Liverpool FC Forum

by **Ade** » Thu Nov 18, 2004 11:30 pm

Just thinking about how predictable a lot of free kicks are these days… would this work as a variation? Not seen anyone try it, and maybe it’s a daft idea, just interested in a few opinions.

Say we get awarded a free kick directly in front of goal, anywhere between the edge of the D on the penalty area and 10 yards further out, so between 18-30 yards from goal.

Why not line up two strikers (I don’t mean forwards, but free kick shooters), one left footed, one right footed, on either side of the D, five yards behind the ball, 15 yards apart from each other. This way you’ve got, say Riise standing waiting to receive a short pass on the left side of the final 30yds of the pitch, and maybe Gerrard doing the same on the right.

We’d have two players waiting with their backs to goal, side by side, over the ball. One would be clearly waiting to tee up Riise with a short pass out to him, one would be waiting to do the same to Gerrard. As they’ve got their backs to goal and they’re both over the ball, it’s not obvious who’s gonna take it.

You’d possible need a player by Riise to stop and tee up the ball for a shot, and one beside Gerrard. (Then again, maybe you wouldn’t.)

The point is (ta for stiking with me!) where would the opposition line up a wall?

Would it work?

Is it a waste of attacking players?

Is it do dumb it’s obvious why no one’s done it before?

Should I bother trying it with my pub team in training next week?

by **jonnymac1979** » Thu Nov 18, 2004 11:33 pm

When I saw Baros' goal last week (not the penalties) I thought it was an excellent free kick, straight from the training ground. Rafa has tried a few routines this season so far.

It's all good.

by **jonnymac1979** » Thu Nov 18, 2004 11:33 pm

As long as the ball goes in though!!!!

by **bigmick** » Fri Nov 19, 2004 5:42 pm

Think I'm with you Ade on the free-kick routine. Sortof a simple lay and set up with a mirror image on the other side (or a top and bottom image if you're A.B.

). Not daft at all really. Course the problem with free-kick routines which involve switching it generally is that in the time it takes to 'set' the ball, the blockers get right in your face.
Not daft, but not that difficult to counteract either, after all you would just need a blocker right and left to do the biz. On another point, I think one of the main reasons teams stay clear from really intricate routines is that if say the lay off is too firm, or the lad fails to control it resulting in a nonsense, then the hoots of derision and stick ring in the ears of the coach. Far better to let some oik blast it, that way He gets the blame when it hits row Z.

by **ShaneK** » Fri Nov 19, 2004 7:03 pm

nothing more annoyin than bringin up the big men from the back and the ball never being put in the box.. drives me CrAzY!!!!

by **bigmick** » Fri Nov 19, 2004 7:16 pm

Ah the old 'big men up from the back' routine. Gotta say I love it myself Shane. Trouble is in these days of shirt pulling and blocking off etc, the stats apparantly show that this is not so effective as it once was. I always think though that if you can at least get involved in a scramble and keep the ball alive, somethings only got to bounce for you and bingo.
On a separate note, a routine that a team I used to play for which was good and I've never seen anywhere else:
Your team has a corner. You stick a bloke directly BEHIND the goalie, within touching distance.(often this alone is enough to unnerve the poor bugger as he bounces around.) Then, as the bloke who's taking it runs up to the ball, said bloke in a cunning manoevre goes over the goalline and around the keeper appearing in front of him with a nice big jump just as the kicker strikes an inswinging corner. Our coach reckoned that for a keeper to pick the flight effectively he had to get a good look at contact and first ten yards of tradjectory. 'Course, brainless cente-half (usually me, funny that) jumping in front of him meant that the ball was at least half-way to its destination before he got a look at it. Caused untold havoc. Bizarrely, we had more success with it in the second half when the opposition had had a chance to talk about it and do something to try and stop it. it seemed that the more they stuck a bloke next to me to try and stop the rotaion thing, the more confusion it caused. There you go Stu, I'll give you that one free, no charge.

by **Pig Catcher** » Fri Nov 19, 2004 7:35 pm

I have to say we are quiet ineffextive from set pieces, a lack of quality delievry and lack of players who can head the ball well means we don't get the most from setpiece situation.

At least we have improved at defending setpieces.

by **ShaneK** » Fri Nov 19, 2004 8:00 pm

if we had to start relayin on set plays to get us goals id start to get worried:(

Liverpool FC Forum

New tactic for free kicks - (call it thinking outside the box

Who is online