It is pretty cool when you can miss, then score yourself on the rebound! That's reaction for you! I still prefer Gerrard though: two penalties taken two entirely different corners and both scored.

Here's a thing: would you consider it harder to score from open play or from the spot? In the former you have the momentum and possibly the element of surprise, plus your teammates to help you out with assists etc, but the other team are there to stop you. In penalties, you have the goal to yourself but it's just you and there must be massive pressure.

Thoughts?

His ones against Man. United were even better than those ones yesterday (he missed the third but who cares the match was well over by that point)

Depends entirely on the goal. Generally from open play though.

I'm not so sure. I mean, in open play you MAY score --- sure, there have been plenty of announcers going "MUST BE!" and then it isn't, or "How did he miss that?" but generally it's a hope that you'll score but by no means certain or expected. In a penalty situation it's virtually taken that you will score, and if you miss you're an idiot. Missing, of course, includes the keeper saving.

So I think personally the pressure is on more when you're walking up to the spot. When it's open play, you have the confusion of the crowd yelling, your teammates around you, who do you pass to or who passes to you, where are the defenders, are you onside and so much more, that I think often it's like OH WHAT A GOAL! rather then OH NO HE MISSED! Of course it's not always that way but I think with all the distractions removed and every eye (fan and opponent) watching you the pressure to score must be huge. I would rather score from open play than a penalty, not that I could kick a ball to save my life. I doubt I could handle that sort of pressure.

Oh, and also to add: if you miss in OP or think you're not gonna make it you can always pass to another teammate. In penalties, unless the ball happens to rebound their way, you don't really have this as a get-out.

Just what I think...

You could look at things like chance conversion stats from open play and compare to penalties and it'd back up the viewpoint that it's harder to score from open play.

The most prolific strikers get what, 0.3 goals per shot or something, if that. Penalties are well over 0.5.

A tap in is easier than a penalty but a mazy dribble or 30 yard volley obviously isn't so in that sense it depends on the goal.

I've played football all my life, if we use being played a through ball and running on to it as the standard open play example (this would imo be the best example and closest to a pen), I would take a penalty over going clean through on goal.

Well if you've played I'll bow to your experience as I never have. But I still think my points are valid. I can't imagine the pressure that is on a player stepping up for a penalty versus the often lucky chance of sneaking a goal.

Maybe I should have asked which comes with more pressure on the player?

Evidently John O'Shea thinks so too.

Sunderland's John O'Shea pulled an epic face as Tim Sherwood's saluted Spurs striker Emmanuel Adebayor [Vine]

Priceless :D

But yeah, we're down. I resigned myself to that the weekend before the Spurs fixture. We HAD three games in hand, we HAD games against the teams around us, we HAD the opportunities there to stay up. Now we can win our two games in hand and still not get out of the bottom three. We have games against Swansea, Cardiff and West Brom left at home but winning those three is still not gonna be enough. We would still need to take a scalp or two, from Chelsea, or City, or Everton. When you consider we've won six all season and a lot of fixtures around us are going against us, it's gonna take more than a miracle!

Yeah it's over. But I don't see any reason why Sunderland can't bounce back Partridge style and be in the Prem for 2015/16.

Rumours of a takeover announcement being imminent at Villa.

Tense watching this lads. Pens it is.

I'm nervous and been edgy all game so God knows how Goof is feeling.

Just saw the match finished at 19:40 so Wigan fans probably didn't get out and on to Wembley way until around 20:00. Last train back from Euston was at 20.31.

The FA are fucking arseholes.

Oh my goodness.