Shouldn't all pro footballers be dead-ball experts?

Thinking about how we've struggled to find the back of the net recently without the help of Hourihane, it occurred to me that if you're a professional footballer you should be able to kick a dead ball with the general trajectory and destination that you want. It's almost certainly not restricted to our club, but using us as an example, why is it that nobody else has taken the mantle from Hourihane in his absence and belted in a free-kick, cross or corner that's led to a goal? He's contributed so much because he takes the free kicks and corners normally and that's probably because he's the best at the club at doing so, but why should that mean that the others are so ineffective at it? Is he the only one who practices it in training?

The dead ball to me, seems like the easiest kind of ball to direct and has, in my own measly Sunday league career, led to the most success in front of goal because of the relative ease with which it can be directed towards the intended target.

 

Its like when they say about a goalie being a... good shot stopper... well derr !!!!

 

I think you've answered your own question there. They can all kick a dead ball with the general trajectory and destination they want. They can't all consistently put it on a six pence.

 

has anyone ever one seen a living ball?

hth

 

And with both feet.

 

Does Benjamin fall into that category?

 

Neither can hourihane to be honest. Some of hisnset pieces have been absolutely awful, some have been average and some have been excellent. A bit like his shooting.

The difference with his shooting for example is down to numbers. Other players take one shot every two games so they might get one in 3 on target and one in 10 goes in but that's only 2 or 3 a year. Wabara, Pearson scowen, Harris etc. Hourihane isn't scared to hit 5 or 6 a game so with one in 10 going in its one every two weeks. Obviously natural ability plays a part too but confidence to shoot can't be underestimated.

As for free kicks its again partly down to numbers but a huge part of it isn't that his freekicks are perfect its that he's got a great understanding with other players like nyatanga. When he takes a free kick they know where it should land and they're putting effort in to getting there at the right time, its an understanding that can't be underplayed.

 

I'm sure Nyatanga and co make the same runs whoever is taking the kick so it is down to CHs consistency.

 

But his freekicks aren't consistent, some are wildly inaccurate. I think a lot of it is down to the partnership but that isn't taking anything away from him at all because he's vital to that partnership. He hits the balls at a different pace and angle to the likes of smith or Harris so yeah the ball lands in the same place but the timing and angle of attack is off when anyone else does it

 

That is all down to his delivery surely? Pace, angle etc.

Agree that if the attacking players are tuned into his delivery then there is a partnership there. But that's developed because of his consistent delivery, so they can consistently time/angle their runs to match.

He does get some wrong admittedly, no one claims he's perfect, but he is consistent (or more so than any other player).

 

Let's not forget there was a time in the recent past where Barnsley saw fit to employ a young man called Tom Kennedy to take our free kicks and corners..... That went well....

 

They were dark days.

You might as well give up when Tom Kennedy's your best bet at set pieces

 

I think most players can put a ball in the box but getting the right pace & height it must be hard as there's few players that do it well.

Big clubs struggle as well. I remember Gerrard been out injured for Liverpool & the set pieces were dire without him & that side was full of internationals earning a fortune

 

They'll all be able to take a decent free kick. Thing is with football, doing something well doesn't automatically result in a goal because the opposition line up a defence to stop you scoring. Sometimes you get a bit of luck with a set piece, but to score as regularly as we do from set pieces the bloke who takes it has to be one of the very best at it.

100 metre runners are all sprint experts. They're all very, very good at it. 99% of them rarely win a race.

You might be the best sprinter in your country. The best your country has ever had and hold the national record. You might even be the best on your continent, but when you get to the olympics, Usain Bolt beats you by half a second.

At a professional level, being very good at something matters not a bit because the competition is so great. You've got to be excellent or you don't shine. If you're not one of the best then in sprinting someone will beat you and in football a defender will clear your free kick.

 

Another thing that seems to have vanished are the players who could put a ball THROUGH a wall, remember in the seventies when the likes of Peter Lorimer and Ray Stewart were lining up a free quick , you could see the players in the wall flinching and twitching it wasn't unusual to see them get out of the way altogether!