“Have a few clips on the VHS cassette” – Petr Cech explains how he used to prepare for penalty shootouts | OneFootball

Penalty shootouts are the subject of the week as Chelsea needed to win one to get through the last two Carabao Cup rounds.

First off it was against Aston Villa, and then it was penalties again this week as they knocked out Southampton in the fourth round of the competition.

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We of course already have a good advantage having a goalkeeper who is a great penalty saver. Thomas Tuchel even bought him on late in the game to replace Edouard Mendy recently just to go in for the penalty shootout.

Another goalkeeper that was hard to beat from the spot is Chelsea legend Petr Cech. The now club director is of course using his experiences to help coach our current crop of keepers, and he certainly has plenty of experiences to pass down.

Things were much different in his playing days though, and he has been explaining on the Chelsea website how he had to fast forward cassette tapes to the end to watch shootouts!

“Twenty years ago, I would make notes in my notebook about where I had seen guys shoot. We would have a few clips on the VHS cassette. It would be an entire game and you would have to fast forward. Now it’s an entirely different story! Analysts have all the tools, and on the highest level this became a big part of the game.

“Everybody has their own way of going into a shoot-out. Ultimately you must find your way of getting the most out of it. My game was all about details and analysis, and then trying to apply it in the heat of the moment to ensure you do the right thing with the right timing.

“Some people, like Kepa, have a more energetic approach. They like to move before. You can do all sorts of things. You can be still and pose a different strategy. Without moving you can make the taker think twice about whether you will move or stay.”