Introducing the most dangerous pass in football

[ad_1] A pointy, anxious consumption of breath, adopted by a spherical of applause that carries a combination of quiet admiration and, greater than something, reduction. On different events, it ends with supporters shaking their heads and asking why.

We're speaking concerning the crowd response to — and I’m borrowing this description from a colleague who's a daily at Stamford Bridge — “probably the most harmful move in soccer”.

It’s the quick, vertical ball from the goalkeeper to — usually, however not all the time — the midfield pivot, who's receiving below strain, again to objective and near their very own penalty space.

Exhibit A: Chelsea’s Robert Sanchez attempting, and failing, to move to Moises Caicedo towards Brighton earlier this season, when Carlos Baleba scored.

What a season Carlos is having! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/D7qC37kvwb

— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) September 29, 2024

It was a case of position reversal for Baleba towards Fulham when Alex Iwobi profited from a stray move from the Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen.

Forcing the error. 👊 pic.twitter.com/g0Jmd2O2LN

— Fulham Soccer Membership (@FulhamFC) December 6, 2024

As for Chelsea, they bought their very own again at Southampton, the place Noni Madueke learn Joe Lumley’s move (35 seconds onwards within the clip beneath) to Kyle Walker-Peters and arrange Christopher Nkunku for his or her second objective.

Tune into all of Wednesday night time's motion. 📺#CFC | #SOUCHE pic.twitter.com/zY3em5RMBA

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) December 5, 2024

Fulham? It’s a minor miracle they didn’t concede towards Newcastle when Bernd Leno signposted a move to Emile Smith Rowe and Newcastle’s gamers have been left shaking their heads in disbelief after Fabian Schar by some means failed to attain.

Brentford had a reprieve towards Ipswich, who have been perilously near serving a objective up on a plate to West Ham in October. A VAR offside name rescued Tottenham Hotspur’s Fraser Forster at Bournemouth, whose goalkeeper, Kepa Arrizabalaga, was fortunate that Gabriel Martinelli didn’t punish him for a unfastened straight ball towards Arsenal, which is the place Mads Hermansen handed Leicester and Harry Winks into bother (see beneath) in September.

As for Manchester United, the terrible objective they conceded towards Viktoria Plzen within the Europa League final week was one more instance.

The record goes on and on and, in some ways, offers gas for many who surprise why so many groups proceed to take such probabilities enjoying out from the again and specifically through the use of this kind of move.

There are in all probability just a few methods to reply that query. The very first thing to say is that, on a broader stage, the coaches that play this manner consider it makes way more sense to assault in a managed method, in possession, by a mixture of established ideas and rehearsed motion patterns, even when that results in the odd mistake, reasonably than tossing a coin and hoping it lands heads up — which is how they view knocking longer balls ahead.

The second level — and this shines by while you talk about among the incidents highlighted above with coaches who're proponents of this type of play – is that the execution of that bounce move near objective, taking within the decision-making round it, the positioning, and the motion and the timing, is the issue when it goes incorrect, not the move itself.

Third, it’s inevitable that the moments when it breaks down will get way more consideration than the nice passages of play.

Earlier than we have a look at some extra examples, it’s price declaring that some Premier League golf equipment — or possibly that needs to be ‘some Premier League managers and goalkeepers’ — have little or no inclination to play this sport of threat and reward. The goalkeepers at Bournemouth (Arrizabalaga went off-piste towards Arsenal), Crystal Palace, Everton, Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest specifically are inclined to play quick sideways passes in build-up or go lengthy.

In reality, even when the No 6 drops deep to obtain a vertical ball in area with no signal of any strain, the move is usually turned down by their goalkeepers. Beneath is Nottingham Forest’s Danilo, arms outstretched, asking for a ball he was by no means going to obtain from the goalkeeper, Matz Sels.

Newcastle’s Nick Pope does the identical (Bruno Guimaraes is declaring that Sandro Tonali is free beneath)…

… as does Everton’s Jordan Pickford.

That stated, Pickford bizarrely deviated from the script at Arsenal on Saturday. What adopted was a car-crash second between him and James Tarkowski, because the Everton goalkeeper bobbled a move that the centre-back struggled to regulate, encouraging Martinelli to press. The expressions on the faces of the 2 Everton gamers afterwards stated all of it.

Time to take a look at some passages of play that present the reward and never simply the danger, starting with Arsenal’s 1-1 draw at Chelsea in November.

Declan Rice is the participant to observe right here. He takes up a beginning place behind Nicolas Jackson, on the alternative facet to the free man (William Saliba) he desires to search out after Arsenal have provoked Chelsea’s press with a brief objective kick.

Cole Palmer makes the usual run (curved) for any participant main the press on this scenario, making an attempt to power the ball a technique. Jackson, in the meantime, is able to leap to Gabriel if David Raya returns the move.

Timing and understanding are completely key to what occurs subsequent. Rice waits till Palmer will get nearer to Raya after which runs on the blind facet of Jackson to obtain a mushy move in entrance of him that…

… he can play first time to Saliba, and Arsenal are out.

It's a sample you will note many times at Arsenal and elsewhere.

Beneath is an instance of Ryan Gravenberch doing the identical factor for Liverpool on the opening day at Ipswich.

Gravenberch is an fascinating participant to observe when receiving straight passes due to his distinctive capacity to take the ball below strain on the half-turn. Within the picture beneath, Chelsea’s Romeo Lavia is urgent him.

However Caoimhin Kelleher’s move is ‘protected facet’ (away from the place Lavia is approaching), and Gravenberch is a grasp of getting his physique between the opponent and the ball to guard and switch in a single movement.

Not solely are Arsenal and Liverpool retaining possession in these pictures, however they’re additionally taking opposition gamers out of the sport whereas constructing an assault.

Check out this instance of Manchester Metropolis enjoying out towards Liverpool at Anfield at the beginning of December. The picture that begins this part of play is outstanding and, in some ways, captures the trendy sport: Ruben Dias is enjoying one-versus-one towards Luis Diaz, 10 yards out, with no one in objective (Stefan Ortega is on the nook of the six-yard field, out of image).

As quickly as Dias passes to Ortega, Manuel Akanji is aware of he has to attach with the Metropolis goalkeeper. Cody Gakpo, circled on the left, is already anticipating the sample and getting ready to press Dias.

The pure factor for Akanji to do — and what occurs 99 instances out of 100 — can be to move to Dias.

Certainly, Mario Lemina did precisely that towards Liverpool in September. Salah learn him like a ebook however, uncharacteristically for him, shot large of an open objective.

Akanji, nonetheless, scanned previous to receiving from Ortega and, aided by Dias additionally pointing the place to play subsequent, recognised each the necessity and the chance for a special (and rather more progressive) move to Kyle Walker.

Because the Metropolis right-back travels ahead, a line of 4 Liverpool gamers are out of the sport.

However that’s Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester Metropolis, I hear you say. What about golf equipment exterior the normal ‘Large Six’?

Brentford are a captivating case research, partly due to their evolution below Thomas Frank. The share of lengthy passes from their goalkeepers has dropped by a 3rd in lower than two years. Moreover, the bounce move to play out has been used incessantly this season and except a mix-up towards Ipswich that went unpunished and a barely nervy second within the first half towards Chelsea on Sunday, it has labored extraordinarily nicely.

The instance beneath is from Brentford’s sport towards Villa and begins with Ethan Pinnock passing a objective kick to Mark Flekken. Vitaly Janelt’s clear method and sport intelligence actually stand out in these eventualities.

Within the picture beneath, Janelt has his proper hand outstretched, preaching calm and telling Flekken to attend as Ollie Watkins begins to make that acquainted curved run. Clearly, this passage of play asks loads of Flekken — or any goalkeeper. It’s not nearly being good with their toes; they should be calm, belief their team-mates, and make sensible selections in response to the opposition press.

When Watkins will get nearer, Janelt makes his transfer, arriving at tempo and operating off the again of John McGinn, who has his eyes on Flekken and Pinnock.

Youri Tielemans leaves Yehor Yarmoliuk and jumps, together with McGinn, to press Janelt. However the Brentford midfielder and Flekken have labored it completely and Nathan Collins is ‘out’.

Three Villa gamers have been bypassed as Collins drives ahead and…

… just a few seconds later, Yoane Wissa has the ball contained in the Villa half and Brentford have a four-versus-four assault.

The intuition is to say that the passages of play highlighted above look comparatively simple. In actuality, they require hours and hours of observe on the coaching floor in addition to gamers who've each the technical capacity and the psychological fortitude to deal with the ball in these conditions and cope with the group anxiousness. Certainly, that leads right into a query that soccer followers will usually ask about their group: are our gamers adequate to play this manner?

Let’s analyse some clips of the place it goes incorrect.

The clip beneath is from Manchester United’s sport towards Tottenham in September. Diogo Dalot, enjoying the position of auxiliary No 6, receives a straight move from Onana along with his again to objective. Each United centre-backs — Matthijs de Ligt and Lisandro Martinez — are greater than you'll count on on this state of affairs.

Usually, the move produced from the participant occupying Dalot’s place right here can be first time and with the left foot given the place Dejan Kulusevski is urgent. However Dalot takes a contact to regulate along with his proper foot…

… turns his complete physique round and passes along with his proper foot, too, permitting Kulusevski to get near blocking. That further contact additionally means Brennan Johnson is ready to press Martinez simpler (admittedly, Martinez’s lack of depth doesn’t assist).

Panicked, Martinez blindly helps the ball on…

… and Pedro Porro is now on the assault for Spurs.

Some coaches are much more detailed with their messages than others. They are going to discuss, for instance, concerning the significance of goalkeepers receiving the ball in a impartial place, in order that the opponent main the press doesn’t know which facet to leap and likewise discourage goalkeepers from making sweeping actions with their passes (image that awkward Pickford ball to Tarkowski at Arsenal) to forestall the ball arriving with a bounce or with spin on it.

In different phrases, finishing a move to a team-mate isn’t sufficient when enjoying out towards a press; it’s about giving the participant receiving the ball the absolute best alternative of constructing their subsequent motion good — in spite of everything, a number of passes will usually be required. It’s fascinating to listen to Liverpool gamers speaking about how their supervisor, Arne Slot, has stopped coaching classes as a result of passes haven't been performed to the again foot of the receiver.

The issue with one sloppy move is that it usually results in one other. Within the subsequent photograph, the Ipswich goalkeeper, Arijanet Muric, performs a ball round Tottenham’s Dominic Solanke utilizing the surface of his proper foot. It’s excessive threat and comes off, however the move isn’t simple for Sam Morsy to play first time and that contributes to the subsequent move being untidy…

… which finally ends up with Dara O’Shea leaping to attempt to get the ball below management and inspiring Spurs to press much more.

Ipswich are dedicated to enjoying out from the again below Kieran McKenna and their build-up includes loads of straight passes that they typically execute nicely — the montage beneath is from Saturday’s sport at Wolves.

McKenna — and this feels necessary for any coach who desires to play this manner — took time to elucidate his philosophy to the Ipswich followers to attempt to handle the apprehension that always builds in stadiums throughout these phases of play.

Away from house might be more difficult, although, and rival supporters will revel within the form of second that Ipswich endured at West Ham earlier within the season.

The very first thing that jumps out while you watch the passage beneath is the setup. In addition to being very near the penalty space, each of Ipswich’s defensive midfielders, Morsy and Kalvin Phillips, are marked from behind earlier than the objective kick and that looks like a pink flag.

Morsy is unable to reach at pace or on the blind facet of an opponent. As for Phillips, he makes the penalty space extra crowded by dropping inside and bringing Lucas Paqueta with him.

In reality, Phillips nearly will get in the best way of Morsy’s move…

… which finally ends up on the toes of Paqueta.

Amid a scene of chaos within the Ipswich penalty space, O’Shea clears off the road.

With regards to overcrowding, there have been 14 gamers (8 v 6) in a good area when Southampton tried to play out towards Villa this month (see the picture beneath). Southampton survived this one, however they conceded towards Liverpool in a not-dissimilar vogue and there was the Chelsea objective, too.

Watching Southampton this season, it was exhausting to keep away from the conclusion that neither Lumley nor Alex McCarthy, each of whom deputised for the injured Aaron Ramsdale, have been geared up to play Russell Martin’s model of soccer at this stage — and possibly they weren’t alone.

Clearly, there are occasions when the straight move isn’t on and the goalkeeper must undertake a extra pragmatic method. Fulham’s Sander Berge is pictured beneath signalling to Leno that he ought to miss him out and go excessive of Brighton’s aggressive press.

Getting caught in two minds might be the worst place for a goalkeeper to be in and that’s what occurred to Tottenham’s Guglielmo Vicario towards Brentford (beneath). It’s nearly as if Vicario is so programmed to play that straight move (it’s central to the best way Spurs construct up below their supervisor Ange Postecoglou) that he doesn’t recognise another. Fabio Carvalho capitalised on Vicario’s indecision however, to the Spurs goalkeeper’s credit score, he recovered and denied Bryan Mbeumo moments later.

Each Vicario and Forster, his deputy, have had their share of shut shaves this season, most just lately at Bournemouth a few weeks in the past, the place Kulusevski felt like a sitting duck for Tyler Adams when the straight move arrived.