Liverpool FC Forum

by **Erica** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 12:11 pm

To score more goals, I suggest we paint the ball in a light green colour. I am sure the goalkeeper will have more difficulty in seeing the bloody ball.

by **Effes** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 12:14 pm

You sound like that Rupert bloke at Southampton

by **stoney** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 12:15 pm

If Simao comes this month, we'll have our specialist. Benfica seem very interested in recruiting wingers so he could be on his way.

by **72-1136150807** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 12:21 pm

Is that a FACT about Platini Azriahmad? I always thought it was Zola, or maybe that was just his time in Italy?

If so, you learn a new thing everyday!!

As for winning the league if we improve our free kicks, I'm sorry, but I dont buy it, I mean tell that to Newcastle United who had both Robert and Solano (who btw was taught how to take free kicks by a certain Maradona!!) and they have won NOTHING, not just the league, I mean NOTHING!!!

I am gonna see if I can find stats on league winners and number of free kicks scored, see if there is a relation between the two!

by **Effes** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 12:26 pm

redsince2001 wrote:Even if we can get someone who'll convert 50% it'll be good as i think our current conversion rate can't be more than 25%.Free kicks is the area that,atleast according to me, we need improve drastically if we are going to make a serious bid for the EPL crown.

I dont think any player has ever been able to convert 50% of their free-kicks.
As for we need one to seriously challenge for CL - pure nonsense.

by **azriahmad** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 12:35 pm

Hoodfella, I remembered Michel Platini's strike rate from freekicks in major tournaments, and amongst others, he topscored in Euro 1984 scoring 9 goals in 5 games from midfield and 3 or 4 were from freekicks (I can't remember exactly). Platini also scored a lot from penalties and was the top scorer at Juventus for some 2 or 3 seasons.

But alas, as normal in human sports, his powers waned by age and injuries and by the 1986 World Cup, he did not score from a freekick, and I don't really remember if the player of that tournament, Maradonna, scored directly from a freekick from his tally of 5 goals. Mexico's altitude hampered many freekick specialists in the 1986 World Cup.

Zola may have had a comparable freekick scoring rate but perhaps he may have not been so prominent as Platini as he did not feature a lot in major tournaments like Platini did.

Perhaps our best freekick taker was Gary Mac, who can bend over a wall and into the net better than our present free kick takers can.

by **Garymac** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 12:35 pm

Best free kick taker ive ever seen was Rivaldo in his Barcalona days, think 3 out of 4 always at least hit the target with the majority going in, Rivaldo in his Barca days was a joy to watch.

by **drummerphil** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 12:51 pm

zico was my favourite,hes managing Japan now.....i know lets bring him to Anfield for when we have a free kick.......what a bloody stupid thread.

by **Effes** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 12:53 pm

What about that free-kick we scored against Inter in 1965 Euro semi?
We should try that again - the best I've seen scored by LFC.

by **Scottbot** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 2:13 pm

While we're not blessed with the best dead-ball specialists in the world we do have several who can do a decent job of it. Gerrard has a few to his name (the one he scored against Pompey at Anfield last season sticks in the mind) Alonso scored one past Sunderland at home this season and both Riise and Hamman scored with crackers against Leverkusen last season. That's not so bad is it?

As for finding someone who can convert 50%! (Redsince2001) well i'm afraid that's madness. If you started supporting the club that year then i guess you were spoiled by several Gary.Mac masterclass strikes and expected us to score as many every year after!

For me, Beckham is the best Free-kick taker i have ever seen.

by **stmichael** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 2:15 pm

juninho at lyon has a ridiculously high conversion rate from free kicks. he's the best in the game today without any doubt.

by **JBG** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 2:21 pm

For as long as I have followed Liverpool I don't think we've ever had a proper specialist free kick taker. We often have had players who were good at taking frees, but not really a guy who would land you 4 or 5 goals a season from free kicks (which is a very good return: an "above 50% success rate" as suggested above is nonsense).

The best free kick takers I have seen in modern times (i.e. in the past 10 years) are Gianfranco Zola and David Beckham. When Zola was in Italy he had an incredible scoring rate from free kicks, weighing in with 7 or 8 a season at one point. Beckham is also consistently excellent from frees.

Roberto Carlos is also a myth, largely garned from his wondergoal in that French tournament in 1997. He actually has a very poor score rate from frees.

by **LFC #1** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 2:24 pm

stmichael wrote:juninho at lyon has a ridiculously high conversion rate from free kicks. he's the best in the game today without any doubt.

Sinisa Mihailjovic ain't bad either. But Juninho has to have the highest conversion rate going surely?

by **Judge** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 2:31 pm

this is not a bad read:pasted from site.

BBC Sport Online's Ian Hughes looks at some of the best free-kicks ever scored and the men who took them.
A free-kick expert can often prove one of the most devastating weapons in a team's armoury.

One well struck shot can bring ecstasy and despair in equal measure, changing the balance of a game in an instant.

Whether the ball is hit with vicious swerve, precisely placed, or driven with pure pace and power, an accurate strike can often leave a goalkeeper helpless.

Inches wide

The top exponents of the dead-ball art are revered by their fans and feared by the opposition.

On Monday evening Gary McAllister demonstrated how one swing of a boot can prove so decisive.

McAllister celebrates his 44-yard strike

The Merseyside derby between Liverpool and Everton was finely balanced at 2-2 as McAllister stepped up to take a free-kick from 44 yards in the 94th minute.

His curling, long-range effort evaded the keeper, and went inches inside the right-hand post to claim victory.

Everton supporters were left forlorn, while Livepool's fans were sent into a frenzy.

The realm of the free-kick specialist is not exclusively the domain of forwards.

One of the most respected and feared strikers of a stationary ball is Brazilian defender Roberto Carlos.

He is widely recognised as executing the greatest free-kick of all time against France in 1997's Le Tournoi.

Carlos began his run-up from the centre-circle before cracking a phenomenal 40 yard free-kick.

France goalkeeper Fabien Barthez stood helpless as the incredible swerve and speed of the shot deceived him.

Carlos: The best free-kick taker in the World?

It looked as though the effort was headed for the corner flag, but the spin placed on the ball by the outside of Carlos' boot swung the ball back and off the post into the goal.

Another defender who was prolific in his dead-ball endeavours was Holland's Ronald Koeman, as England fans will remember.

It was his strike in a World Cup qualifying match that helped to ensure England failed to qualify for the 1994 finals.

The goal was controversial as the Dutch sweeper had earlier been guilty of a professional foul and was fortunate not to have been sent off.

But when presented with an opportunity to take the lead, he held his nerve and he floated a dipping free-kick into the top corner.

Skill under stress

A late Dennis Bergkamp strike sealed England's fate, but it is Koeman's free-kick that made the headlines.

It is in these crucial moments, when there is much at stake, when a truly great free-kick artist produces his best.

And so it was, when in 1991, Paul Gascoigne scored one of the most memorable goals ever witnessed at Wembley.

There can hardly be a more pressurised environment than a Spurs v Arsenal FA Cup semi-final, and yet Gazza graced the stage with a stunning strike.

His curling, dipping free-kick arrowed into the top corner, beating England international keeper David Seaman from 35 yards.

It provided the platform for Tottenham to go on to record a 3-1 victory, and later win the Final against Nottingham Forest.

Few can strike a ball better than Beckham

There are few players in the world who can strike a ball as cleanly and accurately as Manchester United's David Beckham.

Generally regarded as the best crosser of a ball in the world, he is also regularly the scorer of a delightful free-kick.

In the World Cup Finals of 1998, it was inevitable that Beckham would score his first England goal with a dead-ball strike.

Beckham wrapped his foot around the ball in his trademark style, generating tremendous swerve to leave the Colombian goalkeeper stranded.

The goal gave England a 2-0 lead, and helped them to qualify for the next stage of the Finals.

As defences become increasingly meaner, and when chances in open play are scarce, teams who contain a free-kick specialist in their ranks always stand a chance.

Liverpool fans will certainly agree after McAllister's winner.

by **72-1136150807** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 2:33 pm

azriahmad wrote:Hoodfella, I remembered Michel Platini's strike rate from freekicks in major tournaments, and amongst others, he topscored in Euro 1984 scoring 9 goals in 5 games from midfield and 3 or 4 were from freekicks (I can't remember exactly). Platini also scored a lot from penalties and was the top scorer at Juventus for some 2 or 3 seasons.

But alas, as normal in human sports, his powers waned by age and injuries and by the 1986 World Cup, he did not score from a freekick, and I don't really remember if the player of that tournament, Maradonna, scored directly from a freekick from his tally of 5 goals. Mexico's altitude hampered many freekick specialists in the 1986 World Cup.

Zola may have had a comparable freekick scoring rate but perhaps he may have not been so prominent as Platini as he did not feature a lot in major tournaments like Platini did.

Perhaps our best freekick taker was Gary Mac, who can bend over a wall and into the net better than our present free kick takers can.

Cheers Ariahmad, I see you are just taking it on major championships, which is fair enough, I just thought you meant for the whole career. TBH it would be great to know of peoples free kick ratios, and who has had the best ever!

As for the best I have seen:
It would have to be Mr. Zola. I mean he (along with Nobby Solano) learnt from the best, and well it showed didnt it?

Also he did have the record in Italy, this is what I found on it:

'Plucked at the age of 23 from the obscurity of Torres in Italy's Serie B to act as Diego Maradona's understudy at Napoli, he became known in Italy for his free-kicks. Indeed, he held the record for free-kick goals in Serie A until his record was broken by Sinisa Milhailjovic* in 1999-2000. Zola went on to play for Parma and made 35 appearances for Italy'.

*Though he might just be the most vile man to ever wear a football shirt in the history of the beautiful game, Mihailjovic, does have a seriously powerful and accurate free kick....and pushes Juninho for best current free kick taker in Europe.

Also worth a mention IMO is Ascunciao (SP?...Sabre clear that up for me...the Real Betis player!!), top quality free kick taker too.

Liverpool FC Forum

We need a speialist from free kicks. - Gerrard and alonso not good enough.

We need a speialist from free kicks. - Gerrard and alonso not good enough.

Who is online