Most Popular Sports
All Sports
Show All

West Brom boss Pulis hoping to make the most of set-plays against Liverpool

ByPA Sport

Updated 15/04/2017 at 11:41 GMT

West Brom exposed the frailties of zonal marking against Arsenal recently and Baggies boss Tony Pulis thinks his team might be able to do the same when Liverpool visit The Hawthorns.

Alexis Sanchez celebrates equalising for Arsenal against West Brom

Image credit: Reuters

West Brom exposed the frailties of zonal marking against Arsenal recently and Baggies boss Tony Pulis thinks his team might be able to do the same when Liverpool visit The Hawthorns.
Arsene Wenger is an exponent of the often criticised system and it played into the hands of West Brom last month when defender Craig Dawson headed two goals from corners in a 3-1 home win against the Gunners.
Like the Arsenal boss, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp also likes his side to defend areas rather than man-mark players.
Pulis, whose team have scored 18 times from set-pieces this season - more than any other Premier League side, thinks it could be a way to get at Liverpool on Sunday but also accepts that the Reds pose a threat from balls into the penalty area too.
"It's something we can take advantage of, very much so," said Pulis. "But we've watched tapes back again in the last couple of days and they're very good on set-plays themselves and if they go with the three centre-halves, they're a big team and they can be really dangerous. They get good quality in.
picture

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and West Bromwich Albion manager Tony Pulis before the match

Image credit: Reuters

"I think both boxes will have to be defended well off set-plays, b ut we work on certain things and we understand what we're trying to do as a group.
"The biggest thing is to make sure everyone understands where they should be in their starting positions."
Since those goals against Arsenal, West Brom have failed to score in the three Premier League games which have followed.
Should they draw another blank against Liverpool, Pulis' players will earn themselves an unwanted record of becoming the first Albion team since Gary Megson's relegated 2002-03 squad to go four top-flight matches without finding the net.
Pulis said his team have been working on their attacking play and finishing this week.
"We've been doing shooting and finishing," he said. "We've highlighted the fact we've got into some wonderful positions and we've not hit the target.
"That's been the biggest disappointment. We've been hitting people in the stands more regularly than we've been hitting the goal.
"We've certainly got to make sure that when we get in there, we concentrate more on finishing and hitting that target. Even if the keeper saves it, someone else can tap it in.
"We've been really wayward in the last two games. Like I say, we've had something like 37 or 38 shots on goal in the last two Premier League games but we've only had four or five shots on target. That ratio is not what we want.
"I think it's concentration more than anything else, there have been lapses as much as anything else."
Join 3M+ users on app
Stay up to date with the latest news, results and live sports
Download
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement