Free Kicks

[Ted Hughes]

think we better add Kolarov to that list

To top of the list.

Certainly delivers a good ball into the box, If we got the team organised we could get on the end of some of those no doubt. When it comes to actually smacking it in the back of the net though, I recon Balotelli, out of all the players we're rumoured to be after, would be our No 1 direct free kick taker.

[Lee_R]

think we better add Kolarov to that list

To top of the list.

Certainly delivers a good ball into the box, If we got the team organised we could get on the end of some of those no doubt. When it comes to actually smacking it in the back of the net though, I recon Balotelli, out of all the players we're rumoured to be after, would be our No 1 direct free kick taker.

I've not seen much of him tbh, but it would be a nice problem to have for sure! :)

[Goataldo]

We only see the ones that players from other clubs score.

We see all the shit misses our players have.

There are very few players who are a regular genuine threat from close range free kicks. Im pretty sure we can win things without a Beckham/Drogba style free kick taker / scorer.

I recon i see most free kicks taken by the top sides & they're way ahead of us. As are Everton & Villa. I'm not just talking about close range direct but any kind of free kick like the ones ending with headers which usually do for us.

All the top teams have several experts who score direct or assist almost every other game, often the 1st or last goal. It stands to reason that if we're to finish above those teams without having that level of ability, we have to be a percentage better than them at most other things to make up for it. That's possible again in the case of Liverpool as their team is shit but is a tough ask regarding both Chelsea & rags. Then we have Arsenal & Spurs who also have free kick specialists. It's giving our competitors a 10-20 goal start before the season even kicks off.

If we had someone with Drogba or Gerrard's free kick taking talent, I recon we'd win the league.

I reckon crossie makes a good point there. Grass is always greener innit. OK, well not the grass, our pitch is better than most, but the point is there.

Can't agree with 'all the tope teams have several experts' in free kick taking. I want a list!

Off the top of my head: 1st choice takers Gerrard, Giggs, Drogba, Lampard, Bentley, Bale, Van Persie, Arteta. All proven goalscorers & assist makers from free kicks. There are more. You could even go further down the league, Danny Murphy, Bullard etc.

If we've signed Kolarov it's a step up but still not top 3-4 so far. Now Balotelli, that would be right up there.

I don't view Giggs or Bentley as free kick 'experts', and even if they were, (and I realise your list is off the top of your head) I just don't think we're that far behind. A lot of teams will have a player who you just know will step up if the ball's dead, and near the box, but there's very few who make me think 'right well we're stuffed here, this is top-cormer-bound' or whatever.

It is a shame that our best is Spangaz, as the lad is barely on the pitch. I have a very happy memory of Wolves away when two old goats behind me were slamming my prediction that Garrido would not only take the kick but it would fly in. When the net rippled they jumped all over me like I was some genuis psychic messiah, when in fact it was a DH tip, straight outta training. Kudos!

[Ted Hughes]

We only see the ones that players from other clubs score.

We see all the shit misses our players have.

There are very few players who are a regular genuine threat from close range free kicks. Im pretty sure we can win things without a Beckham/Drogba style free kick taker / scorer.

I recon i see most free kicks taken by the top sides & they're way ahead of us. As are Everton & Villa. I'm not just talking about close range direct but any kind of free kick like the ones ending with headers which usually do for us.

All the top teams have several experts who score direct or assist almost every other game, often the 1st or last goal. It stands to reason that if we're to finish above those teams without having that level of ability, we have to be a percentage better than them at most other things to make up for it. That's possible again in the case of Liverpool as their team is shit but is a tough ask regarding both Chelsea & rags. Then we have Arsenal & Spurs who also have free kick specialists. It's giving our competitors a 10-20 goal start before the season even kicks off.

If we had someone with Drogba or Gerrard's free kick taking talent, I recon we'd win the league.

I reckon crossie makes a good point there. Grass is always greener innit. OK, well not the grass, our pitch is better than most, but the point is there.

Can't agree with 'all the tope teams have several experts' in free kick taking. I want a list!

Off the top of my head: 1st choice takers Gerrard, Giggs, Drogba, Lampard, Bentley, Bale, Van Persie, Arteta. All proven goalscorers & assist makers from free kicks. There are more. You could even go further down the league, Danny Murphy, Bullard etc.

If we've signed Kolarov it's a step up but still not top 3-4 so far. Now Balotelli, that would be right up there.

I don't view Giggs or Bentley as free kick 'experts', and even if they were, (and I realise your list is off the top of your head) I just don't think we're that far behind. A lot of teams will have a player who you just know will step up if the ball's dead, and near the box, but there's very few who make me think 'right well we're stuffed here, this is top-cormer-bound' or whatever.

It is a shame that our best is Spangaz, as the lad is barely on the pitch. I have a very happy memory of Wolves away when two old goats behind me were slamming my prediction that Garrido would not only take the kick but it would fly in. When the net rippled they jumped all over me like I was some genuis psychic messiah, when in fact it was a DH tip, straight outta training. Kudos!

I remember Doug clueing us up on Garrido's free kick prowess.

Can't agree about Giggs. I think he's tremendous at it. (I'm not just talking about direct shots remember, but also dangerous balls into the box from free kicks which result in goals, which we don't do very often either). Bentley has lost form of course but was lethal at that for Blackburn & is always likely to be so again. Giggs of course was only used last season because Ronaldo, who is even better still, has gone. If you added Ronaldo's free kicks to rags total, they would have won the league, which is a good example of the difference I'm suggesting it could make to us if we had someone of that calibre.

Having just been looking at Kolarov in more detail seeing as we're signing him, he seems to have the talent for both but so far doesn't seem to get that many goals. I think if Mancini works with him he could score & create plenty, both from set pieces & open play.

[ruralblue]

All the top sides & I mean ALL of them, have at least one player, sometimes 4-5 who are absolutely deadly at free kicks, both direct & balls into the box. Quite often the goal that breaks the deadlock in a game or wins it in the last minute is a free kick.

If two teams are similarly matched but one of them scores twice as many goals from free kicks, that team wins the trophies. Personally I don't think a side will win ever the league in the future without it.

So who's our free kick specialist?

This?

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Oooooo thats just made me do a little sex wee. The bend on that third free kick right round the wall. WOW

[Burt]

I'm quite amazed at folk bigging up Giggs with his free kicks because from what I've seen of him over his career and also rag mates agree, his set pieces and crossing has always been the main thing levelled against him. You can pick a few instances when he has delivered but the vast majority have been moderate to say the least. Lampard yes, the ladyboy yes but the rest have been much of a muchness from what I've seen. In fact from what I've seen of Gareth Barry when he was at Villa, his success rate was far better than Giggs.

I just felt compelled to say that.

[Ted Hughes]

I'm quite amazed at folk bigging up Giggs with his free kicks because from what I've seen of him over his career and also rag mates agree, his set pieces and crossing has always been the main thing levelled against him. You can pick a few instances when he has delivered but the vast majority have been moderate to say the least. Lampard yes, the ladyboy yes but the rest have been much of a muchness from what I've seen. In fact from what I've seen of Gareth Barry when he was at Villa, his success rate was far better than Giggs.

I just felt compelled to say that.

Giggs used to be crap at that, true enough & his final ball also used to be shite but unlike our homegrown players, he actually seems to have worked at getting better. Now his final ball is lethal & he can often pick out a clever run etc in the box or round the back from a set piece (or even a short corner especially v us). We just seem to knock it into a general area. He's no Ronaldo when it comes to shooting though that's true but neither are any of ours. I recon Carrick, Gibson, Nani & maybe one or two others are also better than most of our lads.

Maybe not when the new signings arrive though. Hopefully.

[Ted Hughes]

All the top sides & I mean ALL of them, have at least one player, sometimes 4-5 who are absolutely deadly at free kicks, both direct & balls into the box. Quite often the goal that breaks the deadlock in a game or wins it in the last minute is a free kick.

If two teams are similarly matched but one of them scores twice as many goals from free kicks, that team wins the trophies. Personally I don't think a side will win ever the league in the future without it.

So who's our free kick specialist?

This?

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Oooooo thats just made me do a little sex wee. The bend on that third free kick right round the wall. WOW

Yeah. as I mentioned (in one of my my posts on the other page), he's definitely got some serious talent for it yet doesn't get many goals. When you see stuff like that, you wonder why he doesn't get 10 goals a season. I recon we can get more out of him. (Mind you, I see he hasn't signed yet)

[Burt]

I'm quite amazed at folk bigging up Giggs with his free kicks because from what I've seen of him over his career and also rag mates agree, his set pieces and crossing has always been the main thing levelled against him. You can pick a few instances when he has delivered but the vast majority have been moderate to say the least. Lampard yes, the ladyboy yes but the rest have been much of a muchness from what I've seen. In fact from what I've seen of Gareth Barry when he was at Villa, his success rate was far better than Giggs.

I just felt compelled to say that.

Giggs used to be crap at that, true enough & his final ball also used to be shite but unlike our homegrown players, he actually seems to have worked at getting better. Now his final ball is lethal & he can often pick out a clever run etc in the box or round the back from a set piece (or even a short corner especially v us). We just seem to knock it into a general area. He's no Ronaldo when it comes to shooting though that's true but neither are any of ours. I recon Carrick, Gibson, Nani & maybe one or two others are also better than most of our lads.

Maybe not when the new signings arrive though. Hopefully.

He's played in the top league for 20 years, so you'd be a bit fucled off if he hadn't improved but he's nowhere near the likes of Lampard etc at dead ball situations. He's been a decent player but one of the most overated in my oppinion. And I think that's speaking without my Blue glasses on.