The best penalty taker: Sam Ellis or John Akinde? | Vital Football

The best penalty taker: Sam Ellis or John Akinde?

I'm not quite old enough, I remember seeing big boot Sam in the league winning season but can't remember him taking many penalties (or any tbh). Jamie Forrester was a decent penalty taker. I like the way Akinde ambles up, waits for the keeper to move then places it with decent power from minimal back lift.
 
Very different styles, but I am not sure how else we can compare them at this stage?
 
Scotimp said:
Akinde has 9 out of 10 taken for us. I haven't got any stats for Sam, although I don't remember him missing one. Anyone know for sure?
Click to expand...

He did miss just one which was against Bradford City in a 4-2 home win in the 75/76 season. I can remember he sat on the ball while waiting as there was a delay of some sort. Felt he was being disrespectful at the time.

So Sam and Akinde have both missed one.
 
According to my 1975/76 promotion book then priced 20p.

Sam Ellis scored 7 penalties in the league.

1 penalty in the league cup

2 in the FA Cup

As for how many were missed I’ll leave to the professional statisticians or any other facts for that matter.
 
Taken from from the 75/76 year book narrative on Sam Ellis.

Quote “His penalty taking is so impressive that in the whole of his professional career he has only missed once from the spot in competitive games.” Unquote

134 appearances 26 goals
 
Why do we think it's taking so long for JA to get a little bit more found out (e.g, goalkeepers not moving?) The MK keeper wasn't far off and tried to show him one way and go the other to an extent, but there have been one or two (I think Bury) where the keeper just flew off in one direction early?

He's been consistent with penalties for a while so it blows my mind a bit that keepers are still committing.
 
57harry said:
He did miss just one which was against Bradford City in a 4-2 home win in the 75/76 season. I can remember he sat on the ball while waiting as there was a delay of some sort. Felt he was being disrespectful at the time.

So Sam and Akinde have both missed one.
Click to expand...
IIRC when Sam missed that penalty, he scored a few minutes later, heading in a right wing cross - from open play!

Watching JA's penalty on Saturday, its like a game of poker between him and the keeper, glad I heard it 'live' (ish) on the radio. Didn't he make a comment in an interview a few weeks ago about keepers 'always falling over'?
 
From Rothmans Yearbooks, in the seasons Sam Ellis played for City:

1973/74 - Nil. Dixie McNeil was the penalty taker that season (and only scored 2)

1974/75 - 10 penalties scored in League and FA Cup

1975/76 - 10 penalties scored in League, FA Cup and League Cup. As 57harry says, he missed one against Bradford City but made up for it by heading in a free kick later on.

1976/77 - 8 penalties scored in League, FA Cup and League Cup. If I remember right he missed a penalty in the penalty shoot-out in the League Cup replay with Doncaster played at the City Ground. As far as I know that was his only other miss.

So a total of 28 in all competitions with, I believe, only one miss in normal play.
 
JA without a doubt. With all the video analysis in the modern game, keepers will be studying him. I wonder if he does homework on keepers or just relies on balls of steel?
 
Ainsworth and Mayo were pretty good. Derek Bell scored a lot in the 82/83 season. I admire how Akinde takes them especially considering how he seems to struggle to net in open play.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.