That Goal and That Pass

[filham]

No doubt about it that Kasami goal will be our goal of the season and probably the best goal he will ever score.

Let's also look at the pass , a high ball from Reither delivered from inside our half for a distance of some 30 yards, clearly a long ball. Now I would think big Sam at West Ham, with his long ball tactics in mind, will be be showing the clip to Carol and saying that is just the sort of thing I expect of you.

My point is that we spend most of the match playing a short sideways/ backwards passing game which for long, long periods fails to give us a shot on target then this long ball results in the most wonderful of goals. Should we not use the long ball more often, why is the long ball so frowned upon in modern football by the pundits.

[Holders]

Don't tell me that you think Pulis (or Sanchez) would be proud!

[filham]

Don't tell me that you think Pulis (or Sanchez) would be proud!

Any manager would be proud of that goal but those playing the long ball game will be the most envious.

[grandad]

It was the run from half way by Kasami who pointed to Reither where he wanted the ball. Reither pinpointed the pass to perfection.

[cmg]

There's an enormous difference between lumping the ball optimistically forward in the hope that John Fashanu or Andy Carrol can fight their way out of the marauding posse and get something on the ball, and the vision and precision needed to thread a 30yard ball through a defence to a player - or, more precicely, to the space into which a player will arrive at the same time as the ball.

It's the difference between Stoke City and Johnny Haynes (or in this case, Sascha Riether). Same distance - totally different philosophy; whole new level of skill.

[filham]

There's an enormous difference between lumping the ball optimistically forward in the hope that John Fashanu or Andy Carrol can fight their way out of the marauding posse and get something on the ball, and the vision and precision needed to thread a 30yard ball through a defence to a player - or, more precicely, to the space into which a player will arrive at the same time as the ball.

It's the difference between Stoke City and Johnny Haynes (or in this case, Sascha Riether). Same distance - totally different philosophy; whole new level of skill.

I don't think there is anything new about it we used to simply say play the ball into spaces and have players ready to run into those spaces but nowadays it is more and more short balls to feet.

So right, Haynes, Jezzard and Robson were at it all the time.

[Artful Dodger]

First half we were dreadful. We played enough hopeful long balls from defence during that first half when we couldn't pass through the midfield which made us look awful, it was just Kasami managed to turn a relatively hopeful ball in to an incredible goal. At best, most players would have taken the ball to the corner flag to keep possession at which point we would have passed back down the touchline to Reither and then back to Stek again. Like Ruiz's goal againt Cardiff, a couple of wonder goals shouldn't hide how bad we were in the first half.

[sunburywhite]

All the credit has gone to Kasami. Fair does it was a wonderful goal and my wife has yet to forgive my expletives repeated at the top of my voice three times as he hit the shot.

But.... a lot of credit should be gibvn to Reither who played a wonderful weighted ball into empty space

Kasami was lucky it all came together but he then made the most of his luck

[valdeingruo]

What i cant get over, aside the goal, is how Reither launches it and casually walks into a better postition.

[westcliff white]

for me a long ball is a ball made from the edge of or inside of your own area that takes you direct from one end to the other (this is ala, Pulis, Alladyce, Sanchex etc). Reither was just inside is own half so for me it is not the quintessential long ball that you are portraying it as, that is just my opinion so please don't shoot me down.

[tonynorton]

Modern day football needs all the above and getting the players to have the confidence to change styles as the game
Unfolds, as long as our over all tactic doesnt turn into longball game we should be happy we at least try and play the beautiful game

[Holders]

Don't tell me that you think Pulis (or Sanchez) would be proud!

Any manager would be proud of that goal but those playing the long ball game will be the most envious.

I was teasing really, it was an exquisite goal.

[Delboy]

It was the perfect ball into the channel, and Kas pointed to where he wanted the ball played, a far cry from the old Bolton, Stoke etc tactics of lumping the ball from either full back into the opposing penalty area hoping for a knock down or bad clearance to fall their way. Our cultured right back saw the channel open and calmly put the ball there, the rest is history as they say. COYW.

[filham]

for me a long ball is a ball made from the edge of or inside of your own area that takes you direct from one end to the other (this is ala, Pulis, Alladyce, Sanchex etc). Reither was just inside is own half so for me it is not the quintessential long ball that you are portraying it as, that is just my opinion so please don't shoot me down.

OK it was perhaps a 30yard forward pass into open space which is so different from all those short sideways and backward passes we seem to be obsessed with and which these days seem to be welcomed  by the purists.
Our build up is usually so complex and slow that when we do reach the last third of the field we face at least six defenders all comfortably positioned and able to deal with anything we can produce.

Reither's ball into space was so refreshingly old fashioned, lets have a few more of them.

[MJG]

It was the run from half way by Kasami who pointed to Reither where he wanted the ball. Reither pinpointed the pass to perfection.

This.

A log ball or direct football is a case of getting ball into the last third as quickly as possible.
Its not passing football its percentage football.
John Beck used to have advertising boards on both sides of the goal painted white so that a player had a channel to aim the ball at. dont worry about the player just get the ball down there.

Last Monday it was a quality pass to a player who saw the gap and pointed where he wanted it. nothing to do with a long ball.

[WhiteJC]