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Xavi Simons

My theory, totally without evidence btw, is this. It’s standard coaching practice for kids to be trained early on to improve their weaker foot.

However as they move up the age groups, competition gets so fierce and the jeopardy of not making it becomes real. So they double down on what they’re good at to get ahead.

They practice and practice and practice on improving their crossing, shooting, passing, control on their stronger foot because they simply want to look their best versions. There’s only so many hours in the day after all!

And by the time they break through, they’re back to being one footed again lol
 
RunTMC said:
My theory, totally without evidence btw, is this. It’s standard coaching practice for kids to be trained early on to improve their weaker foot.

However as they move up the age groups, competition gets so fierce and the jeopardy of not making it becomes real. So they double down on what they’re good at to get ahead.

They practice and practice and practice on improving their crossing, shooting, passing, control on their stronger foot because they simply want to look their best versions. There’s only so many hours in the day after all!

And by the time they break through, they’re back to being one footed again lol
Click to expand...

I think that's an excellent notion, fear of failure inhibits creativity and taking a chance with many players and teams.
 
RunTMC said:
My theory, totally without evidence btw, is this. It’s standard coaching practice for kids to be trained early on to improve their weaker foot.

However as they move up the age groups, competition gets so fierce and the jeopardy of not making it becomes real. So they double down on what they’re good at to get ahead.

They practice and practice and practice on improving their crossing, shooting, passing, control on their stronger foot because they simply want to look their best versions. There’s only so many hours in the day after all!

And by the time they break through, they’re back to being one footed again lol
Click to expand...

There is a lot of truth in that for sure, as someone who has coached through the FA we always try and do just that when they are young kids.

As you say though these kids are trying to be seen as a future prospect as they grow so they do tend to go back on their stronger side.

From my experience players/youngsters who are natuarlly two footed are hard to find.
 
Resurrecting this thread from page 3.

A very talented lad, but only gets 1 touch every 10 minutes.

Needs to come and get it or tell his colleagues to find him or do SOMETHING different.

Also, if he gets the ball near the box he needs to have a shot, not lay it off 2 yards to some centre back to shaft it into row Z.

The whole reason he is on the pitch, and his whole raison d'etre is to do something clever or ping it in the corner.
 
Bullet said:
Resurrecting this thread from page 3.

A very talented lad, but only gets 1 touch every 10 minutes.

Needs to come and get it or tell his colleagues to find him or do SOMETHING different.

Also, if he gets the ball near the box he needs to have a shot, not lay it off 2 yards to some centre back to shaft it into row Z.

The whole reason he is on the pitch, and his whole raison d'etre is to do something clever or ping it in the corner.
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It's strange, Last season Maddison was annoying all of us by dropping back and demanding the ball from the full backs, only to then playa short sideways pass that the full back would've played anyway. We all lambasted him and wanted him to push up where he could do some real damage and make things happen. It looks like Xavi has been instructed to take up that sort of attacking space but our build up play is so poor he's just not getting the ball much. I just dont think we can play Bentancur in there with Palhinha, But it's gonna be a long wait to see him linking up with either Kulusevski or Maddison though so we need to find a better solution. Maybe Gray?
 
dingdongo said:
It's strange, Last season Maddison was annoying all of us by dropping back and demanding the ball from the full backs, only to then playa short sideways pass that the full back would've played anyway. We all lambasted him and wanted him to push up where he could do some real damage and make things happen. It looks like Xavi has been instructed to take up that sort of attacking space but our build up play is so poor he's just not getting the ball much. I just dont think we can play Bentancur in there with Palhinha, But it's gonna be a long wait to see him linking up with either Kulusevski or Maddison though so we need to find a better solution. Maybe Gray?
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The axis of doom played 3 (THREE) passes to him all game and that was all by Bentacur
My mate says he is always in the wrong place but the fact they aren’t even attempting to pass to him shows a lot of limitations in the set up or the okayers

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This video shows both but obviously further up
 
Yeah I just watched Deeney's analysis of that moment on MotD2, thanks to your prompting
www.bbc.co.uk

Match of the Day - 2025/26: 19/10/2025

Mark Chapman presents highlights of Liverpool against Manchester United and Tottenham versus Aston Villa.
www.bbc.co.uk www.bbc.co.uk

Deeney is right, we have a 5 on 3 situation. Tel needs to pass first time inside, then Torres has to come across, and we can pass to Kudus unmarked. Instead, Tel fannies around and is tackled.

Edit - we had quite a few good situations that we just fannied around or fluffed or chopped back or laid it off to a defender, rather than simply putting in a quality ball ASAP.

I notice our goal came because Kudus was on the left, so he could swing a cross in with his left foot, which nobody else does. So maybe that is one solution, get Kudus left. Or maybe just change formation e.g. a big lad and a nippy lad up top, jumpers for goalposts.
 
Bullet said:
Yeah I just watched Deeney's analysis of that moment on MotD2, thanks to your prompting
www.bbc.co.uk

Match of the Day - 2025/26: 19/10/2025

Mark Chapman presents highlights of Liverpool against Manchester United and Tottenham versus Aston Villa.
www.bbc.co.uk www.bbc.co.uk

Deeney is right, we have a 5 on 3 situation. Tel needs to pass first time inside, then Torres has to come across, and we can pass to Kudus unmarked. Instead, Tel fannies around and is tackled.

Edit - we had quite a few good situations that we just fannied around or fluffed or chopped back or laid it off to a defender, rather than simply putting in a quality ball ASAP.

I notice our goal came because Kudus was on the left, so he could swing a cross in with his left foot, which nobody else does. So maybe that is one solution, get Kudus left. Or maybe just change formation e.g. a big lad and a nippy lad up top, jumpers for goalposts.
Click to expand...
There is always a solution
And Frank is a smart guy and flexible
He just needs to show that
I think having a run of away games is gonna help him now
 
totalspurs said:
Like I said before...I think he's trying too hard, he's joined a new club in a big league...he needs to score a goal. He'll settle once he has scored, but the longer he goes without scoring he'll over cook it by trying too hard and not playing his natural game.
Yeah I agree that playing on the left doesn't help him much, but I once he scores that first goal I don't think playing on the left will be so much of a problem.
Players like him crave the psychological Euphoria of chipping in a few goals to go with their natural instincts of creativity (think Eriksson). They love the adulation of being a special player. I think he's just trying too hard to impress at the moment.
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As I said before, I think he needs to score a goal, then we'll see him settle more, the longer it goes without him scoring the more pressure he will put on himself. He's young and it's a new league.
 
I was going to comment during the game but didn't, every time Paulinha had the ball and Xavi wanted it, he turned and passed to someone else. I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't pass him the ball once all game.
 
Yiddo said:
I was going to comment during the game but didn't, every time Paulinha had the ball and Xavi wanted it, he turned and passed to someone else. I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't pass him the ball once all game.
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He didn’t pass to him once
Bentacur passed it to him 3 times
 
Bishop said:
It shouldn't be the defence's job even when Romero is available. A midfield must have passing quality if it has any serious intentions on sustainable repeatable success.
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Fully agree
Just saying that no Romero shouldn’t mean no options anywhere
That’s pretty much what happens
No Romero so no one passing centrally
Toxic football because we shuffle it wide to the places with less space
 
Bedfordspurs said:
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Click to expand...

Says it all.

Hopefully the synergy builds, however the overall point is solid. We play too cautiously/in pattern. I think lacking personality is a big deal too, however it is obviously primarily a coaching thing. These players are simply not instinctively looking to attack/hit the pockets when in positons to potentially do so; and for a player like Xavi, who needs speed and intelligence around him, it is really unhelpful.
 
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thfcsteff said:
Says it all.

Hopefully the synergy buiulds, however the overall point is solid. We play too cautiously/in pattern. I think lacking personality is a big deal too, however it is obviously primarily a coaching thing. These players are simply not instinctively looking to attack/hit the pockets when in positons to potentially do so; and for a player like Xavi, who needs speed and intelligence around him, it is really unhelpful.
Click to expand...
New players in new roles I guess
But we have to use the whole pitch to atfack through
 
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