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Players with 2 feet

ralph

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Here's a subject that I have wondering about for some time - for some years in fact.

Why don't footballers make better use of their weaker foot? Very often, the game is slowed right down for a player to shift the ball to his stronger foot and very often a chance to shoot is lost.

In the City first team squad, for example, I can only think of 2 or 3 players who are more or less capable of using both feet. To save a guessing game, they are Richard Duffy, Ryan Harley (shoots but rarely passes with his left foot) and possibly John O'Flynn, although I haven't seen enough to be sure. I don't know about Jake Thomson or David Noble, not having seen enough of them in action either. As far as I can tell everyone else is more or less one-footed.

A question that all footballers and ex-footballers out there, in particular, might be able to help with.
 

Red and White Zider

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Rob Edwards makes use of his weaker right foot when he can. Jonah will use his left foot to clear it and most of the time does ok. Scott Golbourne is a prime example of a player who wont even pass with his right foot let alone anything more. Wayne Carlisle was a 2 footed winger, something which is quite gifted for a winger. Stanno used to use both feet as well
 

Jason H

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I had to laugh on MOTD on Saturday when Hansen was eulogising about a player (forgive me, I can't remember who!), and he said "he's got two good feet" - cue footage where clearly it showed his left foot was purely for standing on.
 

wemissmoxey

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Rob Edwards makes use of his weaker right foot when he can. Jonah will use his left foot to clear it and most of the time does ok. Scott Golbourne is a prime example of a player who wont even pass with his right foot let alone anything more. Wayne Carlisle was a 2 footed winger, something which is quite gifted for a winger. Stanno used to use both feet as well
Golbs struggles with his left peg, expecting him to use his right foot is rather unrealistic.
 

crocks

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Ruddy difficult to play football with only one foot....
 

antman

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Generally speaking, this is an English disease. While there are some examples of players at the highest level in Spain or Italy who avoid touching the ball with their 'wrong' foot at all costs (Lio Messi actually rarely touches the ball with his right if you watch him closely but he of course is exceptional) you don't get very far in those countries if you don't habitually use your other foot when it makes economy of body movement so much easier to do so. Some of our supposedly best players (Beckham, Gerrard and Lampard) avoid using their left foot when they take the ball under control, which is why you constantly see shots of Gerrard contorting his body to get the ball under instead of playing the way he's facing and using his left. Passes are not hit naturally or weighted properly with the wrong foot as a matter of habit. It's only practice that develops a weaker foot (best done at a young age) and far too many players in England are too shy to use it.

As far as City goes, Ryan Harley's supposedly languid style is partly the result of him using both feet equally well when it comes to controlling the ball. He weights passes (I disagree) and shoots with both, something of an example to the aforementioned famous names, just like Glenn Hoddle used to be as a player. Otherwise I haven't seen enough of them to know but Logan always seems pretty happy on his wrong side to me, though I doubt he has scored that many with his left. Richard Duffy is a complete footballer to me.

Very good idea for a thread by the way.
 
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Mr Jan Yeo

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Marcus Stewart has the worst 'weak foot' that I've ever seen, although that Danny Stevens wot played for Torquay would always cut back to use his right because his left foot was so shockingly bad.
 
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EX4 6PX

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This thread seems like the ideal place to sort out if Richard Duffy is left or right footed.

** awaits Jambo's contribution **
 

Mr Jan Yeo

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This thread seems like the ideal place to sort out if Richard Duffy is left or right footed.

** awaits Jambo's contribution **
Jambo loves Richard Duffy so will be able to answer that question easily.
 

ralph

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This thread seems like the ideal place to sort out if Richard Duffy is left or right footed.

** awaits Jambo's contribution **
To me, Richard Duffy is a very good example of a player who is predominantly right-footed, but has practised enough to use his weaker foot with confidence.

In response to Antman, Ryan Harley time and time again stops and transfers the ball to his right foot. Excellent player, even so.
 
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