Adam Dennehey WAFU manager
Speed kills, we all know that, but when it’s gone, or if you never had it, does it matter in Premiership football?
I ask because as I watch Jamie Carragher, surely the slowest player in the league at present, it made me wonder.
A string of slow players came to mind. Jan Molby was probably the slowest ever – do you agree ?
Manchester United have had players who lacked pace, notably David Beckham but with Gary Neville wasn’t that one of our slowest ever right sides?
Even the Eric Cantona lacked real pace, The King had it all except true speed.
Presently ball players are those who we notice most. Adel Taarabt at QPR or the languid Dimitar Berbatov or Wayne Rooney all struggle with outright speed yet can produce on their day.
At the back pace must matter yet John Terry, Rio Ferdinand and many others are hardly lightning but the worlds best are great ball players at high speed. Think Lionel Messi or Cristinao Ronaldo and think pace and skill in one player, a rare combination.
But Zinedine Zidane wasn’t quick, neither was Rivaldo. Yet once upon a time they were the worlds best.
It’s often said the first five yards are played between the ears, and that seems true, as slow players like Michael Carrick often turn out of trouble through their brain rather than explosive speed.
So longevity is due to the brain replacing the speed, hence Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs drop into roles that need less pace, but more thought. Giggs no longer out speeds the fullback but now plays the ball that lets the winger do that job.
Surely the fastest teams in our league are Manchester City and Chelsea, with Carlos Tevez and Sergio Aguero, Eden Hazard, Oscar and Fernando Torres. Speedy attacking teams who outpace opponents.
In today’s Chelsea v Liverpool game we saw how slow Steven Gerrard has become, the end of the career of Carragher and the impact of pace from Raheem Sterling. Yet they got a result.
Thinking of teams around the league, many have players with no pace.
Yohan Cabaye at Newcastle United, Barry at City, Marouanne Fellaini at Everton and many others come to mind.
So when people say it’s the fastest league in the world I have my doubts. But it’s certainly full of variety and excitement.
Oh United we do, United we love you.
By Steve Burrows CBE @ifollowsteve
Not even close it's the NHL…. ;))
Are you sure it's not rollerblading ?
Of course I meant football league, and I don't mean American throwball !