Crossing the ball

[lake district canary 4,836]

Max missed several opportunities to cross early tonight, often cutting back and slowing play down.  Contrast this with Quintilla who crosses at every opportunity.  We didn't have Quintilla tonight and you couldn't expect Sorensen to be able to be great at left back getting forwards, so we lacked any early crosses from anyone this match.  Max is still young of course and on his way to the top, but does he need to mix it up a bit more and be a bit more pro-active in getting crosses in a bit more often? 

There were times in this match where he ran on to a ball that was (imo) crying out to be crossed first time, but he didn't do it once. Would just like a bit more variety in delivery, to give the forwards a bit more of a chance.

 

[NFN FC 1,142]

Pinging crosses into Pukki doesn't really work. 

Unless it's super super early so he can run onto it. 

Quintilla's probably used to being in a team with a striker that can get on the end of a cross. When we play Hugill it's fine. 

Edited October 27, 2020 by NFN FC

[lake district canary 4,836]

Just now, NFN FC said:

Pinging crosses into Pukki doesn't really work. 

Unless it's super super early so he can run onto it. 

It's not just for Pukki though, it's about putting defences under pressure when they are not quite in position, you then get rebounds and other people around the box who can exploit the spaces.

[NFN FC 1,142]

Just now, lake district canary said:

It's not just for Pukki though, it's about putting defences under pressure when they are not quite in position, you then get rebounds and other people around the box who can exploit the spaces.

He should cross a bit more but if we were to ping crosses in we'd really be giving the ball to the opposition over and over again. 

The team really should be taking more shots earlier in the centre. Just shoot more! Makes more rebounds and deflections. 

[Capt. Pants 5,018]

Max needs to be improving his final ball in, it's been his weakness for a while and probably explains why nobody bought him. That said no point crossing to Pukki as he can't jump.

I'm more concerned with us constantly trying to walk the ball in.

[TheGunnShow 7,379]

Not every cross has to go in high. I accept that Pukki's not the best in the air, but he's excellent at getting across defenders. So hit some low raking crosses instead.

Prime example, the one we scored against Villa two seasons ago after 18 passes. Think it was Stiepi who hit a low skidder from near the corner flag, Pukki got across the defender and stuck it in at the near post.

[Thirsty Lizard 3,215]

9 minutes ago, TheGunnShow said:

Not every cross has to go in high. I accept that Pukki's not the best in the air, but he's excellent at getting across defenders. So hit some low raking crosses instead.

Prime example, the one we scored against Villa two seasons ago after 18 passes. Think it was Stiepi who hit a low skidder from near the corner flag, Pukki got across the defender and stuck it in at the near post.

It was Hernandez! 

[TheGunnShow 7,379]

54 minutes ago, Thirsty Lizard said:

It was Hernandez! 

Actually, I screwed up elsewhere. It was Rhodes who scored the one I was thinking of, but it was definitely Stiepermann who hit the cross!

[Jim Smith 2,611]

In general our final ball and decision making in the final third is appalling. We get in so many fantastic positions but work the keeper on such a small percentage of them due to poor decision making, crossing or finishing. 

[Aggy 944]

Percentages wise, how many crosses successfully find a teammate? And then how many successfully lead to a goal or even to getting a corner? How many times does it result in you losing the ball? 
 

There are times it needs to go in to the box, yes, but only when players are in good positions to improve those odds. Otherwise, keep it, retain possession and prod about for a better opening.

[lake district canary 4,836]

21 minutes ago, Jim Smith said:

In general our final ball and decision making in the final third is appalling. We get in so many fantastic positions but work the keeper on such a small percentage of them due to poor decision making, crossing or finishing. 

It is a small adjustment that needs to be made imo.  Just mix it up a bit, get the early cross in sometimes to keep the opposition guessing.  Watching our games it is clear that Quintilla will cross the ball at the earliest opportunity most of the time and Aarons will try and work the ball most  of the time.  A little variation in that would be a good thing.  Just mix it up a little bit more. 

 

[Capt. Pants 5,018]

Also Max was up against Rico Henry, who I thought was excellent and gave Max some rough old challenges.

[lake district canary 4,836]

Just now, Capt. Pants said:

Also Max was up against Rico Henry, who I thought was excellent and gave Max some rough old challenges.

All the more reason to mix it uo a bit more, crossing earlier sometimes. It was a bit too predictable.

[Dr Greenthumb 794]

9 hours ago, lake district canary said:

Max missed several opportunities to cross early tonight, often cutting back and slowing play down.  Contrast this with Quintilla who crosses at every opportunity.  We didn't have Quintilla tonight and you couldn't expect Sorensen to be able to be great at left back getting forwards, so we lacked any early crosses from anyone this match.  Max is still young of course and on his way to the top, but does he need to mix it up a bit more and be a bit more pro-active in getting crosses in a bit more often? 

There were times in this match where he ran on to a ball that was (imo) crying out to be crossed first time, but he didn't do it once. Would just like a bit more variety in delivery, to give the forwards a bit more of a chance.

 

Max has never been about that, he loves knocking it inside and I have noticed this season, he seems to like a shot from the corner of the area.

 

His one twos with Buendia are always excellent and they should (like you say) work on first time crosses from that situation.

[Hank shoots Skyler 2,094]

2 hours ago, Aggy said:

Percentages wise, how many crosses successfully find a teammate? And then how many successfully lead to a goal or even to getting a corner? How many times does it result in you losing the ball? 
 

There are times it needs to go in to the box, yes, but only when players are in good positions to improve those odds. Otherwise, keep it, retain possession and prod about for a better opening.

Percentages wise, how many times does dribbling into three defenders lead to a goal...

Of course often you don't win the cross, but the opponent are under pressure and there is a good chance the clearance will come back out to us as we will occupy the best places to retain possession. Pukki scored plenty of times in our champs winning campaign from low and accurate crosses - we just need to be willing to play it when the space is opened up.

I agree with Lakey, there were several times last night where we worked the space but then hesitated to put the ball in between the goalkeeper and the defenders. With Aarons and Buendia cutting inside on the right, Cantwell, Placheta both pretty non-existent and Sorenson uncomfortable on the left, we really lacked any width at times and it made the central areas very congested and difficult.

Our football is nice to watch at times but its like we only want to score the perfect goal - particularly as Lakey says without Quintilla being willing to get the ball into the box (I think that willingness actually creates a nice balance in our play between Aarons on the right and Quintilla on the left).

It seems we sometimes make it too easy for defenders as they can congest the central areas and wait for us to miscue a threaded pass or run straight into trouble. Sometimes you just need to bomb it in there and try to force something to happen - put their defenders in a difficult situation. We would never have scored had McLean not had that rather terrible pot shot after all.

Of course had Quintilla been in then I don't think we'd be having this conversation, it does however beg the question of why we only have one specialist LB in a packed 46 game season!

Edited October 28, 2020 by Hank shoots Skyler

[lake district canary 4,836]

Beckham had crossing to a fine art, you receive the ball in space and before the defence is organised, you put in a wicked cross, which either ends up on one of your players' head or foot or forces defenders to head the ball away where the loose ball can be picked up by another player, in a bit of space. I'm not talking about putting crosses in just for the sake of it, but utilising it as an attacking weapon at the optimum time.

It's too easy imo to think that crossing is not "percentage" football.....aimless crossing can be wasteful and predictable, but then so can not crossing the ball be wasteful and predictable.  Used properly the early low or high cross can be very effective. I almost hesitate to say this, but my big complaint with Snodgrass was that he rarely put in a first time cross, which meant every attack turned into a slow, predictable and usually fruitless task. 

Just add a bit of variation, otherwise we will just be too predictable.

 

[Fr. Chewy Louie 140]

22 minutes ago, lake district canary said:

 

Just add a bit of variation, otherwise we will just be too predictable.

 

Agree with this, I was thinking last night that even if leads to a turnover of possession, a few crosses and longer balls keep the opposition honest. If they know we're almost always going to cut inside, they can set up to stifle us in the middle more easily.

[Haus 267]

when we do cross it though, we dont do it well, Im not sure its playing to Max' strengths for example.   

[pete 372]

Crossing into the box is not exclusively to put the ball in the air.  On a few occasions max has got past the defender and put it in hard and low with some success.  Max is forever cutting back he should be encouraged to take defenders on.  Quintella can also change the way he delivers.  

[repman 755]

For all of Quintilla's crossing so far this season, I'm not sure he has put a ball in which was as good as the one Max did leading to the OG against Rotherham. I think we would be better off if when Quintilla was in the side he maybe play the ball back inside, or attempt to get to the byline, instead of the same whipped ball. If Hugill is in the side then it is a different proposition.

[Mr Angry 2,023]

Maybe he’s playing the way DF has asked him to play? 🤷🏼‍♂️

[lappinitup 629]

On 28/10/2020 at 10:24, lake district canary said:

my big complaint with Snodgrass was that he rarely put in a first time cross...

Just add a bit of variation, otherwise we will just be too predictable.

Predictable you pulled poor old Snoddy into it again Lakey.

[Number9 272]

20 minutes ago, lappinitup said:

Predictable you pulled poor old Snoddy into it again Lakey.

The way Rupp has been spinning to get onto his right foot reminded me of Snoddy stopping at the 18 yard line and spinning trying to get on his left foot. 

A defenders dream, plenty of time to get back and a predictable player to defend against.