Lovebitesandeveryfing
Well-Known Member
Been thinking about Kev's penalty, and comparing it in my mind with Vardy's. Kev's was the penalty of a tired man. Not necessarily tired physically, but mentally jaded. He completely overthought it. He was going for the perfect penalty, into the side netting. You're twelve yards from the goal line. The goal is huge. You don't need to hit the perfect penalty. You truly don't.
I used to play quite a lot of squash. When I was up against someone who was approximately my level, and really pushing me on rallies, I would start to try to play the impossible shot. I didn't have to, but I felt I'd been backed into that corner. More often than not, I lost the point.I was trying to do something I couldn't do, and didn't need to do. It hardly needs pointing out that there's no meaningful comparison between my level in that sport and his in his, except, I believe on that one point, as it happened on Saturday.
Vardy stepped up, not a care in the world, and hit it hard. If you hit it hard, and more or less into the top right or left hand corner, it will go in far more often than not. Even if the keeper guesses right, and goes the right way, he may get a hand on it, but sheer power will push him aside. Vardy was focussed, and relaxed. The two together is what you want. Kev is a very reliable penalty taker, and I'd probably choose him over anyone else in the team, at this point. And that includes Sergio. But he looks jaded to me, and I really think he's played too much football for a number of months, now. I hope to god he doesn't play too much during the international “break”, and comes back refreshed, but I don't hold out too many hopes. He is a lovely player to watch, deeply satisfying when he's sharp and on his game. There is no player in our squad, or indeed in world football, who has a better 360° awareness of what's going on on the pitch. But he's also very good at trusting his instincts.
I used to play quite a lot of squash. When I was up against someone who was approximately my level, and really pushing me on rallies, I would start to try to play the impossible shot. I didn't have to, but I felt I'd been backed into that corner. More often than not, I lost the point.I was trying to do something I couldn't do, and didn't need to do. It hardly needs pointing out that there's no meaningful comparison between my level in that sport and his in his, except, I believe on that one point, as it happened on Saturday.
Vardy stepped up, not a care in the world, and hit it hard. If you hit it hard, and more or less into the top right or left hand corner, it will go in far more often than not. Even if the keeper guesses right, and goes the right way, he may get a hand on it, but sheer power will push him aside. Vardy was focussed, and relaxed. The two together is what you want. Kev is a very reliable penalty taker, and I'd probably choose him over anyone else in the team, at this point. And that includes Sergio. But he looks jaded to me, and I really think he's played too much football for a number of months, now. I hope to god he doesn't play too much during the international “break”, and comes back refreshed, but I don't hold out too many hopes. He is a lovely player to watch, deeply satisfying when he's sharp and on his game. There is no player in our squad, or indeed in world football, who has a better 360° awareness of what's going on on the pitch. But he's also very good at trusting his instincts.