Heading the ball...

PoTMS

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Dec 15, 2016
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I'm just rewatching our game against Newcastle and that awful miss from Rashford at the death - got me thinking apart from Ronaldo, we don't really have a player that is good at heading. Casemiro and Fred have missed a few sitters recently too.

We so rarely score from set pieces despite having good set piece takers in the squad. Not sure if it's due to poor set pieces or just poor heading from our players. Cough cough, Maguire.

It amazes me that a 38 year old Ronaldo who is past is still probably the best header of the ball at United. Makes me pine for Fellaini almost.
 
Have we had a massive set piece threat since Fellaini, and Vidic before him? Even Fellaini wasn't the conqueror he was at Everton. When it comes to heading crosses and especially set pieces we're a curse. Doesn't seem to matter who takes them. Then again maybe confirmation bias comes into play.
 
Rashford's never been good at heading the ball. Most players nowadays don't do it well.
 
Too many snowflakes in modern football

Bring back the Duncan Ferguson's who would headbutt people down the pub to practice headers
 
Isn't heading training restricted at youth level now anyway? Something like 1 session a month and only 5 headers.

So I expect we'll see less and less players being good at it until it's eventually gone from the game.
 
It why I suggested Mitrovic in Jan. Will give us another dimension in attack. But at the same time I think we are near the bottom of the league in the number of crosses. Needs to improve. Someone like Trippier would be good but he is at Newcastle. Jonathan Claus at Marseille is a really good RB crosser. Turned down Athetico and Chelsea in the summer for gametime apparently but maybe change his mind after the world cup. These two would might get us a headed goal when needed
 
Ronaldo is one of the greatest of all time in that regard, so him still being our best isn't necessarily a bad thing. I do agree the gap between him and the rest is disappointing though. Rashford is absolutely atrocious with his heading.

Maguire is magnificent at winning the ball at set pieces. He just sucks at being able to direct it properly. Now that I think about it that could be said about his heading ability in general, as obviously he has always won most aerial duels in defence but instead of picking out our own players he tends to just loop it out randomly and the opposition are as likely to be on the end of it as we are. It's actually one of the things that has really impressed me with Martinez, not only is he winning a lot more aerial balls than you'd expect with his size, but he tends to direct them to his own teammates.

I do have hopes for Varane and Casemiro. They haven't really shown it yet but it's still early days (considering Varane was constantly in and out of the team last season).
 
UpWithRivers said:
It why I suggested Mitrovic in Jan. Will give us another dimension in attack. But at the same time I think we are near the bottom of the league in the number of crosses. Needs to improve. Someone like Trippier would be good but he is at Newcastle. Jonathan Claus at Marseille is a really good RB crosser. Turned down Athetico and Chelsea in the summer for gametime apparently but maybe change his mind after the world cup. These two would might get us a headed goal when needed
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I wouldn't mind Mitrovic for the same reason. It's well and good aspiring to play pretty football but sometimes you want a Plan B, and I think with our wide players and with the way Shaw combined with Harry Kane at the last European Championships we'd be mad not to try and find at least one, big, powerful CF
 
Oranges038 said:
Isn't heading training restricted at youth level now anyway? Something like 1 session a month and only 5 headers.

So I expect we'll see less and less players being good at it until it's eventually gone from the game.
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Youth level, schoolboy football has outlawed heading (speaking as an Under 8 parent). Some refs have a drop ball, others give a free in, against culprits.

To the point, where some of the boys are aiming at heads to get a free kick, akin to when you boot it off your oppo in the attempt to get a throw in, your way.
 
Surprised no one's mentioned Martial, he's pretty decent at them isn't he?
 
#88 said:
Youth level, schoolboy football has outlawed heading (speaking as an Under 8 parent). Some refs have a drop ball, others give a free in, against culprits.

To the point, where some of the boys are aiming at heads to get a free kick, akin to when you boot it off your oppo in the attempt to get a throw in, your way.
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The FA are trialing banning heading up to U12s right now.

There have been massive strides due to concussion, CTE and other brain related diseases showing up more and more in middle age former footballers.

I love a good header and I was a mad man when I was playing football, but the stories are frightening.
 
Oranges038 said:
Isn't heading training restricted at youth level now anyway? Something like 1 session a month and only 5 headers.

So I expect we'll see less and less players being good at it until it's eventually gone from the game.
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Depends on where you live. In Ireland you’re not supposed to do training trills which involve heading at U13 and below. Although it’s allowed in matches. I’m not sure that’s a great idea, as you lose the chance to learn how to perfect heading technique. Which might help you head the ball more safely? (not sure if this is actually true or not).

It definitely has a negative effect on their development as well rounded footballers. But maybe that’s a price worth paying.
 
Vidyoyo said:
This is why De Gea's tendency to boot the ball long winds me up. We don't have the players to win headers so often it feels like pure luck if we retain it.
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Well it would help if sancho and Rashford actually jumped and challenged for said long ball. Numerous times in the spurs game they didn't even bother jumping which may or may not put the defender off. At least try.
 
PoTMS said:
I'm just rewatching our game against Newcastle and that awful miss from Rashford at the death - got me thinking apart from Ronaldo, we don't really have a player that is good at heading. Casemiro and Fred have missed a few sitters recently too.

We so rarely score from set pieces despite having good set piece takers in the squad. Not sure if it's due to poor set pieces or just poor heading from our players. Cough cough, Maguire.

It amazes me that a 38 year old Ronaldo who is past is still probably the best header of the ball at United. Makes me pine for Fellaini almost.
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Fellaini would miss too. Casemiro is as good in the air as he was. Just maybe not with the high chest control
 
Rob67 said:
That aged well
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Thing is, up until very recently, that post wasn't much of an exaggeration. His technique has very clearly improved massively.

It's brilliant that he's added that string to his bow, especially if he's going to be filling it at CF a lot of the time.
 
I have to admit it drives me nuts when most of our headers seem to find opponents. This game was particularly irritating that way.

But Rash has clearly been working on that part of his game. That goal he scored was a beauty.
 
Boondog said:
I have to admit it drives me nuts when most of our headers seem to find opponents. This game was particularly irritating that way.

But Rash has clearly been working on that part of his game. That goal he scored was a beauty.
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I think Harry Maguire is personally responsible for almost all of that phenomenon. Great at winning headers. Can't actually direct them to save his life.
 
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