The Footie Thread

[Neilds]

Has the art of crossing gone out of the game?
Who was the last person who was known as a winger who got to the line and whipped a ball over?
For me Trevor Steven was great at this (among others) the goals he created for Graham Sharp was amazing

Exactly as I was saying in my earlier posts. Lost art.

 

[PaulMdj]

I wrote a few weeks ago about the lack of crosses into the box for City. With Haaland in the middle they should be getting the ball into the box at every opportunity.

City avg this season is around 15 shots per game, they had 28 last night.

 

[Swango1980]

Has the art of crossing gone out of the game?
Who was the last person who was known as a winger who got to the line and whipped a ball over?
For me Trevor Steven was great at this (among others) the goals he created for Graham Sharp was amazing

TAA?

 

[irip]

TAA?

He was more a full back and his passing was lauded.
Maybe that type of full back has replaced the out and out winger.
I certainly don’t remember TAA getting to the byline and whipping one across for the big centre forward

 

[PaulMdj]

Has the art of crossing gone out of the game?
Who was the last person who was known as a winger who got to the line and whipped a ball over?
For me Trevor Steven was great at this (among others) the goals he created for Graham Sharp was amazing

Do you not think they way the game has developed there is no place for an out n out winger?

Absolutely we want players with the ability to cross a ball, but it’s more about tracking back and defending from the front, sadly.

 

[irip]

Do you not think they way the game has developed there is no place for an out n out winger?

Absolutely we want players with the ability to cross a ball, but it’s more about tracking back and defending from the front, sadly.

I agree to an extent. The wide players and a big forward has gone from the game.
Having said that I believe if a team that played that way now was in the premier league they would do well.
If you took Wimbledon as was with there formation style of play and attitude I think it would be such a change that teams would struggle against them.
Fashanu and Cork would scare the life out of today’s centre half’s.
Now everyone wants to play 20 passes in their own penalty area cause that’s proper football and their defence can’t tackle but can make a 60 yard cross field pass.

 

[PaulMdj]

I agree to an extent. The wide players and a big forward has gone from the game.
Having said that I believe if a team that played that way now was in the premier league they would do well.
If you took Wimbledon as was with there formation style of play and attitude I think it would be such a change that teams would struggle against them.
Fashanu and Cork would scare the life out of today’s centre half’s.
Now everyone wants to play 20 passes in their own penalty area cause that’s proper football and their defence can’t tackle but can make a 60 yard cross field pass.

But that’s not reintroducing out n out wingers, that’s changing a whole team virtually.

I’m sure we’ll go full circle eventually, but you need a lot of backbone and patience to try it at the moment.

 

[irip]

But that’s not reintroducing out n out wingers, that’s changing a whole team virtually.

I’m sure we’ll go full circle eventually, but you need a lot of backbone and patience to try it at the moment.

At the moment everyone seems to try and play the same way.
Even the teams at the bottom.
It’s ok if your city with the best players and the money to buy the best in the world.
Not so easy when you’re Burnley.
It’s the same with keepers, now keepers are judged on their ability with the ball at their feet not shot stopping.
I find that peculiar

 

[Orikoru]

He was more a full back and his passing was lauded.
Maybe that type of full back has replaced the out and out winger.
I certainly don’t remember TAA getting to the byline and whipping one across for the big centre forward

Mourinho and Arjen Robben were to blame! The great Fergie teams still had Beckham/Ronaldo right and Giggs on the left. Then Mourinho came over here with his 4-3-3 and brought us the pure holding midfielder (with Makelele), plus 'inverted wingers' - i.e. playing the leftie (Robben) on the right hand side so he could cut inside the full back and hit shots on goal, rather than go outside him and sling a cross in. And you are correct in saying that the full backs had to push forward to keep the width of the team, so they'd be the ones to occasionally put a cross in the box. Although not so much that in Mourinho's team, I think he preferred a very defensive back four using full backs like Ivanovic and Azpilicueta.

 

[irip]

Mourinho and Arjen Robben were to blame! The great Fergie teams still had Beckham/Ronaldo right and Giggs on the left. Then Mourinho came over here with his 4-3-3 and brought us the pure holding midfielder (with Makelele), plus 'inverted wingers' - i.e. playing the leftie (Robben) on the right hand side so he could cut inside the full back and hit shots on goal, rather than go outside him and sling a cross in. And you are correct in saying that the full backs had to push forward to keep the width of the team, so they'd be the ones to occasionally put a cross in the box. Although not so much that in Mourinho's team, I think he preferred a very defensive back four using full backs like Ivanovic and Azpilicueta.

I agree the only thing I would ask is with Drogba up top a lot of his time why would you not put crosses in the box?

 

[Orikoru]

I agree the only thing I would ask is with Drogba up top a lot of his time why would you not put crosses in the box?

Because he liked his wingers to score goals rather than notch assists, and I don't think we should argue given that he won two Premier Leagues straight off the bat. Drogba was still a good all-round target man, the winger could feed it into his feet and get it back the other side of the defence.

 

[irip]

Because he liked his wingers to score goals rather than notch assists, and I don't think we should argue given that he won two Premier Leagues straight off the bat. Drogba was still a good all-round target man, the winger could feed it into his feet and get it back the other side of the defence.

Yeah it worked. Wonder if it could have been even better if Drogba had crosses to attack.
I know it couldn’t of been more boring to watch

 

[PaulMdj]

Because he liked his wingers to score goals rather than notch assists, and I don't think we should argue given that he won two Premier Leagues straight off the bat. Drogba was still a good all-round target man, the winger could feed it into his feet and get it back the other side of the defence.

That’s always been one of Harry Kane’s strengths for me, he can be a target man or drop deep, or score a tap in or a wonder goal.