Is Rory Delap a Premier League legend?!...
- Thread starter Rozay
- Start date
Not a legend but he was someone who did leave his mark on the premier league in a unique way.
Can remember 2008 given I was at uni in Stoke at the time. Watched him hurling in the ridiculous throw ins in the championship that year and thinking to myself that premier league defences would struggle to deal with it and so it proved.
Arsenal would cry themselves silly before every match at Stoke and would inevitably concede from a long throw. Can also remember Gomes in goal for Spurs breaking down and the likes of Liverpool, Everton and Villa all struggled with throw ins up there.
Probably the best team dealing v them was actually Man. United with likes of Rio and Vidic. Your record v them was superb under Fergie and then got pretty bad after he retired and Stoke became a bogey team. Think that shows how good Fergie was at just mentally preparing Man. United to get on with the challenge of dealing with it rather than whining about it like Arsenal would.
A few things with Delap. He'd been a premier league player for a decade so wondering if likes of Derby and Southampton regret not using the throw in much more as Pulis brutally did.
Also surprised he only won 11 caps for Republic of Ireland, the last was in 2004. Seems a bit odd considering Glenn Whelan and Liam Lawrence were in every squad around that time and he was getting in ahead of both of them on occasions. Also with how tight international games generally are it would've been pretty effective at that level aswell.
Only two competitive Ireland games he played in was home and away leg v Turkey in euro 2000 play off.
Can remember 2008 given I was at uni in Stoke at the time. Watched him hurling in the ridiculous throw ins in the championship that year and thinking to myself that premier league defences would struggle to deal with it and so it proved.
Arsenal would cry themselves silly before every match at Stoke and would inevitably concede from a long throw. Can also remember Gomes in goal for Spurs breaking down and the likes of Liverpool, Everton and Villa all struggled with throw ins up there.
Probably the best team dealing v them was actually Man. United with likes of Rio and Vidic. Your record v them was superb under Fergie and then got pretty bad after he retired and Stoke became a bogey team. Think that shows how good Fergie was at just mentally preparing Man. United to get on with the challenge of dealing with it rather than whining about it like Arsenal would.
A few things with Delap. He'd been a premier league player for a decade so wondering if likes of Derby and Southampton regret not using the throw in much more as Pulis brutally did.
Also surprised he only won 11 caps for Republic of Ireland, the last was in 2004. Seems a bit odd considering Glenn Whelan and Liam Lawrence were in every squad around that time and he was getting in ahead of both of them on occasions. Also with how tight international games generally are it would've been pretty effective at that level aswell.
Only two competitive Ireland games he played in was home and away leg v Turkey in euro 2000 play off.
Did opposing teams put one player standing on the line where he used to throw it from to distract him?
A few did but still needed to be 10 yards away like a free kick.
Actually thinking about it I'm pretty sure at Old Trafford you moved the ad boards a bit so it meant he could barely have a run up and had to throw from basically a standing position.
Even if it was ugly football I quite enjoyed watching how opposition teams would deal with going to Stoke in those early years of them in premier league. For a newly promoted and limited team they had a fantastic home record in 08/09, won 10 times and only lost 4. Then they slowly lost their edge under Hughes and Britannia became a pretty easy ground to get three points on.
What probably showed Moyes wasn't up to the job was when you went to Stoke and he put Smalling at RB, Delap wasn't even there anymore. You lost the game 2-1 and that was Stoke's first victory over Man. United since promotion in 2008.
The amazing thing about Delap was that when you played against Stoke, if you were in trouble in your own end you would kick it out for a corner rather than a throw in. That's how dangerous his throw ins were...
United and Chelsea were the only one's who could deal against it effectively. Arsenal just went to pieces there.
Delap was a mid level Championship player as a footballer but managed to forge a career in the Prem due to his long throws so fair play.
Delap was a mid level Championship player as a footballer but managed to forge a career in the Prem due to his long throws so fair play.
Thing is, he was probably a better footballer than 35% of the people posting in this thread!
A man who isn't a legend, but whose exploits were legendary.
Was a sight to see players happily concede corners instead of throw ins.
Even from range his throw ins were dangerous
Even from range his throw ins were dangerous
We coped with them well aswell, never conceded from one but we did let him actually score with his feet instead
Fixed that for ya.
hahaha
Infamous, if anything.
As a keeper, those type of throw ins, with pace on a line with little to no arc, are very challenging, especially if playing on a narrow pitch.
Legendary FIFA track.
One of our players should be trained specifically for this. Maybe hire Delap as a throw in coach. Daniel James is a good candidate.
This thread made me wonder if in 20 years time all teams will try to have somebody capable of doing this. Is it something that can be trained with enough technique and repetition, or was it something unique to Delap? If it can be taught it is surely something that brings enough advantages that all teams will try to do it as the sports science develops further.
Why exactly were his throw ins particularly difficult to defend against? Teams aren't that scared of corners or even crosses. Is it to do with the ball coming in from a higher position?
It's not unique to Delap I reckon but it'll take a lot of time to train players capable of doing long throws, it must take a lot of strength. But it should be doable, you would think training arms will be easier than training legs.
Sounds like a girl I used to date
Am I the only one who remembers this from Delap?
Damn. His throw-ins have taken the shine away from his undeniably average PL career and the one glorious footballing moment.
Damn. His throw-ins have taken the shine away from his undeniably average PL career and the one glorious footballing moment.
quality.He is a cult hero for sure. Football wise I wouldn't rate him lower than the average mid to lower table or Championship squad player. And it is a skill set (same as the Fellaini chest control in some way) that Stoke happly used.
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Of course! He was a professional footballer while most of us are resident moaners who couldn't even run 5 km without dying.
People crap on Pulis' tactics but how have Stoke been since he was sacked?
Until seeing that comp, I never knew so any of his throws actually resulted in goals.
Most seem to be flick ons and then a tap in, so the poor lad doesn't even get an assist.
There's one that he launches in so hard that the keeper has to save it, and then a goal is scored on the follow up, is that even allowed? Could you do that with an indirect free kick? Force the keeper to save it and tap in the rebound?
Most seem to be flick ons and then a tap in, so the poor lad doesn't even get an assist.
There's one that he launches in so hard that the keeper has to save it, and then a goal is scored on the follow up, is that even allowed? Could you do that with an indirect free kick? Force the keeper to save it and tap in the rebound?
Keeper is under no obligation to touch it. If the ball goes in directly from a throw in without touching anyone else, it's not a goal.
I remember Gareth bale using a long throw in an el Classico it was a pretty good one but not quite as good as delaps
Had no idea Stoke got quite that many goals from his long throws. Knew of a few examples but that is mad.
What is happening??
No. At best he gets a mention in ‘who took the best throw ins’ conversation... a conversation that never happens outside of the caf.
Legend is a stretch but he left an indellible mark on the Premier League. He was one of the few players who made a throw in an event so to speak.
Funnily enough, when he first started doing this for Stoke, I remember Derby fans asking where the hell it came from, because he wasn't known at all for his throw ins there.
I remember that, teams were falling over themselves trying to think of a solution to the long throw threat, and that's what they came up with.
Mind you, similarly, when we had Bosnich in goal I always thought it would be better for him to just tap the ball out for an opposition corner rather than try his utterly calamitous kicking. That man was incapable of controlling a football without his hands.
I remember that, teams were falling over themselves trying to think of a solution to the long throw threat, and that's what they came up with.
Mind you, similarly, when we had Bosnich in goal I always thought it would be better for him to just tap the ball out for an opposition corner rather than try his utterly calamitous kicking. That man was incapable of controlling a football without his hands.
If that were the case, the most popular response in this thread should have been ‘who?’. And we never have a ‘who takes the best throw in conversation’ on here either.
The fact is, players of his profile are typically a lot more forgettable than he is. Everyone remembers Rory. Because he’s a fecking legend who took free-kicks and penalties with his hands!
Legend - "an extremely famous or notorious person, especially in a particular field."
He'll be remembered in 50 years time.
Certainly a Premier League Legend.
He'll be remembered in 50 years time.
Certainly a Premier League Legend.
Well that's all down to personal opinion, if Rory Delap is a 'fecking legend' to you then happy days, fill your boots with long throw in videos on YouTube.
Fact is he's only remembered because of the novelty around his long throw ins. If it were not for the throw ins he would have been forgettable like other players of his limited quality.
I often thought that whilst his throws were effective, as an attacker I would prefer a fast paced cross to attack rather than all jostling for position shoulder to shoulder with opposition defenders who are just as likely to win the ball as you are. The fact that Pulis Stoke team were very set-piece orientated and physical made the most of Delap's throw ins, rather than his throw ins making it easier to score. Imo.
He’s not the only player to throw a ball. The fact that these videos exist on YouTube says it all. You can’t find a Warren Barton throw-in compilation on YouTube. He threw it loads!
There you have it. Sir Rory Delap.
Why not? Look at some of the cnuts who get knighted! Sir Jimmy Saville?
It's all about what you think makes a "legend" at the end of the day.
In my opinion there's more to being a legend of the Premier League than just being good at football.
You're right. I just read the rules, if it goes straight in, it'd be a corner to Stoke, and I'm assuming that if it takes even the slightest deflection off a defender or the goalkeeper, then it's a goal. One of the ones in the video skimmed off Jagielka's head and in for an own goal (though in ordinary circumstances, it wouldn't be an own goal as the effort was on target. I'm not sure how that gets awarded actually.)
The lack of offside at throw-ins really does make them dangerous. Harder to exploit with an indirect free kick I suppose.