The use of both feet

One of my pet hates in football is the fear or inability of a player, especially a pro, to use both feet on the ball.

Ive been on here now over 5 years and have mentioned it before a few times. I had many a pop at Riise. Today we were comfortable only to gift a goal to city. Skrtel was brilliant but he was terrible for that goal.

He could have played a pass with his left foot rather then have to turn and play a backpass with the right foot, which let to the equaliser. 

Surely a player at that level of football has to be equally good on both feet? Surely in training they work on there weaker foot for a period of the session? Lets be honest this will happen again, might not be Skrtel and it might not cost a goal but we will have a nervy moment again were a player turns to play a pass back like that becasue they are enot comfortable on there weak foot. Like wise while were attacking the inability or fear of player to play a pass with the weaker foot could ruin a move that could lead to a goal.

Am I alone in thinking this? Surely every player should be equally comfortable on both feet and the management should work onthis in training?

I'm in agreement with you Brian, its one of the reasons I liked Aquilani, he's one of the most naturally comfortable two footed players around.








With those tunnel vision eyes he probably has to be.

Never gonna happen though Brian as much as we'd love it there's always going to be a stronger foot on all but the most exceptional players. I'd say we have a lot of players who are at least decent on their weaker feet but we were all well aware that Skrtel's best attribute was not passing out from the back and it's something he's going to have to improve on. Neither is he anywhere near Carra standards but missing Agger hurts in those kind of situations because we had no left sided defender to play there unfortunately.

Easier said than done.

Ever tried training yourself to kick with both feet? I have and it was F***ing tough to do.

And even when you do train yourself, you still don't feel comfortable using both feet. And if you add that to the delicate situation at hand (us leading 2-1 in front of a hugely expectant crowd against the League champions) then it's going to be even tougher to do.

Just saying.

I was quite impressed by how well Shelvey hit the ball back from Stevie on his left foot. Sometimes players are just bloody good technically.

Easier said than done.

Ever tried training yourself to kick with both feet? I have and it was f**king tough to do.

And even when you do train yourself, you still don't feel comfortable using both feet. And if you add that to the delicate situation at hand (us leading 2-1 in front of a hugely expectant crowd against the League champions) then it's going to be even tougher to do.

Just saying.

Yeh same here, always used my left foot in training at every opportunity to try and make it become natural but in a game you just set up to use your preferred foot because it feels natural.

I was quite impressed by how well Shelvey hit the ball back from Stevie on his left foot. Sometimes players are just bloody good technically.

I always found myself that when you're not thinking about it, and just kick normally with your weaker foot it's better than if you do think about it too much. Then again I never use my left foot that much. Just small things like running at pace and just putting all your energy on getting a cross in will be much better than thinking fully on how your cross will turn out.

One player I always thought that would be world class if he had a left foot at all is Valencia at United. He only uses his left foot for standing, he's so obviously awkward on his left foot and refuses to use it!

I was quite impressed by how well Shelvey hit the ball back from Stevie on his left foot. Sometimes players are just bloody good technically.

I agree, that's the moment I thought of when I read the title of this thread. he struck that really well with his weaker foot

One of my pet hates in football is the fear or inability of a player, especially a pro, to use both feet on the ball.

Ive been on here now over 5 years and have mentioned it before a few times. I had many a pop at Riise. Today we were comfortable only to gift a goal to city. Skrtel was brilliant but he was terrible for that goal.

He could have played a pass with his left foot rather then have to turn and play a backpass with the right foot, which let to the equaliser. 

Surely a player at that level of football has to be equally good on both feet? Surely in training they work on there weaker foot for a period of the session? Lets be honest this will happen again, might not be Skrtel and it might not cost a goal but we will have a nervy moment again were a player turns to play a pass back like that becasue they are enot comfortable on there weak foot. Like wise while were attacking the inability or fear of player to play a pass with the weaker foot could ruin a move that could lead to a goal.

Am I alone in thinking this? Surely every player should be equally comfortable on both feet and the management should work onthis in training?

Mick McCarthy said the same thing about Skrtel on MOTD last night. Really does make a difference at times.

They will work on passing with both feet in training for sure, but as Reslivo alluded to it can also be about confidence. From personal experience if you make an effort in training with it, even to use your weaker foot at times when it would make more sense to use your strong foot, it does make a massive difference when it comes to a match situation.

I thought of Shelvey too. Great effort with his left foot yesterday.

I always found myself that when you're not thinking about it, and just kick normally with your weaker foot it's better than if you do think about it too much. Then again I never use my left foot that much. Just small things like running at pace and just putting all your energy on getting a cross in will be much better than thinking fully on how your cross will turn out.

Absolutely - I have scored some of my best goals with the left peg, normally as you say because you are not thinking about it.  When I do think about it and use the left I just feel and look completely unco - like I have never kicked a ball before.  It is the one thing that sets some players apart - the uncanny knack of seeming to be two footed.

Easier said than done.

Ever tried training yourself to kick with both feet?

Yes. And I insist on the kids I train using both in training as well. Madness at the highest level players cant

Heres an example. We say Suarez is our main threat. Right footed player. We play Arsenal next Sunday. Someone is told to pick up Suarez and shadow him on to his left foot if he gets the ball, dont tackle force him on his left, would Suarez be the same threat? No. Now same situation where he's as good on both feet and it makes no difference if you force him on to his left.

Same for a defender or midfielder.

Johnson for me is the only one who regularly uses his two feet to suit the suituation he's in

Players (even professionals) will always revert to their stronger foot in moments of pressure and that is what we sure yesterday. tbh honest the prblem was not that Skrtel used the wrong foot but that he played the blindly without first checking if it was on and also gagin just how far away he was from Reina. He will learn from it I am sure. I suepct that last season (with very different instructions) he would have simply punted that one into touch at around the half-way line in the effort to find a channel but obviously BR has asked his players to play in a different way this season.

As for why the pros are so much poorer on their weaker foot I think that in many ways it is simply to late for them to make big strides in their quality with the other foot and that once they are past the age of 16 they have in many ways missed the window to do so. I work with players aged 16-19 at our College Football Academy (Salisbury City) and it's rare to see them make genuinely noticeable improvements with their weaker foot and the moment it comes to a game situation they will always favour the stronger foot even if it makes less sense to do so from a tactical or positional sense.

I was watching Liverpool videos on Youtube recently and they were talking to Stevie G and asked him "Left or Right footed" and he answered "both", so I think that the confidence is probably the main thing that affects players using both feet

I was watching Liverpool videos on Youtube recently and they were talking to Stevie G and asked him "Left or Right footed" and he answered "both", so I think that the confidence is probably the main thing that affects players using both feet

I agree with this. Some players just don't try to improve on their weaker side because of a lack of confidence in that foot. I also think it can come naturally to some players and not so much with others. I can use my right foot when necessary even though I'm left footed, but I've got friends who will literally strive to avoid using their weaker peg.

I can get the technique of using my left foot alright but I find that it takes a little bit of thinking and concentration to do so.  Just have to really make sure I've got everything lined up etc.

As for our players, I think the most woefully one footed of the bunch is Agger.  He'd rather play a left footed ball back to Pepe than he would a 15 yard right footed pass with minimal risk.

Yes. And I insist on the kids I train using both in training as well. Madness at the highest level players cant

Heres an example. We say Suarez is our main threat. Right footed player. We play Arsenal next Sunday. Someone is told to pick up Suarez and shadow him on to his left foot if he gets the ball, dont tackle force him on his left, would Suarez be the same threat? No. Now same situation where he's as good on both feet and it makes no difference if you force him on to his left.

Same for a defender or midfielder.

Johnson for me is the only one who regularly uses his two feet to suit the suituation he's in

Reina does too i've noticed. Good at passing with both feet.

As much as showing a player onto their weaker foot works, especially against weaker players, a good player will always make the room they need. It does help being able to use your weaker foot, and i think Suarez should give his left a go when through on goal as his right often scuffs it anyway!

Somewhat off topic, but I never had any problem passing or shooting with my left or trapping, taking touches etc. The problem I had and still do is crossing with the left. It's abysmal

Had 2 chances with the left last night after cutting in from the right - both times put so much into getting them on target that niether really troubled the keeper.  After 40 years of playing not much hope for me now.

Somewhat off topic, but I never had any problem passing or shooting with my left or trapping, taking touches etc. The problem I had and still do is crossing with the left. It's abysmal

Personally, I trained a lot with my wrong foot, could just manage a cross and my passing was, ahem, passable, but when it came to shooting, unless it was short range (6-yard box) or I could pass it in, I'd have to use my sweet left foot.