Great Goalkeepers, Can we do it?
Unfortunately it's an already an old story that we have got a shortage of top class goalkeepers. Top
Premiership Clubs' Academies can not really boast that they have produced anyone worth writing home about. Small goalkeeping
school's, however good they are, can only bring up a goalkeeper to a certain level which is still falling short of rivaling
top class young european goalkeepers. Even some privately owned academies who can certainly do good work, are producing
goalkeepers who after finishing their academies are lost in the sea of lower divisions. If we admit what is true, that
the majority of small goalkeeping school's and academies are doing a good coaching job and still their students after finishing
do not reach the heights of European Football goalkeeping something else must be wrong.
Goalkeeping academies are not just about coaching. They should never be run business wise by coaches solely.
To be able to have a successful goalkeeping academy before anything goalkeeping academies should be free from "my way or no-way"
styles of coaching philosophy's. We should not confuse the managerial style that every football club needs to run
successfully with running goalkeeping academies. Some coaches do that. Managers of football clubs are spending the majority
of their time with footballers that are the
"finished products" and their trying to fit them into their philosophy's of their style of playing.
Goalkeeping academy coaches are spending the majority of their time with "raw talents" and should do the
complete opposite, they should try to fit the basic neccessary models of training to suit; individuality and the diversity
of every single goalkeeper. With this style of coaching young goalkeepers will have the neccessary individuality that will
give them an edge from the rest. Every big goalkeeper has that.
I carefully watched some training sessions of some Eastern European goalkeeping coaches and I found
out that their training sessions are quite "organic". The majority of coaches will only be concerned that their
young goalkeepers "catch the ball" and "stop the ball" They shout these phrases so many times, that I have learnt it in
many languages.
To be honest the Italians and the Spanish are not much different in their style of coaching. Their
physical activities are much harder then ours however. They involve many tools from different sports, for example; gymnastic's,
handball, etc. I have asked myself can our children do the same? And i'm 100% certain that they can. Can our coaches be more
effective? I'm 100% certain that they can, if they can freely tell young goalkeepers or their parents, "Unfortunately he or
she doesn't have the talent..." And if they know that their academies are organised, that well that every single young goalkeeper
after finishing the academy will have a guarunteed place in some club.
So how should a good goalkeeping academy be organised?
First of all the structure of the academy should be divided into two sections.The Managerial division and
the Coaching division. The Coaching division should be run by two Head coaches who in their careers were goalkeeping with
two completely different styles. They should choose their own assistants who at the same time must be from a different walk
of sport e.g. Experience in fitness and gymnastic's, co-ordinatination and balance. In the Coaching department
there should also be included "fly in coaches" who should be brought to the academy to do specific tasks at specific times.
The Coaching department should be completely free from the burden of worrying about financing and should have the final say
in regards to "who stay's" and "who goes" from the academy.
The Management department on the other hand must have, my experience is telling me, a good scouting knowledge
and good networking throughout all european football clubs. They must after receiving reports from coaches be ready to immediately
place young goalkeepers in clubs that they think will suit the profile of the goalkeeper in question. Lets not forget that
the great goalkeepers in the Premiership are coming from the Leagues that can not even be compared to the Premiership.
So how then is it possible that goalkeepers from; Czech Republic, Poland, Spain, France, USA... Are at the top of the tree
in British football, when we know that the majority of clubs in those Leagues can not even compete with a decent Championship
side from the English League.
Well the answer is simple; they have got a much smaller number of students in their academies but they are
sure that their academies will take care of them. And that brings us to the second priority job of the academy management;
"Aftercare". Some young goalkeepers after finishing their academies should be placed around european clubs.
On- loan, exchange, etc. By playing longer or shorter periods in different european leagues young goalkeepers will acquire
different knowledge and maturity of taking responsbilities. To place goalkeepers around europe it's not such a difficult job,
if the management know what their doing. Some should be placed around Britain but we must never forget the most important
thing; READ THE COACHING REPORT CAREFULLY AND NEVER PLACE YOUR YOUNG GOALKEEPER IN A CLUB WHERE YOU KNOW, THAT THE STYLE OF
YOUR YOUNG GOALKEEPER WILL NOT FIT INTO THE STYLE OF THE MANAGER OF THAT CLUB, YOU WILL DESTROY HIS CONFIDENCE!!!
So therefore the academy management should manage young goalkeepers to the time that they sign a professional
contract with a club or management company.
Now we have come to the main point; How much will this cost? Is there any priofit there?
The academies costs will vary by the size of the academy. The academy should hit profits in 4 years from
opening. The complete business structure is too big for this article but if you just consider that all the money invested
in the upbringing of 16 goalkeepers can be returned by signing 1 goalkeeper to a mediocre contract you can just imagine if
you can produce after 4 years of work, 2 great and 4 good goalkeepers and sign them to professional clubs.
