Many people consider Football Manager 2010 a difficult game and it can be a daunting effort to learn all the ins and outs of the vast tactical system. Learning how to score lots of goals through corner kicks can provide that extra boost you need to win matches while fine-tuning your tactics.

So how do you do it?

1. Establish the starting player with the highest corner kick ability as the one taking the corner kick. In my experience it doesn’t matter much if it’s a left or right foot, this should work anyway. However, if you find that it isn’t, just adjust it so that a left-handed player takes the corners on the left side and vice versa.

2. Go to “Advanced” and select the option that makes the corner kicker aim the corner kicks at the edge of the penalty area.

3. Pick the player who is the best at long range shots and order him to wait outside the penalty area.

4. Give your strongest player (preferably the tallest one as well) orders to cover the goalkeeper.

5. Position the rest of the players according to your own mentality. If you want to keep it more conservative, you can keep three or four players on your own defensive end. I usually put a couple of players inside the penalty area to wreak havoc and confuse defenders. If you have too few offensive players, you can leave the computer with enough defenders available to rush out and cover your long-range shots.

In my experience, this will lead to at least one goal per game, and it can lead to a lot more than that if you have a truly solid striker.

Make sure the shooting player scores high on all attributes that involve catching the ball and shooting from a distance. Technique, ball control and those attributes are essential.

Of course, it is preferable to have a well-rounded and talented player in all aspects of the game, to further increase your chances of success. With this corner tactic, I played for Manchester United and had Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who excels in every aspect of the game, aiming for me. The result? He scored 53 goals in 32 games and set an all-time Premier League goal record. A few seasons earlier I tried the same with young Swede Linus Hallenius at Örebro SK in the Swedish Premier League, and his record for goals ended at 45 goals in 26 matches.

As you can see, it can be a real tactical advantage!