Res Fix: Torquay v Swindon 21 Sept 2010

I booked a half-day holiday and went along to this.

There is a decent match report up on the club site:
www.torquayunited.com/page/Reserves/0,,10445~2160887,00.html

Formation-wise, it was a straight 4-4-2 this time. Yeoman played centre-midfield alongside Lathrope. Halpin was wide on the right and Macklin wide on the left - but they swapped wings in the second half. Yeoman went up front when Taylor came on for Benyon.

It was very noticeable that we played left-footed Charnock at right-centre-back and right-footed Palmer at left-centre-back. I assume that the plan was to get Charnock some practice in that position in case he is needed to fill in for Ellis. I did notice that Charnock was quite vocal (not quite Branstonesque, but getting there) during the game and I wonder whether skippering a young side will help to develop that side of his game. I have always thought he was a bit on the quiet side.

I think it was a youngish Swindon side (I am no expert on other team's squads), but they were far tougher and far more combative than the Exeter side I saw up at Sid James. This gave the game a far more competitive feel than my only other taste of this reserve league and although we weren't able to spray the ball around as comfortably as we could up there, it seemed like a far more realistic workout for players aspiring to play League 2 football. O'Kane and Lathrope were able to stroll around in that game whereas Lathrope and Yeoman really had to roll up their sleeves and get stuck in today - which they both did very effectively. Hats off to Yeoman for putting in such a decent shift in an unfamiliar position.

That was how it was set up on Saturday when Charnock came on as a "like for like" replacement for right centre back Ellis.

In this day and age I still find it quite indicative of the technical deficiencies in the English game that have had to be addressed that one footed players make it as professional footballers.

Merse, I can't think of any one-footed English players. They all have 2!

On a serous note, I don't think that having only one good peg is just confined to English players. I lived in Germany for years and the vast majority of Bundesliga players are one-footed. Hasn't stopped them having a top class national team for years.

Let's face it, truly gifted 2-footed players are few and far between. Any club that finds a 2-footed player with footie skills that parallel the ambidextrous world class snooker skills of Ronnie O'Sullivan will truly have unearthed a unique footballer.

Two footed players "unique" ? ~ gimme a break!

Anthony has been two footed since he could kick a ball because I judicioisly made sure he would be............rolling a tiny ball to either foot in turn and I do the same to Calvin now who is just 16 months old.

The left side of the brain drives the right side of the body and vice versa and it is natural to be predominantly in favour of one side but this can be overcome by retraining the brain in the same way that stroke victims overcome their paralysis so that they can use their left hand if they had been right handed but lost the use of it. It's just a question of practice, practice, practice. I was born left footed and right handed but worked on my right foot enough to be comfortable with either foot ~ bloody useless but comfortable

It IS through lack of practice that players are one footed and although I'll concede there have been some genius one footed players (surely none finer than Ferenc Puskas who was painfully left footed) if you really care to study players on the world stage you will see plenty of world class two footed players.

The younger someone is, the less difficult it is to overcome one footedness, so the hard work needs to be done at the very outset; then it becomes as natural as breathing and that is why ALL soccer tots classes should feature less on the "but they must have fun" mantra and more on the basics. To me "they must have fun" is an apologists excuse for failing to attain the levels needed and a diversion from the need to acquire basic technique.

I spend loads of time with Anthony, chucking him balls to get under control in difficult situations ~ balls that would be called "rubbish" balls out on the football field ~ under his chin, too wide, too fast and sold short; so that he maintains the ability to get that ball under control when he is under pressure in a game and in a tight corner. All the "Cruyff Turns" and "Messi Flicks" in the world won't help you if you haven't got command of the ruddy ball in the first place and all the genius's have mastered the basics.

What's the use of being able to do "Keepie Uppies" for minutes at a time if you can't trap a bag of cement? If you have the first touch of a rapist, or if you shank everything with your "weaker" foot?

Ashley Cole is a wonderfully gifted footballer, but he could have been so much better.

Sorry to be pedantic Alan but I doubt if you will ever meet a professional footballer with only one foot! Players tend to have a preferred side. If taking a free-kick, Charnnock like Shearer, would probably use his right foot and Nicholson his left .

Like feet, there are many things that can be done with both hands. Most people tend to use the same hand every time.


Writing.

It was an opportunity too good to miss Alan but every player has two feet. Train for as long as you like, one foot will always take preference and end up being more powerfull than the other.