I think i have an addiction to megs....

Discussion in 'Player' started by doctor_mooch, Nov 14, 2011.

  1. doctor_mooch

    doctor_mooch Member

    Apr 12, 2008
    Vancouver
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Spain
    Hey, so recently i've noticed that when im taking someone on in practice, all im looking to do is go for the megs. I usually play holding mid, and my job is to spray passes around the field and play simple. but sometimes i make mazey runs (i play like thiago alcantara, can play simple, and then BAM, a crazy run). I usually don't take people on in games, but when i do, its usually just cutting and shifting. But i've noticed now that in prac, when im not playing the holding mid role, when i'm playing more centrally, or outwide, whenever i take someone on, instead of trying to actually beat them with speed or tricks or shiftiness that i usually do. i look for the megs and have to go for them. I don't know if it is because the pressure is off, and the feeling of a perfect meg is amazing, or if this will become a problem in real game situations if i get too use to it. How do i stop doing this?
     
  2. Vaporism

    Vaporism Member

    Dec 7, 2010
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Learn a new trick?

    So many others that are as%2
     
  3. doctor_mooch

    doctor_mooch Member

    Apr 12, 2008
    Vancouver
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Spain
    its not that i don't know more tricks. its that i wont use them. in games,i usually do maybe 1 or 2 stepovers, mainly cuts, cruyf turns, ronaldo chops, and scoop turns. i know i can do the tricks, and i have the ability to just go with close control and just dribble aruond a guy. but the problem in prac is that i wont use them. i just only go for the megs whenever im 1 on 1.
     
  4. YourSoccerMentor

    YourSoccerMentor New Member

    Nov 16, 2011
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    You are right, this is a dangerous problem. Especially if you are the holding midfielder. The holding midfielder is expected to be the "tidiest" play on the ball. Your teammates need to trust that when they give you the ball you are going to make the right play.

    And trying to meg players in your own defensive third could result in putting your team under a lot of pressure. Personally, I only go for megs if it too obvious that you just have to take it, or it's kind of like a last resort type of thing (defender coming in to quick, need to touch the ball quickly, threw the opponents legs).

    In practice and games don't give yourself the option of a meg. Try to make one quick move, or change of direction, find the open space and accelerate quickly.

    Megs are a great way to get past an opponent but you need to know when to use them and when not to.

    Here check out this video on some One on One Soccer moves you can practice and try in training and games:

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5FWwJIBmVE"]How To Beat An Opponent In Soccer[/ame]
     
  5. elessar78

    elessar78 Moderator
    Staff Member

    May 12, 2010
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    You sound like me when I was around 13-15. My dad and I used to watch a lot of old soccer footage when I was kid and I remember seeing a Pele meg someone and that was the coolest thing ever! So I worked on it and worked on it and got pretty good at it.

    It worked well into about college, but the older you get the more saavy players become and it worked less and less. So I stopped using it. But I never learned a lot of moves when I was young and it was hard to learn new ones in my 20s.

    I don't really do any "fancy" moves in the game. I can dribble closely in tight quarters and at high speed and I can change direction on a dime. I do a lunge sometimes. A modified Garrincha sometimes. And i feel I'm still pretty effective.

    I don't believe you need to know a ton of moves. When I coach my young players I tell them to learn a move of their choice, it's counter move, and a change of direction.

    It also depends who you model your game after. I was trying to dribble like messi before I knew who messi was. Does messi do moves? Or does he just go fast, cut on a dime? He doesn't do stuff like Cristiano Ronaldo, in fact I argue that few pros do.

    If you have the 3 I mentioned above and good ball control skills, you should be fine. If you can get to, say, 5 then you're in great shape. I just don't think you need a dozen. But it's not bad to spend time learning them either--even if you don't get the move down you'll have given yourself the chance to work on necessary fine motor skills.
     

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