Tag
striker
A player, usually a striker, that’s all about the goals. The rest of their play doesn’t really matter, they might go all game with very few touches, but then appear at the right time in the box to score a goal. Shevchenko, Inzaghi, and Haaland are all great examples of goal machines that focused less on all round play and more on making the net bulge.
When Erling Haaland joined Manchester City in 2022 some wondered whether he could replicate the goals he’d scored at previous clubs. He could, smashing the Premier League goalscoring record with 36 goals in 35 games. He’s a goal machine.
A type of run-up that some players make when striking a penalty kick. Ronaldo perfected the stutter penalty. It offers greater control over the ball but loses out on the power of a long run-up, also playing mind games with the keeper, waiting until the last moment to strike the ball, hoping that the keeper dives first.
Did you see how many stutter penalties were missed In the 2026 World Cup? Even the very best players like Messi, Mbappé and Kane missed them. Just go and smash the ball as hard as possible!
A popular British idiom referring to a ball that has been booted far out of play, kicking the ball to Row Z in the stands. This could refer to a defender booting the ball to Row Z instead of finding a pass up field or a poor shot from a striker, completely missing the goal and shanking the ball into the stands.
There was a ‘banter’ chant for former West Ham, Brighton, and Fulham striker Bobby Zamora from opposition fans; “when you’re sat in Row Z and the ball hits your head, that’s Zamora!” to say how shit he was as a striker!
Defenders can't have eyes everywhere at once. A blindside run is a clever ploy by an attacking player to exploit this. It takes good timing to make the run at the correct time. Too early and the defender will see you, too late and the passing option is gone. Players like Aguero made a career out of blindside runs to deceive defenders.
Sergio Agüero was a master of the blindside run - he would position himself out of sight of the defender and sprint into the unmarked space in the box at the precise moment to exploit the defenders.