That pass from Styles - I just didn’t notice it yesterday

It’s a good ball into a good area but on another day the defender cuts it out and it looks like any other ball ball forward. Mcatee made the pass appear to be more special due to his finish but really it was the defender misjudging it that gave him the chance.

 

Yes all of that is true but I just wanted to highlight that this was no ordinary punt into space. Styles hit the ball in a special way that allowed it to stand up and invite the shot, rather than bounce and run away from the attacker. This is a skill that belongs higher up the leagues than us and if other clubs are looking at him they will have noticed it as well.

Of course if the defender had been quicker he might have made the interception but he wasn’t and we saw a very special goal.

 

It was a defensive error there’s no way he’s thinking if I hit it this way it will hold up so he can lob the keeper. It’s a pass I wouldn’t be surprised to see any pro player attempting tbh.

 

While that may be true, most goals have an element of "if the defender had done that differently" to them. It still doesn't diminish any good play from the attacking side. Also, McAtee said they'd been discussing scenarios like that in training, so there was definitely a large element of intent. So what if 4 out of 5 such balls get cut out, if one of them leads to a goalscoring opportunity?