In his pocket
When a player is deemed to be in another player’s pocket, they are being kept under control. The term ‘in his pocket’ is normally used to indicate when a defender has marked an attacker well.
Example: “Not many people can keep Sergio Aguero quiet, but Virgil van Dijk has had him in his pocket all afternoon.”
Injury time
Normal time in football is 90 minutes, but a referee can add on some time at the end of the match based on stoppages for injuries and so forth. This is known as injury time. Other names include stoppage time and added time.
In the hole
When a player is described as playing ‘in the hole’ it means they are occupying the space between midfield and attack. Playmakers or traditional ‘number 10s’ generally play ‘in the hole’. Some examples of players who play ‘in the hole’ include Paul Scholes, Lionel Messi and Francesco Totti.
Into row Z
Putting the ball ‘into row Z’ means clearing it as far and high as possible in order to avert danger. The idea is that row Z is the highest part of the stadium.
Example: “He took no chances there and blasted it into row Z!”
La Masia
La Masia is the name of Barcelona’s youth academy, where young footballers are educated and trained. La Masia is a Catalan word which means ‘the Farmhouse’.
Lost the dressing room
If a manager has ‘lost the dressing room‘ it means that they no longer have influence and control over their players. Say hello to Ronald Kuman and Valencia players… Mistreatment of a popular player can lead to revolt in the group or it could just be down to a lack of confidence in a manager’s ability and methods. In effect, losing the dressing room means that a manager cannot lead their team sufficiently and usually ends up with them losing their job.
Example: “He started well and they bought into the philosophy, but when he stripped the captain of the armband he lost the dressing room.”
