Basic football terminology

Magic sponge

The ‘magic sponge’ is a tongue-in-cheek term for the rudimentary medical treatment of an injury through the use of a wet sponge. 

Example: “When Eden Hazard went down it looked fairly serious, but he’s back up again now thanks to the magic sponge.”

Man manager

A head coach is described as a ‘man manager‘ if they are considered particularly adept at motivating different players. A good man manager usually possesses good communication skills and emotional intuition. Someone with good man management skills knows when to eviscerate or encourage each individual on their team. 

Man of the match

The ‘man of the match’ is the player who is judged to have played the best or had the most influence on a game.

Man on

The loud cry to inform a teammate with the ball that an opponent is approaching or dangerously close by.

Match fixing

Match fixing in football is when the outcome of a particular game is deliberately influenced in order that someone – be it a player, players or criminal enterprise – can financially benefit. Match fixing is a serious offence which can result in prosecution.

Midfield anchor

A reliable defensive midfielder with the primary assignment of staying close to the defensive line and nipping attacks in the bud. See: Daniele De Rossi, Michael Essien, N’Golo Kanté.

Mickey Mouse cup

‘Mickey Mouse cup‘ is a perjorative term for a competition that is not deemed as important or competitive as others. If a country has a number of cup competitions, the ‘Mickey Mouse cup‘ is usually the one which has the lowest financial reward.

Nutmeg

A nutmeg is a football skill move whereby the ball is put through the legs of a player.

Crazy nutmeg skills

Off the woodwork

When the ball is said to ‘hit the woodwork’ or ‘come off the woodwork’ it means it has hit the post or crossbar. The term is a throwback to a time when goalposts were made out of wood.

On a cold, wet night in Stoke

If one posits that a player cannot play ‘on a cold, wet Wednesday night in Stoke’ it means they would struggle to perform in England. The phrase, since embellished, was first uttered in 2010 by pundit Andy Gray, who suggested that Barcelona star Lionel Messi would find it difficult to play well in the rain-sodden, wind-swept pitches of the Premier League.

Own goal

An own goal happens when a player puts the ball into his own net. An own goal is often a source of deep disappointment for a player and can haunt them through the remainder of a game, particularly if their team loses.

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