5 ways to become a LETHAL striker

My two cents on the most glamorous position in football.

Know your type

Different characteristics make different strikers.

Quick? — Play on the shoulder of the last man.

Strong? — Occupy defenders with your back to goal.

Diminutive?- Rotate with your CAM and run rings around the defense.

A good striker always knows his type and sticks to his strengths. Playing on the shoulder if you’re not that quick does not make sense, similarly, quick but flimsy forwards would just get bullied off the ball majority of the time.

As with any rule, there are exceptions. Beasts like Haaland, Lewandowski, Suarez and Aguero exist, who do everything and beyond.

Play without the ball

As a striker, the first thing you learn in football is positional awareness. Anticipating where the ball will be 2 seconds in the future is a priceless skill that very, very few players master. Thomas Muller, though not an out-and-out striker always ends up at the right place at the right time. Ronaldo over the years has honed this part of his game. It takes one touch to score, but it takes years to learn how to get into that position in the first place.

Weaker is Stronger

Unless you’re Messi, you cannot get away with being an overly one-footed player. Inside the 18 yard box, there is no time. You never know when and in what position the ball will present itself to you. If you’re not comfortable with your weak foot, you will try to maneuver it to your stronger side and by the time you do that, you’ll have three big defenders slide tackle you to oblivion. An average weak foot can do wonders for a striker in front of goal

The First line

When you are not scoring goals, you are the first line of defense. You lead the press against the opposition's defense. You create conditions for the opposition to lose the ball when they try to pass beyond you. A good striker is aware of the system and the right time to press the right player. A large chunk of a striker’s game goes by in this exercise….. unless you play for Man City of course!

The One-on-One

Remember I said it was the most glamourous position in football, well ask Gonzalo Higuain how glamourous he felt after the World Cup Final in 2014. The most important aspect a striker can have, that separates the greats from the good ones is confidence. The faith in your ability to hit the ball with conviction and decisiveness is what matters. How many times have we frozen in fear when we are through on goal, the GK charges, and the crowd cheers. These sorts of chances are the most difficult, not due to the ability needed to take them, but the expectation attached to them.

Keep a cool head, pick a corner as the keeper begins his run, slot it past, and wheel away in celebration.