Football Shout-out: Missing Chances
Football Shout-out: Missing Chances
Welcome to Football Shout-out from Premier Skills English, where we talk about the language you need when watching a match. Whether you are a super fan or an armchair supporter you won't be able to avoid football on TV this summer. In Football Shout-out, Jack and Rich present useful language to shout at the TV screen when watching a match with or without friends! In this episode, they look at some words and phrases that fans shout when an opposition player or someone on their own team misses a chance. Do you know what 'couldn't hit a barn door with a banjo' means?
Transcript
Jack: Hello and welcome to Premier Skills English - Football Shout-out
Rich: Football shoutout is the series that teaches you the language you need when you’re watching the game.
Jack: Hi everybody my name’s Jack
Rich: and my name’s Rich and welcome to our latest Football Shout-out where we talk about the English you need when you’re watching football.
Jack: If you listened to our last lesson, you will remember this:
Rich: Come on! We need to get the ball off them. Get stuck in!
Jack: That’s it! Good tackle. You’ve got time. Pass it. Pass it! Man on! Ohh. Straight into touch. Come on?!
Rich: We need to keep hold of the ball.
Jack: We need to get it in the box. There’s only a couple of minutes left.
Rich: That’s it. Down the line. Go on skin him. That’s it, go on ... cross it!
Jack: Go on. Have a pop! Goal!! Get in!!
…
Rich: We need to hold on to this. Here they come. Get rid of it!! Get it out!
Jack: That’s it. Take it to the corner. That should do. Referee! Come on! That’s got to be it (final whistle sounds - crowd cheers)
Rich: Our last lesson was all about what we shout at our own players when watching a game. If you haven’t heard the lesson, there is a link on the side of this page for you to go back and listen and learn lots of instructions that we scream at our own players during a match.
Jack: This lesson is all about what we shout when we see a player miss a chance.
Rich: You might have heard some expressions like What a miss! And that was close before. In this podcast, we’re going to look at some expressions that might be new for you.
Jack: The phrases and expressions we use often depend on whether it’s our player that has missed a chance or a player on the other side!
Rich: But more often we use the same phrases, we might just be a bit softer when it’s our own player. Listen to this:
Jack: Go on! Have a shot!
Rich: Unlucky! Against the post!
Jack: Hold on! He’s gone round the keeper. Oh no! What a sitter! I can’t believe he’s missed that.
Rich: My nan could do better than that and she’s 83!
Jack: He’s got to be putting chances like that away. That’s three he’s missed.
Rich: He couldn’t hit a barn door with a banjo this afternoon!
Jack: Penalty!
Rich: Oh no. Look who’s taking it! He hit the last one straight at the keeper!
Jack: Here we go! Oh no! He’s skyed it.
Rich: I can’t believe he’s fluffed another one. That’s miles off target.
Jack: I think we might have to settle for a draw today. We couldn’t score in a month of Sundays.
Rich: We’ve definitely not got our scoring boots on today.
Jack: Every striker misses chances. Why do you think we are surprised when a player doesn’t score?
Rich: I don’t know. We expect our strikers to score every time, but they never do. Do you know who was the most clinical striker in the Premier League last season?
Jack: Nope.
Rich: It was West Ham’s Mexican striker, Javier Hernandez who scored with 27% of his shots.
Jack: So, everybody misses. In fact, players miss more often than they score or the goalkeeper makes a save.
Rich: And, sometimes players miss sitters, too.
Jack: A sitter. A really easy chance to score. When a player misses an easy chance you can say ‘What a sitter!’.
Rich: I guess we call a sitter a sitter because the chance or opportunity is so easy you could score while sitting on the floor.
Jack: You could also say ‘what a chance’ or ‘what a miss’ when a player misses an easy chance to score.
Rich: In the roleplay, Jack said I can’t believe he missed that.
Jack: This is when we get lots more expressions - talking about how you feel about the miss or the player that missed.
Rich: If it’s your player that has missed you might say something like ‘he’s got to be putting chances like that away’ or ‘he should have buried that’. Both of these mean he should have scored and show disappointment and frustration more than anything else.
Jack: But we use some phrases to insult or make fun of the player a little. Rich said my nan could do better than that - nan is an informal word for grandmother. He also said he couldn’t hit a barn door with a banjo. Where did you hear that?
Rich: I can’t remember, but it’s funny. It means you can’t do something that is really easy to do - score a sitter. I’ve only ever heard this expression connected to football and strikers who miss chances.
Jack: It’s not only sitters that players miss though and there are other ways to describe misses.
Rich: A shot can be ‘miles off target’ or you can say ‘that’s nowhere near’ or ‘that’s well wide’.
Jack: You get lots of expressions when a player misses a penalty, too. If a player hits the ball over the crossbar you can say he’s skied it.
Rich: Or another two are that’s straight at the keeper or that’s straight down the keeper’s throat. This means that the player kicked the penalty down the middle to the goalkeeper.
Jack: My favourite is more general and it’s the verb to fluff which means to make a mess of a chance. You can say oh no he’s fluffed another one if he’s your player or if he’s on the other side you might say he’s fluffed that up.
Rich: We’ll look at these phrases and a few more in the lesson which you can find below this podcast.
Jack: Listen again. Do you understand everything now?
Jack: Go on! Have a shot!
Rich: Unlucky! Against the post!
Jack: Hold on! He’s gone round the keeper. Oh no! What a sitter! I can’t believe he’s missed that.
Rich: My nan could do better than that and she’s 83!
Jack: He’s got to be putting chances like that away. That’s three he’s missed.
Rich: He couldn’t hit a barn door with a banjo this afternoon!
Jack: Penalty!
Rich: Oh no. Look who’s taking it! He hit the last one straight at the keeper!
Jack: Here we go! Oh no! He’s skyed it.
Rich: I can’t believe he’s fluffed another one. That’s miles off target.
Jack: I think we might have to settle for a draw today. We couldn’t score in a month of Sundays.
Rich: We’ve definitely not got our scoring boots on today.
Jack: So, there are a few expressions you can use when a player misses a chance.
Rich: We’ve got some activities to help you remember the phrases that we’ve been speaking about in the lesson below this podcast.
Jack: We’ll be back soon with our next football English lesson, which will be about phrases football fans use when their team is losing.
Rich: Bye for now and enjoy your football.
Language
Missed Chances
Every striker misses chances. Why do you think we are surprised when a player doesn’t score? We expect our strikers to score every time, but they never do. The language we use to describe a missed chance depends on whether it was an easy chance to score, or if it was missed by a player on our team or missed by an opposition player. Take a look at these phrases from the podcast. Do you think we would use these about an opponent or our own player and do you think it was an easy or difficult chance that was missed?
Unlucky. Against the post!
What a sitter! I can't believe he's missed that!
That's miles off target!
My nan could do better than that!
Of course, all of the phrases can be used to speak about your own players and opponents, everything depends on the context of the match but some phrases are more supportive than others. You are much more likely to shout 'unlucky' to your own player than 'my nan could do better than that' which you might shout at an opponent who has missed an easy chance.
Words and Phrases
Easy Chances
In the listening, Rich and Jack spoke about the language we use when players miss a chance or opportunity to score. Sometimes players miss an easy chance to score and you heard Jack and Rich use these phrases:
He's got to be putting chances like that away. That's three he's missed.
What a sitter! I can't believe he's missed that!
He hit the last one straight at the keeper.
Oh no! He's skyed it!
He couldn't hit a barn door with a banjo!
All of these phrases are used to describe a player who has missed an easy chance to score. Let's look at each phrase in a bit more detail:
- to put a chance away = to score a goal
- what a sitter = a very easy chance, usually a chance that is very close to the goal
- straight at the keeper = a player that shoots the ball directly to the goalkeeper, often a penalty
- to sky it = to hit the ball over the crossbar, usually a penalty or a shot from close to the goal
- he couldn't hit a barn door with a banjo = to describe a striker who is having a bad day and missing lots of chances
Do you know any other phrases connected to missing easy chances?
Difficult Chances
Sometimes players miss more difficult chances to score. When a player misses a difficult chance, fans are probably more supportive if it's their own player. If it's an opponent, fans probably express relief that they didn't score. Here are some phrases that are used when a player misses a difficult chance:
Unlucky! Against the post.
That was close!
Good effort!
That could have gone anywhere!
All of these phrases are usually used to describe a player who has missed a more difficult chance to score. Let's look at each phrase in a bit more detail:
- Unlucky! = usuallly used to support a player that nearly scored a difficult chance but can also be used sarcastically to shout at an opponent
- That was close! = describes a shot that goes near the goal
- Good effort! = a good attempt at goal that deserved more
- That could have gone anywhere = a fortunate shot that nearly results in a goal; often used when a shot hits an opponent and the ball goes in a different direction (a deflection)
Do you know any other similar phrases?
Task
Instructions for players
You are watching your team either at the stadium or on TV. Look at the situations below. Decide what you would shout in each situation. Use some of the phrases that Rich and Jack used in the podcast.
- A player on your team goes around the goalkeeper but then hits the ball over the top of the goal.
- An opponent falls over the ball at the moment he is about to shoot into an empty net.
- An opponent hits a volley from 25 metres against the post.
- A player on your team goes past three defenders, hits the ball towards the top corner but the goalkeeper makes a good save.
Write your answers in the comments section at the bottom of the page. Can you think of any more situations to use the language in this podcast?
The answers to the quiz below are all words that Rich and Jack used in the roleplay. Can you remember what they said?
Quiz
Please login to take this quiz.
What do you think?
Were any of these phrases new for you?
Can you tell us any other phrases that you can shout at players who miss chances? Please keep it clean!
Write your answers in the comments section below and don't forget to write your answers to the task we have given you in the section above.
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Comments
15/07/2018
points
Yes, they were.
No, I can't. I don't know more of them.
15/07/2018 23:22
Manchester United
590
Yes, they were.
No, I can't. I don't know more of them.
15/07/2018
points
1. some of them
2. i dont know
15/07/2018 20:49
Everton
288
1. some of them
2. i dont know
14/07/2018
points
all these phrases were new for me... thanks for that.
14/07/2018 23:32
Chelsea
554
all these phrases were new for me... thanks for that.
14/07/2018
points
thanks for the new information it was exciting.
14/07/2018 06:49
Chelsea
515
thanks for the new information it was exciting.
14/07/2018
points
If these phrases were new to me
My nan could do better than that!!
14/07/2018 01:22
Swansea City
616
If these phrases were new to me
My nan could do better than that!!
13/07/2018
points
Yes, these phrases were new for me, for example : What a sitter !!!!
13/07/2018 21:26
Manchester United
646
Yes, these phrases were new for me, for example : What a sitter !!!!
13/07/2018
points
-All phrases are new for me .
-My nan could do better that that!!!
13/07/2018 11:17
Manchester United
354
-All phrases are new for me .
-My nan could do better that that!!!
12/07/2018
points
Yes, these phrases were new for me.
-That was close!
12/07/2018 22:26
Chelsea
672
Yes, these phrases were new for me.
-That was close!
12/07/2018
points
Yes, It was new for me.
12/07/2018 06:20
Manchester United
501
Yes, It was new for me.
10/07/2018
points
1.What a sitter! I can't believe he's missed that!
2.My nan could do better than that!
3.That's miles off target!
4.Good effort!
10/07/2018 06:29
Manchester United
2663
1.What a sitter! I can't believe he's missed that!
2.My nan could do better than that!
3.That's miles off target!
4.Good effort!
10/07/2018
points
Yes, each phrase was new for me!
1)Good effort!
2)That was close!
3) He couldn't hit a barn door with a banjo.
4) Unlucky! against the post
10/07/2018 04:29
AFC Bournemouth
578
Yes, each phrase was new for me!
1)Good effort!
2)That was close!
3) He couldn't hit a barn door with a banjo.
4) Unlucky! against the post
09/07/2018
points
yes all phrases are new for me
No, I can't
09/07/2018 20:04
Manchester United
466
yes all phrases are new for me
No, I can't
09/07/2018
points
1.- No, i don’t know.
2.- No, i don’t know.
3.-Yes, they were.
4.-No, i can’t.
09/07/2018 01:21
Manchester United
462
1.- No, i don’t know.
2.- No, i don’t know.
3.-Yes, they were.
4.-No, i can’t.
08/07/2018
points
1. That’s impossible! I must be dreaming!
2. He slipped at the worst time. I can’t believe it!
3. We’re lucky, that was a great shot!
4. Good effort! That action deserved more.
08/07/2018 15:26
Chelsea
1646
1. That’s impossible! I must be dreaming!
2. He slipped at the worst time. I can’t believe it!
3. We’re lucky, that was a great shot!
4. Good effort! That action deserved more.
06/07/2018
points
1)What a sitter
2)My nan could do better than that and she's 83
3)That was too close
4)Good effort
06/07/2018 23:23
Liverpool
2846
1)What a sitter
2)My nan could do better than that and she's 83
3)That was too close
4)Good effort
06/07/2018
points
1-Disaster!He's skyed it.That's well wide.
2-Unlucky!
3-He's fluff that's up.
4-That was close!
06/07/2018 00:57
Manchester United
451
1-Disaster!He's skyed it.That's well wide.
2-Unlucky!
3-He's fluff that's up.
4-That was close!
06/07/2018
points
Well, all these phrases are new to me.
I do not know any sentence, since I do not know much about soccer, but with this program I am learning!
I chose option number 3:
Go! .Come on !! .. Get in! .. you can, shoot! ....... Unlucky! Against the post ... is it really? My nan could do better than that!
06/07/2018 00:40
Manchester United
501
Well, all these phrases are new to me.
I do not know any sentence, since I do not know much about soccer, but with this program I am learning!
I chose option number 3:
Go! .Come on !! .. Get in! .. you can, shoot! ....... Unlucky! Against the post ... is it really? My nan could do better than that!
04/07/2018
points
There were a lot of new phrases for me.
04/07/2018 19:39
Manchester City
702
There were a lot of new phrases for me.
01/07/2018
points
Yes, for example this phrase was new for me He skyed it over the crossbar.
Unlucky! too easy for him.
Good effort. We will succeed next time.
You need to win in this game.. We are the champios.. We can do it
01/07/2018 23:46
Liverpool
326
Yes, for example this phrase was new for me He skyed it over the crossbar.
Unlucky! too easy for him.
Good effort. We will succeed next time.
You need to win in this game.. We are the champios.. We can do it
01/07/2018
points
Yes, I really appreciate this program
01/07/2018 16:40
Liverpool
195
Yes, I really appreciate this program
01/07/2018
points
1-Disaster!He's skyed it.That's well wide.
2-Unlucky!
3-He's fluff that's up.
4-That was close!
01/07/2018 15:10
Liverpool
45
1-Disaster!He's skyed it.That's well wide.
2-Unlucky!
3-He's fluff that's up.
4-That was close!
01/07/2018
points
"We definitely haven't got our scoring best on today." Is that correct? I do not know this answer.
01/07/2018 12:23
Liverpool
62
"We definitely haven't got our scoring best on today." Is that correct? I do not know this answer.
01/07/2018
points
Jack or Rich, could you make for me international ranking,so I know my position in my country.
Thank for your help
01/07/2018 05:09
Wolverhampton Wanderers
1084
Jack or Rich, could you make for me international ranking,so I know my position in my country.
Thank for your help
02/07/2018
points
Hi anhduongspurs
What do you mean exactly?
If you click your username, you can see that you are in 36th position overall and Iceland are in 42nd place.
Rich - The Premier Skills English Team
02/07/2018 16:08
Liverpool
594
Hi anhduongspurs
What do you mean exactly?
If you click your username, you can see that you are in 36th position overall and Iceland are in 42nd place.
Rich - The Premier Skills English Team
30/06/2018
points
1. He skyed it over the crossbar.
2. Unlucky! too easy for him.
3. Good effort. We will succeed next time.
4. Today they have not their scoring boots on.
4.
30/06/2018 07:42
Manchester City
3988
1. He skyed it over the crossbar.
2. Unlucky! too easy for him.
3. Good effort. We will succeed next time.
4. Today they have not their scoring boots on.
4.
29/06/2018
points
Sir, is it skyed or skied in your tapescript?
29/06/2018 07:04
Liverpool
608
Sir, is it skyed or skied in your tapescript?
27/06/2018
points
Looking forward to listening to it, but unfortunately, can't see any download link. :)
27/06/2018 21:08
Liverpool
2903
Looking forward to listening to it, but unfortunately, can't see any download link. :)
28/06/2018
points
I keep doing that, don't I?
Enjoy!
Rich - The Premier Skills English Team
28/06/2018 00:20
Liverpool
594
I keep doing that, don't I?
Enjoy!
Rich - The Premier Skills English Team
29/06/2018
points
Yeah, you do, and it's a little bit funny that you continue doing it despite claiming to have listed the download link in the podcast checklist!! Have you really done that teacher, Rich?
Anyway, the good thing is that the link won't take long time to be thrown in. Thanks for that teacher.
29/06/2018 07:52
Liverpool
2903
Yeah, you do, and it's a little bit funny that you continue doing it despite claiming to have listed the download link in the podcast checklist!! Have you really done that teacher, Rich?
Anyway, the good thing is that the link won't take long time to be thrown in. Thanks for that teacher.