8 players who made playing off the ball an art
Footballers who are great at playing off the ball are sometimes the biggest threats in a team, as they don’t need to create opportunities for themselves, but are almost always in the right spot for a goal-scoring opportunity.If a player moves intelligently without the ball, he could score with less than three touches after receiving.Some players have made this an art, and could be quite pesky, from a defensive point of view. They constantly make runs in behind or peel off defenders’ shoulders to get themselves clear on goal.
#1 Fernando Torres
Sadly, Fernando Torres’ career at Chelsea never took off as it should have, but the Spaniard was one of the most feared strikers on the planet during his time at Atletico Madrid and Liverpool.
Torres, who was named Atletico captain at just 19 years of age, scored a whopping 81 goals in 142 appearances for the Reds between 2007 and 2011.
After somewhat disappointing stints at Chelsea and AC Milan, the Spaniard returned to his boyhood club on a two-season loan from the Serie A side, but has yet to return to the scintillating form which prompted the Blues to part with £50 million five years ago.
Back when Torres was Torres, though, he was one hell of a striker. He employed pace and crafty movement to break away from defenders and score, often finding him with just a helpless keeper to beat.
Torres has certainly fallen from stardom, however, he will always be remembered fondly by Chelsea fans for that Champions League goal against Barcelona - another example of clever running.