Werner’s movement and workrate is phenomenal. His movement and pressing is really outstanding however he seems to lack confidence in front of goal at the moment.
Players who had/have incredible off the (ball?) movement.
- Thread starter Lord SInister
- Start date
Cole’s movement at actually creating space for other people was amazing.
Being caught offside 20 times in a game is probably not what I’d call good movement. Just for those who mentioned Inzaghi
Being caught offside 20 times in a game is probably not what I’d call good movement. Just for those who mentioned Inzaghi
Have to say I have been hugely impressed by Cavani’s movement. So much so that it’s made me really lament the death of the old school number 9 and made me realise just how much I used to love RVN
Wijnaldum and Roy Keane have/had excellent box to box off the ball movement. Saha too.
That’s a question that I ask myself very often. But Lukaku loves to hide in the box behind some defender only to complain to his teammate later that he didn’t make the pass. It’s one of the most annoying things about him.
For us Andy Cole.
He worked his socks off, ran the channels, linked up well with his teammates. Was a real pain for oppo defenders.
I loved the way he used to roll and spin off defenders before playing someone in or getting a shot off. Such a livewire.
Fergie on signing Cole
"They started defending deeper and i felt we needed someone with an electricity in and around the penalty box. That man was Andy Cole and it changed our attacking dramatically."
A proper number 9
Watching him live you got a better picture and appreciation of his off the ball movement and link-up play he did for the team..His work didnt go unnoticed by match going fans, so much so a majority still got behind him even when he had thoses dips in confidence in front of goal in those early years.
Chicharito was sharp as feck for us too. He'd make so many double runs where he'd run infront of the defender to catch his eye before sprinting behind. That kind of movement and anticipation made him the fox in the box player he was.
Players abroad i really admired was Gianluca Vialli at Juventus. He was a centre-forward but he could be deployed anywhere across the front 3. His work rate was amazing. When he played off the shoulder he used to make those bending runs before sprinting in behind all the time. Often his timing was impeccable. Very similar to Rashford's goal against an albeit non existent Sheffield United defence recently.
And Raul from Real Madrid. He was a slippery feck. Lad wasnt particulary fast, wasnt strong but his movement (and touch) was the sex.
He worked his socks off, ran the channels, linked up well with his teammates. Was a real pain for oppo defenders.
I loved the way he used to roll and spin off defenders before playing someone in or getting a shot off. Such a livewire.
Fergie on signing Cole
"They started defending deeper and i felt we needed someone with an electricity in and around the penalty box. That man was Andy Cole and it changed our attacking dramatically."
A proper number 9
Watching him live you got a better picture and appreciation of his off the ball movement and link-up play he did for the team..His work didnt go unnoticed by match going fans, so much so a majority still got behind him even when he had thoses dips in confidence in front of goal in those early years.
Chicharito was sharp as feck for us too. He'd make so many double runs where he'd run infront of the defender to catch his eye before sprinting behind. That kind of movement and anticipation made him the fox in the box player he was.
Players abroad i really admired was Gianluca Vialli at Juventus. He was a centre-forward but he could be deployed anywhere across the front 3. His work rate was amazing. When he played off the shoulder he used to make those bending runs before sprinting in behind all the time. Often his timing was impeccable. Very similar to Rashford's goal against an albeit non existent Sheffield United defence recently.
And Raul from Real Madrid. He was a slippery feck. Lad wasnt particulary fast, wasnt strong but his movement (and touch) was the sex.
Yeah, Ruud was ruthless. He was static for large parts of the game but his movement in and around the box was so efficient. Like all great strikers, he came alive when there was a sniff of a chance.
From the one that haven't been mentioned, Diego Milito and Pedro Rodriguez are among the best I've seen in recent-ish years — in that their movement was arguably their foremost asset. The former racked up outstanding goalscoring totals in less-than-stellar teams like Zaragoza or Genoa precisely because he has a knack for being in the right place at the right time...over and over again, much to the annoyance of the opposition. That aspect of his game is perfectly encapsulated in the opening goal vs. Bayern in the 2010 Champions League final — header down to Sneijder, and off he goes:
And the latter made a career out of being a supremely intelligent mover off the ball in a team full of ball-dominant players, which obviously made him a near-perfect foil for Messi in an attacking trident that was unmatched by even Neymar—Suárez—Messi as far as fluidity and synchronicity of movement is concerned. For him too, you can find a really good example from a Champions League final:
Sumptuous defense-splitting pass from Xavi, but take nothing away from Pedro's perceptiveness to envision/create a pocket behind Vidić and Evra. First player to score in the Super Cup, Supercopa de España, Champions League, Copa del Rey, La Liga and Club World Cup in one season — not bad for a cog-in-the-machine type.
And the latter made a career out of being a supremely intelligent mover off the ball in a team full of ball-dominant players, which obviously made him a near-perfect foil for Messi in an attacking trident that was unmatched by even Neymar—Suárez—Messi as far as fluidity and synchronicity of movement is concerned. For him too, you can find a really good example from a Champions League final:
Sumptuous defense-splitting pass from Xavi, but take nothing away from Pedro's perceptiveness to envision/create a pocket behind Vidić and Evra. First player to score in the Super Cup, Supercopa de España, Champions League, Copa del Rey, La Liga and Club World Cup in one season — not bad for a cog-in-the-machine type.
Pedro is a great shout.
No Vardy? 
There's a reason he's the oldest PL striker to win the Golden Boot.
There's a reason he's the oldest PL striker to win the Golden Boot.
Crespo
Some past greats not mentioned yet
Defenders
Ayala
Cannavaro
Rafa Marquez
All of them were great at intercepting passes. Ayala and Cannavaro don't measure more than 170-175 cm with Marquez being a bit taller than them. In spite of their lack of height and strength to wrestle with the Jan Kollers of the world they managed to steal the ball away more often than not.
Midfielders
Riquelme was a slow tortoise so he had to be great at finding space for himself - or creating it with a touch.
Ljungberg was very good at making runs into the space.
Reus is an underrated great. Even during his Mönchengladbach days he used to be able to get free with the keeper at will making a run from deep when Mike Hanke, Patrick Hermann and Raffael were playing up top.
Forwards
Miroslav Klose was good
Roy Makaay, nicknamed the phantom because of his ability to pop up out of nowhere, was great.
Luca Toni was the best of the trio.
Despite being quite slow, possessing awful technique and having a huge frame he always found the right spots in the box. The man won the Serie A top scorer award with Hellas Verona in 2014, a small club that had recently been promoted and placed 13th that year. Luca Toni was 38 at the time when he carried the team and scored 22 out of the teams 49 goals, the next two best scoring players scored 6 and 5 goals respectively. He was also the first player in 50+ years to score 30+ goals in the league (with Fiorentina in 2006)
Defenders
Ayala
Cannavaro
Rafa Marquez
All of them were great at intercepting passes. Ayala and Cannavaro don't measure more than 170-175 cm with Marquez being a bit taller than them. In spite of their lack of height and strength to wrestle with the Jan Kollers of the world they managed to steal the ball away more often than not.
Midfielders
Riquelme was a slow tortoise so he had to be great at finding space for himself - or creating it with a touch.
Ljungberg was very good at making runs into the space.
Reus is an underrated great. Even during his Mönchengladbach days he used to be able to get free with the keeper at will making a run from deep when Mike Hanke, Patrick Hermann and Raffael were playing up top.
Forwards
Miroslav Klose was good
Roy Makaay, nicknamed the phantom because of his ability to pop up out of nowhere, was great.
Luca Toni was the best of the trio.
Despite being quite slow, possessing awful technique and having a huge frame he always found the right spots in the box. The man won the Serie A top scorer award with Hellas Verona in 2014, a small club that had recently been promoted and placed 13th that year. Luca Toni was 38 at the time when he carried the team and scored 22 out of the teams 49 goals, the next two best scoring players scored 6 and 5 goals respectively. He was also the first player in 50+ years to score 30+ goals in the league (with Fiorentina in 2006)
Of the current players?
Thomas Müller.
Messi used to have absolutely exceptional off-the-ball movement, too, but nowadays he's just standing around in most of the games. It's actually sad to see.
Thomas Müller.
Messi used to have absolutely exceptional off-the-ball movement, too, but nowadays he's just standing around in most of the games. It's actually sad to see.
No David Silva? His runs into the channel for the cutback and tap-in was legendary. They worked that particular passing pattern to perfection. I think at one point in the PL it was nearly impossible to contain him.
Bruno
Cantona
Alan Shearer is really underrated in this respect, but he wasn’t as successful as he was just because he could hit a ball and had a good head on him.
He scored all types of goals because his movement was so good. He was slower after his injury and it was his anticipation and the timing of his movement and runs that led to so many of his goals.
He scored all types of goals because his movement was so good. He was slower after his injury and it was his anticipation and the timing of his movement and runs that led to so many of his goals.
Lineker and Owen both had fantastic off the ball movement, Owen for me had the best movement I have seen in the box.
Torres in his prime. Vardy.
Two on show in the Utd game today - Cavani and Vardy
Prime Rooney was also outstanding. Excellent at getting across the near post and also scored a lot of headers for a player on the short side for a CF because of his movement
Prime Rooney was also outstanding. Excellent at getting across the near post and also scored a lot of headers for a player on the short side for a CF because of his movement
Park Ji Sung, always on the move to get into space or create space for others. Must have been a nightmare to mark.