Modern Day Football(ers)

[rfgqqabc]

How long will it be before all footballers are two footed? It boggles my mind to see professionals that can barely use their weaker leg for much more than standing on. I'd say it has gotten a bit better in the last 5 years of football but it still surprises me.

Why do teams have all ten outfield men stood in such a tiny area when goal kicks are taken? What is the reasoning behind that? I'm convinced if you put at least one player on the other wing as the "attacking" side then the defence will put two men over, particularly if he is quick. But so many of the teams I watch, particularly in England and lower league football insist on putting every man on the pitch in the middle third towards the side the kick is obviously going to go. I just don't get it. I'm starting to become convinced I'm really wrong as so many teams do it but I still cant fathom why. Can anyone explain? The only thing that I can think of is a lack of trust in the Goalkeeper. It was attempted once last night @ DRFC vs Leeds and the pass that came over was about ten yards too high. Admittedly, sometimes a short goal kick is taken or something of that ilk, but not too frequently.

Did anyone see how far the Watford keeper throw the ball on Saturday? It probably reached the other side of the centre circle! Insane.

[DMorgan]

Just from watching the champions league stuff last year it seems like the Barcas and Real Madrids of the world have binned the long goal kick and they're content to just run it up from the back.

Obviously thats more easily done when you've got some of the best defenders in the world advancing the ball, perhaps other teams just don't trust their defenders enough to give them more time on the ball than is absolutely necessary?

I can't really think of a sporting example but these sort of strategic changes do tend to trickle down though. Actually I was thinking about a heads up match that Sauce played against Phil Galfond years ago where everyone was going nuts about Sauce defending >80% from the BB and nowadays its pretty standard

[ChipRich]

How long will it be before all footballers are two footed? It boggles my mind to see professionals that can barely use their weaker leg for much more than standing on. I'd say it has gotten a bit better in the last 5 years of football but it still surprises me

Had this discussion other day. Truly stunning stuff.

Our abuse was mainly aimed at Sterling and how he can't train his left foot to be better. When I was younger I worked pretty hard on my left foot and even though still not close to me right, it's got a pretty decent shot on it and I can say with every confidence better than that of the 49million man. He looks like he's going to fall over everytime he gets to byline before putting in a patheticly paced cross that goes slowly rolling towards the front post into the keepers arms.

Saying that, his right isnt upto much either in all honesty. Except that time in World Cup when he scored but didn't score Vs Italy and everyone went crazy.

[rfgqqabc]

Just from watching the champions league stuff last year it seems like the Barcas and Real Madrids of the world have binned the long goal kick and they're content to just run it up from the back.

Obviously thats more easily done when you've got some of the best defenders in the world advancing the ball, perhaps other teams just don't trust their defenders enough to give them more time on the ball than is absolutely necessary?

I can't really think of a sporting example but these sort of strategic changes do tend to trickle down though. Actually I was thinking about a heads up match that Sauce played against Phil Galfond years ago where everyone was going nuts about Sauce defending >80% from the BB and nowadays its pretty standard

Doncaster used to play a fairly free flowing form of football and it looked like the remanants of that remain but I think you are right that it may not trickle too far down because of the overall skill levels. This still doesn't explain the formation many teams use from goal kicks either! I turned to my dad once last night and asked for a price it went back to the keeper within 5 passes. I think it took 3, and it was a fairly common sight. I don't think this is too much of an issue but often it isn't passed out a second time and the ball just gets lumped forward. The Leeds goal felt like it came from one of these failed pass out attempts and although it wasn't directly from the move itself, the overall positioning it left went the ball was punted probably favoured their strikers over our slow defenders.

There was also an incredibly frustrating moment where a pass from a fairly central free kick in the Leeds half was taken towards a winger, creating a great angle for a cross. He then proceeded to run ten yards diagonally and ruin everything the pass created. This was a fairly common theme for set pieces where a lack of quality deliveries and a plethora of poor short corners meant both sides put these largely to waste.

What do footballers work on in training for umpteen hours a week if its not on their weaker foot? What can they be doing that has higher value than being confident and able with both feet!

[Ant040689]

As an amateur keeper myself the only thing I can think of is that if the kick is placed near the byline near the halfway line, the winger has a chance to header it back into play and to move the ball forward but with the defender they are increasing their chances of heading it out for a throw, which is a sort of freeroll on the attacking part, as with a throw you have good territory increase.

That doesn't however explain why so many people need to be near the ball for this to go down.

I think it is generally the reasoning of more people in the area of the kick placement the greater chance of winning the ball, but I am with you in thinking you are increasing the chances of the defending team in this scenario.

However, I think the byline aspect is something you may have overlooked about why you would want the kick so close to being off the pitch, but all your other points stand.

Another thing to think about though, is that if i am in the middle of the park anticipating a goal kick, and it gets hit towards a byline I normally have enough time to go over there and claim for the header while it is in the air.

So more chance of more players having a chance explaining the coming together. However, even with this timeframe you could set the team positionally in a rigid way so as not to encroach other people's space and i think more could be done with the punt. Especially with pass options as soon as the ball gets down with less people on top of each other.

I have wasted a bit of my life talking about this right there lol.

[pleno1]

Was depressing watching Villa yesterday. Sherwood has been watching Barcelona and Pique too much and insisted Guzan (also terrible distributer) passed through the back via Richards. They went backwards and sidewards way too much and one of the reasons was so that their full backs push right on.

So Richards/Clark go either side of the box, the central modified player becomes a centre half and the full backs push right on. I can't remember either full back getting behind Man Uniteds defense or creating one attacking chance.

A lot of games are going to be low scoring because all teams are starting to play this strategy and it's just lots and lots of backwards and sidewards passing, incredibly boring.

[Archer]

Was depressing watching Villa yesterday. Sherwood has been watching Barcelona and Pique too much and insisted Guzan (also terrible distributer) passed through the back via Richards. They went backwards and sidewards way too much and one of the reasons was so that their full backs push right on.

So Richards/Clark go either side of the box, the central modified player becomes a centre half and the full backs push right on. I can't remember either full back getting behind Man Uniteds defense or creating one attacking chance.

A lot of games are going to be low scoring because all teams are starting to play this strategy and it's just lots and lots of backwards and sidewards passing, incredibly boring.

What about United's approach to the game in the Val Gaal era? So, so dull. 

[pleno1]

Well they were content for Villa to pass it backwards and sidewards without any high pressure. Great teams like barca and bayern would have been pressing high and after the first goal would have killed the game off before half time. That's why they often score 4+ goals against teams of relative ability to Villa.

Sure Messi is better than Rooney, but as a team they all press way higher and it's easier to put a 5-10 yard pass through to a front three than the 40 yard World Cup passes man united were trying today. Depay could have a very frustrating season and will get a lot of stick but his service was shocking today.

Rooney looked awful too, if Man United play like this I think he's the last player who should play this role, either somebody who can hold it up or somebody who can run in behind. That was the worst I ever saw Rooney play tonight.

[david3103]

Players congregate for the opportunity to win the second ball surely?

I prefer to see the ball played out but that does require a level of skill and awareness that isn't always available.

I thought United had an OK first half, they were pressing in threes when Villa had the ball and winning it in Villa's half a lot of the time. But they were giving it back too easily. Second half was dire, from both teams.

Rooney looked all wrong, picked bad options on the ball and got into bad positions off it. Maybe Friday night football doesn't suit him?

[Matt.NFFC.]

This goalie thing is interesting.....

Sat behind the goal at Forest in the upper tier last season, and sure enough, when a goal kick was taken, 20 players all drift to one side into a small area of the pitch.  I always thought it looked ideal for a winger to break across as the keeper was running to take the kick.

The thing I dislike the most about football is the diving etc, but that's for another day.