Not letting the specialist free kick taker find his range

Raees

Pythagoras in Boots
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May 16, 2009
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Anyone else annoyed by Mata not letting Fernandes take the second free kick despite it clearly being in the range for Bruno and better for a right footed taker.

In fairness Mata has been on the receiving end too. I’ve noticed this is a long standing issue for United where we just don’t let a designated taker find his range in a game and keep having players who are clearly not that efficient all fight over taking it and not letting one player settle into a rhythm or feel for taking it. Even the best players sometimes need a few goes to find their radar.

Imagine Beckham having to fight it out each time with Giggsy standing over him giving him daggers... he would be far less effective.

I hope Ole just comes out and gives Bruno the set pieces and let’s him take it come rain or shine, he’s a specialist leave him to it.

At Liverpool TAA takes them all, at City you have KDB, at Barca you have Messi etc ...

Thoughts?
 
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Ole gives his opinion in training but mostly lets the players handle it on the pitch. I see nothing wrong with that tbh
 
Shane88 said:
We gave Rashford 6000 attempts before his fluke against Chelsea.
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I don’t consider him a specialist. Greenwood on the other hand barely gets a chance to take them when he starts.
 
mu4c_20le said:
Ole gives his opinion in training but mostly lets the players handle it on the pitch. I see nothing wrong with that tbh
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It’s lazy management. Set pieces are a key method of winning football matches, it shouldn’t be left to chance.
 
Bruno let him have it due to being new to the team. Won’t be happening next season.
 
Raees said:
Anyone else annoyed by Mata not letting Fernandes take the second free kick despite it clearly being in the range for Bruno and better for a right footed taker.

In fairness Mata has been on the receiving end too. I’ve noticed this is a long standing issue for United where we just don’t let a designated taker find his range in a game and keep having players who are clearly not that efficient all fight over taking it and not letting one player settle into a rhythm or feel for taking it. Even the best players sometimes need a few goes to find their radar.

I hope Ole just comes out and gives Bruno the set pieces and let’s him take it come rain or shine, he’s a specialist leave him to it.

At Liverpool TAA takes them all, at City you have KDB, at Barca you have Messi etc ...

Thoughts?
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Agree 100% and its fekin comical. Pure basics that any manager should be on top of. When Mata should take it...Fred does , When Fernandes should take it...Mata does. Pens were the same earlier in the season.
 
Raees said:
It’s lazy management. Set pieces are a key method of winning football matches, it shouldn’t be left to chance.
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I can see your point, but I also think Ole expects them to be mature adults. For example, Fred was allowed to take them vs Wolves because apparently he had done really well in training, sometimes the players have a 'feel' for it on the pitch and I guess he trusts them to make that decision themselves. If Bruno is hitting them consistently in training I'm sure no one will take it off him just because.
 
Raees said:
Anyone else annoyed by Mata not letting Fernandes take the second free kick despite it clearly being in the range for Bruno and better for a right footed taker.

In fairness Mata has been on the receiving end too. I’ve noticed this is a long standing issue for United where we just don’t let a designated taker find his range in a game and keep having players who are clearly not that efficient all fight over taking it and not letting one player settle into a rhythm or feel for taking it. Even the best players sometimes need a few goes to find their radar.

I hope Ole just comes out and gives Bruno the set pieces and let’s him take it come rain or shine, he’s a specialist leave him to it.

At Liverpool TAA takes them all, at City you have KDB, at Barca you have Messi etc ...

Thoughts?
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Completely agree. He fluffed the first one but this was a few yards further back. I feel he was better placed to take it. And as you say this isn’t the first time this season.

Should be Bruno then Mata and basically no one else. Fred may be good in training but it doesn’t matter if he can’t do it on the pitch.
 
Mata should have taken the first one that was closer to goal. Bruno obviously should have taken the second one.

We make odd choices
 
@Raees his first attempt was quite weak, id argue it’s quite good teamwork to acknowledge the first one wasn’t good enough and let the other one have a crack. Pretty confident Bruno would understand mata feeling he had more of a right to take it.

obviously he’s been whipping delicious crosses in during training and that’a why we immediately designated him our corner kick taker, im sure if he pings free kicks in regularly in training he’ll be on them frequently in game.
 
It's stupid for fans to weigh in on free kicks because we're not privy to what's going on in training. Player A might be your regular free kick taker but if Player B smashes in every one he takes for a week of training sessions, then it's the right decision for him to have a go in the match on Saturday, even if he ultimately misses it.

I do agree with the OP that within a single game players shouldn't be taking turns just to be 'fair', though. If Bruno is the right person to take the first he's the right person to take the second.
 
Been discussed many times. Direct freekicks near the box are completely neglected by the Ole and coaching staff. You can tell Mata was going to be the one taking it once he gave Bruno a light pat on the back. Seemed like he was begging Bruno to let him take it.
 
In some other clubs, I’ve seen the captain deciding who takes it.
 
As everything with this 'manager', it's clueless, directionless and completely below the leve lof our club.
 
Greedy from Mata. Wrong side for him too. Bruno should be grabbing the ball before the refs finished blowing his whistle from now on.
 
RedStarUnited said:
It was the same with a 'legendary' coach before him too.
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Excuse me, are we playing children's games or trying to discuss how this club/team should improve? The other guy was a clown, this one is incompetent.
 
Harsh on Mata as he has had a lot of free kicks taken away from him over the years, but in principle I agree. There should be a designated free kick taker.
 
No clear and strict instructions from the head coach?
'Go out there and have fun boys."
 
The best deadball specialist at the club Andreas Pereira never get's a look-in, just thought i'd put that out there.

I just wish we'd stop this nonsense(and we're not alone)of having the first man run over the ball, if anything that gives the keeper an advantage.
 
Class of 63 said:
The best deadball specialist at the club Andreas Pereira never get's a look-in, just thought i'd put that out there.

I just wish we'd stop this nonsense(and we're not alone)of having the first man run over the ball, if anything that gives the keeper an advantage.
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Since it seems that the players decide who takes it, anyone who doesn't have status in the dressing-room will have a hard time getting a shot at it.
 
Denis79 said:
Since it seems that the players decide who takes it, anyone who doesn't have status in the dressing-room will have a hard time getting a shot at it.
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Should be the best man for the job, whether he's a rookie, or a veteran of 500 matches. And the Manager/Coaches should make that decision, penalties are different, that's how the player feels at the time.

Dunno maybe Andreas doesn't practice any more, but it was his technique from free-kicks as much as anything that made it such a coup for United signing him as a 16 year old because every top team in Europe wanted him, and you don't lose that ability it unless it's underused.
 
Class of 63 said:
Should be the best man for the job, whether he's a rookie, or a veteran of 500 matches. And the Manager/Coaches should make that decision, penalties are different, that's how the player feels at the time.

Dunno maybe Andreas doesn't practice any more, but it was his technique from free-kicks as much as anything that made it such a coup for United signing him as a 16 year old because every top team in Europe wanted him, and you don't lose that ability it unless it's underused.
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Think he still has the skills and I agree the best option should take the free-kicks. Should be a tactical decision made by the coaches.
 
Denis79 said:
Think he still has the skills and I agree the best option should take the free-kicks. Should be a tactical decision made by the coaches.
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I always think you should have a specialist, and providing he's on the pitch he should take them, and part of the build up play should be focused on winning free-kicks in an area of the pitch your specialist specialises from, if it's a bit further out, as Paddy Crerand would say just get somebody with the hardest shot to just blooter it.

Edit: Blooter, not blutter
 
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Mata should have taken the first one and Bruno the second one. There is nothing wrong with couple of good set piece takers sharing the duties.

Even if Bruno is designated taker that doesn't mean he will take every free kick. This is just moaning for the sake of it. Players always discuss and share duties unless player is Ronaldo or Messi.

 
mu4c_20le said:
I can see your point, but I also think Ole expects them to be mature adults. For example, Fred was allowed to take them vs Wolves because apparently he had done really well in training, sometimes the players have a 'feel' for it on the pitch and I guess he trusts them to make that decision themselves. If Bruno is hitting them consistently in training I'm sure no one will take it off him just because.
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Even adults need management!
 
Brightonian said:
It's stupid for fans to weigh in on free kicks because we're not privy to what's going on in training. Player A might be your regular free kick taker but if Player B smashes in every one he takes for a week of training sessions, then it's the right decision for him to have a go in the match on Saturday, even if he ultimately misses it.

I do agree with the OP that within a single game players shouldn't be taking turns just to be 'fair', though. If Bruno is the right person to take the first he's the right person to take the second.
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We have been privy to the set piece cluster feck in 95% of our games for three last few years though.
 
Shane88 said:
We gave Rashford 6000 attempts before his fluke against Chelsea.
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And before that, it was in Ole’s first game where Rashford scored one against Cardiff. Which literally was 6000 attempts between the two free kicks.
 
We should just have a specific freekick taker for each scenario to be honest.

There will be someone in the team who is the best suited to take a free-kick from a certain position (edge of the box, further out, crossing positions etc) and that person should take it every single time.

It's pretty obvious stuff. Not doing this is basically playground rules.
 
Today in “how can we blame Ole for this”

Newsflash: SAF didn’t designate freekick takers either, and trusted the maturity of the players to make the right decision.
 
Class of 63 said:
I always think you should have a specialist, and providing he's on the pitch he should take them, and part of the build up play should be focused on winning free-kicks in an area of the pitch your specialist specialises from, if it's a bit further out, as Paddy Crerand would say just get somebody with the hardest shot to just blooter it.

Edit: Blooter, not blutter
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Agree, having a specialist also gives him dedicated time in training for set-pieces. We are treating it as if current form or confidence makes best taker, when in reality technique is the most important factor.
 
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mu4c_20le said:
I can see your point, but I also think Ole expects them to be mature adults. For example, Fred was allowed to take them vs Wolves because apparently he had done really well in training, sometimes the players have a 'feel' for it on the pitch and I guess he trusts them to make that decision themselves. If Bruno is hitting them consistently in training I'm sure no one will take it off him just because.
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The manager has to decide the set piece taker. Leaving to the players to decide is always a source of conflict, no matter how mature you expect them to be.
What do you do on the heat of the match, when both players want to take it? You flip a coin? You discuss it over tea?
 
It's so infuriating! Mata should have taken the first one last night, and Fernandes the second one. Against Wolves the other week late on, Mata should have taken it, not Fred. Pereira takes decent free kicks too. Surely, there should be a designated free kick taker for each part of the pitch that is within range of the goal.
 
I got annoyed by the pointless dummy stepover by Mata on Bruno's freekick. Just get the kicker to concentrate fully on the kick rather than have him need to time his run up to coincide with the dummy run that also blocks his vision for a second right before the kick. Looking back at clips of Bruno's previous freekick goals, and unsurprisingly, none of them involved these godawful dummies.
 
Le Red said:
The manager has to decide the set piece taker. Leaving to the players to decide is always a source of conflict, no matter how mature you expect them to be.
What do you do on the heat of the match, when both players want to take it? You flip a coin? You discuss it over tea?
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It’sthe dominant player who decides. Remember when Zlatan gave Pogba a free kick and was asked afterwards what they were talking about on the pitch:
"I said to Paul 'You better shoot in the goal, because this is the last free-kick I'll give you
 
It's clear as fecking day that Mata should take any free kick on the very edge of the box, and Bruno should take any free kick further away than that.

But we have a long, long history of letting shit free kick takers take them, at least if one of Bruno and Mata is taking them every time it's a damn sight better than the Nanis, Rashfords and Pogbas who score a wondergoal once and then miss another 30.
 
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