The View From South Texas -- FFC v. Blackburn Rovers

[Snibbo]

my personal nomination would be Baird - 

Dunno. Seems like Bairdinho strikes the ball well in training, but his frequent free kicks since Stoke, have been very underwhelming. Can't think of one that's even gone close.  So I'm not sure I'd trust him with a penalty. AJ used to be a good penalty taker (saw him slot one away over here a few years ago against Melbourne Victory).  Bobby clearly hasn't lost any confidence, so I reckon he'll be taking them in Danny's absence from now on.

But a pen's hugely different to a free kick isn't it? For a start it's always taken from the same place, plus you don't have a wall running at you. Might be a bit simplistic but if you can learn to get it just inside the post, you'll score 9 times out of 10.

Well if it was that easy, nobody would ever miss one would they?  Murphy is one of the few penalty takers who does consistently put it just inside the post.  Zamora still stuck it down the middle, even though, apparently, he had seen the keeper going to the keeper's left.

I wouldn't trust Bairdinho with a pen, because, under pressure, he doesn't consistently put the ball where he wants it to go. And that's what you've got to do with a pen. The pressure is huge.

Of course it's not that easy, my line was a simplification. But if you watch, for instance, Germany, or German sides in Europe, in penalty shoot-outs, the large majority of them score by putting the ball in a place the keeper simply isn't going to be able to reach. Baird doesn't always put the ball where he wants but that's an entirely different form of pressure isn't it? He's got strikers cutting down his space and angles as he plays the moving ball, whereas here we're talking about a stationary ball with only one man to beat, who isn't supposed to move forward at all. I do believe getting penalties right is a matter of practising putting the ball in the right place until you hit that spot 10 times out of 10. Forget the flash little dinks, even the pile drivers à la Julian Dicks etc.

It wouldn't need to be Baird, though equally there's no real reason why strikers generally get to take pens. I'm trying to think of who else would be good - Salcido is still a bit hit and miss, the 2 Hs maybe, though perhaps with such a high centre of gravity it'd be harder to control. Sidders when he's back? Maybe. Duffer - who could have had a hattrick if he'd taken it - again maybe. Simon Davies, well good though he'd be the key criterion we're looking for here is that the player's on the pitch at the time. AJ might be a good shout, think he took all the ones he won at Palace, and had a pretty good record (can't remember exactly but close to 100%).

Balders, I'm referring to Baird's frequent recent free kicks. So he's hitting a stationary ball.  And from my recollection, they haven't been good. So I'd vote against him for penalties. AJ has the experience.  Davies a cool head.  With Bobby back, and bullying defenders, I suspect we'll have a few more pens before the season is out - I just hope Danny is on the field at the time, then we can (almost) relax. :003: