Quote Originally Posted by Moodybluebird View Post
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.
Football is full of fads - and clubs who follow them. How many times do you see a PL side take a short corner, get closed down, pass back to another player, then back to a defender and even the keeper. Or take a free kick on the half way line and pass it back - and across - and back, and then ends up back with the keeper. Sides like Sheff. Utd and Leeds and many others have seen through 'the Emperors new Clothes' fashion of endless tapping the ball nowhere. It is[and was] as boring as sh*t as well, despite what the so-called pundits say..