[Football] Composure - in front of goal. What is it? Can it be learned?

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WATFORD zero

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 10, 2003
27,776
I think he will score regularly once he gets a couple. He is a very skilful player lacking in confidence in front of goal

I'm so hoping this is right :thumbsup:

Now I know Danny isn't known for his great goal numbers, but I believe he shows great composure in front of goal. I can remember cheeky chips, cool curling shots and great headers, but not too many mis controls or blasts straight at the keeper ???
 




Weststander

Well-known member
Aug 25, 2011
69,312
Withdean area
Gross just passes it into the net (Leeds) as if it was anywhere else on the field. Great images of him a second later, coolness personified.

Whilst you can almost see Maupay, Solly or countless other players with the world on their shoulders when in on goal.

Can’t see a drastic change to that psyche, at their age.
 
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Harry Wilson's tackle

Harry Wilson's Tackle
NSC Patron
Oct 8, 2003
56,151
Faversham
I agree. The more Neal thinks about scoring, the less effective. He is best at technically difficult chances that he’s not had enough time to think about.

I don’t think he’ll ever change.

Robbie Keane was the same, but he made up for that by getting into lots of good positions, and running around a lot. He scored lots of goals (but not as many as he should, despite what his fans on NSC think (in another thread)).

Maupay is by comparison slower, and less energetic.

Perhaps he can be coached into a 15+ goal a season striker, all John Radford and, er, Peter Ward. Under the tutelage of Frank Lampard he.....

I'll get my coat.
 


boik

Well-known member
I don't think it's just in front of goal that some people have composure. If you watch lots of lots of matches, from kids to amateur, to pro, certain players just seem to have more time. Obviously they don't, but some calmness within them means that they don't seem to need to rush. Thierry Henri, Paul Scholes, Bobby Moore. All never seemed to rush despite playing in different positions. Unfortunately I think most of it is down to personal psyche and it's probably quite hard to learn and use in a big match situation where pressure makes you revert to type.
 


BN41Albion

Well-known member
Oct 1, 2017
6,828
Gross just passes it into the net (Leeds) as it was anywhere else on the field. Great images of him a second later, coolness personified.

Whilst you can almost see Maupay, Solly or countless other players with the world on their shoulders when in on goal.

Can’t see a drastic change to that psyche, at their age.

Yep. Pretty bad trait to have though as a PL striker.

It's also why he always seemed to do much better with the harder chances: little/no time for him to overthink and lose his composure
 




Questions

Habitual User
Oct 18, 2006
25,511
Worthing
Throw darts at a dartboard at home, you will feel composed, go to the pub and do it with a crowd watching in a match, you will feel the difference. Unless you have had a couple of pints and are at the "cocky" stage of alcohol intoxication.

We need to give our players a few drinks before matches then. I still think Solly would be a Campari and soda finisher though.

It’s down to visualisation imo and that means making that split second decision
 
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Eric the meek

Fiveways Wilf
NSC Patron
Aug 24, 2020
7,116
Can composure be trained? Yes and no.

Maupay only spasmodically showed composure in front of goal. In spite of Potter's skills, he couldn't help Maupay enough to maintain the levels the club and team required.

For me, this is what composure looks like. Fast forward to 08:25.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7MRFMsu_rE&ab_channel=OfficialBrighton&HoveAlbionFC

'A ridiculously good goal from the seagulls'. He takes it wide of the defender to get the shot away, and then puts it the wrong side of the keeper - the only place the keeper couldn't reach it.
 












sant andreu

Active member
Dec 18, 2011
241
March used to score quite regularly for the youth and development teams, when he was on them, so he must have it in him somewhere.

He's kept on improving slowly but surely, for quite some time, so fingers crossed Prem goals will become part of that improvement soon...
 








Uncle C

Well-known member
Jul 6, 2004
11,711
Bishops Stortford
I think subconsciously that often the footballers brain, in haste, sees the goalkeeper himself as representing the goal ie it adds a focus and target to aiming at goal. This is why so many shots go straight at the goalkeeper.

Years ago goalkeepers used to hang a towel in the corner of the goal and that gave the striker a new focus far away from the goalkeeper. More goals hit the corners so they stopped doing it.
 


sydney

tinky ****in winky
Jul 11, 2003
17,965
town full of eejits
I see Maupay has just missed a good chance for Everton against Liverpool. I heard the pundit say 'he lacked composure'.

We hear this term all the time. 'He lacked composure' when a player misses, and 'He showed great composure' when he scores.
We never hear 'he showed great composure and put it in the stands'.

But what is composure? Why is it so important?

We joke on here 'we'll train that out of him', but why can't we train it in?

composure is being able to remain calm and slot the ball neatly into the bottom left , or right corner of the goal and not panic and smash it into row 42.....it cant be learned , it's down to a players make up , he's either a calm enough character to put the ball exactly where he wants or he's a het up , panicky type who has no idea where he wants to put the ball and therefore hardly any control over it's final trajectory once he wellies it.
 




WATFORD zero

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 10, 2003
27,776
Glen Murray could teach classes on it.

In open play, but don't remember him taking great penalties ?

Just checked, he missed 13 from 44 in his career so better than I remember (for comparison Tomer missed 3 from 31, that's composure from the penalty spot :wink:)
 








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