Finishing

CroJack

Key Player
I.

Thierry Henry:

Have a clear vision

“Know what you’re going to do. I like to open up and use my sidefoot to bang the ball into the bottom corner – no matter who I’m playing against, no matter what the situation is, that’s how I’m going to try to finish. This gives me confidence because I know what I’m going to do before I arrive in front of the goalkeeper. Obviously I can’t use this finish every time, but it helps to have it in my locker because I don’t have to think about it.”

Don’t panic

“Most strikers want to rush when they’re in the box, but that’s when you have all the time you want. And by that I mean football time. Obviously, you can’t be in there controlling the ball while chatting to your team-mates, but you have more time than you think. You have the ball, the defenders can’t touch you and you have an advantage over the goalkeeper. Stay calm, be confident and trust your ability to assess the situation and make the right decision.”

Freeze the goalkeeper

“You need to be able to toy with the goalkeeper. When they run out quickly to face me, they’re hoping that I don’t make them stop, because if you break their momentum, their dive won’t reach as far as if they do have momentum. Whenever a goalkeeper rushes out to meet me, I look at them to make them stop. Once I’ve frozen them, they suddenly realise, ‘Oh, it’s just you and me’, and by the time he thinks this, the ball is gone.”

Quick mind, quick feet

“The freezing technique works for defenders as well as goalkeepers. It enables you to work space for a shot on goal. A defender can think they’ve stopped you and then bang – in a flash, you’re away and you’ve scored. I was fortunate enough to be quick, but Robert Pires was the best player at doing this. He didn’t do any tricks but if you were one-on-one against him, you were in trouble because he could make you freeze; you’d lose your balance and momentum.”

Hard work pays off

“There’s no secret to my signature finish – just hard work. It wasn’t all down to natural ability; I had speed and a nose for goal, but everything else I worked at because you cannot achieve anything without training hard. After a training session I used to take out some mannequins and balls and ask the goalkeeper to stay. The only secret I know of is working hard – there’s nothing else. I know it’s a cliché, but it’s true.”

It's cool to be calm

“Brazilian Ronaldo embodied pure power, but he still had accuracy and vision and was able to handle the ball properly. These strengths enabled him to maximise his power. Being able to run at full speed while staying composed and avoiding people who are trying to kick you is not an easy thing to do. Brazilian Ronaldo could do all that and still deliver an end product. You can have all the physical strengths but you need to be able to get your head up, stay cool and choose the right option.”
 
Last edited:

CroJack

Key Player
II.

Sergio Aguero

“First and foremost, shoot hard and true. I always look to put it low or high, not in the middle, which will only help the keeper.

If your shot is low and powerful it’s difficult for the keeper to get down and save it. If it’s high, it’s out of his reach and he needs the agility to get off the ground to throw his body towards the ball.

Obviously you’re looking for the corners, too. I aim for just inside the post. It’s not enough to think that all you have to do is hit the target – the modern striker must do more. Also, I try to hit the post that’s furthest away from the keeper, because then he has a greater distance to cover.

If it’s on, take your shot early. This will surprise the keeper and the defenders. The keeper won’t have time to set himself and by the time he’s realised you’re shooting he’ll already be on the back foot, scrambling to react.

It sounds obvious, but you can’t underestimate the important of practice. You have to put in the work on the training ground.
 

CroJack

Key Player
III.

Alan Shearer

“The most important thing when hitting the ball with power is getting your head and knee over it to keep the shot down.

Striking through the ball with the laces generates power, but practise using the inside of your foot, the outside and the front, so you’re confident that in a one-on-one, you’ll be better than the keeper.

If you lean back, the ball will go miles over. If you get over it, you’ve got half a chance of scoring.

The key is to hit the target. You can have the best strike in the world, but if you’re off-target it’s not going in.

You’ve got a split-second to decide when in on goal and that’s what defines a great player: making the right decision and executing it.

Upper-body strength is needed to hold off defenders, and lower-body strength helps with balance and the power of your shot. I worked hard in the gym from age 16 to 22 and it served me well later in my career.”
 
Last edited:

CroJack

Key Player
IV.
Robbie Fowler

"One of the most important things about finishing is being clever. You’ve got to try to be intelligent in front of goal.

"Before you start thinking about finishing, you need to get your movement right. The better your runs off the ball, the more chances you’ll get, and in stronger positions to beat the goalkeeper.

"A lot of strikers panic when they get one-on-one with the keeper, and so they snatch at the chance. It’s imperative that you stay calm.

"In this position I would aim for the corners. Hitting it early can catch the keeper unawares, but if you do this and drive it down his throat, he’ll save it. Stay cool and aim for the corners and you’ll make it harder.

"To make this finish second nature you need to practise one-on-ones over and over again in training."
 

CroJack

Key Player
V.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

"Scoring goals inside the penalty area comes through instinct and knowing your team-mates. When David Beckham had the ball I knew he was going to cross it first time, so I’d sprint into the box.

You can work on timing your runs in training. It’s a case of repeat, repeat, repeat. It’s important you watch and play a lot of games so you know instinctively where the ball is going to land.

I often tell players to make certain runs and they don’t do it. Then the ball ends up exactly where I said it would. I tell them that’s because I’ve seen this game many times before. Football never changes too much.

It’s also important you position your body so you can finish first time if it lands at your feet. You must never take too many touches inside the area. At most you’ve got two touches.

One of my mantras is strikers must always be optimists, defenders must always be pessimists.You've got to anticipate, be on the front foot and be positive. Strikers should always be optimists and think the defender or goalkeeper is going to make a mistake.

The gaffer (Alex Ferguson) once said to me 'what's a striker's best friend in the box? It's space. Find space. Then if the ball comes to you, fantastic. Finish one or two touch, goal.'"
 

CroJack

Key Player
VI.
Frank Lampard

Get in the mind of a goalscorer

“Work like a striker, think like a striker and train like a striker. After the team training session, practise shooting some more.”

Timing is key

“The key element is arriving in the right place at the right time. You need stamina, talent and natural timing. I used to watch and learn from people like David Platt and Bryan Robson.”

Stay composed

“Composure is the most important thing. If you can stay calm you will finish with quality. The best finishers are very relaxed when they get a scoring opportunity.”

Talk to your team

“Communication is crucial. Work with your midfield partners to forge an understanding. Once you can rely on your team-mates in that way, you’ve got the freedom to do what you want.”

Aim low

Work on technique. Practise striking through the ball and keeping your head over it so that your shot stays low.
 
Last edited:

Yankee_Jack

Key Player
What exactly do we do in practice ... it's not finishing, it's not fitness, it's not passing, it's not crossing ... and it's definitely not taking corners.

I remember Brian Evans and Len Allchurch taking corners under Bentley .... they always, always got past the first man; they always planted it on the head of Nurse, Herbie Williams or Gwyther. Never, ever did we waste a corner the way our current lot does.
 

ivoralljack

Grizzled Veteran
Staff member
What exactly do we do in practice ... it's not finishing, it's not fitness, it's not passing, it's not crossing ... and it's definitely not taking corners.

I remember Brian Evans and Len Allchurch taking corners under Bentley .... they always, always got past the first man; they always planted it on the head of Nurse, Herbie Williams or Gwyther. Never, ever did we waste a corner the way our current lot does.
I've quoted the story a number of times when Len was on the same FAW coaching course as me. We used to do practice drills involving a passive defence where the winger crossed the ball into the box for the striker to head it past the keeper. We used to use the old heavy leather balls with a lace and Len used to cross it shouting "lace away" as he did so. The reason was that the raised lacing on the ball could rip your head open like a razor if it caught you badly. Thus Len reckoned to keep the lace facing away from your head when he crossed the ball. Promise you that's a true story. And I never once cut my head from a Lenny Allchurch cross. :love:
 

ivoralljack

Grizzled Veteran
Staff member
@ivoralljack ... it's amazing that Len could strike the ball in a way that prevented it from spinning. Our lot are just happy to strike the ball.
Yes, Len had amazing skill and the mind boggles at the thought of what he could do with the lightweight hi-tech footballs of today. Certainly in terms of striking/crossing a ball he was several classes above anyone we have in our team now.
 
Top Bottom