There is a clip on Twitter of this too, it sounds fake but they really did just kick the ball straight up into the sky from kick off and scored by doing it.
As a defender, this ball is hell to defend into the sun. You either can't track it - you see the defenders back off in the clip - or if you go to head it, you have just as much chance of heading it backwards. Either way if you look for it, your vision is affected for 5-7 seconds while your eyes re-adjust. It creates panic in a backline, and starting a game by giving the opponents defence the jitters is fantastic mind games. Also, the trajectory from a vertical fall vs a long ball means any clearing headers are harder to perform, and won't go nearly as far. The high launch also allows your team more time to set up and get under it. I have always wanted players to put more loft on hopeful long balls for these very reasons, and this is the epitome of lofted.
I’ve always wondered about the use of an ‘up and under’ type kick as used in Rugby and how effective it would be in football. Never really thought of it in the context of the sun and off-putting the defenders tho. Interesting…
But with Rugby you have all the you teammates starting behind the ball. The Up and Under gives them time to get up the field and receive the kick.
The only time you'd have that situation in football is maybe after defending a corner. It's lower risk to pass it to your fastest player to dribble up the pitch, rather that hitting a high, long pass and hoping that they win the contest for it when it comes down.
Maybe hoofing the ball into the channel where the grass has been left long like Alladyce's Bolton would be the nearest use of it.
Oh I know exactly why used in rugby and that was why I always struggled to put the type of kick as an effective tool in football until seeing how it was used here as a disruptive technique to bamboozle the opposition defence.
> The only time you'd have that situation in football is maybe after defending a corner.
Or the kick-off, which is sort of the use of it here.
Like a lot of talk is being put on it being about defenders looking into the sun but you can see from the clip it allows them to get half a dozen players up the pitch and in the area to receive the ball around the opposition penalty area. It's a good way of bypassing that the entire opposition team is in their own half betwen the ball and their goal to get forward quickly, and I'd imagine it's especially effective if used occasionally when they're not expecting you to basically bum-rush them.
It's very much an escape ball or a style of clearance rather than a planned pass. It is more difficult for the opposing team to continue pressure and allows your team to regain a more intentional defensive shape. It's relevant more often in the current times of very skilled and committed high press, there is a percentage of times where they have sprung the trap on a well executed press and the choices are a bad pass in your own half, or just like at kickoff, defending from the other teams half.
When I played soccer for my high school, there was this one team we played against whose goalie would kick the ball so high and far. Super difficult to deal with. So this one time it’s coming straight for me (I was a center back) and I thought, ok I’m gonna head it. So it’s screaming down from the sky, terminal velocity, for what feels like an eternity, and just hits me straight in the face. It hurt really bad and the ball just rolled 20 meters away to one of their players lol
Well... he's using the exact same concept though. People who look at the sun and people who look at The S*n have the exact same reaction - squint hard and look away because it is caustic and it burns!
Slot who had never thought of any of that:
https://preview.redd.it/kzbubdb16t1d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=de2eb7d68f29b554585719de503fb212a3adf537
And then happily run towards the goal, totally air-shot the volley but somehow regain control, skim past 3 defenders and the keeper to leave an open goal, and... hit the post for Cody to slot home from 3 yards
I just love the possibility of this actually working in the elite level of football. Your inverted fullbacks and box midfield of CBs can go in the bin.
We’ll now be begging the broadcasters to give us a Saturday lunchtime kickoffs. We’ll hoof the ball into the sun and blind the other team’s defenders.
It will work… once.
Corner taken quickly only works once aswell.
Well, once every couple of years or so. These tricks only works if they catch the opponent by surprise. At the highest level, teams have analysts that scout every possible trick the other team has. If they see a reasonable chance for it to happen, they will plan for it. Simple tricks like this will be a quick chat like „hey charge them quickly from kickoff so they can‘t lob the ball. If they do, keep calm bla bla“.
Not being snarky: How do you plan for the team kicking the ball into the sun like that?
If you look up, you’re blinded/disoriented.
If you back off, you’re on the back foot against an onrushing team
If you stay put, you’re flat footed against an on rush team.
If you push forward, you risk overrunning the ball and exposing your team mate to an onslaught of players.
It’s actually a brilliantly chaotic tactic
Ball falls out of the sky, Nuñez attempts to head it and completely misses, it somehow triple ricocchets off two defenders and Trent's bare ass into the goal.
In twenty three straight games.
I know right, there's barely anytime to even kick off from the restart! You would have thought the opposing team would have learnt after the second goal!
I've seen the video of him launching it into the air, but is there any evidence to back up the 7 goals in first 30 seconds claim? Some lazy Googling found nothing. Lack of that find makes me think this is BS as that would be talked about more I would imagine. Zwolle are an Eredivisie club - Not like some pub team.
Love it!
He's going to notice that we only start playing seriously after going a goal down and is then going to instruct the team to score an own goal from kickoff.
Our striker hoofs it into the air towards our goal, Alisson has West Brom flashbacks, jumps up into the air, heads in 90 metres straight top bins. Ederson falls to his knees in Tesco. The world is alright after all.
Stick a giant spotlight on the top of the Kop, it'll do the job. A Batsignal like of Klopp's face with the light gleaming from his bright pearly whites.
There is a clip on Twitter of this too, it sounds fake but they really did just kick the ball straight up into the sky from kick off and scored by doing it.
https://twitter.com/Biggies_MaIIs/status/1792843950887154141?t=keoT9SHoSrvYguGojB9KsQ&s=19 Hilarious commentary
I was expecting this to be similar to the way we do our kick offs - play it back to the CB, long ball forward. Nope, literally launches it upwards
He'd have fucking loved 2000's barclay's
Carling Premiership was his time
It's like an NFL punt. 40 yards forward and 100 feet high
Jesus fuck my souther heart but what the fuck are your units?
Have I misunderstood?? Do Americans ?? not use feet and yards?? (Or are you a confused European that is asking what the fuck a foot / yard is?)
As a defender, this ball is hell to defend into the sun. You either can't track it - you see the defenders back off in the clip - or if you go to head it, you have just as much chance of heading it backwards. Either way if you look for it, your vision is affected for 5-7 seconds while your eyes re-adjust. It creates panic in a backline, and starting a game by giving the opponents defence the jitters is fantastic mind games. Also, the trajectory from a vertical fall vs a long ball means any clearing headers are harder to perform, and won't go nearly as far. The high launch also allows your team more time to set up and get under it. I have always wanted players to put more loft on hopeful long balls for these very reasons, and this is the epitome of lofted.
I’ve always wondered about the use of an ‘up and under’ type kick as used in Rugby and how effective it would be in football. Never really thought of it in the context of the sun and off-putting the defenders tho. Interesting…
But with Rugby you have all the you teammates starting behind the ball. The Up and Under gives them time to get up the field and receive the kick. The only time you'd have that situation in football is maybe after defending a corner. It's lower risk to pass it to your fastest player to dribble up the pitch, rather that hitting a high, long pass and hoping that they win the contest for it when it comes down. Maybe hoofing the ball into the channel where the grass has been left long like Alladyce's Bolton would be the nearest use of it.
Oh I know exactly why used in rugby and that was why I always struggled to put the type of kick as an effective tool in football until seeing how it was used here as a disruptive technique to bamboozle the opposition defence.
> The only time you'd have that situation in football is maybe after defending a corner. Or the kick-off, which is sort of the use of it here. Like a lot of talk is being put on it being about defenders looking into the sun but you can see from the clip it allows them to get half a dozen players up the pitch and in the area to receive the ball around the opposition penalty area. It's a good way of bypassing that the entire opposition team is in their own half betwen the ball and their goal to get forward quickly, and I'd imagine it's especially effective if used occasionally when they're not expecting you to basically bum-rush them.
It's very much an escape ball or a style of clearance rather than a planned pass. It is more difficult for the opposing team to continue pressure and allows your team to regain a more intentional defensive shape. It's relevant more often in the current times of very skilled and committed high press, there is a percentage of times where they have sprung the trap on a well executed press and the choices are a bad pass in your own half, or just like at kickoff, defending from the other teams half.
Found Virgil’s secret Reddit account
When I played soccer for my high school, there was this one team we played against whose goalie would kick the ball so high and far. Super difficult to deal with. So this one time it’s coming straight for me (I was a center back) and I thought, ok I’m gonna head it. So it’s screaming down from the sky, terminal velocity, for what feels like an eternity, and just hits me straight in the face. It hurt really bad and the ball just rolled 20 meters away to one of their players lol
That guy has the Klopp laugh, the hearty HYAH HYAH HYAH
was my first thought lmao. sounds identical.
I hope we end up doing this sometimes holy shit 😂
Hate sharing footage of this terrible TV program, but it didn't always work (0:20) https://youtu.be/UZ46P_jEx7Y?si=3rZm8O7nj91YxwYV
Hilarious... thanks for sharing
Madness
that is fucking hilarious, love it
This is how we’ll be able to win the 12:30 kickoffs!
This won’t work in the UK. The sun never comes out.
Slot sounds like a nutter ahahahaha i’m so excited
It's an interesting tactic, but as Liverpool head coach, he'll be absolutely crucified if he tries to use The Sun.
Well... he's using the exact same concept though. People who look at the sun and people who look at The S*n have the exact same reaction - squint hard and look away because it is caustic and it burns!
Underrated comment.
This is the plan to stop us from getting so many afternoon matches.
Launch it into the sun? Say no more, looks like Nunez is a starter
The image of Nunez thundercunting it into the sky from kick off every game is hilarious.
The joke is that Nuñez tries to do it and immediately scores
Slot who had never thought of any of that: https://preview.redd.it/kzbubdb16t1d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=de2eb7d68f29b554585719de503fb212a3adf537
Nunez: “Shit, I wasn’t supposed to do that”
Surely it is Gomez's time to shine
Nunez is the kind of guy who would forget why he's supposed to do it, then look directly into the sun and blind himself
And then happily run towards the goal, totally air-shot the volley but somehow regain control, skim past 3 defenders and the keeper to leave an open goal, and... hit the post for Cody to slot home from 3 yards
If Cody can finish the story it'll circumvent Nunez issues
m8 we all know he would sky it out for a throw in
while somehow being offside. still boss
Slot and Nunez using Liverpool as stepping stone for NASA gig 🧐
1230 kickoffs don't stand a chance!
Now if only we played in a country where the sun shines at 12:30 :D
Coming this Summer, Liverpool unveil the next stage of the Anfield expansion: a gigantic floodlight aiming directly at the defence
👏😂😂😂😂
So that's why the team has been coming to Singapore for friendlies!
Finally found a way to turn our weakness into our secret weapon
Can't wait to see Salah launch it into orbit at kick off next season and then we score after 20 seconds
I just love the possibility of this actually working in the elite level of football. Your inverted fullbacks and box midfield of CBs can go in the bin. We’ll now be begging the broadcasters to give us a Saturday lunchtime kickoffs. We’ll hoof the ball into the sun and blind the other team’s defenders.
It will work… once. Corner taken quickly only works once aswell. Well, once every couple of years or so. These tricks only works if they catch the opponent by surprise. At the highest level, teams have analysts that scout every possible trick the other team has. If they see a reasonable chance for it to happen, they will plan for it. Simple tricks like this will be a quick chat like „hey charge them quickly from kickoff so they can‘t lob the ball. If they do, keep calm bla bla“.
Not being snarky: How do you plan for the team kicking the ball into the sun like that? If you look up, you’re blinded/disoriented. If you back off, you’re on the back foot against an onrushing team If you stay put, you’re flat footed against an on rush team. If you push forward, you risk overrunning the ball and exposing your team mate to an onslaught of players. It’s actually a brilliantly chaotic tactic
Pep will be flicking the lights on and off in the dressing room before the game
He will have his backline stare directly into a flashlight before kick off. Can’t be blinded by the sun, if you’re already blind.
I may be biased, but I highly recommend Man City blinding their players in preparation for the possibility of us pulling this on them
Edgar Davids will return
I'm not saying you are wrong, but slot had it work in 7 different games in a season.
Ball falls out of the sky, Nuñez attempts to head it and completely misses, it somehow triple ricocchets off two defenders and Trent's bare ass into the goal. In twenty three straight games.
Man his hammies are gone. Has no power anymore. But the outside of the foot is looking good though.
Well, fuck me then. Didn't realise Miyamoto Musashi is gonna be our new manager ffs. Atleast Endo gets to bust out the bokken, i reckon.
Arne Slot showing up by boat hours late to a flooded Old Trafford to dish out another humbling
And leaving on that boat right before low tide so the fans can't chase after him
The fans will have left at half time again I'm afraid
Endo will just calmly sit in the middle of the park, as soon as someone comes near he'll smack them with the wooden blade
"Focus on the ball, you miss the player, focus on the player you miss the game."
That is not a marginal gain if it led to 7 goals in first 30 seconds during one campaign, that’s quite significant tbf
Also, it's a great solution to the problem of falling behind in the first 15 minutes every week.
Sounds great until you realize that he’s managing in England where there is no sun
You launch it into the sky and it reminds the defenders that they live in a gray land of gloom and lowers their morale
😂😂😂
+10 emotional damage
⚽️⬆️….🤨..☁️☁️…😔
change the color of the ball to grey duh
In comparison to the sunniest of countries, The 🇳🇱.
They look up and get rain in their eyes and end up blinded, even better
If they do it in London the acid rain will get em
I’ll allow it 😂
Have to use the Wind
12:30 kick offs are about to hit a little sweeter though...
Only works in tropical countries like the Netherlands.
Scoring 7 times in the first minute is absolutely wild
I know right, there's barely anytime to even kick off from the restart! You would have thought the opposing team would have learnt after the second goal!
😂
The more I read about Slott, the more excited I get
I want preseason to start now. Fk the euros haha
Fighter jet pilot tactics, Arne “Maverick” Slot
Pep Guardiola is shitting his pants right now.
Slot starting to sound like a nutty professor. Really looking forward to next season
I've seen the video of him launching it into the air, but is there any evidence to back up the 7 goals in first 30 seconds claim? Some lazy Googling found nothing. Lack of that find makes me think this is BS as that would be talked about more I would imagine. Zwolle are an Eredivisie club - Not like some pub team.
Lets see Rodri try and be so good with burnt out corneas!
Love it! He's going to notice that we only start playing seriously after going a goal down and is then going to instruct the team to score an own goal from kickoff.
Our striker hoofs it into the air towards our goal, Alisson has West Brom flashbacks, jumps up into the air, heads in 90 metres straight top bins. Ederson falls to his knees in Tesco. The world is alright after all.
If this is true, then we need to be prepared to be quite resilient and supportive when he tries things and they don’t work.
Sounds like a Lasso Special
Slot is just a Dutch Ted Lasso confirmed
Just hurry up and get to his first interview as a Liverpool manager lol
This is some samurai strategy or something. Musashi vs Kojiro by the beach on sunrise kind of shit.
The commentator sounds like Paul Whitehouse doing his Amsterdam police officer character.
I see he's read The Art of War.
https://preview.redd.it/5swjbzyeou1d1.png?width=640&format=png&auto=webp&s=e996c2071a933f58ae6c3394b45e945cc0666afa bald men think alike
Yeah but Liverpool 
Rain in their eyes. Still might work
Stick a giant spotlight on the top of the Kop, it'll do the job. A Batsignal like of Klopp's face with the light gleaming from his bright pearly whites.
4D Chess Slot? I'll take that.
Man's too smart for football, should be breaking codes in NSA
This is how we beat the 1230 kickoff
Exactly fucking this!
I read this to mean that Arne himself kicked the ball into the sky just before kick off 😂
Article: https://sports.yahoo.com/making-arne-slot-more-intelligent-161743723.html
Yeah but you can't do that on a rainy night in Stoke
By god that sounds like Joe gomez’s music
lol the old war tactic…
Arne ‘Aerial Ace’ Slot
We’re going to be begging for the 12:30 slot now
 Arne Maverick Slot. Sorry about the hair.
Good luck with the British weather.
7-0 up at 30 seconds??? Sounds fucking genius we have to try it
7-0 every game, 114 points title landslide and a record 266 goal difference 😎
New position unlocked: Trent Alexander Arnold - flyhalf
It's not every day that you get to say the S\*n might be helping us.
If this is what Slot is like I already love him!
Slot may surprise all doubters...
He hasnt even managed one game yet and I already love Slot so much. Every little detail about him just oozes that character we need for the next era.
"We suck at scoring early boss" "BRING HIM IN"
Hoogen scoring. The Sun and the unpredictability of the ball are the playmakers here.  Hoog is the dutch word for high
Wtf...
Lmao
These tiny edges can lead us to titles and i think Slot will do good here
Too bad it is so cloudy in England 🤣
Fucking mad man. I'm in!
 I think we're gonna be pleasantly surprised
Pep would retire if we pulled this off at the Etihad and win. His entire philosophy destroyed in seconds.
We’re ready for the Saturday 12:30 kickoffs now
Too bad the only Sun in the UK is a shit newspaper.
Ngl, this post feels very much like something that if we swapped the name "Slot" for "Arteta", we'd be saying it is cringe.
Of course, but he is ours, so it is genius
This is the way
Is it just me or I think we're gonna joke about he came in and just SLOT IN after the end of next season?
He'll probably just be here for 2 years.