Call Stephen Fry: Top goalkeepers now an endangered species
It’s not just England who lack a decent number one
So what did we learn over the weekend then? Well the England goalkeeping problem became a little clearer, in the sense that we now know it is a real problem. Alternative candidates have come and gone, but it seems certain that David James will start “between the sticks” as football writers say, come next June.
But as Paul Wilson pointed out in a terrific article in Sunday’s Observer, the days of long-established number ones are no more. In World Cups of yore, the faces wearing green in the Panini sticker book, were recognisable to football fans up and down the country. Zoff, Zubizaretta, Oliver Kahn – you knew where you were back in the 80s and 90s. Yet now, the current Nationalmeinshaft’s nummer ein, Rene Adler, could have sat next to you on the bus this morning without your knowledge. And who would know if French custodian Steve Mandanda had delivered their mail this morning? Casillas and Buffon aside, we live in a world bereft of top keepers.
So its not just England who have problems – some comfort ahead of next summer. But what possible reason is there for this global phenomena? Light balls flying all over the place? Strikers banging the ball harder than ever? Or government anti-bullying campaigns in school stopping the infirm being forced into goal at a young age? Leave thoughts below…
8 responses so far
Paul French // October 12, 2009 at 9:12 am
Bring back Ryan Bailey.
Marco // October 12, 2009 at 11:40 am
Haha give Eliot a chance, i’m sure he has awesome hair
jimbo // October 12, 2009 at 12:04 pm
I agree – give him a chance, it is a fair point actually, the fact that Spain have 2/3 world class keepers is annoying…how we could do with taking Pepe from them…
Cece // October 12, 2009 at 2:46 pm
There may be fewer great goalkeepers than usual, but the world isnt bereft of top-class keepers, England is. Yeah, some other countries are too, but that doesn’t stop Cech, van der Saar, Júlio César, and Tim Howard from getting the job done for their respective national teams. Maybe if England wants better keepers they should train them properly and start them in more Premier League teams, instead of importing keepers from elsewhere primarily. The England backups are used to the bench, and don’t have the experience coming through in the clutch for their own teams, let alone in international competition.
I’m just saying, this isn’t a worldwide epidemic, if Paraguay can manage to have a good keeper, England needs to take a long hard look at itself. (No offense to Paraguay, because Chilavert was, is, and always will be a boss.)
Louie Louie Louie // October 12, 2009 at 7:20 pm
Welcome Eliot.
I know you have big shoes to fill because Ryan’s work was amazing.
Now it’s your chance to have some fun and not take things seriously at all, after all, this is the place where a lot of us lads come to unwind from the awful awful real wolrd.
Cheers to you mate.
Wendy // October 13, 2009 at 2:22 am
Let’s be nicer to Rene Adler right now, seeing as how he helped Germany qualify for the WC and Saturday’s performance against Russia was pretty damn close to being world class.
cece, you pretty much said what I was getting ready to say…
Shane // October 13, 2009 at 4:49 am
it is the whole foreign player thing in England that is basically ruining the England Keeper front.
Chelski – Cech (Czech Rep)
MU – Van DerSar (Holland)
Spurs – Cudicini (Italy)
MC – Given (Ireland)
Arse’ – Almunia (Spain)
Liv’ – Reina (Spain)
AV – Friedel (USA)
Sun – Gordon (Scotland)
Burn – Jensen (Denmark)
Eve’ – Howard (USA)
Stoke – Sorenson (Denmark)
@ 12th you get your first English keeper
Wigan – Kirkland
Bolton – Jaskelinen (Finland – i think)
@ 14th you get the 2nd
Bir’ – Hart
Fulham – Schwarzer (Aus)
@ 16th you get the 3rd
Black’ – Robinson
Wolves – Hennessey (Wales)
Hull – Myhill (USA)
@ 19th you get 4th and current 1st choice
WH – Greene
and @ 20th you get 5th choice – good ol Calamity
Pompey – James
so to say all countries are in trouble is not that true. Spain 2nd choice and not even third choice play in two of the so called top 4.
Italy have Buffon and co and again another who would not get a call for Italy still plays for a pretend top four side.
Van der Sar doesn’t even play for Holland so no doubt they have no goalkeeping problems.
Ireland are in safe hands with Given who is probably better than Czech who also has The Czech Rep in safe hands except for the drop at the Euro’s.
Need I go on, Denmark with Jensen working wonders at Burnley and Sorenson helping to keep stoke in the premiership seem to be in good hands.
So I don’t think there is a catastrophe world wide in the goalkeeping stakes.
But yes in England, when third choice/notpicked keepers for other countries are playing for bigger clubs than that of there English compatriots.
English goalkeeprs currently play for teams in the bottom half of the table where mid-table mediocrity/survival is a success but this is no quality to carry onto the greatest stage in the world – Sth Africa 2010.
Yes Banks, Shilton/Clemence, Seaman are hard to replace but the blame has to be placed on the clubs for buying in rather than bringing through.
Eliot Pollak // October 13, 2009 at 9:24 am
Thanks for the welcome Louie. I hope I can live up to expectations.
Cece – Petr Cech world class? I’m not sure even Chelsea fans would agree with you. Plus the Czech Republic are unlikely to make the World Cup.
Wendy – I agree Adler was fantastic on Saturday night but the guy still lacks big match experience.
Great point Shane
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