RichA
Well-known member
I just have memories of great goals being scored by United strikers who would go over, around or through defenders to score a goal, rather than looking to give their penalty taker a shot.
All teams do it and it bores me.
All teams do it and it bores me.
Piece
Tour Winner
First one was fair enough. Small bit of debate but I think right.
The second. I can see why it should be given. Some would give it some won't. Definitely not in the "cheated" category.
Interestingly on the last pen, Talk
radio were discussing this morning about the decision with shock-jock ref Keith Hackett. All were virtually nodding in agreement about the second Wolves pen being harsh and the VAR role. Two mins later, same debate with Jamie O'Hara (
) slagging off VAR, only for all three pundits to agree that they thought its was a pen!! No consistency on the airwaves, let alone with VAR
The Rooney one gets elevated because of the magnitude of the game but the finish was also superb. The fact it came off his shin is pretty much irrelevant and only raised by people who want to detract from it. When you look at the Rooney effort from face on with him, you see it basically went arrow straight in line with the way he arched his body. It’s gone exactly where he intended it to in that moment.This is such a subjective one. The best goals for me are a sweeping move from back to front, slide rule passes with a clinical finish at the end. It might be a tap in finish but the move was a thing of beauty.
Rooney's is a funny one. At first glance, it was a stunner. There is a saying in many sports, 'look in the book, there are no descriptions'. I think Rooneys 'shinner' is the exception to that rule.
Not many flukes in the Bobby Charlton repetoire. He could definitely hit a ball. Not sure George Best scored too many flukey ones either
Swango1980
Well-known member
My view, perhaps some controversial after what I've read before. Although I will say that I was maybe not paying as much focus on all the replays as others may be, as I've no major interest in the game.
First Fulham penalty, I think Wolves were very unlucky. I can see why it was given, it looked like a clumsy challenge that caused the player to go to ground. When I saw the replay, there was definitely contact on the ball despite also contact with player. I thought this one is a nightmare for VAR, because winning the ball is no longer good enough under the rules of the game, and fouls are given if such a challenge brings a player down, and deemed anyway out of control / clumsy. I felt VAR could be under pressure to give a review (and probably why they spent a long time looking at it), but ultimately one that they'd just go with the onfield decision either way.
I actually thought the second one WAS a penalty. Unlucky for the defender, as he simply thought he was clearing the ball and didn't see the attacker coming in from his blind side. But the attacker got there at pace, and there was contact on his thigh. We've seen fouls given for exactly the same thing many times, I'm pretty sure we had this debate about almost exactly the same type of thing a month or 2 ago.
I can see why O'Neill and Wolves fans are disappointed. At same time, had the 1st penalty been overturned by VAR, and VAR not recommended the second penalty, then I've no doubt Marco Silva would have been irate, and Fulham fans would be fuming on social media today.
On other hand, I thought it would surely be a red card for the head butt. In no way did it look like an accident that his head collided with the player as he was standing up. Bit similar to Ortega on Van Der Saar, except the execution was less deadly. But officials have shown a few times this year that incidents like that do not require a red card unless it seriously injures the player. Potential headbutt, but no major injury. Bruno from Newcastle elbows an opponent, no major injury. Romero kicks out at an opponent, but not hard enough to do much damage. It seems all this petulance is now allowed and not deemed bad enough for a red card, unless the opponent is injured, or at least pretends to be seriously injured. But if a player makes a genuine standing challenge, and their studs happen to accidentally graze the shin of an opponent who managed to plant their foot first, it is deemed an immediate red card.
Charlton’s technique was hit it hard as hell on target and hope.
I wouldn't disagree but from an aesthetic point of view, coming off the shin rather than the sweet spot of the boot takes the gloss off. It's the same as seeing a wonderful glancing header, only later to see in slow mo that it came off the players shoulder.
The ball went where the player intended but not how the player intended. If you want goal perfection, that matters. If you just want a goal, it doesn't matter a stuff
Swango1980
Well-known member
Apparently Man Utd are interested in signing Timo Werner 
Please let it happen, pleaseApparently Man Utd are interested in signing Timo Werner
.
Orikoru
Tour Winner
The fact it went where he aimed was pure luck that it hit the middle of his shinpad instead of one side or the other. Obviously he was trying to guide it that way with his boot but missed his connection point by a good 8 inches if not more. If we're talking best goals of all time I think it should be technically perfect in execution.
Right, here's my top ten, in which I've probably forgotten loads but whatever. They're not in order because choosing an actual number 1 is too difficult.
Le Tissier v Newcastle - where he juggled it over two people's heads before tucking it away on the volley, just daft.
Beckham v Wimbledon - halfway line, perfect execution.
Scholes v Villa - unbelievable technique to lace the volley when it was dropping from 50 feet in the air, in off the bar as well which always looks spectacular.
Thierry v Man Utd - the one where he flicked it up with his back to goal, turns and hits a dipping volley over Barthez. Unreal confidence.
Dele v Palace - similar to the Henry one but lower magnitude of game of course - unbelievable technique to control it, flick it over his own head and volley it in. Makes me sad when we think how good we thought he'd turn out to be at that time, and what's happened since.
Matty Phillips v Palace - not widely talked about, but if you've ever seen a better-struck ball from that sort of range, let me know. It was Seedorf-esque.
Mario Stanic v West Ham(?) - the one where he did like three kick-ups then volleyed it in from 35 yards. On his debut. Just silly.
Figueroa v Stoke - scored a free kick, from the halfway line. The speed of thought to hit that catching everyone on the pitch unawares - risking abuse of his teammates if it didn't go in.
Yeboah v Liverpool - side on, volley while running, in off the bar. Everyone remembers it for a reason.
Crouch v Man City - ball never touched the ground from the keeper, Crouchy flicks it on, gets it back, tees it up in the air and arches the volley over the keeper. Lovely.
Honourable mentions:
Erik Edman v Liverpool - unbelievable strike from miles away, not sure if I only remember this because I'm a Spurs fan though. Otherwise it would have gone in.
Le Tissier v Blackburn - turns the defender inside out and beats Flowers from 35 yards. Already had a Le Tiss one in though.
Matty Taylor v Sunderland - another amazing hit but I had a few similar ones.
Shearer v Everton - surprised the ball didn't break. Had some other better volleys though, e.g. Scholes.
Some that everyone else seems to like and I don't:
Rooney overhead - as discussed, miscued it off his shin and got lucky.
Di Canio scissor volley - nice goal but it just kind of looked more flashy because of the jumping scissor thing - I think there were loads of better volleys over the years.
Bergkamp - that one where he flicked it round Dabizas - I know I sound like a party-pooper but for my money he fouls Dabizas by shoving him in the chest.
Wilshere - that Arsenal team goal everyone loves. Giroud's assist was nice, but out of five touches between them at least three were complete fluke, just throw a leg at it and it luckily went to a teammate. People always say I don't like these two because they're Arsenal and I'm a Spurs fan, maybe a small element of that but I'm still trying to be honest, and I have included Henry in my top ten so I'm not that biased (the 'some of my best friends..' defence..
).
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Orikoru
Tour Winner
Exactly. Or when someone scores a screamer but the replay shows a tiny deflection. However small, it just ruins it.I wouldn't disagree but from an aesthetic point of view, coming off the shin rather than the sweet spot of the boot takes the gloss off. It's the same as seeing a wonderful glancing header, only later to see in slow mo that it came off the players shoulder.
The ball went where the player intended but not how the player intended. If you want goal perfection, that matters. If you just want a goal, it doesn't matter a stuff
Pin-seeker
Well-known member
The cynic in me would be swapping those out for a pair from Sports Direct and keeping them sealed up to sell years later.*
*joking but I could see why someone would
Swango1980
Well-known member
Question, how do we know Rooney was trying to hit it with his foot, or that he improvised at the last millisecond to hit it with the part of his leg the ball was going for? After all, in another situation a striker could be standing on the line, cross comes in that is a bit high but they stick it in with their shin, knee or thigh. The goal isn't luck, they've just improvised to get the job done.
If you are upside down, with your leg above your head and back to goal, perhaps you are not necessarily trying to make the absolute perfect contact with your foot. Perhaps you are just trying to ensure you get as much solid contact between the ball and the lower part of your limb as possible. Perhaps the best strikers in the world can give themselves that margin of error, where they can achieve the desired outcome without always having to rely on a strike from a very specific sweet spot on their foot. Whether the ball came off his foot, shin or knee, it flew into the top corner like a rocket. To diminish a goal simply because it struck the shin is harsh, especially when pretty much everyone diminishing the goal for that reason couldn't strike the ball half as well with their strongest foot, let alone from their shin.
If you are upside down, with your leg above your head and back to goal, perhaps you are not necessarily trying to make the absolute perfect contact with your foot. Perhaps you are just trying to ensure you get as much solid contact between the ball and the lower part of your limb as possible. Perhaps the best strikers in the world can give themselves that margin of error, where they can achieve the desired outcome without always having to rely on a strike from a very specific sweet spot on their foot. Whether the ball came off his foot, shin or knee, it flew into the top corner like a rocket. To diminish a goal simply because it struck the shin is harsh, especially when pretty much everyone diminishing the goal for that reason couldn't strike the ball half as well with their strongest foot, let alone from their shin.
This looks like a PL only top goals, but keeping to that, I would add the Philipe Albert chip v Man Utd. That was a thing of beauty.
Orikoru
Tour Winner
I knew I'd forget some. That was a beauty.
You've said some ridiculous things in your time but this is right up there.
Yes I'm sure Rooney adjusted midflight and deliberately pinged it in with the middle of his shinpad having jumped too high for the cross. Dear me. He was good but not a Jedi. You're probably playing Devil's advocate, but it's obvious he just miscued it, then was thankful it hit the middle of the shin rather than an inch either side. A good goal but not one of the best ever in my opinion. (I Googled various lists of best Prem goals when constructing my list, and the majority disagree with me on this, which is fine.)Swango1980
Well-known member
On one hand it is nice to see such things, especially if it involves a player from the team I support.
On the other hand, I can't help but feel it is a huge coincidence that Garnacho happens to stop for this kid on his birthday, has a boxed up pair of signed football boots on his passenger seat and there is a camera filming the entire thing. If I was the suspicious type, I'd say there was a possibility this was entirely staged and that Garnacho was encouraged to do it by his / the clubs social media people.
Swango1980
Well-known member
Not as good as John O'Shea versus Arsenal
Swango1980
Well-known member
He miscued it into the top corner?I knew I'd forget some. That was a beauty.
You've said some ridiculous things in your time but this is right up there.
If I go for an overhead kick, just to get into that position would be a major miracle. I wouldn't be focused on making perfect contact with the laces of my foot. I'd just be focused on getting any part of my leg on it and making a strong contact. Make sure I don't look like an idiot, which I almost certainly would as at my skill level my leg would get nowhere near it. I'd have thought a top striker would simply be aiming to get the lower part of their leg on the ball as best as possible, get good leverage on their shot. I don't think Rooney was feeling after the ball went in "that was lucky" or "I duffed that, it was a good bad one". I bet he felt "perfection" as it flew into the top corner.
Piece
Tour Winner
Townsend volley v CityThe fact it went where he aimed was pure luck that it hit the middle of his shinpad instead of one side or the other. Obviously he was trying to guide it that way with his boot but missed his connection point by a good 8 inches if not more. If we're talking best goals of all time I think it should be technically perfect in execution.
Right, here's my top ten, in which I've probably forgotten loads but whatever. They're not in order because choosing an actual number 1 is too difficult.
Le Tissier v Newcastle - where he juggled it over two people's heads before tucking it away on the volley, just daft.
Beckham v Wimbledon - halfway line, perfect execution.
Scholes v Villa - unbelievable technique to lace the volley when it was dropping from 50 feet in the air, in off the bar as well which always looks spectacular.
Thierry v Man Utd - the one where he flicked it up with his back to goal, turns and hits a dipping volley over Barthez. Unreal confidence.
Dele v Palace - similar to the Henry one but lower magnitude of game of course - unbelievable technique to control it, flick it over his own head and volley it in. Makes me sad when we think how good we thought he'd turn out to be at that time, and what's happened since.
Matty Phillips v Palace - not widely talked about, but if you've ever seen a better-struck ball from that sort of range, let me know. It was Seedorf-esque.
Mario Stanic v West Ham(?) - the one where he did like three kick-ups then volleyed it in from 35 yards. On his debut. Just silly.
Figueroa v Stoke - scored a free kick, from the halfway line. The speed of thought to hit that catching everyone on the pitch unawares - risking abuse of his teammates if it didn't go in.
Yeboah v Liverpool - side on, volley while running, in off the bar. Everyone remembers it for a reason.
Crouch v Man City - ball never touched the ground from the keeper, Crouchy flicks it on, gets it back, tees it up in the air and arches the volley over the keeper. Lovely.
Honourable mentions:
Erik Edman v Liverpool - unbelievable strike from miles away, not sure if I only remember this because I'm a Spurs fan though. Otherwise it would have gone in.
Le Tissier v Blackburn - turns the defender inside out and beats Flowers from 35 yards. Already had a Le Tiss one in though.
Matty Taylor v Sunderland - another amazing hit but I had a few similar ones.
Shearer v Everton - surprised the ball didn't break. Had some other better volleys though, e.g. Scholes.
Some that everyone else seems to like and I don't:
Rooney overhead - as discussed, miscued it off his shin and got lucky.
Di Canio scissor volley - nice goal but it just kind of looked more flashy because of the jumping scissor thing - I think there were loads of better volleys over the years.
Bergkamp - that one where he flicked it round Dabizas - I know I sound like a party-pooper but for my money he fouls Dabizas by shoving him in the chest.
Wilshere - that Arsenal team goal everyone loves. Giroud's assist was nice, but out of five touches between them at least three were complete fluke, just throw a leg at it and it luckily went to a teammate. People always say I don't like these two because they're Arsenal and I'm a Spurs fan, maybe a small element of that but I'm still trying to be honest, and I have included Henry in my top ten so I'm not that biased (the 'some of my best friends..' defence..
Rose volley v Arsenal
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