Penalty failure too much for one person
It’s high time football rethought the concept of the penalty shoot-out.
On Tuesday night, Daniel James broke the hearts of the entire Welsh nation when he missed the final penalty in their Euro 24 play-off final against Poland.
One kick, one save, one broken dream and one very distraught player.
But the more I have thought about it over the last few days the more I believe this can’t be fair. Why should one individual have to carry that burden alone?
It’s not so bad when there are two or three misses or saves, but when only one player out of 10 fails to find the back of the net, he has the entire weight of failure resting on his shoulders.
The Welsh don’t come across as a vindictive bunch of supporters, and the chances are they will rally round James rather than bully and intimidate him for screwing up their hopes of reaching another major tournament.
But that won’t stop the lad from mentally beating himself up every day, thinking what might have been if he had just hit the ball harder, higher or in a different direction.
You often hear other players who have missed crucial penalties over the years talking about how long it took them to get over it and how their lives were deeply affected by a few seconds of football failure.
And that’s why change.
There have been many ideas put forward for different ways of deciding drawn knock-out matches, like one player trying to take on a defender and goalkeeper in ‘open’ play, for example. Going back to a golden goal is another suggestion, but with unlimited time. So, in other words, the teams keep playing until somebody scores.
And I am not entirely against either of those ideas or many of the others that have been bandied about over the years.
But I think there is a simpler plan that can be implemented in a heartbeat, one that will not completely eliminate the problem but at least reduce it, while keeping the thrill of the penalties.
And that is make every player on the pitch take a penalty. All 11, goalkeeper included. Not only that, but make the whole thing happen at pace to reduce the scrutiny and pressure.
So have one keeper in one net, one keeper in the other, give each player their own ball and make it like a flowing procession of penalties with a time limit on how long you have to take your turn. Kick at one end, kick at the other, move on.
This will also eliminate the element of luck needed when it comes to tossing a
I think things must coin to decide which fans the penalties will be taken in front of. As the goalkeepers are the most under pressure, they should be stood in front of their own fans maybe.
By getting all 11 players to take a kick you also get rid of that volunteering process which only serves to further increase the pressure on the individuals who put their name forward for the first five.
I would also start off with goalkeeper vs goalkeeper, get that little clash out of the way so they can then settle into their respective goals for the next 10 kicks.
As I said, my plan won’t eliminate the problems completely. You could still feasibly end up with the scores at 10-10 before the final two kicks are taken, for example. And I haven’t yet figured out what you do if one of the teams has been reduced to 10 men – although maybe having that one less penalty would be a suitable additional punishment.
But those are just teething problems which I am sure can be overcome. By expanding the pool of takers and making them take their penalties in a fast and furious fashion, you add more excitement and ensure responsibility is collective rather than individual.
And that shared burden will dramatically reduce the chances of a country’s dreams being shattered by one brave lad who then has to unfairly live with it for the rest of his life.
What do you think FIFA people? Am I on to something?
Euro joy brings form nightmarE
There was a lot of euphoria among their fans when Scotland qualified for Euro 24.
To be fair, the team did it in style, beating both Spain and Norway in the process and booking their place in Germany with a couple of games to spare. It’s no wonder Scottish supporters were a little giddy at the time.
Fast forward a couple of months and that optimism is rapidly turning to despair. They haven’t won any of their last seven games, drawing just two, and have conceded 19 goals in the process.
And it’s not like they have been gradually improving either – their latest defeat came last week, at home to the not-so-mighty Northern Ireland.
Of course, the temptation is to claim they have had nothing in particular to play for and put this run down to that lack of competitivity. But with the tournament just round the corner, manager Steve Clarke would have wanted them to be building momentum for their tournament opening match against the hosts.
Unusually for an England fan I don’t take pleasure in seeing Scotland struggle. But unless Clark finds that missing spark that was so evidently in place during the first few qualifiers, it could be a very miserable three games and out this summer.
all EyEs on livErPool and manchEstEr
It’s back to the normality of the Premier League this weekend after what feels like an eternity, and there’s only one game on everybody’s radar – Arsenal’s visit to Manchester City this afternoon.
Not only is this a crucial (but still not decisive) clash in the title race, it also pits the master against the apprentice in the managerial arena. And that will give it a dash of added spice, if any were needed.
Liverpool, provided they have managed to overcome Brighton in the earlier game, will be hoping their two rivals cancel each other out in a physically tiring and emotionally draining draw.
And just like a couple of weeks ago when Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp had to share the points, I suspect that is what is likely to happen at the Etihad.
Whichever way you shake it up, the top three teams are so evenly matched I really can’t see these direct encounters being decisive in who comes out on top.
Much more likely a couple of freak results, when one or two of the trio lose to teams they should be beating, will decide who claims the crown.
Whatever happens this afternoon there will still be 27 points for each team to play for. And it’s those games that will be the clinchers, not today’s.
“What do you think FIFA people? Am I on to something?
E-MAIL: JAMES.CALVERT@TIMESOFMALTA.COM TWITTER: @MALTABLADE