UEFA Champions League/Europa League thread

Total side issue, but Seville is lovely....go if you get a chance.

 

Have been there - it's a really nice place.

 

It's not an excuse - it's the laws of the game. Poor penalties or not, the keeper made 2 illegal moves off his line.

 

I have no sympathy for any players who take a stupid stuttering run up

 

I agree...would understand if it always worked, but so often the end result is a weak kick at the keeper. Rickie never bothers...his attitude is: Good luck to you mate, stopping that.

 

Most players don't have the power in their legs that Rickie does. If you can't beat the keeper with pure speed, the mindgames have to come into play.

 

Le Tissier's method was always put it in the corner out of the GK's reach...he could only get beaten if the keeper guessed correctly.

 

Agreed, would love to see some statistics for it, think it should be banned personally. Much prefer Rickies method, Beatts as well.

 

That's a little undermining of his ability to accurately pick his spot. Yes he does it bloody hard, but he still aims it in to the spot he wants.

 

Penalties are all about confidence. It's easy to forget this applies equally to keepers; the received wisdom is that pens are easy for goalies as they're not expected to save them so there's no pressure. However, I said just before the shoot out last night that the Seville keeper looked like he'd back himself to save a couple, and so it proved, even if he did come 4 yards off his line to do so.

Incidentally, I'd back Boruc to save at least one from five (unless Rickie took em all).

 

I hear it is relatively hot with a capital H. Can't remember whether it is uncharacteristically [relative to the rest of the Mediterranean area] humid or normal dry heat.

On the issue of penalty taking technique. I think it's time to trot this video out again. Always a good time to take the mick of Paul Merson and celebrate MLT one more time. It wasn't even a contest:

[video=youtube;ujRImS-UgoY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujRImS-UgoY[/video]

 

never seen that; thanks TSS

 

Well, there is always someone, so it's always worth popping these videos up occasionally. Matty's technique and mindset hasn't suffered a jot.

Closing thread as we're over a 1000 posts. Members who would like to highlight the Champions League Final are quite welcome to start a match thread for Atletico v Real.