ajnotkeith
Senior Member
This is correct.Tough to say.
When you recieve the ball centrally you have no room or time to get going. Opponents will smash you right away. There's pressure from every direction and you need incredible spatial awareness and sharpness in tight spaces. Ideally you need to be shorter and quicker over short spaces than Yamal (like Messi was).
When you recieve the ball out wide and cut inside you get a lot more time and room to get your run going and to gather momentum with the ball. On the flank, the position of your opponents is a lot more predictable.
It's tough to explain but if you have played in these positions at a semi decent level, you'll get what I'm saying.
Receiving the ball centrally is far, far harder than receiving it on the wing. If you are in the centre you have to receive the ball with your back turned to the goal meaning you don't see the position of the defenders behind you, and unless you check your shoulder quickly you don't know immediately where the space is.
Meanwhile it is the most congested area of the pitch so defenders can quickly press you.
On the wing you are facing the game so you know where everyone is already.

