He'll stick this away, no problem

It seems like a guaranteed goal. The ball is placed 6 yards from the goal and your team gets a free shot with only the opposition goalkeeper standing in the way. Surely for professional players it is just a case of putting the ball into the corner of net and celebrating with your team mates? After all the goal keeper is never expected to save it.

However more and more recently the spot kick has resulted in disappointment for the penalty taker and frustration for the manager and fans.

Simon Whaley's opportunity to put Preston North End 1-0 up in their FA Cup match against Portsmouth at the weekend is the latest example of a spot kick gone wrong. After David James had put the ball round the post for a corner the camera focused on Alan Irvine turning to his bench, sighing, with frustration etched on his face. Whaley was then shown shaking his head as he contemplated what could of been.

So, how do you prepare for them? What makes a good penalty taker?

During the last World Cup England practiced penalties and Jamie Carragher was regarded as one of the best. However in the quarter final against Portugal, after being ordered to retake his penalty, he placed the spot kick too close to Ricardo who saved with ease.

So maybe you can’t practice them, but is that really that surprising? After all it’s impossible to recreate the mental pressure of a major championship penalty shootout on the training ground. So perhaps being good at taking penalties is all in the mind? But what mental attributes exactly make someone a good penalty taker? One of the best penalty takers around at the moment is Cristiano Ronaldo who has a lot of confidence in his own ability and plays with an air of arrogance. Perhaps this cockiness and belief he is the best helps him to score penalties, even when the hopes of his nation are on his shoulders, it was Ronaldo after all who scored the penalty that put England out of the World Cup 2006.

Here are my top three penalty misses of all time.

3. Andriy Shevchenko - reckoned to be the deadliest finisher around at the time Shevchenko stepped up for AC Milan to keep them in the Champions League Final. However he placed the ball too close to Dudek who saved to become a Liverpool hero.

2. Gareth Southgate - England had the opportunity to reach a major tournament final for the first time since 1966. The semi final against Germany went to a penalty shootout and Southgate’s spot kick was saved to ensure England would have to endure at least two more years of hurt.

1. Roberto Baggio – He single handily dragged a poor Italian team to the final of USA ‘94 scoring five goals in the knockout stages of the World Cup. He stepped up in the shootout to take the last penalty for Italy but lifted the ball over the bar and instantly fell from national hero to villain.

Sissoko moves to Juventus

Momo Sissoko has completed an £8.2 million transfer from Liverpool to Juventus. With Mali already out of the African Cup Sissoko should be available to make his debut against Inter Milan.
In his first interview as a Juventus player Sissoko said: "Im very happy to be in Turin... Juventus are a great Club, exceptional players have played here, and it’s really fantastic to be part of such a set-up for a young guy like me, who’s just turned 23"

He added: "I'm a fighter who likes to press. My aim is to become a great midfielder and I can reach it at Juventus. This will be a fundamental experience for me, an important step in my career"

It seems Sissoko became surplus to requirements at Anfield. Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez said: "I think it's a good move for Momo and for us. He is a very good professional and a nice boy. He wanted to play and it's difficult here with Lucas and Mascherano playing well now, and Xabi Alonso and Gerrard.

"Everything has been positive. We have four players in this position so it's good for him and good for us."

Benitez is hopeful of making Mascherano, who has been on loan at Liverpool since last seasons january transfer window, a permanent signing at Anfield.