Can you imagine......

M

Mountain Climber

Well-known member
....Stepping forward to take a penalty in front of a packed stadium and 60 million people watching. The hopes of the nation in your hands? No pressure there then. They will be other situations equally stressful no doubt, but I cannot think of a more nerve wracking situation now, except maybe trying to de fuse a bomb. A great footballer once said 'Hit the ball hard in the middle of the goal, as instinctively the keeper moves one side or the other'
 
TBH, I couldn't do it, it takes some bottle, as Roy Keane said you can practise as long as you want but it's nothing compared with the real thing

I admire the players who have the bottle to walk from the halfway line to take it, what must be going through their minds during those 20, 30 seconds to pick up & place the ball on the spot

The closest I could think of was my wedding speech, I practised & practised but when it came round & I stood up I frooze for a few seconds & my mouth went dry & thats nothing compared to what those players go through
 
Erimus74 said:
TBH, I couldn't do it, it takes some bottle, as Roy Keane said you can practise as long as you want but it's nothing compared with the real thing

I admire the players who have the bottle to walk from the halfway line to take it, what must be going through their minds during those 20, 30 seconds to pick up & place the ball on the spot

The closest I could think of was my wedding speech, I practised & practised but when it came round & I stood up I frooze for a few seconds & my mouth went dry & thats nothing compared to what those players go through
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My legs would be like jelly, and my stomach in my mouth. I just cannot imagine the pressure of having to score, and then missing!
 
Mountain Climber said:
My legs would be like jelly, and my stomach in my mouth. I just cannot imagine the pressure of having to score, and then missing!
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BoroFur said:
I felt nauseous just watching on the tv.
Can't imagine what those players were feeling, English & Italian.
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You must have to be mentally strong though, by the time I reached the box I would have convinced myself the goal had shrunk, the keeper was much bigger & I would miss & let everyone down

Your emotions must be going crazy
 
It takes some balls. I have to say that I really think footballers are making the art of taking a pen so much more complicated than it needs to be.

All these strange angled run ups and worse still stuttering runs. I mean Rashford didn't even look at the ball.... That's got to be so much harder?

I'm very 'old school' and just think do a Maguire and leather the fecker. I don't know why over the last couple of years we've seen more 'technical' pens.
 
Erimus74 said:
You must have to be mentally strong though, by the time I reached the box I would have convinced myself the goal had shrunk, the keeper was much bigger & I would miss & let everyone down

Your emotions must be going crazy
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When Southgate cuddled Saka he knew exactly what the poor lad was going through having been there himself in 1996. That is real empathy. I remember it myself as if it was last week.
 
S7DiscoDown said:
It takes some balls. I have to say that I really think footballers are making the art of taking a pen so much more complicated than it needs to be.

All these strange angled run ups and worse still stuttering runs. I mean Rashford didn't even look at the ball.... That's got to be so much harder?

I'm very 'old school' and just think to a Maguire and leather the fecker. I don't know why over the last couple of years we've seen more 'technical' pens.
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Maguire took the best one of the night, probably the best of the tournament, more impressive to me as he's a defender
 
S7DiscoDown said:
It takes some balls. I have to say that I really think footballers are making the art of taking a pen so much more complicated than it needs to be.

All these strange angled run ups and worse still stuttering runs. I mean Rashford didn't even look at the ball.... That's got to be so much harder?

I'm very 'old school' and just think do a Maguire and leather the fecker. I don't know why over the last couple of years we've seen more 'technical' pens.
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Those 'hop, skip, jump, and delay' penalties seem more risky to me. They are like short corners, they never seem to end well.
 
S7DiscoDown said:
It takes some balls. I have to say that I really think footballers are making the art of taking a pen so much more complicated than it needs to be.

All these strange angled run ups and worse still stuttering runs. I mean Rashford didn't even look at the ball.... That's got to be so much harder?

I'm very 'old school' and just think do a Maguire and leather the fecker. I don't know why over the last couple of years we've seen more 'technical' pens.
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Someone (possibly Shearer), said about the best penalties being struck hard and into the top corner. Apparently when it goes above the keepers eyeline its more difficult for them to react and save. Especially as keepers are usually half crouched so they can get down quickly if its struck to the bottom corners.

Having said all that, the best penalties are the ones that go in, even if they dribble down the middle and squirm under the keepers body.
 
theredrooster said:
Someone (possibly Shearer), said about the best penalties being struck hard and into the top corner. Apparently when it goes above the keepers eyeline its more difficult for them to react and save. Especially as keepers are usually half crouched so they can get down quickly if its struck to the bottom corners.

Having said all that, the best penalties are the ones that go in, even if they dribble down the middle and squirm under the keepers body.
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Yes I think it was Shearer.
 
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