Yeah it is as if tall players are not at all supposed to be good with their feet as well, and it comes to some sort of surprise that they actually are!
Shock top level player is good with a ball at his feet!
It's more to do with the fact that tall players (or, rather, tall strikers) are often seen as target men. When people think of tall strikers they think of players like Andy Carroll and Christian Benteke. It's kind of a stereotype. So when you have strikers like Peter Crouch who's good with the ball at his feet it seems to come as a surprise, or it's something that adds to them or sets them apart from other tall strikers. It elevates them because they have the benefit of being a tall striker and good at controlling the ball.
It's more to do with the fact that tall players (or, rather, tall strikers) are often seen as target men. When people think of tall strikers they think of players like Andy Carroll and Christian Benteke. It's kind of a stereotype. So when you have strikers like Peter Crouch who's good with the ball at his feet it seems to come as a surprise, or it's something that adds to them or sets them apart from other tall strikers. It elevates them because they have the benefit of being a tall striker and good at controlling the ball.
Klopp says this a lot, too. I kinda like it when he says it.
What if a footballer is around my height 5ft 2 are you saying they are not very good.
What if a footballer is around my height 5ft 2 are you saying they are not very good.
Yes. That's exactly what I'm saying.
*sigh*
I'm talking about why people say that about tall players have good feet "for a big guy", because of what people tend to think about tall players. I've said nothing about short players or that they have to be tall to be good.
It's more to do with the fact that tall players (or, rather, tall strikers) are often seen as target men. When people think of tall strikers they think of players like Andy Carroll and Christian Benteke. It's kind of a stereotype. So when you have strikers like Peter Crouch who's good with the ball at his feet it seems to come as a surprise, or it's something that adds to them or sets them apart from other tall strikers. It elevates them because they have the benefit of being a tall striker and good at controlling the ball.
I don't think it's just about how they're seen. Tall players actually aren't as good with the ball at their feet on average as their body type makes it more difficult. There are exceptions of course, but it's based on a general trend.
Shorter players have a low centre of gravity which helps them change direction more quickly with the ball at their feet.
Shorter players have shorter strides which again helps with changing direction. If they're mid-stride and need to pivot when dribbling they're going to be placing their foot down that bit quicker than a taller player would in precisely the same position so they could turn that bit earlier. The more times your feet touch ground when running, the more times you can change direction.
When kicking the ball, if a shorter player and tall player both take a full swing of their leg at the ball the shorter player is going to get the ball off quicker.
Again when kicking the ball, someone with longer legs may struggle to be quite as accurate as someone with shorter legs. When we use tools, if we're going for accuracy and preciseness we tend to use a smaller implement as they are easier to control.
Shorter players tend to have quicker acceleration too. After a bad first touch it may give them a better chance at recovering the ball.
One more thing on the tall vs. short - it takes longer for signals to go from the brain to the feet and back again the taller you are as there is more distance between the two. Those slower reaction times make it marginally more difficult for a taller player to be good with their feet.
One more thing on the tall vs. short - it takes longer for signals to go from the brain to the feet and back again the taller you are as there is more distance between the two. Those slower reaction times make it marginally more difficult for a taller player to be good with their feet.
I don't know how much longer, and it's only going to be a very small difference. As the advert says though, every little helps! We're definitely into realms of marginal gains when talking about that.
And if you google: taller people reaction times, it returns a number of results talking about the same thing.
Edit: Upon reading further results of that google search myself, there are actually few hits saying that it isn't true as well. Hmmmm. If it is true then even calling it a marginal gain as I did above would probably be too much, more like a micro gain. Perhaps we're talking about something like a 0.0001 improvement in reaction speed, but it still could be a real thing that could make a difference every so often between successfully controlling the ball or not.
Not personally I did play Midfield during PE lessons at school though, partly due to that was the only position appropriate when playing Netball against taller pupils so I stayed their generally not confuse others regardless of the game.
Particular irks: Anything that comes out of the mouths of Michael Owen or Robbie Savage. These two are by far and away the very, very worst people ever to be handed a microphone.
Sky Sports commentators who describe everything as "......... of the season". Footballer scores goal "That has to be the goal of the season." Footballer successfully passes ball twenty feet to another player in the same colour shirt "That has to be the pass of the season". Goalkeeper spreads himself in an exaggerated X body shape, whereby the ball hits him full in the face and goes for a corner "That has to be the save of the season".
These claims usually begin in August, when there still another 9 months of the season ahead for somebody else to make "The back pass / throw in / substitution / pre-match handshake, etc of the season".
Probably, it is something that is associated with him. He looks a bit clumsy but he actually does have good feet for a big guy, at least while he was at Liverpool. I think it's been said of Lukaku more recently.
Lukaku is very hit and miss when it comes to touch.
Zlatan - now there's a big guy who always looks comfortable on the ball.
Lucio was another stand-out skilful big guy that I remember. In fact, when the ball was at his feet it was the only time he didn't look awkard on the pitch.
As much as he was a bigoted blowhard, I did like some of Ron Atkinson's phrases.
"He must have been reading comics" (player tries something spectacular that doesn't come off) and "He'll do him for fun" (speedy/very skilful player against a slower one/less skilful one)
"potential"
"not quite the finished article yet"
"full of confidence at 18"
"top", "top top"
"not that sort of player"
"he gambled"
"hallowed turn"
"its more difficult to play against 10 men"
"want it more"
"park the bus"
and what annoys me most, is the use of pluralism for teams and players, as in:
"you have your man UnitedS, your LiverpoolS, your PogbaS"
The team may have had 5 clear chances that didn't go in, but if the first one had gone in then the series of events that lead the other chances would not have occurred.
Jamie Redknapp is a walking conveyor belt of phrases that should be banned.
I agree, his whole "Banter" act is embarrassing , the adverts he does where he is showing amateur players scoring great goals does my head in , i want to punch the screen when they come on
i was looking through the thread to see if someone had put this , i watch Soccer Saturday and they must use the phrase Worldy in every second sentence , it does my head in
This is the phrase that pisses me off about Soccer AM , in fact Soccer AM as a whole now is a football show just full of the same old phrases that are annoying
Comments
It's more to do with the fact that tall players (or, rather, tall strikers) are often seen as target men. When people think of tall strikers they think of players like Andy Carroll and Christian Benteke. It's kind of a stereotype. So when you have strikers like Peter Crouch who's good with the ball at his feet it seems to come as a surprise, or it's something that adds to them or sets them apart from other tall strikers. It elevates them because they have the benefit of being a tall striker and good at controlling the ball.
Klopp says this a lot, too. I kinda like it when he says it.
Ooh yes, 110%
There was one a couple of days ago talking of 150%. I thought that he's clearly not as committed as the 200%ers.
1) "the goals" (when referring to the goal frame / net at a singular end of the pitch)
2) "the gully"
This one was in favour for a while, but thankfully it seems to have died out a bit.
What if a footballer is around my height 5ft 2 are you saying they are not very good.
Yes. That's exactly what I'm saying.
*sigh*
I'm talking about why people say that about tall players have good feet "for a big guy", because of what people tend to think about tall players. I've said nothing about short players or that they have to be tall to be good.
That's exactly what he's saying.
EDIT: I got ninja'd.
I don't think it's just about how they're seen. Tall players actually aren't as good with the ball at their feet on average as their body type makes it more difficult. There are exceptions of course, but it's based on a general trend.
Shorter players have a low centre of gravity which helps them change direction more quickly with the ball at their feet.
Shorter players have shorter strides which again helps with changing direction. If they're mid-stride and need to pivot when dribbling they're going to be placing their foot down that bit quicker than a taller player would in precisely the same position so they could turn that bit earlier. The more times your feet touch ground when running, the more times you can change direction.
When kicking the ball, if a shorter player and tall player both take a full swing of their leg at the ball the shorter player is going to get the ball off quicker.
Again when kicking the ball, someone with longer legs may struggle to be quite as accurate as someone with shorter legs. When we use tools, if we're going for accuracy and preciseness we tend to use a smaller implement as they are easier to control.
Shorter players tend to have quicker acceleration too. After a bad first touch it may give them a better chance at recovering the ball.
Are you any good at fooball?
Really? How much longer?
I don't know how much longer, and it's only going to be a very small difference. As the advert says though, every little helps! We're definitely into realms of marginal gains when talking about that.
It's mentioned in this BBC article in the paragraph titled "Sports and Athletics" - http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20150928-tall-vs-small-which-is-it-better-to-be
And if you google: taller people reaction times, it returns a number of results talking about the same thing.
Edit: Upon reading further results of that google search myself, there are actually few hits saying that it isn't true as well. Hmmmm. If it is true then even calling it a marginal gain as I did above would probably be too much, more like a micro gain. Perhaps we're talking about something like a 0.0001 improvement in reaction speed, but it still could be a real thing that could make a difference every so often between successfully controlling the ball or not.
Not personally I did play Midfield during PE lessons at school though, partly due to that was the only position appropriate when playing Netball against taller pupils so I stayed their generally not confuse others regardless of the game.
Sky Sports commentators who describe everything as "......... of the season". Footballer scores goal "That has to be the goal of the season." Footballer successfully passes ball twenty feet to another player in the same colour shirt "That has to be the pass of the season". Goalkeeper spreads himself in an exaggerated X body shape, whereby the ball hits him full in the face and goes for a corner "That has to be the save of the season".
These claims usually begin in August, when there still another 9 months of the season ahead for somebody else to make "The back pass / throw in / substitution / pre-match handshake, etc of the season".
Lukaku is very hit and miss when it comes to touch.
Zlatan - now there's a big guy who always looks comfortable on the ball.
Lucio was another stand-out skilful big guy that I remember. In fact, when the ball was at his feet it was the only time he didn't look awkard on the pitch.
As much as he was a bigoted blowhard, I did like some of Ron Atkinson's phrases.
"He must have been reading comics" (player tries something spectacular that doesn't come off) and "He'll do him for fun" (speedy/very skilful player against a slower one/less skilful one)
It's Desmond.
That never gets said at all, and if it does, only by Geoffrey Boycott watching cricket.
You'll love this mate
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=entup0bSYjw
The team may have had 5 clear chances that didn't go in, but if the first one had gone in then the series of events that lead the other chances would not have occurred.
I agree, his whole "Banter" act is embarrassing , the adverts he does where he is showing amateur players scoring great goals does my head in , i want to punch the screen when they come on
This is the phrase that pisses me off about Soccer AM , in fact Soccer AM as a whole now is a football show just full of the same old phrases that are annoying