The stuttering penalty run-up is back under debate after Chelsea midfielder Valentin Barco hit the post with his spot-kick in the Carabao Cup shootout defeat by Liverpool, a miss that ultimately cost the Blues a place in the quarter-finals.
Valentin Barco (Credits: BBC Sport)
Barco’s miss came with Chelsea’s fourth penalty in an entertaining shootout at Anfield. Had he scored, Xabi Alonso’s side would have advanced, but instead they crashed out as defender Wesley Fofana sent a sudden-death effort high into the Kop. The night before, Arsenal midfielder Bruno Guimaraes had his spot-kick saved after a similar stutter run-up as the Gunners crashed out against League Two Fleetwood Town.
Why Players Use the Stutter Penalty Run-Up
Players opt for the stutter in a bid to trick the goalkeeper into revealing which way they will dive. The problem is that it can backfire spectacularly if the keeper holds their nerve, or, as in Barco’s case, if the taker fails to hit the target at all. Former Chelsea defender Cesar Azpilicueta, speaking on ITV, defended the approach as a matter of personal confidence, saying every player picks the style they feel comfortable with.
The technique became a major theme of this year’s World Cup, where 26 stutter penalties were taken and 11 were missed. Under FIFA rules, a player is allowed to stop or feint in the run-up as long as they do not do it directly before kicking the ball. Even Harry Kane tried it in the summer, only for Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic to save his effort in England’s 4-2 win, before Kane scored a retake after Livakovic came off his line early.
Former Players Split on the Stutter Technique
Opinion among former players is sharply divided. Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy called the stutter ridiculous and naive, arguing that goalkeepers are no longer tricked by it and that it amounts to self-indulgence. Former Liverpool and Chelsea full-back Glen Johnson took the opposite view, pointing out that Barco missed by mere inches and had already beaten the goalkeeper, making the height of the shot, rather than the run-up, the real problem.
The shootout also produced a happier story. Liverpool defender Joe Gomez, a player who has never scored a senior goal in 319 professional appearances, rifled the winning penalty into the top corner after a simple, straightforward run-up, showing both sides of the debate in a single night. The stutter is not going away, with greats from Pele to Cristiano Ronaldo having used it, but after two costly misses in two nights, its critics have rarely had a stronger case.
Also Read: Fleetwood Town to Face Everton or Newcastle at Highbury in Carabao Cup Quarter-Finals and Where Does Fleetwood Beating Arsenal Rank in Biggest Cup Upsets?
Source: BBC Sport — read the full story there.
