I'm not sure who made it popular in this country (was it Pep?) but I've yet to see a team look comfortable doing it.

Most sides have learnt to quickly close down those defenders and goalkeepers who think they're Franz Beckenbauer, with the ball frequently being lost in dangerous areas. No matter how threatened some teams are, they refuse to launch it to safety.

Whether this a Pep-inspired fad I don't know but with so much at stake I will be surprised if this tactic is not ditched by many teams in the near future.