I saw Nani's winning goal vs City in the community shield the other day - he made it look easy! Very pleasing to see it done well and it would be nice to see more. I think keepers stand up better these days.
It's probably a stats thing. Someone will be watching a load of video and if they find that shooting is typically more likely to result in a goal, that's how players will be coached.
Ronaldo is an anamoly and can't be used as proof that players no longer round goalkeepers as much as they used to. Even during his time, he was doing it more often, and with a much higher success rate, than anyone around.
I noticed in Ronaldo's video, he often got the goalkeepers hands around his legs.
In todays game I think alot of players would just dive, rather than finishing those chances.
I think in todays game forwards prefer hitting the ball earlier in a 1v1 not allowing a keeper to set themselves and try read what the next movement might be. R9 back in the day just loved dumping people on their arses.
Ronaldo is very overrated on here. Half his goals are just tap-ins into an empty net with the goalkeeper in no-mans land, as evidenced by the video in the OP
This is where I think the game has changed its shape because of the offside changes.
Because offside was the main defensive tactic, teams were always 'coming out' they were always pressing towards the halfway line. A defence splitting pass was a major attacking weapon, onside attacker going one way, defence pushing up in the other, space in behind (like 50 yards of it) forward has a long clear run on goal. You tend not to see that so much these days. Sweeper keepers weren't really a thing either, so he would stand & wait to be gone around on the edge of the box.
And yes, I think players do prefer to do the dink thing now.
Utd beat Newcastle 5-0 in 1984/85 season (it's on youtube) - 3 of the goals are scored from players going round the keeper. Olsen, Strachan & Remi Moses. None of them like I've just described though, obviously.
George Best vs. Chelsea when Chopper Harris tries to bring him down & there's a Hoddle one which is nice, because he runs from halfway & fools the keeper without touching the ball.
A lot of these clips here show players known for their skill on the ball, as well as being famous for their quick wits and invention, bluffing, bamboozling and outwitting the keeper. So has the modern game, with it's money and win at all costs mentality, slavish commitment to statistical analysis and the hard drilling of team systems in order to make the most out of the ever narrowing finer margins, perhaps had a dulling effect on a players natural imagination and playful instincts?
The likes of Baggio, Kanu, Ronaldo, Romario have a trickery to them that doesn't seem as common amongst the top players these days.
A lot of these clips here show players known for their skill on the ball, as well as being famous for their quick wits and invention, bluffing, bamboozling and outwitting the keeper. So has the modern game, with it's money and win at all costs mentality, slavish commitment to statistical analysis and the hard drilling of team systems in order to make the most out of the ever narrowing finer margins, perhaps had a dulling effect on a players natural imagination and playful instincts?
The likes of Baggio, Kanu, Ronaldo, Romario have a trickery to them that doesn't seem as common amongst the top players these days.
Is defences focusing on playing the offside trap not the main difference?
I’m sure you used to have failed offside attempts leaving strikers one-on-one in loads of time and space, which never happens now. You hardly even see strikers get one-on-ones these days.
This is where I think the game has changed its shape because of the offside changes.
Because offside was the main defensive tactic, teams were always 'coming out' they were always pressing towards the halfway line. A defence splitting pass was a major attacking weapon, onside attacker going one way, defence pushing up in the other, space in behind (like 50 yards of it) forward has a long clear run on goal. You tend not to see that so much these days. Sweeper keepers weren't really a thing either, so he would stand & wait to be gone around on the edge of the box.
And yes, I think players do prefer to do the dink thing now.
Utd beat Newcastle 5-0 in 1984/85 season (it's on youtube) - 3 of the goals are scored from players going round the keeper. Olsen, Strachan & Remi Moses. None of them like I've just described though, obviously.
George Best vs. Chelsea when Chopper Harris tries to bring him down & there's a Hoddle one which is nice, because he runs from halfway & fools the keeper without touching the ball.
Aye. The relaxation of the offside rule means a lot of deep or third man runs get tracked, whereas previously the lazy striker would rule everybody offside.
They weren't back in the day either. More often than not, a goalkeeper who kept his cool could get down at the forward's feet and grab the ball, if he was quick enough. I've seen goalies like Banks, Stepney, Clemence, and Jennings all rob forwards in a one-on-one. Mind you, I've seen George Best make mugs out of the best of them.
The later 2nd step is where I see many players fail. The usual cause of success is the first step -- how they beat the keeper, other than their finishing abilities.
More spaces there is, the easier.
The more and further keeper rush out, the more spaces there is.
Common method aka the lowest level is to kick the ball further than the keeper left or right, then the player would rush to the ball and try to kick it in. These isn't a good skill. Rushing doesn't help. Seen many players lose their composure, balance and aiming to finish it well. The further away it is, the tighter the angle, harder to finish. Better level of this is done by better players who have good ball control and dribbling skills but most importantly good finishing.
Argument can be made it's his weaker foot. Still a bad finish.
Ronaldo 9 method is a higher level of that one. We knew he's that good dribble past keepers with ease, ball control is insane, the distance traveled with the ball and angle of shooting are "controllable" so he gets to keep his composure. Finishing is too clinical. No problem if there are small nor wider spaces, or if the keeper have to rush out. Not a problem at all for him. Messi is that good at it. Other than the dribbling, ball control, agile, composure and finishing tools, it's the "eye" tool that helps a lot.
I think why CR doesn't do it too often eventhough he have most of the tool is he doesn't read defenders when dribbling, his eye is too focus on the ball. I mean Messi's dribbling game - he looks at how defenders challenging him, their body postures and their legs (there are direction and he goes the other way if that make sense). Ronaldo 9's style of dribbling is also like this - he looks at challenging defenders, his eyes is not totally on just the ball. Maybe it's natural instinct, no idea. Both of them look at how the keeper challenge, then round them easily. I've seen Sanchez tried this (he have good balance, composed, good dribbling skill, agile and good ball control and look at keeper), just not that consistent nor that good. Martial theoretically should be able to do this (composed, good ball control, balance, agile and I think he reads players when dribbling), but it does also need confidence and the balls to even try to pull it off.
Try to notice Ronaldo9's eyesight in the OP video.
Miss but the skill is clear. Notice he's looking at the surrounding to build up composure, just mistimed to finish it at the end.
Messi and CRonaldo. Many of these are not round keeper. Those moments that did, try to notice their eyesight -- Ronaldo does at times watch keepers when shooting, not when dribbling, while Messi at times during both.
Kanu's mastery level style after google, damn this guy is so good at it but not too famous. Notice his eye facing challengers and relax composure facing keeper. That towering confidence damn. Even a better master than R9, he makes it look so effortless but R9 makes it iconic. Not rushing it when facing the keeper is also useful.
A lot of these clips here show players known for their skill on the ball, as well as being famous for their quick wits and invention, bluffing, bamboozling and outwitting the keeper. So has the modern game, with it's money and win at all costs mentality, slavish commitment to statistical analysis and the hard drilling of team systems in order to make the most out of the ever narrowing finer margins, perhaps had a dulling effect on a players natural imagination and playful instincts?
The likes of Baggio, Kanu, Ronaldo, Romario have a trickery to them that doesn't seem as common amongst the top players these days.
Was just about to post something in a similar vein.
Seems like attackers these days are measured by other factors like workrate, holdup play, athleticism, etc. “Fox in the box” has become a perjorative term as it assumes the player does nothing outside of it. Pure skills in terms of definition, creativity and trickery do not seem to be a focus of coaches.
I think it is just the current generation of strikers. Hardly anyone who's got the skill set to do it. You need footwork, body feints, ball control and anticipation. Hardly any of the current strikers have these abilities. You'd need players like Henry, R9, Romario to do it but these kind of "street footballers" aren't very common currently. Don't know if it is coaching, tactical changes or simply a generation thing but the latest world class strikers were different types. Aubameyang would have the skill set to do it and from the top of my memory I believe I've seen him doing it quite a few times.