having one?....take the wall away and theres no way Boruc is getting beaten by that yesterday or Lacazettes goal for that matter or even that painful Mahrez free kick last season....what does a wall actually achieve?
 
I’d be amazed if the football data analysts haven’t looked into this. It wouldn’t surprise me if from certain free kick angles a wall was more of a hindrance but I guess the challenge would be convincing goalies to trust the data.
 
I’d be amazed if the football data analysts haven’t looked into this. It wouldn’t surprise me if from certain free kick angles a wall was more of a hindrance but I guess the challenge would be convincing goalies to trust the data.
Agree it has to be looked into....it would take something special to beat Boruc from that distance if there was no wall.
 
So where should the players stand? 10 yards from the kick? Where they are in other words.

And not every free kick beats the wall and goes into the goal.
They can just defend the penalty area as they would in a normal phase of play Rob.....Obviously not all free kicks beat the wall but when they do ...especially from the range Rondon's was taken from it's very difficult for a keeper to be in a position to save it....take the wall away and Boruc saves that every time imo.
 
They can just defend the penalty area as they would in a normal phase of play Rob.....Obviously not all free kicks beat the wall but when they do ...especially from the range Rondon's was taken from it's very difficult for a keeper to be in a position to save it....take the wall away and Boruc saves that every time imo.
I'm sorry but that's nonsensical. Take the wall away and two opposing players have a free run with the ball into the box. Surely if the wall was a daft idea teams would have done away with it by now.

Imagine Rondon and another Geordie taking the free kick without any opposition players between them and the goal.
 
From next season there is going to be a 1 metre exclusion zone around defensive walls. In other words no attackers can stand within 1 metre of the wall so we won’t players disrupting the wall like at Arsenal

This has led to suggestions that defenders might set up several mini walls with a 2 metre gap. This would cover more space in total, but that gap would help the keeper’s vision which is the main issue with walls now
 
I'm sorry but that's nonsensical. Take the wall away and two opposing players have a free run with the ball into the box. Surely if the wall was a daft idea teams would have done away with it by now.

Imagine Rondon and another Geordie taking the free kick without any opposition players between them and the goal.
Yep i'm imagining it Rob.....not worried in the slightest.......once they've touched the ball we are allowed to close them down....well before they get to the penalty area too.
 
From next season there is going to be a 1 metre exclusion zone around defensive walls. In other words no attackers can stand within 1 metre of the wall so we won’t players disrupting the wall like at Arsenal

This has led to suggestions that defenders might set up several mini walls with a 2 metre gap. This would cover more space in total, but that gap would help the keeper’s vision which is the main issue with walls now
That sounds like a reasonable ploy tbf Tinpot.......or they could simplify it by just not bothering.
 
Interesting idea and far better than the tired player on the half way line at corners one!

Where are you suggesting players go instead of being in a wall?

Goal line would play everyone onside so you can pass around and blast it at point blank at the goal.

Scattered around in the box would turn the free kick into a league 2 goal mouth scramble.

Last season only 16 free kick goals were scored in the Premier League in 380 games. To put that into perspective if you conceded and scored the average number of goals in the league (which doesn't exist with the top 6 gap) you'll probably score and concede a single free kick in the average season.

It's part of a downward trend in goals being scored from free kicks so I'd suggest the defensive positioning of players is currently pretty good.

Didn't see the Arsenal one but for ours the wall was pushed out of position and the ball beat the wall as a consequence. Partly the referees fault but it's our job as professionals to do everything we can to stop it happening even if it means getting a bit feisty.
 
Another scenario, have 1 man 10 yards from the kick to charge it down. Have a wall say 11, 12 per 13 yards from the kick. Would this make it easier or harder to get the ball up and down? Either way it would probably confuse the hell out of the opposition.
 
If a player is 20 yards from goal in open play, does the defender back off more than ten yards and give him a clear shot at goal?
 
Interesting idea and far better than the tired player on the half way line at corners one!

Where are you suggesting players go instead of being in a wall?

Goal line would play everyone onside so you can pass around and blast it at point blank at the goal.

Scattered around in the box would turn the free kick into a league 2 goal mouth scramble.

Last season only 16 free kick goals were scored in the Premier League in 380 games. To put that into perspective if you conceded and scored the average number of goals in the league (which doesn't exist with the top 6 gap) you'll probably score and concede a single free kick in the average season.

It's part of a downward trend in goals being scored from free kicks so I'd suggest the defensive positioning of players is currently pretty good.

Didn't see the Arsenal one but for ours the wall was pushed out of position and the ball beat the wall as a consequence. Partly the referees fault but it's our job as professionals to do everything we can to stop it happening even if it means getting a bit feisty.
Our players would just need to pick up what opposition players there were in and around the box [possibly not that many]....the point is Boruc could see what ever was coming at him.
 
If a player is 20 yards from goal in open play, does the defender back off more than ten yards and give him a clear shot at goal?
20 yards?.....not at that range no....but further out?....would take something extraordinary wouldn't it....as i said in my OP a wall is only effective if its so close to the goal that its impossible to get it up and over with sufficient dip.....the keeper can then defend the open side with confidence.
 
Position the goalkeeper 10 yards from the free kick. Six players on the line and the other four in a arc to charge down any attempt to pass towards goal. The keeper can jump and use his hands if a direct hit is tried.
 

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