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I can't understand why he changed his technique so much when he has been having so much success.

He normally runs in an arch towards the ball then drills it down the middle, today he ran straight at it and tried to place it in the corner.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

I agree. He should just keep doing what he's been doing. He messed up my fantasy team because of that miss...

King Kev wrote:I can't understand why he changed his technique so much when he has been having so much success.

He normally runs in an arch towards the ball then drills it down the middle, today he ran straight at it and tried to place it in the corner.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

It seems to me, if he's wanting cash, he should try looking for a new boot deal. Whatever he was wearing today obviously had vaseline, or goose fat on the bottom, judging by the amount of times he was on his arse

I think the Keeper out-smarted him and he panicked a bit.

I might be on my own here but it doesn't surprise me one bit Tevez missed one.
the only City player I had less confidence in scoring from a pen was poor darius vassell.

SO glad he missed that one at home vs blackpool when we were already one up

I don't mind that much if the goalie saves a pen, especially if it's a good save because that happens from time to time, but you should never ever miss the target. Gareth Barry can take penalties, as can Milner, as can Balotelli, as can de Jong (cf Doug's training reports) and probably several more so we are not short of possible replacements.

How many pens has he missed since he's at City though? He's not a bad penalty taker, by any means; a miss can happen to anyone.

Although I haven't been a student of football around the world too much over time, there are very few that seem to do great penalties. IE: they have the skill to watch the keeper go and then just place it somewhere else. Most people, including Shearer and Tevez, just look up at the goal and hit it somewhere. Whether the keeper gets to it or goes the right way is luck or sheer power/placement right in the corner. Tevez' kicks are always 'saveable'.

Unfortunately the very best at this black art was Cantona, then Le Tissier. Balotelli seems to have this ability, dare I say it? Although we have only seen one keeper baffled as yet!

I must say that every time Tevez steps up to take a penalty I've never been confident he will score ....... though I have been confident he'd hit the target.

john@staustell wrote:Although I haven't been a student of football around the world too much over time, there are very few that seem to do great penalties. IE: they have the skill to watch the keeper go and then just place it somewhere else. Most people, including Shearer and Tevez, just look up at the goal and hit it somewhere. Whether the keeper gets to it or goes the right way is luck or sheer power/placement right in the corner. Tevez' kicks are always 'saveable'.

Unfortunately the very best at this black art was Cantona, then Le Tissier. Balotelli seems to have this ability, dare I say it? Although we have only seen one keeper baffled as yet!

I agree, very few players now wait for the keeper to go one way and then shoot it the other; I can't think of one right now in fact, out of those who are currently playing. The first example at penalty kicks I can think of is Totti as I've seen him take them for all of his career; he almost always shoots it the same way, which is, by the way, exactly how Carlos tried it yesterday; Totti's shots are usually too near the post and too powerful for the keeper to save them, but you can see that keepers know where he's going to shoot, which is why every now and then he shoots one in another way, for example on the right, or with a cheeky lob (like he did in Euro 2000 against VdS); and guess what, the ones he misses are most of the time those he takes differently from his usual.

I think every spot kick taker has his own way he feels comfortable with, and when they move away from that, the chance of missing increases ten fold.

john@staustell wrote:Although I haven't been a student of football around the world too much over time, there are very few that seem to do great penalties. IE: they have the skill to watch the keeper go and then just place it somewhere else. Most people, including Shearer and Tevez, just look up at the goal and hit it somewhere. Whether the keeper gets to it or goes the right way is luck or sheer power/placement right in the corner. Tevez' kicks are always 'saveable'.

Unfortunately the very best at this black art was Cantona, then Le Tissier. Balotelli seems to have this ability, dare I say it? Although we have only seen one keeper baffled as yet!

Imo is more about confidence and Ego, rather than skill. I mean untill You feel Yourself great toward the whole world and You do perceive Your nuts as the biggest pair in the world (like Mario feels), You will approach the penalty box with same confidence as when You returned home to Daddy, holding the best possible school reports.
I never played footy at decent level but, that the way I used to feel when I used (ages ago!) to take penalties, playing waterpolo at top european junior (under 19) level. When I stopped to feel like that I stopped to be a hammer, thus I stopped to take penalties.

Re Tevez, further to my rant on the match thread, I'd like to add that even Maradona and Platini missed penalties, cuz it also may depend on how you step to the ball, You may put the boot on an odd sod just before shooting and so on...
On the opposite, what I really am not preparred to concede is the selfish way Carlos played either versus Brum and yesterday. I don't mind if he want to score to have a chance to address lovely celebrations to his beloved child or if he 's only greedy to win the golden boot, which is good for a striker... but Football is a TEAM GAME, what only counts is the points the Club scores on the table, therefore I DO FUCKING WANT that any time he happens to be quite in front of the keeper and a Team Mate is better positioned aside, HE FUCKING PASS, unless and until City is already comfortably upfront in the scoresheet....

I don't think Carlotto would have scored if the game was still going on now. Just having one of those days. That said, he was due to miss one, Blackpool at home when 1 up is probably a good time to do it.
I like the way he normally takes them, very reminiscent of Franny Lee, if you hit them that hard, as long as they're on target they'll go in, even if the keeper gets a touch.

His kids were there,he was trying too hard to score for them and it went a it wrong. Time to move on.

razor400 wrote:His kids were there,he was trying too hard to score for them and it went a it wrong. Time to move on.

Sums it up perfectly, he just wanted a goal and no doubt to run over to the stand pointing to them. I think he's allowed one bad day at the office

craigmcfc wrote:

razor400 wrote:His kids were there,he was trying too hard to score for them and it went a it wrong. Time to move on.

Sums it up perfectly, he just wanted a goal and no doubt to run over to the stand pointing to them. I think he's allowed one bad day at the office

I said it in advance.
Still, we must widely cheer Joe for scoring 3 points on the table on a match we should have gone top on goal scoring difference [I say it with huge respect to Hollie's Guys]. Please do rewind the first half against Brum and You will catch my point, Mate. Those two are few of at least seven points we are missing because of lack of....

I do agree with Your remark and move on, with the certainty that these accidents shall become even more rare onward.

King Kev wrote:I can't understand why he changed his technique so much when he has been having so much success.

He normally runs in an arch towards the ball then drills it down the middle, today he ran straight at it and tried to place it in the corner.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

Somehow, I think that if Mario hadn't have taken the two penalties the way he did the other day, Tevez would have carried on as normal.

As has been mentioned earlier in the thread, Tevez doesn't instill confidence when he steps up. He blasts it hard and hopes for the best. Balotelli on the other hand absolutely scares the shit out of me the way he takes them, though Friedel is no mug. It'll be interesting to see who takes them when both are on the pitch.

On a side note, Elano was the master penalty taker. I don't think I ever once doubted he'd score.

saulman wrote:

King Kev wrote:I can't understand why he changed his technique so much when he has been having so much success.

He normally runs in an arch towards the ball then drills it down the middle, today he ran straight at it and tried to place it in the corner.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

Somehow, I think that if Mario hadn't have taken the two penalties the way he did the other day, Tevez would have carried on as normal.

As has been mentioned earlier in the thread, Tevez doesn't instill confidence when he steps up. He blasts it hard and hopes for the best. Balotelli on the other hand absolutely scares the shit out of me the way he takes them, though Friedel is no mug. It'll be interesting to see who takes them when both are on the pitch.
On a side note, Elano was the master penalty taker. I don't think I ever once doubted he'd score.

Finally someone mentioned Elano. I couldn't believe that a thread about penalties would not mention the only player we ever had (as far as I know) who had a 100% record in penalties scored while he played for us. I miss Elano and same as you Saulman never once doubted he'd score.

Three ways to take a penalty:

1. Read the keeper
2. Precision
3. Hit it hard and hope for the best

Obviously the first is a safe bet if you're really good at it. No danger to miss the goal as you can piss it with ease in 'the other corner'. Mendieta was one of the best at this.
Elano was all about the second. His powerful shots drilled away from the keeper with great precision. Little chance for a save, but misshit it just sligthly and you'll get Tevez & Odemwingie yesterday.
Third is the usual Tevez.

Dubaimancityfan wrote:

saulman wrote:

King Kev wrote:I can't understand why he changed his technique so much when he has been having so much success.

He normally runs in an arch towards the ball then drills it down the middle, today he ran straight at it and tried to place it in the corner.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

Somehow, I think that if Mario hadn't have taken the two penalties the way he did the other day, Tevez would have carried on as normal.

As has been mentioned earlier in the thread, Tevez doesn't instill confidence when he steps up. He blasts it hard and hopes for the best. Balotelli on the other hand absolutely scares the shit out of me the way he takes them, though Friedel is no mug. It'll be interesting to see who takes them when both are on the pitch.
On a side note, Elano was the master penalty taker. I don't think I ever once doubted he'd score.

Finally someone mentioned Elano. I couldn't believe that a thread about penalties would not mention the only player we ever had (as far as I know) who had a 100% record in penalties scored while he played for us. I miss Elano and same as you Saulman never once doubted he'd score.

That's the only thing I miss about Elano to be fair. I guess I would also have loved to have seen another Newcastle free kick again though I don't think anyone will repeat that beauty

So that's 2 things I miss about him

CityFanFromRome wrote:How many pens has he missed since he's at City though? He's not a bad penalty taker, by any means; a miss can happen to anyone.

Uno. Yesterday mate!