Could Trai Hume's crossing be the key to unlocking stubborn defences?
Today at 02:00 AM
"The more I see him cross a ball, the more I feel he should be taking set pieces!" writes Calum Mills.
In recent weeks, we've seen balls being sent in from deeper, whipped in with pace — something we haven't seen much of at all this season — and it's resulted in a goal via Mayenda's head or putting the opposition under pressure, resulting in the ball being recycled to good use… Mundle sticking it top bins against Preston being a recent example.
I must admit, I think our corner kicks are woeful. Le Fée had some success before his injury with the ball actually getting airborne and beyond the front post. Roberts' deliveries are quite tame, with little pace and generally quite floaty, and Mundle's against Preston were dreadful.
Yet, whenever I've seen Hume swing a cross in, there's everything you want on a delivery as a player attacking the ball: pace, power, purpose, and direction. He's picked out Isidor and Mayenda in recent weeks to good effect with great crosses whilst under no pressure from the opposition.
For me, corners are our Achilles' heel. As the corner taker, you are under zero pressure to deliver a good ball into the box. So why isn't he on corners?
We aren't lacking height in the box like we were towards the end of the 22/23 season. Jobe's a big lump, we know O'Nien's got a good leap on him, and Mepham could outmuscle his man to get on the end of a well-delivered cross… we're just lacking consistency from dead-ball situations. Hume has four assists from crosses. Be it a free kick or from open play, his right boot has resulted in goals.
I am aware that not every corner ball will be a perfect ball, whoever takes it, but we have had twenty corners in the last three games, and I can vaguely remember one ball causing concern for the opposition's defence… pretty poor if you ask me.
We have been blessed over the years with brilliant set-piece takers for as long as I can remember (Nicky Summerbee being the earliest in my time as a Sunderland supporter), and they could all mix it up in terms of how the ball is delivered, but there's nothing wrong with aiming to land it on the penalty spot.
It's a long way for a keeper to come to claim, can cause confusion amongst defenders as they watch the flight of the ball, and it ultimately gives our players in the box a chance of getting on the end of something. Flat, dipping balls landing near the front post, where the majority of the time there's someone waiting to hoof it clear, or them sailing harmlessly over everyone's heads are far too common for us.
Hume has a cracking right foot on him, and we should absolutely be looking to utilise it. I will also point out that Cirkin on the other side can whip a decent ball in too… Could we potentially have unearthed a new double-barrelled weapon in our arsenal to break down stubborn, low-block-implementing teams?
It's crunch time in the league. The bottom third of the teams are fighting to stay up, and the top third of the teams are fighting for a route to promotion. We have to beat teams at both ends of the league to have a chance of automatic promotion, and having already come up against teams who stick ten men behind the ball, Hume and/or Cirkin could build on their assist tally by getting balls in behind them for someone to pounce on, and I am all for it.
