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Originally Posted by
Jimmy Floyd
Ooh, this gives me a chance to coo over my favourite type of goal, which is the predator's precision finish. This type of goal is going out of the game, Jeff, due to the advent of the defensive centre forward 'basketball backboard' and worse still, the 'false nine'.
Nevertheless, greats of my youth were wonderful advocates of this very particular type of goal, which is hard to describe and by no means includes all poacher's finishes. This type of goal must involve as few physical attributes as possible, and power is especially unwelcome. Using the toe or the outside of the boot or occasionally the instep, I want my goalscorer to caress the ball into a tiny available area of goal, often just inside the far post, and to do so from no more than twelve to eighteen yards out (depending on context). Ideally the forward has to be clean through with only the keeper to beat (there's often a failed offside trap involved), and then he has to fill a pleasing part of the net, like he's filling a ball-shaped hole in your soul.
Always extra bonus points if the ball just barely trickles over the line (but you lose points if the keeper touches it on the way in).
There are hundreds more out there and you still do see them today occasionally, but the era of high lines and precision poacher centre forwards is largely gone.