I’m not making any points at all regarding Roberts – it’s just that, as a team, there has been an insufficiency of crosses.
Brought up on football in the 60s and 70s, I remember a time when crosses went beyond the GK almost every time – and the exceptions were usually at the near post. Remember the terror caused to many defenders when Nolan Keeley covered the near post? – Little back flicks caused chaos. Of course, you needed a corner taker who was pretty accurate.
Ball after ball down the GK’s throat? – Nope.
There were usually one or two big lads about 8 yards beyond the far post who ran in at speed to meet crosses. GKs had a much tougher time back then.
When your last man is level with the keeper’s far post – obviously, crosses are made which attempt to pick out that man. It’s a recipe for giving possession back to the defence.
The flight of that ball gives the GK a chance to pluck it out of the air on far too regular a basis.
It wasn’t so much that GKs were no good at catching crosses back in the day but just that they weren’t fed them over and over again.
Big lads rampaging from the area beyond the far post in order to meet crosses on their forehead frightened defences – and keepers – far more than I have seen in decades.
Ernie Moss never played for us but I remember him fondly.
