Pace

How important is pace in football?

It gets bandied about a lot when talking about players. But how important it actually is? What are the actual benefits?

We, Liverpool, try to play it on the ground under Rodgers - we were the least crossing team in the Prem this season - and now when we're shopping for a striker (again) a lot of our fans talk about pace. Benteke is strongly linked with us and a lot of us seem to be worried he hasn't got enough pace to suit our style.

So, how and in what situations does pace help you on the pitch?

Some of the best strikers in the game right now aren't that quick, imo. Suarez isn't quick, Benzema isn't quick, Zlatan isn't quick, Costa isn't quick, Lewandowski isn't particularly quick. Aguero has got some pace. Luca Toni isn't quick.

How often do we actually see players beat defenders for pure pace? Personally, I don't think it's very often at all, much more often it takes good ball control and dribbling and agility, but not so much pace.

Is too much made of pace? Is it a myth that needs busting?

Johan Cruyff wrote:What is speed? The sports press often confuses speed with insight. See, if I start running slightly earlier than someone else, I seem faster.

There’s only one moment in which you can arrive in time. If you’re not there, you’re either too early or too late.

Pace is great, but ultimately it is very overvalued. Pace is nothing without knowing what to do with it. Dynamic and intelligent movement will always be more important especially against the better teams that know how to play with structure and control space.

Pace isn't the be all and end all of football like it is on FIFA. Positioning, technical ability, agility and intelligence are just as important if not more.

Messi/Ronaldo/Robben disagree.

Pace is what elevates them from great players to GOATs.

It's a catalyst...without that, we're purposeless.

It's one of those things you only hear English media yapping about, nearly everyone else doesn't care about pace as a primary attribute

^ As primary, yes.

But it's a damn important tool to have, and to support your footballing brain and technical abilities.

You name the top 10 players in the world now....and majority have very good speed and "turn/change of pace".

By the way, pace shall not be mixed with acceleration which IMO is its own different story.

Robben's goal vs. Spain is all you need to know about Pace.

Pretty important in terram.

How often are you ever going to be in a position to make a run like Robben did against Spain? Even then it was poorly defended. Pace can be an invaluable tool, but ultimately it's only as useful as the brain that is in possession of it.

Acceleration is more important than pace, IMO.

We have a player who's all pace and people think he's one of the best in the world.

It's important to be quick in some way, but like all other attributes it's about how well use them with your intelligence.

Ronaldo is great because he's smart footballer, his pace just enhances his overall greatness because he's smart.

Messi is the same, with his accelleration instead of pace.

Messi almost never beats defenders because of his pace, it's his insane dribbling, ball control and agility to change direction.

Suarez is actually quite slow, but incredibly good in tight spaces and using his body (and mouth).

Raheem Sterling has got both great sprint speed and acceleration, but doesn't have a great success rate at beating the defender. Glen Johnson isn't very fast, but his success rate at dribbling past the defender is quite good, thanks to his technique.

Just some examples.

Pace + others attributes >> others attributes alone >>>>>>>>>Pace alone

Pace alone is nothing, might help you become a pro but that's all. But Pace just like stamina, strenght and others skills is an important asset.

art wrote:Benteke is strongly linked with us and a lot of us seem to be worried he hasn't got enough pace to suit our style.

I think the concern is more about if he can get into position, create space or trigger a timely run; than his pace or lack of it.

Always found the importance of pace depends on the position a player plays. A central midfielder and a centre back doesn't need any sort of genuine pace so it would definitely not be seen as important while a coach would honestly want his wingers and full backs to be able to run fast as they'll be equipped to cover more ground on the wings quicker. If a goal keeper can run fast, good for him I guess.

Even for forwards, pace becomes a necessity or just an added bonus depending on the type of role a coach wants him to play. Personally, acceleration is what really drives defenders mad.

It isn't something that should be frowned upon but I don't think it holds any relevance at the highest level. Lower down it tends to become more in use though.

pace is the x factor now? footy IQ is the most important thing in footy, that it

Art Morte wrote:Messi almost never beats defenders because of his pace, it's his insane dribbling, ball control and agility to change direction.

Suarez is actually quite slow, but incredibly good in tight spaces and using his body (and mouth).

Raheem Sterling has got both great sprint speed and acceleration, but doesn't have a great success rate at beating the defender. Glen Johnson isn't very fast, but his success rate at dribbling past the defender is quite good, thanks to his technique.

Just some examples.

messi beats his player by dribbling past them true.
but his best goals usually come off with a great acceleration after his dribble.
without his pace after his dribble the defender would recover and re-mark him.

i mean look at his maradona goal, amazing dribbling but without his pace he wouldn't of done that.
look at ronaldinho's best goals, great dribbling with great acceleration / speed

an attribute alone is useless without a good combination of other aspects of the game.

agree with everything doc said.....depends on the position. and even the positions that find it useful, there's a lot more to it than just running. figo and becks were among the best wingers of their time but they couldn't run for shit. robben isn't good because of his pace alone, his technique, ability to shoot the ball with that left foot adds more to his game than pace. there have been great players who lacked pace, there has NOT been a great player who could only run but do nothing else

Golden Balls was indeed a bit slow for a winger but I remember Figo being quite quick when he was at Barcelona. Not that he needed to use his pace much, the great man had lovely dribbling abilities.

he was just more aggressive at barcelona, not necessarily faster (obviously he was younger), but those step-overs he used to do, where he'll fall after and draw a foul, at barcelona he'd push or hustle to get the shot in. but he wasn't some speed demon, extremely skillful.....florentino and luxemburgo did him dirty, out of all the galacticos at that time, i'd say he worked the hardest on the pitch, even more than raul

Yeah, the club made Figo a scapegoat big time, at least the fans loved him though and he still holds actual affection towards the club.

Also, footballing IQ (or football intelligence) is extremely essential but if you don't have skill and/or the physical attributes to do what you are thinking, it pretty much comes to naught or at least doesn't work out as planned. So I personally can't rank it any higher than I do the other elements that make up a good footballer.

I think Jibbers is reading this thread in tears, and not of laughter.

wtf is pace? Its nothing. Get any 100m sprinter on the pitch and see what happens...

Tell me, what pace will do when there is no space to run into?

Its an enhancer, no different from one particular technical skill (a good passing range)..but it doesnt make up what a football is about at all.

Pace, speed whatever...it matters how fast you think, not how fast you move. You can run as fast as you want, you cant outrun the ball.

Pace is what elevates them from great to "Goats"?..what blasphemy.

^^ ffs tell em again franchise, as jibs would say footy is becoming americanized and reading some of the posts i can see where he is coming from tbh

me being accused of being a prem fan boy.

Despite CLEARLY stating here that PL is garbage these days and the 4th best league in Europe.

Some people's agenda is hilarious.

and I meant Pace+Acceleration is an asset, not just by itself

pace is one of the most important in this football world, especially for mediocre or amateur player

see what happen to kaka without pace, he suck

he was look world beater when he had it before

guest_07 wrote:pace is one of the most important in this football world, especially for mediocre or amateur player

see what happen to kaka without pace, he suck

he was look world beater when he had it before

Footy IQ is the most important, if you can't out run the defender, then plays some 1-2 and get into the box

chad4401 wrote:

guest_07 wrote:pace is one of the most important in this football world, especially for mediocre or amateur player

see what happen to kaka without pace, he suck

he was look world beater when he had it before

Footy IQ is the most important, if you can't out run the defender, then plays some 1-2 and get into the box

our football is full of this kind of player, so pace is one of the most important aspect