Vahhhhhdy,.....brilliant finish!!

[Stonigut]

Just very hard to shift and push knowledge with no real base, our base is haphazard with no continuity or flavor with even the most fundamental of things like fitness and team discipline. We pretty much on same page, I just don't have much faith in how we build, we can't even recognize our own strengths and how to maximize that and minimize our exposure on weak points.

[Jawge]

See you have to take it up with Ja. Brasil uses long ball but with no overeliance on it. The 82 team used long balls with Eder being the specialist. Barca uses it too but only when necessary (see Pique Ball to Dani against Arsenal).

What you should ask yourself is "will all teams tactically set themselves so that Vardy can turn on a ball over the top to score. The way Sunderland did".

Still love Gritty though and want them to succeed.

[Mosiah]

Still trying to figure out how 7-1 Brazil get into dis.

[Karl]

"goals out of Central midfield , long, one on one with pace and open field skill" - are you suggesting we play "the long ball"? LOL!!! Bite your tongue. In all seriousness, the long ball has been given a bad name in recent years, something I have never understood because, when done properly, it is extremely effective, especially when using it to pick out a speedy striker on the run with a ball from one's own third. If I were to tell the D.O.C. at my club that I wanted to practice that with our kids, he would sack me. If you notice, there are not many players at the professional ranks who can use the long ball effectively. The last DON of the surgical long ball pass was Gerrard...although Leicester has shown this year how incredibly effective it can be when done properly.

Football is, among other things, a game of SUDDEN!
The 'long ball' was never cussed without being in a context of 'NOT SUDDEN'...save of course by those who had a problem getting in line with/grasping why logic dictates 'hoofing it forward' too often gives opponent 'the predicted' = 'the NOT SUDDEN' and thus makes defending against same 'buttah'!

[Stonigut]

You know, we probably also need to make a distinction between 'hoofing it forward' and 'targeted selection' as we see with Vahhhdy running into spaces with the ball passed long and running in almost perfect location, that is not 'hoofing. True targeted long ball really seeks to do one thing, is to create musmatch es in space and time and with advantages if speed and open field skill and cool finishing it can be a pretty high percentage option.

[Paul Marin]

Football is, among other things, a game of SUDDEN!
The 'long ball' was never cussed without being in a context of 'NOT SUDDEN'...save of course by those who had a problem getting in line with/grasping why logic dictates 'hoofing it forward' too often gives opponent 'the predicted' = 'the NOT SUDDEN' and thus makes defending against same 'buttah'!

"SUDDEN" is not always a requirement. The long ball can be used effectively as a surgical strike to pick out a man wide on the wing even with a lateral pass (i.e. from wing to wing) to change the angle of attack...or even diagonally, or back to the center half or keeper even. The point is that there is a *skill* that is associated with the technique that speaks to accuracy, weight and vision. It is not practiced with kids, but it should be...along with chipping and other aerial forms of moving the ball.

[Jangle]

Ouch!!! That's low.

[Jawge]

Quote: "The foolish dog barks at the flying bird".