He can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.
The problem lies much further back in the chain.

My son and grandson have been footballers at local level from being little lads and I have attended training sessions many a time.
I have seen a big emphasis on passing and moving and shooting.
I have never seen a coach say to the lads ''Right today, I will show you how to dribble.''
''Today I will show you how to trap and control a ball.''
''Today I will show you how to attack a corner ball, where to stand and when to run in.''
''Today I will show you just how to head a ball.''
''Today I will show you ways of tackling.''
Etc, etc............

It's assumed they will acquire these skills by osmosis.
By trial and error and by playing. Which they will, but it takes longer and inbuilt flaws become deep-set. A bit like a golfer that is self taught rather than coached by a pro.

You see them (coaches) instead doing zonal things with someone holding a clipboard and inviting them to take part in fairly meaningless routines and exercises.

We could take 20 perfect penalties.

.....Germany would take 21!

Personally

I think we'd stand a better chance of winning a penalty shootout if we didn't practice at all. If the manager and coaches never mentioned it, and the press never mentioned it. Then if it came down to a shootout the players would have to act on instinct.

Everytime we get to a major tournament it's always mentioned, we get to a knockout game and it's pretty much all anyone talks about.

This, plus practicing them in training builds tension and nerves. Players will wonder whether they'll be able to re-create that technique in the pressure situation. That then plays on their mind on the long walk to the spot.

Surely that's cheating!

If it was a case of practicing them we'd have won one of the 5 recent shootouts we've lost.

Are we really naive enough to think penalties were't practiced in 04? in 06? this year?

For me, practicing them can in itself creates pressure. Because it gives the players a specific technique in their memory bank that they are trying to re-create exactly.

You go in their without practicing, you decide probably as you step up what you are going to do and use your instict and ability as an international footballer to beat the keeper.

What i mean is at that stage it'll be in sudden death, we'll take a poor penalty and they'll take another perfect one to end the contest.

Where do you come up with this drivel?

Best distraction effort ever? i.imgur.com/vBdNd.jpg

Best distraction effort ever? i.imgur.com/vBdNd.jpg

Just a thought with regard to improving our pretty dreadful penalty shoot out record.....

....What about at the end of every Premier League game that ends in a draw, we have a shoot out, with the winning side gaining an extra point on top of the 1 they will already have got for the draw??

As somebody on the radio pointed out today, players like Ashley Cole will be lucky to take a half dozen normally in their career, so its little wonder they miss important attempts like last night's....The law of averages indicates at some point a player will miss a penalty, last night's was Cole's moment unfortunately - You only have to look at Stuart Pearce in 1990, who was normally deadeye accurate from a penalty or set-piece, he just happened to be unlucky enough that his big miss was in such a high profile game.

Whilst my idea is obviously outlandish and pretty unthinkable, it would serve to create this pressurised environment which most observers accept, can't be authenticated on a practice ground, and would also give players a lot more experience of taking pens in a serious game.

When you are faced with the pressure of Joe Hart pulling faces at you, pretty fkin cool response to be honest

As club football is infinitely more important than international football, why would you cheapen the top flight of club games just to practice something that you shouldn't need anyway.

I also think that England's manner of playing for penalties, and indeed Chelsea's in the CL, doesn't need to be encouraged. In the Premier League it would kill most games. Why would the relegation threatened sides bother with any attacking if they could drag the game out to pens and win the majority of their points that way?

We shouldn't be aiming to become better penalty shoot out competitors, we should be aiming to be good enough to win competitions without having to go to pens.

Well we didn't get raped by the Germans and draw to a 3rd world team.

Compared to what we have presently, where some of the smaller sides go to the bigger clubs and field weakened teams and simply roll over???

Beat Ukraine on their own patch.
Got good performances out of Roy of the Rovers.
Beat Sweden.
Topped our group in a tournament.
Didn't pick Rob Green.
Didn't finish second to USA.
Reached the quarter finals.
Created a better team spirit.
Talked at news conferences like he knew what he was talking about.
Didn't look lost or like he'd given up on the team.
Scored more than three goals in a major tournament.
Showed a knack for getting selections/subs right e.g. Lescott, Walcott, Carroll.
Oh and all in about the space of two months.

What did Fabio do that was so much better than Hodgson?