Players that never seemed to make individual errors

Mark Kinsella, the ultimate steady Eddie in midfield. Funnily enough though, when we sold him he was just starting to show signs that the legs were getting old.....

Scott Minto, smooth as butter at left back.

I know he was with us only a short time but Jorge Costa never seemed to put a foot wrong for us.

Chris Powell surely one of the most consistent players we've had in the last 10-15 years, especially his first spell here. Obviously had limitations to his game but rarely made a big error.

I know what you mean, AFKA, but a lot of coaches will tell you about the mistakes players make by failing to do something or being in the wrong position.

The mis-placed pass or failure to cut out a through-ball are obvious mistakes, but at lot of play (defensive play especially) is about preventing things happening. The attacking equivalent is creating something, so you could argue that forwards make mistakes by failing to take maximum advantage of a situation.

The purist will tell you that all goals are avoidable. So, every time a goal is scored, someone somewhere has made a mistake. Even a 40-yard volley into the top corner will depend on the scorer being allowed room and/or the keeper being slightly out of position.

A key aspect for the players who don't seem to make mistakes is that they generally have a clear idea of what they will do when the ball comes to them. If the ball comes, and if nothing has changed, they will do what they foresaw a few seconds earlier. If the ball doesn't come, no problem. And if the ball comes and a new situation has developed, they will take advantage of any new options which have been created. Sounds analytical, but top players do all that in a fraction of a second .. and usually instinctively. But in that way, they seem to have time and vision that other players lack.

Kinsella was one of the best at that for us. Chris Powell too. I love Semedo ... but he does make mistakes. Especially of the positional variety.

[cite]Posted By: Leroy Ambrose[/cite]Mark Reid, John Humphrey

absolutely agree with those two

Andy Peake, he made the same mistake about twice every game - trying to shoot from 25 yards.

[cite]Posted By: LawrieAbrahams[/cite]Andy Peake, he made the same mistake about twice every game - trying to shoot from 25 yards.

Ah, yes .....Peakie's rocket.

David Young, sweeper (sorry, 2nd ball CB) in Andy Nelson's 70s promotion side. Unflappable.

Creative players always take more risks, so will generally be liable to more error of judgement.
Sometimes it's a fine line between plaudits and brickbats.

Hypothetic example:..... tactically winger A is supposed to make his run off the ball into a wide position, once midfielder B wins posession (who's instructed to play the ball into space for that winger to run on to) .....he passes the ball perfectly on the floor, but the winger doesn't make the run. The midfielder gets dogs abuse from the crowd who only see what they think is a mis-placed pass.

But it's the winger who has failed to move or play to instruction, but the crowd won't see that - and blame the wrong player.

Keith Jones made plenty of mistakes, usually after his first touch went shooting away from him.

Darren Ambrose? Never to be seen anywhere near the ball defensively, and mysteriously dissapeared offensively if someone else wasn't busting a gut to get the ball and attack. Haven't seen too many people run as much as Ambrose without getting near the opposition or their goal.

Players who give 100% and always involved, will always make a greater number of errors than players who fitfully contribute in spells during the game and otherwise anonymous.

Kish for example ..... and on the other hand, Darren Ambrose - 2 players who did actually play in the same team together,
Kish would always make more mistakes, simply because he was involved more.

Law of averages.

To be fair to Luke Young I can't recall too many glaring errors. I seem to remember him struggling a bit after her first signed but once he settled was very much a Steady Eddie right back.

Bolder, Humphrey, Powell, Flannagan, Johns, Melrose, Williams, Jones K, Jensen, Parker, Crooks, Bowen, Reid M, Reid A, MacKenzie S, Dailly, Robinson J, Newton, Webster, Kiely, Hunt, Kinsella, Rufus, Walsh, Minto, Murphy, Whyte D....all made a few mistakes, but all were/are consistent performers at their relevant levels.

Graham Stuart was very consistent one of Curb's inspired signings.

Cory Gibbs.

Not one single bad pass, stray ball, bad tackle.....