Wingplay

[davud graham]

I don't like wingers that play on the wrong side of the pitch. Invariably with most modern day footballers they are very one footed and can only put decent crosses in with their good foot but because they are on the wrong side they have to cut back onto the good foot and the cross in is never as effective. It must do centre forwards heads in having to make a run then stop as the cross hasn't come in then try not to get caught offside whilst making another run as the winger runs around like a headless chicken.
Early crosses cause the most damage and I don't know why managers and players persist with it. The theory is that the winger can cut inside a have a shot but how often does that work (unless you're Thierry henry).

 

[MaBigTip]

I don't like wingers that play on the wrong side of the pitch. Invariably with most modern day footballers they are very one footed and can only put decent crosses in with their good foot but because they are on the wrong side they have to cut back onto the good foot and the cross in is never as effective. It must do centre forwards heads in having to make a run then stop as the cross hasn't come in then try not to get caught offside whilst making another run as the winger runs around like a headless chicken.
Early crosses cause the most damage and I don't know why managers and players persist with it. The theory is that the winger can cut inside a have a shot but how often does that work (unless you're Thierry henry).

Ribery, Robben, Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar, Depay, Hazard and so many more its scary. I enjoy that this was liked by an old timer too.

 

[Judge Jules]

You could count on the fingers of one hand the number of crosses those guys put in. They're wonderful players but they mostly don't play as wingers - they play as wide strikers coming infield and going for goal. If you pick a CF who needs crosses on which to thrive, you need a different approach. "Enjoy" that.

 

[cloggypop]

Old timers should look at them as an inside forward instead.

 

[davud graham]

Ribery, Robben, Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar, Depay, Hazard and so many more its scary. I enjoy that this was liked by an old timer too.

I'd hardly call Ronaldo , Messi or Hazard one footed either. I'm talking about players who don't cross with their bad foot because either they can't do it effectively or they have so little confidence about using it that they don't.

 

[Gerry_A_Trick]

I think crossing the ball, in the traditional sense of "getting to the byline and swinging one in", is essentially kicking the ball away.

 

[dmishra]

Crosses are a terribly inefficient way to build an attack. Inverted wingers and pacy, skilful forwards not only make for better viewing but are also far more efficient an attack than one based on classic wingers and a target man.

 

[davud graham]

I'm not advocating playing with wingers and a Target man as i realise that times have moved on from that but if you play someone as a winger then put the cross in early as you're more likely to score than from a delayed cross. Also crosses don't have to be to a target man at the back post. The better wingers put the ball in so called 'corridor of uncertainty' between the last defender and goalkeeper where you as likely to get an own goal as a tap in.
Mcmanaman used to do this when he was played as a winger for us. Valencia for Utd does a similar thing by beating the full back and driving it hard and low across the six yard box.

 

[6TimesaRed]

Generating discussion.. worthy of a new thread..

 

[gkmacca]

Remember when we signed Kewell and Ged immediately announced he was going to be moved to the right 'because he can cut in so well'? Typical. Yes, I love the early cross, and it's a bit sad that, over the past twenty years, the best players doing it for us have been defenders rather than wingers. Even when we do get players going down the wing, even their trickery is slow and aimless. With Sterling especially this season, when he takes the ball down the line, you know that after he's done the feints and stepovers he's just going to put in a hopeful cross close to the keeper.

 

[6TimesaRed]

The last decent winger we had was John Barnes..

Its sad how much football has changed..

Even Mcmoneyman used to cut inside... Ryan Babel on the wing used to do my head in..

Benayoun was useless at times when Rafa used to put him on the wing.. as he was predicatable and always cut inside.. Talented player though and he was heavily underused by Rafa in his favoured position.. Probably because he preferred Gerrard behind Torres

Man UTD success in the 90's came from wing play and early crosses.. they where the masters of it in the 90's...

 

[MaBigTip]

So, JJ and DG, you guys don't like Coutinho when he is on the left?

 

[RedStar]

The reason a winger trying to get to the byline and whip in a cross has died out is because its generally a shite tactic unless the defenders are way out of position or the cross is absolutely inch perfect. Even the direct corner into the box is dying out, its simply too easy to defend against. You might as well be asking why players dont have a steak and chips before the game any more

 

[davud graham]

So, JJ and DG, you guys don't like Coutinho when he is on the left?

Coutinho isn't a winger though is he and i don't ever remember us trying to play him as one.

 

[davud graham]

The reason a winger trying to get to the byline and whip in a cross has died out is because its generally a shite tactic unless the defenders are way out of position or the cross is absolutely inch perfect. Even the direct corner into the box is dying out, its simply too easy to defend against. You might as well be asking why players dont have a steak and chips before the game any more

That shite tactic works against us more often than i'd like as do direct corners. And i wasn't asking for us to play wingers or for more wingers to get games at other clubs merely stating that i don't like the ones who play on the wrong side. Finally to suggest that crosses aren't an acceptable tactic (at the right time not every time) is silly. Leighton Baines has the most premier league assists for a defender and i'd be very surprised if most of them weren't from the a wide position (even if he is a fullback) and again the vast majority of them crosses with his left foot.

 

[StevieM]

The reason a winger trying to get to the byline and whip in a cross has died out is because its generally a shite tactic unless the defenders are way out of position or the cross is absolutely inch perfect. Even the direct corner into the box is dying out, its simply too easy to defend against. You might as well be asking why players dont have a steak and chips before the game any more

Doesn't appear to be a shite tactic against our defence.

 

[Judge Jules]

Coutinho isn't a winger though is he and i don't ever remember us trying to play him as one.

This. In fairness he started a number of games from wide left when he first got into the side, but that doesn't make a player a winger if he doesn't stay playing wide (which Coutinho never did), besides which he hasn't been starting out wide for some time now anyway.

 

[Judge Jules]

The reason a winger trying to get to the byline and whip in a cross has died out is because its generally a shite tactic unless the defenders are way out of position or the cross is absolutely inch perfect. Even the direct corner into the box is dying out, its simply too easy to defend against. You might as well be asking why players dont have a steak and chips before the game any more

It's true that crosses in general aren't used as much nowadays, largely for the reasons you refer to, and like DG I'm not actually arguing that they should be used more. If you *are* going to send one in, though, I'd sooner see that done from the byline than floated in frontally straight at defenders, which is what happens when somebody knocks a cross in from the "wrong" wing.

 

[peterhague]

To me wide players are primarily there because it affords lots of chances to go one on one against a defender, and whenever he beats him that's a defender out of the game and an immediate chance to stretch a defence. Then he can either cross, shoot, take on another defender or make some kind of short pass into the box. The passing can probably be done equally well with both feet, and the shot, or threat of a shot, is IMO more effective than a cross, so generally I think it's better to go with inverted wide players. Also, I think the inverted winger finds it a bit easier to beat his man because the option of cutting inside is a more credible threat to the defender than if he was playing on his traditional side.