Well can anyone tell me a skill which is easier. Controlling a ball, no passing, no shooting, no dribbling, no heading, maybe tackling, maybe positioning, no and Lee Crofts was bad at all of those things, not just crossing
These are all completely different skills, they are incomparable. Are you really trying to tell me that Gerrard is not that useful simply because his main attribute at the moment is accurate crosses? Take a look at how many corner takers, free kick takers and wide-players fail to make them count. Gerrard consistently whips the ball into danger areas, flat, with pace. That is an extraordinary skill and simply incomparable with anything else. If you don't like that sort of skill, fine, just admit that it's not to your tastes, but don't try and slam something that is plainly so difficult given the dearth of players that can consistently do it well. Also, if you think heading and tackling are easier than the other skills listed, there really is no hope for you in understanding football. It is so much harder to get a headed shot on target than a shot from the feet, especially when you factor in the power needed. So many players struggle. Yes, I get that you only like tiki-taka football and don't want to see the ball headed, but you obviously have never played football if you can't see the difficulties of different skills. You are trying to compare the incomparable. And in comparing, you are being influenced by your own view of how football "should" be played. Carrabuh is Michel Platini AICM £5
i think at this stage, after you've continuously humiliated yourself, a football forum is not where you should be
"Take a look at how many corner takers, free kick takers and wide-players fail to make them count. Gerrard consistently whips the ball into danger areas, flat, with pace. That is an extraordinary skill and simply incomparable with anything else." I disagree, you see the point is let down with the dangerous areas, a dangerous area is alot easier to find than a dangerous teammate. Gerrard doesn't pick out players he just sticks it in there to a formulaic pattern. I am rubbish at football, could I cross a decent ball for Rooney probably, could I put him through with a threaded ball in compact space, never, pick him out with short passes time after time, no. As an example, look at alot of the England goals, crosses into the box. It's what limited players have to resort to because they cannot play through the middle without the necessary skills. Yet they can all cross a ball. Could they pass to their teamates, no. Control and shield the ball, no. Dribble, certainly not to anykind of appreciable level. Hit long balls from out wide YEEESSS, they can do that all day long. Because its the easiest way to score goals and thats why they rely on it.
carrabuh, your comments about crossing are completely and utterly loopy - anyone who has played the game at any level will realise this.
Well you carry on appreciating the long ball stuff (and still wonder why the England team can't pass for toffee)), I'll stick with the nice simple football thanks and have a bit more justification when I berate the England team for there failings.
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHa!! I have never seen someone so astronomically misunderstand how and why you cross a ball into the "danger area". Let me try and explain in simple terms. When there are a couple of attackers in the box ready for a cross, there will almost certainly be several defenders. It is almost impossible to pick out a single player, unless they are in space, because it is too tight. Ergo, you cross the ball into the danger area, enabling the attacking players to pull the defenders out of position, get in front or away from their man, and attack the ball. If you aimed only for the player, the defenders would simply move to where the ball was going and easily clear. So a dangerous cross, of necessity, needs to be in an area where the striker can choose to move to attack at several points. As for you being able to do that! If you are unable to pick out a short pass, I cannot possibly conceive how you can direct a long pass, which requires greater power, greater accuracy (due to the margin of error) and accurate flight in the air. Maybe you could toe-punt it and it would go in the sort of right area every now and again, but the same could be said of a pass- it would be pure fluke. Yes, players can hit balls from out wide all day long. But they can't do it accurately and dangerously all day long unless they have a high degree of technical ability. Dead ball and crossing specialists are few and far between- there is a reason that players of Gerrard's calibre are so valuable. David Fox had the highest crossing accuracy in the Prem last season- that is an incredible skill.
Also, banging on about the England team being crap is beginning to look a little foolish when they were only beaten on penalties by the finalists (and possibly eventual winners). The England team are far from crap. They are not exciting, or pleasant to watch, but they are effective defensively. If you can't see that, I suggest you quit supporting English teams and move to Spain. I personally get bored of tiki-taka after about 25 mesmerising minutes. Tbh, I think it's an easy skill to knock it back and forward from my team-mates 4 yards away
Let me explain it simply back as you are a bit slow to the nature of the argument. Your arguing about something different. You are really just describing what a cross is and why you choose an area. I'm not saying that, I am fully aware you do not cross to where a player presently is, I am not in disagreement to where a cross should be aimed at. I am saying that picking out an area is easier than threading a ball through the middle, or passing short in a compact area of the pitch, which technically gifted players can do (as well as cross a ball well).
rob, i fear you are wasting your time on this. you've talked perfect sense, therefore carrabuh won't understand
I don't support England anymore, not for about two years for the reasons you describe. The England team are crap, and cannot defend. If they could, they wouldn't need 10 players to do it for 90 minutes.
Sorry, it is The evidence is for all to see, even Milner can cross a ball, but he can't pass his way out of trouble
I'm not though, am I. I have fully understood your point and you could not be more wrong- I was explaining why it was so difficult and you are choosing to either not read or misunderstand. Accuracy over a short distance is, by definition, easier than accuracy over a long distance. Simples When you factor in all the other variables, like having to add extra power, keeping it low and the flight of the ball precise, it becomes incredibly hard. I can tap it back and forth with a mate in the park until kingdom come, even with a bit of pressure from the another mate. I simply cannot hope to put an accurate cross in consistently though. That is way too hard to do frequently and is usually a matter of luck. Especially when running forwards at pace. How many of those do you see way over hit and flying over the bar? Supers, point taken . My final word on the matter. Carrabuh is too coloured by his view of the "right" way to play football that he can't look at this objectively. He must have hated seeing Chelsea win the CL! I honestly believe that anyone who doesn't support England in the football should get over their vanity and arrogance. I really don't like them and it's offensive. I'm not expecting everyone to actively support and watch each game religiously, but we're married to England and should be pleased when they do well through thick and thin. I'm guessing Carrabuh is a fairweather fan and wouldn't support Norwich if they start doing badly. And the idea that England can't defend! They kept out an Italian team who scored against the best defence in the world (Spain) in the group stages. It matters not how many players it took- the more players that defend, the more players used to attack. England did brilliantly (with an ounce or two of luck) to keep out Italy. If you can't see that, you're a hopeless case.
Milner cannot cross the ball properly- not on the level of Gerrard anyway. He can hit and hope like I do. Same goes for passing on the ground. Milner was picked for his defensive ability, but you wouldn't have realised as you don't take an interest in England.
carrabuh, can i ask, would you support norwich if they were crap, cos you don't appear to support england for that reason. if you don't support them cos you don't agree with selection policies or the characters in the dressing room then fine, but to stop supporting your nation 'cos they are crap' is very poor. i guess you'd be supporting them had the reached the final this year? james milner is a good crosser of the ball - not as good as either bennett or certainly pilks by the way and a little inconsistent! but he was brought up as a wide man - of course that will be one of his strengths!! he's been converted to a utility player who can play in the middle too, where he isn't comfortable. i, and everyone else on here, really fail to see what you are seeing.
In terms of luck, they'd already had about 6 kilos of the stuff just getting there. Sticking all those players behind the ball for this bland, dull brand of football is neither brilliant, effective or inspiring to the youngsters watching. The FA are bleating about change and they resort to the basic common denominator in picking Hodgson and his brand of % football. I am simply amazed at the people who will happily moan about boring Spain but think its great that England defend in numbers chasing a ball for 90mins. There is just no concept to turn things around. I cannot see how this is just ignored time and time again by England fans and as a result I then have to sit through countless ****ing morons on the TV complaining about why we can't keep hold of the ball for the past 30 years. Do something about it!!!!
Spain are really boring. England are boring too. But I'm English, so I support England. Through thick and thin. How is that difficult to comprehend?
err, i think they are trying to do something about it but fact is, club football is and always has been way more important to fans in this country than international football. in germany, when their nation does badly, the clubs sit down and figure out a plan with their fa to improve the situation - can you ever see our clubs do that??? no chance! the only hope is the increase the quality of coaching at a young age and that's what they are doing but if the kids still aren't good enough there is not a lot you can do about it. spain are probably the best team in world football at the moment but they didn't used to be - in fact, they were bloody hopeless for years and years. their current success is built on a rather fortuitous happening where barcelona produced six or seven world class players through their youth system all at the same time. they might not be able to do that again. good coaching and the right formula in passing and controlling are extremely important, but you need some luck too. england have been outside the top 8 teams in world football for years and years - that's why we always seem to reach the quarter finals and then crash out, but hodgson used his tactics because we didn't have the quality to beat the opponents playing good football. we'd have lost comprehensively playing any other way. if you don't like our manager attempting to do his best with what he's got then you understand football less than i thought. there's more than one way to skin a cat. and it nearly worked!
Yes, there is a big, big difference, Norwich do not have the revenues to back up an amazing football ethic. Team England however is probably considerably wealthier than Spain, Germany, Holland, Brazil, Italy etc. Despite this we have the same problems occurring over and over again and NOTHING is done about it. All that money and we have not produced a technically amazing player which I find unforgiveable. There is no long term plan, no collective thinking, no fresh ideas, just Trevor Brooking talking ****. I have some doubts the new football academy will just be a white elephant sucking the money out of training children correctly. I just do not get this docile response from the general public to the FA. They are happy to blame Cappello, McLaren et al, but the real blame is with the FA. Its not the players fault they are crap. What I will say is, if people started withdrawing their support and put the finger of blame away from the manager, things would soon change.
