Westwood To Blame For Hoofball? (1 Viewer)

What next, a keeper making a save?

Not many teams play it short to a defender, I don't recall many in our league? It leaves the keeper with rather limited options from there.

Well managers will harness his kicking prowess, but to imply he is the sole reason teams go down the long ball route is tenuous to say the least.

To be fair, we do seem to send it back Keiren's way if we're stuck in midfield rather than pass it around a bit more. We do seem to know his kicking ability is there and just resort to it the second we hit any sort of wall. True it's bizarre someone would say it's the full reason we play hoof-ball but it has to be said, it is part of the reason.

You can't blame this guy for anything! If it wasn't for him, we would probably be below preston right now! If his kicking was a problem any GOOD manager would have noticed this and told him to try something different.
Don't agree with this article.

My mate keeps a tally of all goal-kicks every game. He has them all written down on his programme. It's his big pet hate and he bangs on about it every week. I think we've retained the ball from a Westwood goal-kick 3 times in the last 2 home games. The opposition figures are not much better. We are far more effective when he throws it, especially if our players are switched on-rather than moping around and not making runs (our present problem). We were better at it when we had Fox to chuck it to.

To sum up his argument, which I agree with..It's simple, and WHY Aidy went ultimately : if you have the ball, then throw it to a FB who passes to a CM (Clingan ideally), you still have possesion. GK hoof=50% chance of retaining possesion at best. In reality, around 5-10% chance of keeping it. The 2 6ft+ CB's are stood waiting for it, whilst our single target man is moving forwards and attempting to look over his shoulder to get into a decent position. If he does then flick it on (as Platt sometimes managed), it usually ends up being flicked on straight to the opposition GK!

Oh and I clearly remember Coleman saying in several interviews that he was trying to reign in his kicking and telling him to stop kicking it so far! Our passing back to Westwood is in no shape or form a "tactic", and it's usually met with boos. It's the result of unimaginative midfield play, nobody moving off the ball to create space, and the "fear" of giving it away. The easy ball is back to the 'keeper, who promptly...gives it away. Mr. S.Hughes was the master of the art. Thats what Thorn means when he says he's trying to get the players to "be brave and play"!