Set Piece Goals - 11 so far

[MOZZER2]

Looks like we're top of the tree so far this season in the top 2 divisions

📈Most goals fr. set-pieces in 23/24 (#PL + #Championship; exc. penalties):

11⚽️: ⚡️CARDIFF⚡️
8⚽️: Arsenal, Bristol City, Ipswich, Millwall, West Brom#CardiffCity #Bluebirds pic.twitter.com/gD3oFfeXSy

— playmakerstats (@playmaker_EN) November 27, 2023

[Pedro de la Rosa]

Great to see. Set pieces happen all the time, so it makes sense to work on them like we clearly are.

[MacAdder]

This would not have surprised me one bit in recent seasons but it does surprise me this one (tho whether the two Saturday were from corners is debatable, 2nd/3rd phase more like).

It would be good to compare how many actual chances we create from open play with previous ones which I would think it would be considerably higher.

No doubt this stat will be used as a stick to beat us with by ill-informed pundits and in opposition manager interviews, somewhere along the lines of "we know what Cardiff are all about, big physical side get crosses into the box".
Even though that might be true in part, our football has been very easy on the eye under Bulut.

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Love it when a big lump from the back gets on the end of a decent cross and plants one in the net

[Eric the Half a Bee]

I've had a look at our attacking stats in a bit more detail.

Only 7 sides have scored more goals than us so far in the Championship this season. After the last few seasons, this comes as a welcome surprise. While we've scored 11 goals from set pieces, both Bristol City and Millwall have scored more from set pieces as an overall percentage - 42.1% of their goals have come from set pieces while 40.7% of ours have done so.

To say we're clinical from set pieces would be an understatement. We've only had 50 attempts on goal from set pieces (only 7 sides have had fewer attempts from set pieces than us), so 11 goals from those 50 attempts equals a rate of 22% of scoring from set pieces when they've led to an attempt on goal. Bristol City come next with 14.5%.

There's not a great reliance on set pieces, it's just that we seem to be in the right positions to convert those chances. Long may it continue, as we're ranked 2nd bottom in the table for goals created from open play as a percentage of all goals.

We're the second most efficient side at taking chances in the division. We score a goal per 6.96 attempts. Just as well, as only 5 other sides have had fewer attempts on goal than us. Last season we scored a goal per 13.09 attempts and 10.2 the season before. It was 9.36 in our promotion season of 2017/18. If we continue at a goal roughly every 7 attempts we'll be doing seriously well.

It might be worth noting that Swansea create more chances from set pieces than us, but don't take anywhere near as many, while we're better at creating chances from open play than they are.

[Eric the Half a Bee]

This would not have surprised me one bit in recent seasons but it does surprise me this one (tho whether the two Saturday were from corners is debatable, 2nd/3rd phase more like).

It would be good to compare how many actual chances we create from open play with previous ones which I would think it would be considerably higher.

No doubt this stat will be used as a stick to beat us with by ill-informed pundits and in opposition manager interviews, somewhere along the lines of "we know what Cardiff are all about, big physical side get crosses into the box".
Even though that might be true in part, our football has been very easy on the eye under Bulut.

Attempts from open play:

2021/22: 59%
2022/23: 70%
2023/24: 68%

Goals from open play:

2021/22: 58%
2022/23: 68%
2023/24: 48%

Attempts per goal:

2021/22: 10.2
2022/23: 13.1
2023/24: 7.0

Edit: I will add that our unusually high percentage of converting set pieces doesn't help the stats here. In 2021/22 we converted 8% of the set piece chances we had and only 6% last season. It's been our ability to score from set pieces that means the number of goals we've scored is higher than it probably should be, affecting our stats from open play a bit.

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

I've had a look at our attacking stats in a bit more detail.

Only 7 sides have scored more goals than us so far in the Championship this season. After the last few seasons, this comes as a welcome surprise. While we've scored 11 goals from set pieces, both Bristol City and Millwall have scored more from set pieces as an overall percentage - 42.1% of their goals have come from set pieces while 40.7% of ours have done so.

To say we're clinical from set pieces would be an understatement. We've only had 50 attempts on goal from set pieces (only 7 sides have had fewer attempts from set pieces than us), so 11 goals from those 50 attempts equals a rate of 22% of scoring from set pieces when they've led to an attempt on goal. Bristol City come next with 14.5%.

There's not a great reliance on set pieces, it's just that we seem to be in the right positions to convert those chances. Long may it continue, as we're ranked 2nd bottom in the table for goals created from open play as a percentage of all goals.

We're the second most efficient side at taking chances in the division. We score a goal per 6.96 attempts. Just as well, as only 5 other sides have had fewer attempts on goal than us. Last season we scored a goal per 13.09 attempts and 10.2 the season before. It was 9.36 in our promotion season of 2017/18. If we continue at a goal roughly every 7 attempts we'll be doing seriously well.

It might be worth noting that Swansea create more chances from set pieces than us, but don't take anywhere near as many, while we're better at creating chances from open play than they are.

Are the club at liberty to view this info ?

Because it should surely persuade them and our fans who like liquid football that launching the ball into the box for the centre halves to cause bother is a very important part of the game

[Eric the Half a Bee]

Are the club at liberty to view this info ?

Because it should surely persuade them and our fans who like liquid football that launching the ball into the box for the centre halves to cause bother is a very important part of the game

They'll have more detailed stats than this, I guess.

You might like to watch a game where everything is bombed forward in the air, but those days have gone. It has to be said that our new approach, we pass the ball well, keep the ball, means we're creating more chances from set pieces as we're able to put more pressure on sides. We are one of the top sides in the division when it comes to winning aerial duels, but that's not because we're a long ball side. I just think we work hard and give everything.

[MacAdder]

Fekin ell Eric, sorry I spoke

I think Bulut generally tries to play a higher tempo game than previous managers, trying to get players forward and commit defenders and this will shirley mean that we get better chances in more dangerous areas.

It is no surprise to me then that he demands his players (RC being one) work harder than they would have previously.

[Eric the Half a Bee]

Fekin ell Eric, sorry I spoke

I think Bulut generally tries to play a higher tempo game than previous managers, trying to get players forward and commit defenders and this will shirley mean that we get better chances in more dangerous areas.

It is no surprise to me then that he demands his players (RC being one) work harder than they would have previously.

I think it's a bit of a surprise that we've so good at converting chances from set pieces, but so poor at converting them in open play. Maybe it's that thing of working hard when we have a set piece in trying to make something happen. It's a reset point in a game, players battle for the ball coming in. Open play is reliant on more skill and ability.

I doubt our stats will continue fo the season. We'll surely not be able to be as ruthless at set pieces, while I think our attacking game will grow as players get used to each other.

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

They'll have more detailed stats than this, I guess.

You might like to watch a game where everything is bombed forward in the air, but those days have gone. It has to be said that our new approach, we pass the ball well, keep the ball, means we're creating more chances from set pieces as we're able to put more pressure on sides. We are one of the top sides in the division when it comes to winning aerial duels, but that's not because we're a long ball side. I just think we work hard and give everything.

I want plenty of balls into the box to create chances

Not everything though

[Eric the Half a Bee]

I want plenty of balls into the box to create chances

Not everything though

Yes, there's lots of ways of getting balls into the box.

[NYCBlue]

Does the second goal really count as a set-piece?

[Rock_Flock_of_Five]

This would not have surprised me one bit in recent seasons but it does surprise me this one (tho whether the two Saturday were from corners is debatable, 2nd/3rd phase more like).

It would be good to compare how many actual chances we create from open play with previous ones which I would think it would be considerably higher.

No doubt this stat will be used as a stick to beat us with by ill-informed pundits and in opposition manager interviews, somewhere along the lines of "we know what Cardiff are all about, big physical side get crosses into the box".
Even though that might be true in part, our football has been very easy on the eye under Bulut.

You're so right about Ill-informed pundits and opposition managers claiming that we score a lot from set-pieces because we're a big, physical side.

[the other bob wilson]

You're so right about Ill-informed pundits and opposition managers claiming that we score a lot from set-pieces because we're a big, physical side.

It's already happening, but let them keep on thinking that. We'd scored one set piece goal (Kipre against Watford) at this time last year and, from memory, the second one didn't come until well into 2023.

As Eric says, I find us much easier to watch this season and I wouldn't put that solely down to better results. That said, when I'm writing my post match blog pieces, I'm often struck by how few close misses by City there are for me to describe and so I'm not surprised by what Eric says about our conversion rate - one thing which goes some way to explaining why we're still not that creative from open play is that our main playmaker has been unavailable for around two thirds of the season so far.

[BLUETIT]

Does the second goal really count as a set-piece?

Exactly

You could have queued for a cup of hot Chocolate and a pasty in the time between the corner and the goal

[WJ99mobile]

I know it's not the logical way to play, but I did enjoy Colin's get it into the box and see what happened and the anticipation from a set piece.

I know I should prefer Man City's pass them into submission until you can walk it in the net style play, but I loved the chaos with Warnockball.

[BLUETIT]

I know it's not the logical way to play, but I did enjoy Colin's get it into the box and see what happened and the anticipation from a set piece.

I know I should prefer Man City's pass them into submission until you can walk it in the net style play, but I loved the chaos with Warnockball.

Passing between the back 5 bores the shite out of me

[fugsyphil]

Love it when a big lump from the back gets on the end of a decent cross and plants one in the net

I'm with you on this. Love a decent headed goal from a centre half

[MOZZER2]

i guess we can add another one up to 12 now !