Hasselbaink explains fewer long shots and backs Chelsea win

Former Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink says the risk of a counter-attack is one reason players take fewer long-range shots in modern football. Speaking in Kuala Lumpur ahead of Chelsea’s match against Manchester United on Saturday, October 31, he also predicted a 2-0 win for his former club.

Hasselbaink is on his third visit to Malaysia as part of a programme by The Famous CFC and Ascott that brings former Chelsea players to meet local fans. He is also due to attend a screening of the match at WIP in the Park.

Why shots from distance have declined

Hasselbaink said a blocked attempt from outside the penalty area can quickly turn into an opportunity for the opposition. “I think it’s high risk, shooting from outside the box, because if it is blocked, you can get counterattacked really quickly,” he told Malay Mail.

The former Netherlands international said the technique required is another factor: not every midfielder or striker is comfortable striking the ball powerfully from distance. He cited Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Paul Scholes as midfielders who could do it, while noting that Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai has the ability but does not shoot from range often.

Hasselbaink said teams now favour combinations around the penalty area and deliver fewer crosses into the box. Long-range goals remain part of the game, he said, but are more likely to come from wingers cutting inside than from attempts 25 to 30 yards out.

Views on Malaysian football

Asked about Johor Darul Ta’zim’s sustained dominance of Malaysian football over the past five years, Hasselbaink said other clubs should use it as motivation to improve. He said winning a championship is about consistency, not one match.

He also welcomed investment in football, saying its benefits could reach children as well as senior teams. “We need people to invest in football so little children can keep on playing,” he said.

Chelsea and United meet next

Chelsea are fifth in the Premier League with four wins, while Manchester United are 16th and have gone eight matches without a win. Chelsea are seeking a response to a 2-0 defeat by Tottenham Hotspur in which Cole Palmer was sent off.

Palmer has served his one-match suspension and is expected to feature against United. Hasselbaink backed Chelsea to win 2-0, naming Pedro Neto as a possible scorer and suggesting Palmer might get the other goal.