Football Food For Thought / Mike Norman / 05 March 2008 /

"Mystical" Mike Norman nominates Cristiano Ronaldo and Michael Owen amongst his beat headers of the balls in the Premiership but who are the others?

There was only two things that prevented me from being a professional footballer; one was I couldn't head a ball, the other was I couldn't kick one either - other than that I wasn't a bad player! Thankfully though, while my feet are firmly in the retired camp, I can still get to use my head when it comes to the sport that I love.

On a football pitch however, 'using your head' means a lot more than Jimmy Bullard working out that if his team are trailing by two, they need three to win - it can also mean heading a football, a skill that seems so easy to execute, but so difficult to master.

Here is a clip of Newcastle United's new defensive coach demonstrating how to jump, head the ball, and bring it under control in one movement: https://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=BqJOXJrD-B0 - if Keegan's men take this on board, Newcastle should be in no danger of being relegated.... should they? Odds of [6.8] say they will be a Championship team next season.

To be fair to the Geordies, they have had some decent players who could head a football - Shearer springs to mind in recent years, while currently they have Michael Owen, who despite his size, I would rate amongst the best in the Premiership when it comes to sticking his bonce on a round piece of leather. Owen has perfected all the techniques required to be a constant threat in the air against defences much taller than him. He times his jump and gets great height, he has an ability to 'hang' in the air, and he keeps his eye on the ball and directs it where he wants to by using his neck to control the power. His recent goal against Middlesbrough is a perfect example of all this.

By the way, have I mentioned that I'm a tad excited about Boro getting to Wembley and lifting the FA Cup? They can be backed at [1.72] to beat Cardiff on Sunday, while to win the competition outright they are available at [10.5]. However, if Boro do get to Wembley I think I will need a sponsor to be there myself, after blowing all my dosh on the Man Utd v Lyon game to have over 2.5 goals - what an earth was I thinking of? Oh well, I live to fight another day and next time, I really will use my head!

Talking of United, who incidentally are now as low as [4.7] to win the Champions League, they have a player by the name of Ronaldo, who is not only brilliant with his feet, he is excellent at heading a football also. Some people seem surprised by this (including myself), but should we? He is very aware of the players around him and his pace and quick thinking can lose a marker instantly, making him a perfect target for aerial balls into the box. Ronaldo is currently trading at [1.56] to be the top Premiership goalscorer, while you can have just [1.25] about him being named PFA Player of the Year.

Before Emmanuel Adebayor came along, Arsenal hadn't scored a headed goal for about 30 years - but the tall target man has given the Gunners an extra dimension to their play, such as the aerial threat that he possesses. Adebayor is amongst the best strikers in the Premiership at scoring from headers, as much down to his height as his raw ability, and he can be backed at [4.2] to be this season's top goalscorer. After Arsenal's impressive performance against AC Milan, they are available at [7.2] to win the Champions League.

Defensive heading is arguably far less skillful, but it's certainly just as important, and whilst most of the Premiership's top defenders are quite capable of winning a header or two, few are better than John Terry in my opinion. It's quite staggering how many times Chelsea's captain clears the ball with his head from corners and set-pieces - it's all about keeping your eye on the ball and timing of course, but Terry is quite brilliant at this. Chelsea are still in the hunt for three trophies and can be backed at [7.6] for the Champions League, [6.2] for the Premiership, and just [2.68] to lift the FA Cup.

So to all you fathers out there who are trying to nurture you son to become a top player (or is just me who does this), don't forget the importance of being good at heading a football - I wonder how Iain Dowie's son is coming along; https://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Im_sME-zlQA

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