Crossing technique

[Nani Nana]

Always wondered why so few full-backs/wingers these days can cross well.

There was a time when Beckham, Zambrotta, Sagnol, ruled football with their crossing.

Not sure whether the move towards inverted wingers changed something? Or whether learning the technique to cross is something that difficult? What is so special about it that so few these days seem to master it?

 

[ClaytonBlackmoorLeftPeg]

Always wondered why so few full-backs/wingers these days can cross well.

There was a time when Beckham, Zambrotta, Sagnol, ruled football with their crossing.

Not sure whether the move towards inverted wingers changed something? Or whether learning the technique to cross is something that difficult? What is so special about it?

I think inverted wingers clearly had an effect. It used to be that you couldn’t find a left winger for love nor money. Now everyone plays as an inside forward on the left - and, it’s not just United, but right wingers are nearly extinct.

Having said all that, crossing as a basic skill seems to have become a lost art - just look at corners. Again, at Utd, we have some great players, but rarely can we actually put in a half decent corner.

 

[Bastian]

Always wondered why so few full-backs/wingers these days can cross well.

There was a time when Beckham, Zambrotta, Sagnol, ruled football with their crossing.

Not sure whether the move towards inverted wingers changed something? Or whether learning the technique to cross is something that difficult? What is so special about it that so few these days master it?

I don't think it's a lost art. I think it's mostly due to tactics and shape. Like you mention, inverted wingers wasn't the norm, but now is becoming the norm. For United we've not played with wingers in ages, and we've not had attacking full backs since Evra. Also, we've not had an authentic no 9 since RVP, good in the air and with their feet. Same goes for a lot of other clubs.

But there are decent crossers out there. They've just not played for us. That being said, Greenwood's cross to Bruno is one of the best crosses I've seen.

 

[Nani Nana]

Saw somewhere that Bayern averaged above 20 crosses per game in Champions League knockout stage.

The deed itself is very much alive but I cannot think of any player renowned for it. Attack-minded full-backs are praised for their athleticism or dribbling instead.

 

[Bastian]

Saw somewhere that Bayern averaged above 20 crosses per game in Champions League knockout stage.

The deed itself is very much alive but I cannot think of any player renowned for it. Attack-minded full-backs are praised for their athleticism or dribbling instead.

I'd say Robertson is very much praised for his crossing, as is Alexander-Arnold (though he is praised for everything attacking specific). Maybe the quality of crossing has diminished in the Premier League due to tactical setups, but I am only sure of it diminishing at United. And that applies to the corners too @ClaytonBlackmoorLeftPeg

Neither is a skill that's very hard (if you're a professional player devoted to your profession) to cultivate. Neville is a great example of this. Not a lot of talent, but he had a good cross in him.

 

[padr81]

On fullbacks, both of Liverpools are excellent crossers, TAA in particular. Mendy is a phenomenal crosser at City too, sadly he's rubbish at everything else.

In general though it comes down to wingers are more often than not inverted and fullbacks don't really get to the byline as often anymore, nor do any bar Liverpools really cross from deep like you'd see years ago. It was quite common to see fullbacks cross from the KDB area 10 yards or so inside the opposition half even 7 or 8 years ago. Only Liverpool really do it now. Everyone else tend to work the ball forward and cross from near the byline which fullbacks don't get to as often.

A lot of top teams don't really have big strikers these days either. Bayern have Lewa cross a lot because they have amazing players who are tall and can get on the end of them. Just the evolution of football really.with smaller strikers in general has seen them because less useful.

 

[MonkeysMagic]

Professionals footballers not being able to beat the defenders blocks or clear the first defender is criminally incompetent. Blaming tactics or attacking formation is almost superfluous when the ball never gets beyond the 18 yard line!

 

[TwoSheds]

Kimmich is a great crosser. De Bruyne too, albeit he's not a winger really. Lukaku is pretty good weirdly. I think there are plenty around, it's just not seen as the be all and end all any more.

 

[xonyo]

I don't think players now are worse crossers of the ball. They cross less so makes it look like they aren't good at it because they make fewer good crosses. I read an article on the Athletic a few months ago about Premier League 'failures' which looks at how failing to do something doesn't make a player bad at it. Alexander-Arnold, Kevin De Bruyne and Andy Robertson are all lauded as some of the best crossers in the world. But, all three featured in the top 5 for most unsuccessful crossers last year. They all attempt a lot of crosses too. Alexander-Arnold attempted 382 last year, De Bruyne 304 and only 8 players broke 200 attempts. I'm not sure the stats are available, but those of Beckham might look similar to this.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

The season after a fullback got the most PL assists ever is a strange time to bemoan the demise of quality crosses.

 

[Paxi]

I think it’s about timing, space, vision and overall attacking intelligence of the crosser.

I guess as a player, you want a second to look up and see where what’s in front of you. Judge where the striker is going to go and then cross it.

I used to play as winger and 10 and I guess it would translate to a higher level too. Obviously someone from Sunday league will need more time on the ball. Will have a worse % of successful crosses and in general worse decision making.

The same goes for top players though. Some players are pretty much brain dead and have no idea what they’re doing. Most of their crossing is just hit and hope.

 

[SirReginald]

For years we didn’t have a decent crosser of the ball. Willian was pretty bad at it, Hazard rarely even crossed, Oscar etc etc even on corners Willian and Hazard would regularly hit the first man.

As for our current team, Reece James has an amazing crossing ability and Ziyech has great out swinging crosses. The rest are neither good or bad.

I think everyone wanting to be a Ronaldo/Robben/Ribery has pretty much killed it. If your cutting inside you’re almost never in a position to cross unless the defender makes you turn back on yourself. But football has its flavors of the month and maybe this next decade will go back to natural wing play.

 

[Hoof the ball]

A lot of what is crossing now is essentially hard square passes along the floor. Over time coaches have realised that there's a greater level of accuracy squaring balls than crossing them high. For one thing, it's much more difficult to control a header than meet it on the ground. Another, it's easier to find a low hard pass across the box than make an accurate high cross. Now days it's about overlapping to create pull-backs and not traditional crossing situations. It's about doing more high-percentage plays.

 

[harms]

A lot of top teams don't really have big strikers these days either. Bayern have Lewa cross a lot because they have amazing players who are tall and can get on the end of them. Just the evolution of football really.with smaller strikers in general has seen them because less useful.

This one is key. Football is much more focused on pressing (as an attacking feature) & short interplay in front of the box. Even a team with the likes of De Bruyne (arguably the greatest crosser of the ball since Beckham himself) uses them differently – he's not trying to find a big man in the box but rather puts those fast balls in where the likes of Agüero/Sterling/Jesus can finish those with their feet.

The only big teams that use crossing regularly are Liverpool (much more in a City's fashion though) and Bayern – but the latter has Lewa & Müller up front. Generally crosses are too inefficient compared to other options.

Alves, Marcelo were brilliant crossers of the ball; Di Maria still is, Robertson and Mendy are very good, De Bruyne & Trent are simply amazing. Technique is not the issue, although nowadays crossing is a job either of a fullback or of a central midfielder peeling out wide.

 

[Andersons Dietician]

I would say there a few things. Tactically and also defenders are now a lot more athletic and more is done to prevent the space to exploit. Not many CF are also Duncan Ferguson or the likes and if you charge a defender or goalkeeper likely hood is you’ll give a foul.

Add in crosses are probably more likely to turn over possesion. I just think most teams are selective of when and how they cross and even then most probably prefer the cut back across the ground.

If a team is turned over quickly and there is space behind them I’m sure in those situations where defences aren’t set this would trigger the choice of more crosses in. We’ve seen it with United. Quick turn over or counter attack and crosses have been put in. Rashford vs Newcastle from James, Greenwood to Bruno.

Liverpool are the same. No point putting crosses in to a packed box if you know you’re CF is unlikely to beat the stacked defence.

 

[Haddock]

It goes unnoticed, but Cristiano Ronaldo (and Rooney) was and continues to be an exceptional crosser of a football with either foot when he is in wide spaces.

 

[ray24]

Crossing is pointless if there is no big target man in the penalty box to aim at.

 

[DWelbz19]

In general, it’s just a low % success tool, nothing to do with the quality of crosses. Generally speaking.

 

[JPRouve]

Surely people realize that the likes of Sagnol, Zambrotta, Cafu or Dani Alves were exceptions and not the norm among fullbacks? Fullbacks were for the most part defenders that could barely make difficult passes, as for wingers, there is plenty of them, they just happen that top level attackers are now asked to avoid low percentage chances which is why we have seen an increase in the amount of goals scored. Players like Sterling, Salah, Ronaldo or Messi are perfectly able to play as out and out wingers, they can beat defenders for fun and then pump the ball into the box but it's a waste of their abilities because they are elite goalscorers and it's considerably better to allow them to score more often than they would assist. Also the PL assists record in a season are held by two players that weren't traditional outside players in De Bruyne and Henry.


PS: It's also worth keeping in mind that Sagnol and Zambrotta stats were impressive within their era but by todays standards their assists rates would be low despite the fact that they are probably better crossers than anyone not named TAA.

 

[JJ12]

Crossing is pointless if there is no big target man in the penalty box to aim at.

Not if you are a good crosser

 

[Needham]

Balls have changed, less slow whip on them. Lot of crosses now come at players like shots.

 

[11101]

Contrary to popular belief, it's not that easy to accurately cross a modern ball on an 11 aside pitch, especially when under pressure. And even more especially when on your weaker foot as an inverted winger.

Plus, with the athleticism of modern centre backs and the way a lot of forwards are now, almost all crosses are easy pickings for the defending side.

It's not focused on the way it once was.

 

[Nani Nana]

Wide variety of explanations on offer.

Have to agree that crosses have low % success rates but inverted wingers cutting in and shooting from outside the box hardly that efficient too...

 

[Andersons Dietician]

Wide variety of explanations on offer.

Have to agree that crosses have low % success rates but inverted wingers cutting in and shooting from outside the box hardly that efficient too...

I don’t know I would say it’s pretty efficient as it opens up a lot of scoring options and I wouldn’t be surprised if on average most goals are now scored by these types of players.

 

[Web of Bissaka]

I think this is another of those "the good old days" thread.

There are still good number of good crossers. It's not like good crossers are over abundance in the past, it's still rare, not every top teams or even smaller teams have it.

 

[Chief123]

I think we were extremely spoilt with Beckham’s crossing. Everyone ever since has always been worse.

 

[VeevaVee]

Professionals footballers not being able to beat the defenders blocks or clear the first defender is criminally incompetent.

There’s a lot top level professional footballers are pretty incompetent at. They’re surprisingly poor with a football when you really think about it. There’s not much excuse for being able to put decent corners in, for example.