The Free Kick Fiend
By Guto Llewellyn
There’s no doubt that Conor Hourihane’s arrival has injected some genuine quality into the Swans midfield. Making his writing debut in ATFV Guto Llewellyn ponders on the player’s possible impact from direct free-kicks……
Swansea fans have already seen that Conor Hourihane can add some extra style and cutting edge in attack to the Swans’ midfield. They’re also hoping the Irishman’s arrival can finally see us score from free-kicks again.
Over the past 20 years or so the Swans have pretty much always had potent free-kick takers.
In the lower divisions there was always a contest between the likes of Lee Trundle and Andy Robinson over who should take each set piece. Whichever one of the scouse legends stepped up, there was always a decent chance it would end up in the top corner.
Then there were iconic free-kicks such as Gomez’s match winner against Cardiff in the League Cup, Borini’s beauty against Norwich or the spectacular strike from Jonathan De Guzman at the Mestalla.
But when it comes to Swansea free-kick takers nobody comes close to Gylfi Sigurdsson.
That heavenly right foot was capable of sublime magic and it gave us so many great memories.
During his first spell he scored a wonderful free-kick away at Wigan and when he returned permanently a few years later he kept finding the back of the net from set-pieces against the likes of Arsenal, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and Manchester United.
While Sigurdsson was at the club, any free-kick within 30 yards of goal felt like a genuine scoring opportunity. In fact there were times under certain managers when they felt like our only scoring opportunities.
Whenever the referee would blow for a free-kick within striking range, a collective wave of optimism could be felt enveloping the Liberty because fans knew they had one of the best set piece takers in the business.
The final free-kick he scored in a Swansea shirt summed up his genius perfectly.
Away at Old Trafford, with the clock ticking, the ball was placed around 10 yards outside the box. Realising who was lining up to take it, United midfielder Ander Herrera had a moment of sheer panic so severe, it seemed to scramble his brain.
The Spaniard abandoned his place in the wall and sprinted back to the goal line. Suddenly he was playing absolutely everybody onside so Swansea’s players began to pick up positions nearer the goal, seeing an unusual opportunity.
Herrera was quickly told to get his act together and rejoin the wall, thus eliminating the opportunity to go for the cross.
The plan of standing on the goal line was clearly bonkers but it showed the fear Sigurdsson could inflict on his opponents. He could make Herrera do the hokey cokey just by staring at a him.
Of course Herrera was right to be worried. Just a few seconds after coming to his senses and getting back in line, he watched as the ball sailed over the United wall and into the top corner, earning the Swans a valuable point in their battle for survival.
We never dared take Sigurdsson’s ability for granted but I’m not sure if anybody present in that Old Trafford away end ever thought that would be the last free-kick scored directly by a Swansea player for nearly four years.
Yep, that’s right, Sigurdsson’s beautiful strike at Old Trafford was the last time a Swansea player got his name on the score sheet for scoring a free-kick.
Some have gone close, struck the woodwork or missed by a fraction. Rhian Brewster thought he had done it last season against Millwall but cameras clearly showed the ball in fact bounced off the crossbar and onto Bartosz Białkowski’s back before going in for an own goal.
A similar incident took place in an FA Cup tie against Gillingham the previous season with Bersant Celina’s effort hitting the post before deflecting in off the helpless Gills goalkeeper.
Of course Hourihane himself scored directly from a free-kick wide out on the touchline against Brentford, but despite suggestions it was deliberate I’m treating that as a cross into the box that simply eluded everyone and deceived the keeper.
The scoring rate from free-kicks at any club is likely to be very low. It’s not unusual for clubs to go entire seasons without scoring a single free-kick, even if that was a very rare occurrence for the Swans until recently.
But four years without scoring a free-kick is pretty inept. In fact only one club in the top two divisions has gone longer without scoring directly from a free-kick and that’s Watford. Their fans have been waiting patiently since April 2016 to see one.
It’s a shame because few things in football are as beautiful as a free-kick bending past the keeper into the corner of the net. Whether it’s scored on a boggy pitch in Cwm Level Park, or in a Champions League final, it’s always spectacular when a player curls the ball up and over the wall before it nestles in the onion bag.
When it’s done well, it’s pure artistry. When it’s done by Matt Grimes, it’s usually asinine.
Don’t get me wrong, I love Grimes. He’s a fantastic midfielder and he’s enjoying a great season but his attempts on goal from free-kicks leave a lot to be desired.
The fact Grimes is the best we’ve got in this department is pretty uninspiring but hopefully that can now change!
The signs are good in that respect as since Hourihane’s arrival Grimes has hit two absolute beauties from outside the box in open play!!
Hourihane has proven himself to be a real threat from dead ball situations and he is surely destined to take on that responsibility from now on and as Sigurdsson proved during his time at the Liberty, having a player with that kind of weapon in his arsenal can prove decisive.
The battle for promotion this season is heating up and there’s now a sizeable cluster of clubs separated by relatively few points.
Who goes up and who stays down could all come down to which clubs can find themselves a difference-maker in big games.
Hourihane can be that difference maker and his set-piece taking ability could give us that extra edge in those tightest of tight contests.
