Frequently used ‘modern day’ football terminology

[Pickles]

One more - "you couldn't write it" or "you wouldn't believe it!"

A footballer scoring a goal in a football game. I can believe it.

[kentonclaret]

“If that goal had been scored by Real Madrid we would be seeing it over and over again”

[Vim Fuego]

Investor

[Belial]

I've noticed a common theme of players is to say a few words, pause, say "and yeah", then say a few words, say "yeah" then repeat

[aclaretinstevenage]

All of the above and any / many more. I now don't listen to any punditry before the game, at half time or after the game. Carragher is simply the worst of all with his unintelligible drivel but the others aren't far behind. As for the geeks sitting behind their laptops on the "total football" and "The transfer Show" words fail me!

[Lu-tze]

Describing an overhit cross as ‘big’
Andy Townsend is a repeat offender -
‘The ball in was just a bit big for him’
Pardon??

[Tricky Trevor]

“And to be honest”, that’s what you are there for.

[ecc]

The use of the present tense instead of the past conditional

The use of the present perfect simple instead of the past simple.

[Mark the Claret]

Intent
Initiated contact
Wand of a left foot

[Burnley1989]

False Nine and Low Block especially grind my gears.

Theres a few tactical genius on here that use the words all the time, them and ''double pivot'' really Pi55 me off, I stop reading as soon as I see it

[Gordaleman]

"Got a head on it."

How many heads has he got?

[claptrappers_union]

High press

[forzagranata]

Top, top.

Top, top player. Top, top manager. Top, top team.

Drives me insane.

Guardiola is definitely to blame for 'top, top player'

[forzagranata]

Most of them are phrases of continental origin brought in either by foreign coaches or pretentious journalists.

Pressing used to be called 'closing down' in English.

'Half space' comes from German.

Some are just utter nonsense though - like 'inverted full-back', which doesn't even describe what the full-back is doing (formerly known as 'tucking in')

[Pickles]

Guardiola is definitely to blame for 'top, top player'

Hmm maybe. Feels like a Keys and Gray thing?

[Sgt. Pepper]

He's been clever.
He's played for it.
There is contact.
From that angle.
Not a clear and obvious error.
VAR.

All usually heard following a dive that earns a penalty.

[timshorts]

Top, top.

Top, top player. Top, top manager. Top, top team.

I have the opposite problem - with bottom.

"Burnley are second bottom" when we are next to bottom.

"luton are third bottom" , when they mean 18th or second from bottom.

I can sort of understand" the quarterback role". However, it is an outdated expression already, as it is generally used to describe pirlo, shelvey, and other pretty immobile players that sit just in front of the back 3/4 and splay passes around. Immobile quarterbacks are no longer the norm. Comparing shelvey to mahomes, cj stroud, josh Allen etc just shows that those using the term don't know much about modern US football. They are rather more of the Bruno guimeraes, kevin de bruyne persuasion.

[PWBFC]

Amazed that 'project' hasn't been mentioned yet.

[burnmark]

I miss the days of the commentator yelling out ‘it’s there!’ As the ball hits the net.

I’ve mentioned it before l, but I really get annoyed by fans these days calling players by their first names as if they are a mate or family member.

[Poulton-le-Claret]

Massively overusing 'world class' to describe a good player.

[JohnDearyMe]

"We go again"

Yes, that's because all clubs are obliged to fulfil their fixture requirements.

[AlargeClaret]

“ False 9” and “ final 3rd” do my frickin shed in .

[ecc]

"We go again"

Yes, that's because all clubs are obliged to fulfil their fixture requirements.

A Gerrardism: "We go again" doesn't seem grammatically correct me but is now used by all and sundry.

[spt_claret]

Dorking Wanderers chairman & manager Marc White has taken his team that were a group of mates from grassroots football at the bottom of the West Sussex league into the National League; genuinely one of the best achievements in British Football this century.

If they ever managed to get another promotion, the EFL wouldn't allow him to manage in the football league because he hasn't got his badges - make that make sense.

Easy enough to make sense of it- gatekeeping. Ensures there's more jobs for the boys already in football when they finish, and general 'pull the ladder up' mentality. I looked at doing my coaching badges once, it's just not viable if you don't already work in football and have a club paying for it, absurdly expensive and a time commitment you can't really fit in alongside a job once you're past the very first grade.

As for the topic:
No problem with 'false 9', 'final third', 'high press' etc. they're discrete terminologies to mean things- how else do you describe the attacking third or pressing high up the pitch. False 9's overused and misused, it's a specific role for a position. This is the bigger problem I have with jargon in general -not that terms exist to describe something specific but that they're overused or used inappropriately. So it stops meaning anything and just becomes a way to sound like you know what you're saying while saying nothing.

Can't stand things like 'He's a 6, 8, 10, 9". That's not a role or a position, it describes nothing. CDM, CAM, mezzala, playmaker, box to box, anchor man, these do actually signify pitch positions or duties. Numbers generally don't because you can see multiple guys called a 6, 8, 10 and they actually play very differently.

Can't stand double pivot or low block either, unnecessary new jargon. Double pivot just means 'two CDMs/deep CMs', low block just means what 'deep backline' or 'playing deep' used to mean, they're not describing anything new or distinct just buzzwords.

[ClaretOfMancunia]

Anyone who enjoys this topics might enjoy the "Football Cliches" podcast on Spotify and other platforms.

They take overused phrases and break them down - their recent discussion on what constitutes "ghosting" was hilarious.

https://open.spotify.com/show/6U4LfcF1ymFwxRDEsUq3Gd