GOALKEEPERS MAGAZINE
page 7
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GOALKEEPERS MAGAZINE page 7 |
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It was a typical hot summer afternoon at Jess Arabian Ranches and on any other day, you could bet the school’s
young footballers would have stayed indoors instead of turning up for a practice session. However, this was no ordinary day
but a once in a lifetime opportunity to get a coaching lesson from Arsenal goalkeeper Manuel Almunia. And they would be willing
to risk heatstroke for that.The Spaniard had a smile the moment he sauntered on to the school’s
football pitch and the bewildered look on the faces of the youngsters told the story. Though it took some time for them to
digest the fact they were sharing the same space with the Gunners number one, Almunia’s easy demeanour soon broke the
ice. There was no doubt he appeared to be enjoying the transition from goalkeeper to goalkeeping coach.As
he went from one drill to another, the advice just flowed from his mouth. "Always keep both your hands behind the ball," he
told one. "Don’t keep your legs far apart or the ball will go through," he said to another. "With practice, everything
becomes easier and your reaction time will get better as you grow older." So attentive were the children that their academic
teachers would have been staring in disbelief. Asked how he found the experience, Almunia replied: "Fantastic,
I love children. I enjoy it because at the end of my career I would like to be [involved] in something like this."He did get positive feedback from the students at Jess. "I think it’s great to get top tips from a professional,"
said 12-year-old Harry Stow, the school’s under-13 goalkeeper. Being an Arsenal player did not make
Almunia any less appealing to Stow, a Manchester United fan. "Not really, because I think he’s a good player and he’s
a nice guy so it’s not hard to like him." Daniel McFeely, 14, was a tad bitter at having missed
out on the session which was dedicated mostly to goalkeepers. "It’s not fair, they didn’t let us take part because
we’re strikers. The rest of them aren’t even Arsenal fans," he lamented.Team player:
Flamini should have shunned ACArsenal keeper Manuel Almunia criticised former team-mate Mathieu
Flamini’s decision to dump the Gunners for a lucrative move to AC Milan. Almunia, who was in Dubai on his way back from
holiday courtesy of Arsenal’s sponsors Emirates, said: "Money is not everything. He had everything at Arsenal. For me,
I could never leave because I have everything over there. And he might not have the same opportunities at Milan because they
have a bigger squad." Almunia also welcomed the possible signing of young French talent Samir Nasri. "Nasri will surely be
a great player but I think we need some more players to be a bigger and better squad. We are a very good squad but we are
a bit short." He added: "We always try to play well. But for next season we need to be more aggressive with more character.
The base at Arsenal and for Arsene Wenger is beautiful football. The other things come from the player." Lazio coach Delio Rossi showed satisfaction as he commented on the 2-2 draw obtained in the away game against
Parma. "It was an entertaining match in which both teams did many good things but also made several mistakes," he
said. "We are playing with two strikers and a playmaker. Coordinating three strikers up front is always more difficult, but
we are working on it. Also because no team can afford to have three strikers playing statically up front." On the return of goalkeeper Fernando Muslera, who was given a surprise start today, he said: "These matches
are useful to see what the players who have played less are made of. This way we can see who is worthy of playing for
Lazio and who isn't. "Muslera is very young and plays in a very difficult position. I think he has some qualities, he's improved
a lot compared to before. Perhaps it was risky to put him in from the start, when he played at the Olimpico he suffered the
pressure, but since then he has improved a lot." Asked if he is still enthusiastic about coaching Lazio, Rossi said: "Yes. My enthusiasm comes from working
with the team every day, if I didn't have it I would talk to the club myself and tell them to get someone else." Danilo Pochini Fabio Capello has much to mull over but TEAMtalk's Ian Watson believes
it is the goalkeeping position that requires his immediate attention. David James was handed the number one jersey for the friendly against France and the Portsmouth keeper but
did his cause no favours despite having little to do. His major contribution was a 32nd-minute dash from
his line, committing himself to a ball he had no chance of winning before clattering head-first into Nicolas
Anelka to concede the match-deciding penalty. Because of injuries and withdrawls,
Capello was forced to select five keepers for the friendly at the Stade de France but more concerned with quality rather than
quantity, the England boss must be deeply concerned about the lack of a first class English keeper who he can call upon. The sad fact is that most nations nowadays lack a genuinely top-notch keeper, with only Italy's Gigi Buffon and Iker
Casillas of Spain in the world-class category. But other countries are not Capello's concern. Over the
past three years, Paul Robinson seemed to have made the England position his own but a number of high-profile errors have
cost him his place in the side and the squad. He was in the party that travelled to Paris but just like Rob Green, he boarded
the flight only because of the withdrawals of Chris Kirkland and Scott Carson. Perhaps due to Robinson's
problems more than his own form, James has been a popular choice for the England boss but is the 37-year-old really the best
man for the job? Here are Capello's candidates: DAVID JAMES Pompey's veteran stopper
seems to be the people's choice to be Capello's main man. A commanding presence and a fine shot-stopper, according to the
Actim Index, James is the Premier League's best keeper. But with goalkeeping, statistics tell only half the story. James may have made some fantastic saves this campaign but, my view on the veteran is much the same as it always has
been. He is either simply fantastic, or simply shocking. There is rarely a happy medium with James, and
with consistency being the key to keeping, it does not bode well when selecting a shotstopper for the World Cup campaign.
PAUL ROBINSON Up until the beginning of the current season, Robinson was unquestionably
England's number one. But his fall from grace has been as worrying as it has spectacular. This season
could not have gone much worse for the ex-Leeds United custodian. He began the campaign as England and Spurs number one and
within six months, he was fourth choice for his country and dropped by his club. His judgement on crosses
and high balls has never been faultless, but most worrying has been his shot-stopping and handling. He has carried the air
of a keeper devoid of all confidence. Spurs may have little to play for this season but now Robinson has
won his place back at White Hart Lane, he has seven games left behind a much more secure defence to prove himself worthy of
the Spurs and England jersey next season. SCOTT CARSON Carson has had to show a lot
of character to bounce back from his error against Croatia in only his second cap. But bounce back he
has; the 22-year-old has enjoyed a sound season at Aston Villa and seems likely to seal a permanent move to the Midlands from
his parent club Liverpool. However, is Carson the best keeper in the country? No. Is he in the top three
keepers in the country? No. Carson has time on his side though and by the 2014 World Cup, at 28 years
old, he may well possess the presence a top stopper needs and have developed as a goalkeeper away from the comfort of his
goal line. CHRIS KIRKLAND Ever since Kirkland rose to prominence at Coventry six years
ago, he has been touted as a future England number one. But the 6ft 6in stopper seems to have stalled and at 27, his potential
should have been realised by now. in all fairness, Kirkland has been hampered by a frightening lack of
luck with injuries. But whilst the Wigan keeper has been on the treatment table, others have passed him by and there are stoppers
better equipped to make the step up to the international stage. ROB GREEN 'England's
number six' was the slogan adorning Green's gloves following his omission from Capello's first squad and it is difficult not
to have sympathy for the West Ham keeper. The 28-year-old is a fine shot-stopper, comfortable playing
off his line and has displayed a fine level of consistency. Green is an efficient goalkeeper, does the job with a minimum
of fuss and does it well so why he has been almost completely ignored since rupturing his groin in the B international against
Belarus two years ago is as much of a mystery to me as it apparently is to him. BEN FOSTER This season was supposed to be a big one for the former chef. Had he stayed fit and been given the chance to show what
he can do at Manchester United, many speculate that he would already be England number one. But he hasn't,
and Foster is playing catch up. Next season is make or break for the 24-year-old, and Old Trafford has broken more keepers
than it has made since the departure of Peter Schmeichel. The key to Foster's chances of being number
one when the 2010 World Cup finals come around is will he have had a full season as number one at United under his belt? At
this stage, it is difficult to see that happening with Edwin van der Sar continuing to perform admirably for the champions.
The goalkeeping decision is a complex one for Capello. Does he play whoever is in form at the time, or
does he select one keeper to carry the country through to 2010 and stick with him? Whoever the England
boss chooses, he needs to know his keeper is, as a minimum, safe and reliable. So with that in mind, my
top three through to the World Cup would be Robinson, James and Green. Keepers don't become bad overnight
but they also don't become great in the same short period of time, which is why I believe Capello should ignore those clamouring
for James and look again at Robinson as his number one. Some may argue that Robinson's sticky patch has
lasted too long to simply be described as a blip, but at 30 when the World Cup kicks off in South Africa the Spurs keeper
will be approaching his peak. He has recently displayed signs that he might be getting some confidence back, which is the
first step to finding his form. But if he wants Capello to hand him back his England number one jersey
back, he has got to find it now. I honestly feel James being given the job as number one is just too much
of a risk in the long term and his performance in Paris backs up this view. I still feel he is almost guaranteed one mistake
a game. Let's not forget also that James, capped 36 times, has had his chance as number one for his country
and he blew it spectacularly. Add to that the fact that when the World Cup kicks off in South Africa, James will be a month
short of 40. Yes, Peter Shilton was 40 and David Seaman 39 when they earned their last international caps.
But the Pompey keeper is not in the same class as either of England's two most capped keepers. In my opinion,
Robinson represents a much better bet for Capello in the long term. Guide to keeping goal without calamities Goalkeeping with David James. The England No1 shows you how. This week: intercepting a dangerous ball played into the penalty
area. “As a goalkeeper, I'm often asked, ‘Dave, what's the best way to close down an advancing attacker arriving
in the penalty area at pace and looking to latch on to a dangerous through-ball that has eluded your central defenders?' It's
certainly a tricky one, but by no means impossible if you get the basics right. “The most important thing is to see the oncoming attacker early. The more time you have to come off your line and
deal with the problem quickly, the more chance you have of achieving the desired result. So, above all, stay alert. “Oncoming attacker identified? Then get off your line, as quick as you can. Here's where all the work we did earlier
on pace ‘out of the traps' can really pay off. “Come out fast and come out straight. You're looking to get a visual fix somewhere around the attacker's knees. Then,
just before impact, make yourself big. Ideally the attacker should clatter into you at about shoulder level and rip up into
the air like a shorn-off cartwheel. Banzai! Loads of satisfaction and the crowds simply love it. “Don't be deterred if it doesn't happen first time. It takes practice. But, trust me, you'll get there eventually.”
Next week: Going the right way for a penalty. Unlike Becks, the celebrations will run and run So, the festivities surrounding David Beckham's 100th England cap are almost over. Yet the celebrations go on. Don't miss
a single one of the future Beckham-related milestones with our handy, cut'n'paste Becks Anniversary Planner. March 14, 2009: Publication of the tenth official autobiography. August 8, 2011: 25th underpants commercial. June 5, 2012: 50th authorised television documentary. September 19, 2012: 100th paparazzi-documented evening out at an LA restaurant with Tom Cruise. July 4, 2024: Victoria and David's silver wedding anniversary. November 30, 2008: 5,000th appearance on the cover of Nuts |
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