2013/2014: The Year of the Free-Kick?

Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, David Beckham, Roberto Carlos. All of these men have been considered 'dead-ball specialists'. We have seen many spectacular goals from each of these from free-kicks, and it has become an essential to have such a player in your team. Very much like in rugby or American football, kicking has become an ever-more important aspect to football. Over the past few years, goals from free kicks has been fairly stable in the Premier League, with several players renowned for their ability, but few outside those beginning to chip in. However, this season, free kicks have taken a much more important role, and we have seen many players who you would not consider 'dead ball specialists' score them.

Looking at statistics, we can see that during the 2011/2012 season, 29 direct free kicks were scored, with Sunderland scoring the most (5). After just 15 games of the 2013/14 season, the total of free kicks scored has reached a staggering 20. If free kicks continue to be scored at this rate, we will see over 40 goals from free kicks this season, setting an all-time Premier League record.

So who has been scoring all of these free kicks? Though they may be top of the table and have marksmen like Podolski and Ozil to take them, Arsenal are yet to contribute to the free kick goal tally. Aston Villa have two, and both have been scored by the same man. Leandro Bacuna, the relatively unknown midfielder before this season, with spectacular efforts against Manchester City and Cardiff City, made himself well known to the Villa fans, and Premier League viewers around the world. Cardiff and Crystal Palace, like Arsenal are yet to score from one, but a familiar name in Frank Lampard has registered for Chelsea. Everton also contribute two from a single player, and Leighton Baines scored them both in the same match! Turning the game on its head, his two brilliant set pieces ensured Everton would leave West Ham with all three points.

Fulham have struggled to score goals all season, so that they do not appear on the list is unsurprising. Hull also do not feature, but Liverpool certainly do. In Luis Suarez and Steven Gerrard they have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to free kicks, and the pair have not failed to deliver, with Gerrard scoring one against Hull, and Suarez contributing two, against Everton and in a four goal display against Norwich. Free-scoring Manchester City have been most prolific from dead balls, but not from the usual sources. Aleksandar Kolorov and David Silva are the club's recognised free kick takers, but Alvaro Negredo's goal against Swansea, and Yaya Toure's incredible haul of three, against Newcastle, Hull and Norwich, mean that Manuel Pellegrini may want to review his set piece takers! Manchester United have contributed with three, with Wayne Rooney scoring all, against Crystal Palace, Manchester City and West Bromwich Albion.

Newcastle, despite having an excellent taker in Yohan Cabaye, have failed to register a free kick yet this season, whilst Robert Snodgrass has added one for Norwich City. Southampton's resident specialist, Rickie Lambert has added another one for his collection, whilst Stoke have had efforts from Marko Arnautovic and Jermaine Pennant. Sunderland, despite their previous supremacy in this area, have also failed to score from a free kick this term. Swansea, West Brom and West Ham all have also failed to register, whilst Kyle Walker's recent effort against Manchester United is the only free kick from Spurs. Nevertheless, this is already nearly as many as the whole of 2011/2012, despite neither Gareth Bale nor Cristiano Ronaldo being in the league.

What could be causing this? If we were seeing players like Robin van Persie or Luis Suarez scoring more free-kicks, we could simply put it down to increasing player ability or speciality, but it is not. We are seeing a plethora of players scoring from free-kicks, many of whom have either never or infrequently scored from them before. Could it be to do with the ball? There have been complaints from goalkeepers in recent years that the balls move in the air far too much, making it impossible to track the path of the ball. However, has the ball changed so drastically over the past two years that it could account for the rapid increase in goals from direct free kicks? I think not. If we compare free kicks stats from now to those from the 1970's and 80's, then we could explain it that way, but two years is too little time.

However, another explanation may go some way to explaining it. Over the last decade, football has become less and less physical, with challenges often resulting in free kicks. Clubs have therefore cottoned on to the fact that dead balls are going to be of greater importance than ever before. As a result, further training has been done to improve the free kicks of a wide range of players. Whereas 10 years ago, perhaps only one or two specialist free kick takers would be used for dead balls, now any one of six or seven may be used. The correct accuracy and power will take time to perfect, so two years can make a massive difference in this time frame. This may not be the whole explanation, but I believe it goes some way to explaining the recent trend of free kick goals in the Premier League.

 This season has been truly record-breaking in terms of free kicks, and to do it without some of the greatest free kick takers in the world is astonishing. However, such is the importance of free kicks in football, I feel this will slowly become the norm. It will be extremely interesting to see if this trend continues over the next few seasons, as this will determine whether it was a flash in the pan, or if we are seeing the hard work on the training ground come to fruition in the Premier League. This may be the Year of the Free-Kick, but it may also be the beginning of a free-kick dynasty.

Stoke City: The End to the Long Ball Game?

2012/2013 Season Review:

                Stoke had a relatively calm summer as far as transfers are concerned, with Charlie Adam being the only high profile incoming. This had the additional benefit of leaving Stoke’s squad practically untouched, giving them the stability so obviously lacking from rival squads. A traditional strong home form, brought about in part by their raucous home support, and partially via their unique long ball game, normally aids Stoke’s push towards the top 10. This season, however, this was not to be.

                An four game unbeaten start to the season gave Stoke a promising start, including home draws against Arsenal and Manchester City. Whilst a disappointing exit by Swindon of the Capital One Cup punctured this good early season form, only two league defeats by the end of October gave Potters fans further reason for optimism. However, it is worth noting that games that they would ordinarily have won the previous years at home, they drew this campaign, a factor that certainly contributed to their late season perils.

                November was more typical in terms of the traditional Stoke results, namely good at home but appalling away from the Britannia. Home wins against QPR, Newcastle and Fulham were interspersed by poor away performances against Norwich and West Ham, a run that ended at the beginning of December with a 1-0 win away at West Brom. December in general was a highly successful month for the Potters, remaining unbeaten throughout the whole of the busiest month of the season. Taking simply this month into consideration, it seems ridiculous that Stoke would find themselves in a relegation battle come the end of the season. January saw an emphatic end to the good form, with three heavy defeats against Manchester City, Chelsea and Swansea, before exiting the FA Cup at home to Man City.

                Further polarisation in terms of home vs away form continued, with Stoke picking up no away points for the whole of the first three months of 2013, a run that put even more importance on the games at the Britannia. Unfortunately, ordinarily winnable games began to be drawn, or even lost, at home, pushing Stoke slowly down the table. Home draws against Wigan and West Brom were followed in April by defeats against Manchester United and, more critically, Aston Villa, in what had been described pre-match as a relegation ‘six-pointer’. These results were indicative of relegation form, and Stoke badly needed to snap out of this run in order to extend their 5 year stay in the top flight. Their traditionally infallible long ball game, relying heavily on set pieces, was failing to create the chances the Potters fans were so used to, and soon their was considerable discontent in the stands. Pundits best summed up the situation by stating that no-one cares if you are playing unattractive football and winning, but it becomes a big problem when the results stop coming.

                Fearful of alienating their usual vociferous support, Stoke’s form took a timely peak. Successive wins away at QPR and at home to Norwich gave the Potters a little more breathing space away from the dreaded bottom three, but they remained within touching distance. This ensured that the side needed to remain at the top of their game for the remainder of the season. Two points from their last three games, coupled with their rivals inability to capitalise on their slip-ups, allowed Stoke to limp over the line, amassing 42 points and finishing in 13^th place.

                Overall, Stoke fans and management will consider this season a disappointment, after 5 years of comfortable mid-table success. The board’s disappointment with this year’s results was clearly illustrated with the sacking of manager Tony Pulis at the end of the season. However, I genuinely fear for their survival next year, as Pulis instilled a unique philosophy upon his players, and one that very few coaches appear to be implementing. Having seen how long it often takes to ‘re-train’ the players in a new style of football, the next manager at the Britannia will have a tough job, and I fear may be leading the Potters down next year.

 

Player of the Season: Asmir Begovic – Another consistent season from the Bosnian keeper, without whom Stoke would have been on the receiving end of many more hammerings. He has been a valuable asset to the Potters, and with Tony Pulis having left and the club being in a state of instability, I fear that Stoke may struggle to maintain his services for the coming season.

 

Game of the Season: Stoke 3-3 Southampton – A rollercoaster game at the Britannia, where a stunning last minute equaliser by Cameron Jerome rescued a point for 10 man Stoke. A poor first half performance from the Potters saw them slip 3-1 behind, before staging a rousing comeback in the second half. Despite Steven N’Zonzi being dismissed for a full-blooded lunge, Stoke managed to claw their way back into the game, with goals from Matthew Upson and Jerome’s speculative 30 yard effort saving Stoke’s home record.

 

Summer Transfer Targets (What I Think They Need): Having dispensed of Tony Pulis, Stoke’s summer transfer dealings very much depend on the type of manager that comes in. If they manage to find a similarly oriented manager in terms of tactics, a new striker is a must, with Jonathan Walters being the club’s top goalscorer on 11 goals. However, if the style of play changes, any transfer targets could be vastly different.

 

Transfer Gossip Links:

In:

Anthony Pilkington (Norwich City, CM), Luis Pedro Cavanda (Lazio, RB), Mile Jedinak (Crystal Palace, CM), Yannick Bolasie (Crystal Palace, LW), George Waring (Free Agent, CB), Guilherme Siquera (Granada, LB)

Out:

Kenwyne Jones (Cardiff City, ST), Peter Crouch (West Ham United), Thomas Sorensen (???, GK), Tony Pulis (Sacked, Manager)