Word of the season
Pivot.
I don't recall ever seeing that word mentioned here over the years but in the last couple of months it seems to get a daily outing.
As someone whose tactical nous extends as far as "kick it up to the big lad upfront," is this a whole new way of playing or is it just a trendy new term?
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I used it recently but I meant to type pillock and it got autocorrected.
I think it was in common usage up until probably the 70s. I believe it was just an alternative term for a centre-half.
You'll probably find it in a lot of old newspaper reports.
Unless I've been using it wrong, I think it refers to the deepest midfielder(s) - like Morely as a single pivot earlier in the season
It relates to the player through whom possession transitions from defence to midfield doesn't it?
Don't think I've ever used it to be fair. Bit like "high press" and "low block"
A bit like a cross between a defensive midfielder and a quarterback
Surprised it's been used since Saturday in that case since it was just Norris up to Udoh or GMac on rinse and repeat.
Spot on. Must try to throw it in tonight.
That might be the reason @drcongo was typing 'pillock' ?
I thought Norris and the Wrexham goalie were just old mates passing the ball to each other while the rest had to try and get it off them...
Not from the touchline of course.
Wasn’t it Ross from Friends who used it first? (another sepia tinged cultural reference from me there).
Aaron Morley made the pivot sexy. Watching him doing his thing and I’d totally forgotten Jakki’s surname.
I think I had heard the word before 1998 with regard to football...rather than the unsuccessful manipulation of soft furnishings
My brother coaches a semi pro team. He is in his v early 60’s. He used the ‘pivot’ term in his first training session this season and the young players just laughed. Its old man’s talk apparently- a bit like saying something is ‘cool’ when you really mean ‘sick’🙄
I actually thought pivot is a recent term, but then, my tactical acumen ranks somewhere between "wanting it more" and "up and at 'em".
Is it something to do with giving the ball to someone further forward, getting it back when they don't want it and repeating over and over? Bit dull but marginally better than hoofball and safer than pissing around between the Goalie and centre backs.
Last sentence could work as passing but think I was right first time.
I think the biggest lift to my spirits this evening (apart from the rumoured return of King Kone ) would be to see Ravizzoli in goal. A far better distributor of the ball out of defence, excellent positional sense and, as JJ remarked on several occasions, a genuinely nice guy.
But do you see him as a pivot @micra ?
Since noone else posted the obvious link
https://youtu.be/njgfomF51fg?si=s8-R_mrOJ2fphKQL
I think many people would agree with you @micra. I know I do.