Effective Goalkeeping

Anticipation Is A Skill - But Use It Wisely

2018-01-26T10:03:00.001-05:00

I've been training young keepers recently, and I've been reminded of something I've long noticed about them: they like to guess where shots are going. As the title says, anticipation is a skill, and there absolutely IS a time to take your best educated guess about where the attacker is going to shoot. But when you're a young keeper still learning the basics of moving into a good set position, and then reacting to the shot you see, that time is not in shot-stopping drills.

This is where improvement happens

Advanced, experienced goalkeepers use anticipation - one aspect of 'reading the game' - in a number of situations, from collecting through balls, adjusting their starting position for a cross, or, most obviously, for penalties. But what we're concerned with here is shot stopping.

Why would you ever guess or anticipate where an attacker is shooting? Generally, the only time you want to do this is in a situation where you are very unlikely to make a save unless you get a head start on the attacker by correctly anticipating the shot. This usually means shots from close range, where the attacker has time and space to pick a corner, and you don't have time to close them down. This often happens at set pieces, when the ball isn't properly cleared, and drops to an attacker right in front of goal. You certainly can get set and try to react as he finishes from six yards, but the odds are stacked heavily against you, and the better goalkeeper will not only anticipate where the shot is going, but actually influence the striker to shoot where you want him to shoot. More on that later, but for one example, here's David De Gea showing Eden Hazard the near post, then taking it away.

It drives me a bit crazy when keepers don't back themselves to make saves, and start guessing/leaning for shots from close to the top of the box, when they've got a better than fair chance to make a save. I don't think this is the time to be guessing, and to me, it's a sign of anxiety and insecurity. Confident keepers get into a good set position, and react to the shot they see. Sure, some of these shots go in. We wouldn't have much of a sport if there were never goals. But it's important to understand when it's appropriate to anticipate (odds stacked against you), and when you should trust yourself to see the shot and react to it (odds more even).

Young keepers guess in training because they haven't yet understood the point of training is to improve their overall skill set, and instead they're just trying to save each individual shot they see by whatever means they can. It's not a bad instinct, but it robs them of the opportunity to improve the very simple but critically important skill of moving into a good set position, then reacting appropriately to the shot they see.

Assuming a good set position, reacting to a shot requires good balance and footwork, coupled with appropriate technique. It has to happen fast; you've got less than a second to react to a moderately struck shot from fifteen yards. Like any other skill, the more often you do this, the better you get at it. So when I'm running a shooting activity with young keepers, I work hard to encourage them not to guess or lean so much, and trust that even if they get beat, they're on the road to improvement if they manage to react to the shot. Guess correctly and make a save in a shooting drill? Great, but you're not chasing results in training, you're following a process.

See It - Save It (and he did: Michael McGovern, Northern Ireland vs Germany, Euro 2016

But if there's a time for anticipation, doesn't that mean it should be trained, too? Sure, and you can construct drills to do it, but I think it's best honed in game situations during team training, rather than goalkeeper-specific training. It's difficult to replicate such situations realistically, unless you have defenders and attackers joining in with goalkeeper training. The key, again, is making sure the young goalkeeper understands when to stand and react, and when it might be best to anticipate.

I mentioned how the skilled goalkeeper can sometimes flip the odds by influencing the attacker to shoot to a specific spot. The phrase I have for this is, "Show it to them, then take it away." You might close down an attacker being intentionally slightly off your ball line, exposing one side of goal, and then dive/lunge that way just as the attacker shoots, as De Gea does in the video. That's a very simplistic description, and there are lots of subtleties involved (ironically, it's less effective against lower-level players who never get their head up to look at the keeper). But the idea is to give the striker something to shoot at, then get a head start on the shot, moving before the ball is struck. The risk is that you might be wrong, but this is why it's best used only in circumstances where the odds are already against you. In all others, the surest way to solve problems is to move smoothly into a good set position, then react to the shot you see. The more you do this in training, the better and quicker you'll execute it in games.

Mistakes vs Limitations

2017-09-14T12:16:00.000-04:00

The primary way most goalkeepers seem to be judged - from the highest levels of the professional game, right down to grassroots youth games in the park - is by some arbitrary equation which takes into account only two things: terrible mistakes, and brilliant saves.

These two lie at opposite ends of the goalkeeping spectrum, but comprise only a tiny percentage of what a goalkeeper actually does in a match. And what is that? Mostly, it's receiving and clearing back passes, playing short passes to defenders, taking goal kicks, making simple catches or other comfortable saves, and moving backward and forward between the goal line and a spot somewhere outside the box. During all this, there is communication and positional adjustments, organizing at set pieces, a cross or two or three to contend with, and (depending on the quality of the respective teams) a number of 'emergency' interventions, such as 1v1s or explosive saves.

There are also goals conceded, I'm afraid. We wouldn't have much of a sport if this never happened.

So while it's perhaps unfair that most keepers are judged on a tiny fraction of their actions, it's understandable, because terrible mistakes and amazing saves stick in the memory of those watching. It's the same reason all-action, rampaging midfielders who spray fifty-yard diagonal balls and shoot powerfully from distance are often valued higher than crafty midfielders who find unexpected angled passes, always take their first touch away from pressure, and just generally keep the ball with their team and keep the game ticking over. All that stuff, while important, is difficult to notice.

Nobody ever said the goalkeeper's lot was fair. Yet the problem with the mistake/brilliant save dichotomy is that it ignores a much greater indicator of a goalkeeper's potential success: limitations.

Not bad! I'd like to see the hands a little lower

Let's quickly define, in admittedly simplistic terms: a mistake is a situation a goalkeeper flubs, either technically (ball fumbled across the line, etc) or tactically (ill-advised charge out of the box, etc). A limitation, on the other hand, is something a goalkeeper simply does not possess the ability to do. Some goalkeepers can't clear the halfway line with a goal kick. Some can't turn high shots over the bar. Some can't consistently handle shots safely. Some can't dive with explosive power. You get the idea.

The obvious difference between mistakes and limitations is that a goalkeeper with a limitation will be exposed every time the situation is encountered - this is a situation the keeper simply cannot handle - whereas mistakes can occur randomly, even in aspect of the game the goalkeeper might normally excel.

If we accept that mistakes happen to literally every goalkeeper - just visit YouTube for five minutes if you don't believe me - then we understand that mistakes become an unacceptable problem only if a goalkeeper makes them too frequently, or if they keep making the same mistake. I don't care how technically 'perfect' a goalkeeper is; momentary lapses in concentration or misjudgment are going to happen, even to the very best.

(I said this once in a coaching seminar, and got a few 'tsk tsk' responses from coaches who said I was being negative and defeatist. That was three years ago. I wonder if their respective goalkeepers have all been perfect since then?)

Limitations, on the other hand, have to be viewed in context of the individual goalkeeper's development. Youth and academy goalkeepers are going to have limitations. Until they've reached physical maturity, there are always going to be shots or crosses they haven't a prayer of getting a hand to, and their distribution range will also be restricted.

At the highest levels, naturally, we don't see a lot of limitations. The competition of the professional game dictates that if a goalkeeper finds it beyond their abilities to safely handle shots and crosses, and occasionally make acrobatic, explosive saves, they will stop progressing up the pyramid. And yet, the top professional goalkeepers don't all have the same diving range, or first touch, or vertical leap. Most of the are limited, if only fractionally in some way. They key is they know how to compete and succeed despite this.

Love the focus! Let's get the hands into catching shape

At the developmental stage, we as coaches should be at least as concerned with limitations as with mistakes. I would suggest that if a youth goalkeeper is making too many mistakes (How many is too many? That's for another day), it's likely that poor technique is the cause; in which case, the goalkeeper hasn't been properly coached, or is resistant to coaching, or is aflicted with excessive nerves. Following a mistake, we should rightly ask, "Why did this goalkeeper made this specific mistake?" But we should regularly be asking, "What is preventing this goalkeeper from getting to that specific shot, or being able to drive a ball accurately over short distances, or jumping higher than opponents?"

The good news is that it's not difficult to recognize a goalkeeper's limitations. A few dozen shots and crosses from a variety of angles and distances will tell you most of what you need to know about their agility, footwork, handling, technique, explosiveness, and general athleticism. Then, it's a matter or prioritizing areas to be improved, and coming up with a training plan for that improvement.

Watching young goalkeepers in competitive matches is also crucial. There, we see how they practically apply their skills, how they read the game, communicate, distribute, and all the other facets of goalkeeping.

One of the frustrations of coaching goalkeepers at the youth and academy level is outfield coaches who are inordinately concerned with results, and make short-term decisions in service of this. Having the biggest and strongest player take goal kicks, for example, relieves the short-term burden from a young goalkeeper who may lack strength, but also robs the keeper of the both the opportunity and the incentive to improve their technique.

Everyone starts somewhere. This is a young Thibault Courtois

I once had a coach tell me he instructs his goalkeepers to just push or punch away every shot, rather than "risking" a catch, because "that way they don't end up dropping it right in front of goal." Okay, great. That kid has no chance to ever be a decent goalkeeper.

In the end, what we hope is that the limitations all young goalkeepers have decrease as they train, refine their technique, add strength and athleticism, and finally, experience. During this process, it's important to monitor progress and take note of areas that may be lagging, and tailor training session to help them catch up. Ultimately, we want goalkeepers who are prepared to deal with every situation the game may throw at them, even as we accept that different goalkeepers will have different strengths and limitations.

Methods and Drills I No Longer Use, and Why

2017-02-24T15:35:00.001-05:00

I've been doing this a long, long time. I first began coaching goalkeepers in the late 1980s, while still playing. Here I am running a session at Soccer Plus Goalkeeper School, in the summer of 1991.

Back then, 'Running a session' meant standing there with your back to your students

For many, many years that followed, I used to rely a number of drills and activities I no longer use. Through trial and error, continuing education, and some excellent mentors, I figured out that some of them were ineffective, unrealistic, or downright counter-productive. Their failings fell into one (or more) of the following categories:

I. They Exhausted the Goalkeepers

There is a category of training referred to in some quarters as "Pressure Training." The goalkeeper does a demanding, repetitive act - collapse dives, post-to-post diving, forward rolls followed by a jump, etc - to exhaustion, all while attempting to make saves. Because fatigue can mimic some of the physiological manifestations of pressure, these were seen as a good way to prepare a goalkeeper for the mental stress of match play. And, indeed, they may be marginally helpful in that regard. They can also provide a fitness benefit. But I no longer incorporate such activities.

We've All Been There, Pal

The first reason for this is that they put goalkeepers into a physiological state they are never in during a match. A drill that requires a goalkeeper to run and dive explosively for more than 7 or 10 seconds - and many of these drills went on for 60 or even 90 seconds - completely depletes the primary glycogen fuel in the leg muscles, leading to weak, wobbly legs that are almost useless. But in this state, the goalkeeper is still being asked to make saves. So they are forced into what I will generously call "compromised technique" in order to make a save in training. Perhaps you've been there; your legs are jello, you stumble across your line, and you desperately throw out a hand as the ball bounces languidly into the net. Now, if you're a top-flight professional with perfect technique, this occasional foray into 'anything goes' form isn't going to do you any harm. But for young goalkeepers, this only reinforces bad habits and poor technique.

Should goalkeepers work hard in training? Absolutely! But, in my view, only in very short bursts, and with a decent amount of recovery time in between; just as it is in matches.

What about the argument I hear from some coaches that training a keeper to exhaustion forces them to sacrifice for their team, to 'buy in' to the pain and sweat and effort required? There is some merit to this, but I prefer to make this a separate activity from goalkeeper training - for instance, incorporate it into general fitness training. I don't want to compromise a keeper's technique in order to prove a point about hard work and suffering.

There is also, finally, a very real repetitive-stress injury risk to having goalkeepers repeatedly slamming into the ground while exhausted.

II. The Goalkeepers Always Knew Where the Ball Was Going

I recall running sessions where I had goalkeepers facing a shooter from an angle. On my call "Go!" the goalkeeper shuffled over, touched the near post, and then dealt with a shot to the far post. This automatically gave the goalkeeper an advantage they never, ever had in a game: they knew where the shot was going.

(And also - starting an activity with "go" or ANY voice command is unrealistic. Goalkeepers react to visual cues far more than to audio cues. I now like to start activities with a gesture or action they have to see and recognize. My favorite is to simply drop a ball.)

So much of goalkeeping is reading and reacting to a dynamic, free-flowing environment. Goalkeepers who can move their feet quickly, get set in a good athletic position, and then react to a shot, give themselves the best possible chance to make saves. There is only one way to improve this skill set: train it. And by telling a goalkeeper where the shot is going, you rob the 'read and react' aspect of the activity. Predetermined shots also encourage leaning, guessing, and cheating, which further saps the benefits of training to read and react. Anticipation is a part of high-level goalkeeping, and can be trained with advanced goalkeepers, but even this is still a calculated risk in a match; the goalkeeper never knows for certain where the shot is going.

There are some activities which logistically restrict you to shooting in one direction. For instance, if you force a goalkeeper to duck under a bar or jump over a hurdle in one direction laterally, then you have to shoot in that same direction, unless you expect them to dive back into the hurdle or bar. This kind of fast footwork/plyometric can be extremely useful for goalkeepers, so I try to design activities where there is still uncertainty about where the ball is going, or I simply do not put a shot on the end of the plyometric move. I might instead have them receiving and controlling back passes, which are generally more predictable than shots anyway.

III. The Service Was Unrealistic

Volleys - from the hand of a server directly to chest height of the goalkeeper - have been a part of goalkeeper training forever. But they aren't very realistic. Balls struck from the deck have backspin or side spin; volleys do not. The ball is starting in the shooter's hands. Going back to the previous point, the ball is going more or less directly at the chest, and the goalkeeper knows it. Most importantly, volleys of this sort represent a tiny fraction of the shots a goalkeeper is likely to see in a match, yet they account for a disproportionately high percentage of the shots they see in training.

I recognize some goalkeepers and coaches like volleys, and see them almost as a 'comfort zone' kind of warmup. I have no problem with that. I felt the same for years. I just prefer shots struck from the deck these days.

I don't like service from the hands, except for a very few, specific things, such as replicating a downward header, or when introducing goalkeeping to very young players.

Finally, I don't like to hit a lot of dead balls in a training session. Keepers see these almost exclusively from free kicks, where they are also dealing with lots of bodies in front of them. So I save them for free kick activities with a mannequin wall. Otherwise, I try to always have shooters take a touch before striking a shot, to force the goalkeeper to make match-realistic movements before getting set.

IV. The Environment Was Unrealistic

Four goalkeepers, one coach. For years, in this scenario, I would have one goalkeeper working in goal, and the other three waiting to take their place in goal, while I shot or served crosses. And then one day, while watching a 'best goals' compilation, I noticed something: there are usually many players, from five to fifteen or more, in and around the box when a goal is scored. Some of these players are trying to defend. Some are attacking. All of them can obstruct the goalkeeper's vision, or deflect a shot past him.

Count 'em

If these are the situations we are training goalkeepers for, then shouldn't we try to replicate the conditions as accurately as possible? That means using the 'extra' goalkeepers as outfield players, shooting/defending/obstructing/challenging/simply distracting the 'working' goalkeeper as much as possible. If you have real outfield players available, all the better. Mannequins make a decent stand-in if not. If you have none of the above, and are working one-on-one with a goalkeeper, then your options are obviously limited in this regard. But if you can get more bodies around the goal, I think it's a good idea. As a bonus, having the goalkeepers serve as outfield players is obviously good training of their foot skills, and helps them understand the roles of defenders and attackers a little better.

V. The Actions Reinforced Were Counterproductive to Good Goalkeeping

When hurdles became popular, I fell into line, and had goalkeepers jumping over them prior to making saves. I'm not entirely sure why. Do we want goalkeepers jumping prior to making saves? Not usually, no. Especially not when moving laterally. Yet I used to set a few hurdles up along the goal line, have keepers high-step or jump over them, and then make a save (a save which, by necessity, could only be in the direction they were jumping the hurdles). I'm not sure what I was thinking, because I've always tried to stress the importance of keeping the feet low to the ground when moving laterally (I like the image of the boot studs brushing the top of the grass). Yet here I was, running a drill that reinforced the exact opposite. No more.

There are more - lots and lots more - but you get the idea. I have no doubt that a coach could make a passionate case for why any or all of these are still good activities; they just aren't good for me or my objectives any longer.

The NSCAA National Diploma

2017-02-07T11:11:00.000-05:00

Effective goalkeeper coaches need to understand every position on the pitch, and the game in general - obviously. Therefore, last year I did a long-overdue, week-long residential course, the NSCAA National Diploma. Here are some reflections.

Firstly, there's a lot of studying required. The manual is 86 pages long, and it's full of NSCAA-specific terminology like Progressive Methodology and Second Covering Defender that you can be quizzed about at any time. So I went over this thoroughly the week prior.

Once you get there, you get put into groups of 13 candidates with one instructor. My instructor was naturalized American Peter Gooding. He's a former President of the NSCAA, and was instrumental in starting the coaching courses a few decades ago. Peter is very relaxed regarding coaching methods, allowing for lots of individual variance and preferences. The bad news is he is a stickler for things like organization. A few people got marked down for transitioning too slowly from one activity to the next, or not clearly marking out the playing area, for example.

There were a lot of classroom sessions. These ranged from fascinating (the tactical sessions) to deathly dull (youth club organization). Often we were exhausted, so even the good ones were a blur.

The reason we were exhausted is that the candidates serve as the players for all the sessions. The on-field sessions ran from 8:30-12:30 and again for a few hours after lunch most days (there were afternoon classroom sessions on a couple of days). For the first few days, the instructors ran the sessions, covering basic principles of attacking and defending, then moving into systems play and the differing roles, for instance, of midfielders in a two, a diamond. There was a pointed emphasis on playing out of the back, and playing in tight spaces under pressure.

On the third night, we went to a local high school game and were given a player to analyze. We then had to plan a complete training session around his main weakness. My guy was a striker who didn't know how to make runs, so I did a session on movement:

On the fourth day, the candidates began running 'practice' sessions. We were given a topic, had to plan a complete 90-minute session, and then ran just the first two activities, a warmup and some kind of 4v4 game (about 15 minutes), with the instructor taking notes. Everyone was nervous. Most of the candidates stopped play too frequently and talked for too long, and Peter let them know it. He also made sure everyone had thought through their topic and how to teach it. They would say things like, "This starts with a ball into the striker and-" and Peter would interrupt and say, "What if there's a defender in the way?" You had to have an answer every time he did this. He didn't even much care if your answer wasn't great; he just wanted to make sure you didn't get flustered or tongue-tied, and could move swiftly onto Plan B.

I got the worst possible topic for my practice session: first defender closing space from behind. In a 4v4 game, this rarely happens, as everyone is playing facing goal, so I designed a 4v4 game where it was 2v2 in each half, with all players restricted to their own half. This meant the two attacking players had to show and receive the ball with their back to goal a lot (since the defenders couldn't just carry it forward). It worked out pretty well, tho I got marked down a little for forgetting to put down cones on the halfway line.

Another day of instructor sessions, classroom sessions, and Q&A followed, and then on the final full day, we had our test. It was similar to the practice session, but longer, and in a 7v7 model. This time there was no feedback during or after. They just graded you and moved on to the next candidate. By now, people were comfortable with the methodology the instructors were looking for, and too exhausted to be nervous, so these went well. I was happy with mine. This is my group at the end of the session:

Lots of people celebrated that night, but there was still the final oral exam the next morning. We went in in groups of 4 and were questioned one at a time. We were asked for one defensive principle and how we would coach it to under 10s. The guys I went in with had celebrated a little prematurely the night before and were in rough shape. They struggled a little, but got through it.

There are no hard-and-fast prerequisite licenses, but it's not a course for raw beginners. You're going to have to project your voice and be confident enough to stop an activity and make corrections. You're also going to have to play, a lot. I was the oldest person in my group by a few years, and I was feeling it by the end of the week. But it's nothing a reasonably fit person can't handle.

The main positive for me is that the instructors WANT candidates to pass. They are not looking for excuses to fail you; they are instead looking for opportunities to improve your coaching methods, and help you be more effective. The course is not really about tactics. It's about improving the mechanics of running coaching sessions, how to plan, organize, and instruct with logical and understandable progressions. I've been in coaching for more than twenty years, and didn't expect to learn anything in this regard, but I did.

Another great benefit is the camaraderie and the shared knowledge that comes with working in a group. Because of all the playing, long hours on the pitch, and lack of sleep, you all suffer together, and grow close very quickly as a result.

I passed with the highest possible grade, R1. Overall, it was a great experience, and one I'd recommend to anyone serious about coaching who has not yet done a residential course.

Five Questions With...Andy Lonergan of Wolves

2017-01-28T09:56:00.001-05:00

1. What made you want to become a goalkeeper?

I wanted to be a keeper when I was young because it was where all the action seemed to be and I loved the gloves!

2. Who was your hero growing up?

Growing up, I loved Tim Flowers. He was top keeper at a club that was local to me, and I really looked up to him. I had the pleasure of him being my coach last season too, which was brilliant.

3. What's your favorite or most memorable save?

Best save, I really can't remember! There's a few that stand out for importance, but then from a technical point, I made a save at Huddersfield for Fulham last season that I was pretty pleased with.

4. What's your all-time favorite glove?

I'm a Sells guy, so any of the Sells range are outstanding. But apart from that, the Uhlsport which Tim Flowers had - red and blue - were ones I used to beg my mum and dad for for Christmas!

Andy's boyhood hero Tim Flowers wearing the Uhlsport 107 Spezial

5. Which current goalkeeper do you mot enjoy watching?

I'm a massive fan of Petr Cech. He's just the complete keeper. I like everything about his game, and also I've met him a few times and he's a great guy. Also Lloris, Courtois, and Jan Oblak at Atletico Madrid are also brilliant.

Massive thanks for Andy for taking time to answer my questions!

Spreading Yourself vs Staying Compact

2017-01-16T10:56:00.000-05:00

Watch enough games - or even a few - and it won't be long before you hear a commentator praise a goalkeeper for 'spreading himself' or 'making himself big' in a 1v1 situation. It is presented as a cure-all, but it's not always the right decision for a goalkeeper. As with a great many things about goalkeeping, it's all about the angles.

When to Spread Yourself

The time to spread yourself/make yourself 'big' is when an attacker has been presented a chance from close range and a relatively central position. The idea is that because the attacker has a lot of the goal to aim at, he's going to aim away from you. So extending your arms and legs as far from the core of your body as possible, and into the areas the attacker is most likely shooting at, increases your chances to make a save.

Keep in mind that you're not actually 'bigger' when you spread yourself. You've just extended your limbs a little bit into the area the attacker is aiming at. In fact, you open up a lot of gaps for shots closer to your body, as you can see in the picture above of Jack Butland. The ball can go between or under his legs, or between his body and his arms. That's worth the risk when the attacker has a lot of goal to aim for. But it's why spreading yourself is not ideal for all situations.

When To Stay Compact

If the time to spread yourself is when the attacker has a lot of goal to aim at, then the time to stay compact is when the attacker is shooting from a relatively acute angle.

Above, we see Claudio Bravo set to deal with a shot from an angle. Our perspective here makes it appear he has left more space at the near post than he really has - from behind the attacker, we would see there's really not much goal to aim at. Unfortunately for Bravo, this shot beat him straight between the legs, which, from this angle, is one of the danger spots a keeper must be aware of. A more compact body shape, leaving no gaps for anything hit at the keeper, greatly reduces the risk of being beaten from a tight angle.

Later in my playing career, (when it finally occurred to me to think about these things), I would often say out loud to myself, "It's tight," when the ball was at an angle, as a reminder that there wasn't much to shoot at, and that the job of 'narrowing the angle' had already been done, simply by virtue of where on the pitch the ball was. It served as a reminder that the odds were in my favor, if only I would stand up, stay compact, and hold my line.

As with all things goalkeeping, these are not hard and fast rules. There are exceptions. For example, spreading yourself when the attacker is shooting from a tight angle can be effective if you have closed the ground between the two of you, getting so close that you're blocking the ball as it comes off his foot. Staying compact, meanwhile, can work in your favor from a central position if you feel the attacker is going to try to dribble you. As always, each situation is unique, so a 'one size fits all' approach is unlikely to serve you well in the long run. Read the situation, recognize what the attacker is trying to do, and react in the way that gives you the best opportunity to come out ahead.

Stats For Goalkeepers Don't Tell the Whole Story - Or Even Much of One

2016-12-15T15:24:00.002-05:00

Just Terrible

In recent days, I've come across two different blog posts using stats to compare Liverpool's Loris Karius to, respectively, his contemporaries this season, and to David De Gea in his first season at Manchester United. The metrics used were things such as average number of saves per game, total clean sheets, goals conceded per game, and the total number of saves, claimed crosses, punched crosses, and 'sweeper clearances.'

There are two significant problems with all of these metrics: These first is that almost all of them are inextricably linked with how busy a goalkeeper is, which is something out of a goalkeeper's control. One article, amusingly claiming that De Gea is 'among the 10 worst goalkeepers in the Premier League,' makes this claim based on him making only 2.4 saves per game. But, obviously, playing for a Jose Mourinho team, he's not facing as many shots per game as many others keepers. We know this is true, without even looking for the number of shots allowed, because only three goalkeepers in the league have conceded fewer goals.

The same applies when a keeper is 'graded' based on the number of crosses he claims or punches. De Gea was derided for punching 'only' one cross clear. Firstly, he prefers to catch, which is better than punching, and secondly, again, it makes no sense to judge keepers on hard numbers like these, when they are not all busy to the same degree. We don't know the total number of crosses played into his box, and more importantly, the number that would be considered a goalkeeper's ball (and this, to add to the problems, is highly subjective).

A better stat might consider the percentage of crosses a goalkeeper successfully catches or punches, but such a stat will always punish goalkeepers who are more proactive and try to deal with more difficult crosses, as Jens Lehmann regularly did when he was at Arsenal.

Mad Jens - I miss him

Save percentage is a metric I've seen gaining more usage. It has some merit - outliers in either direction are probably indicative of some degree of a goalkeeper's ability - but it is a deeply suspect stat, because every shot is different. One goalkeeper might make three straightforward saves in a game, while the other might face only one shot, arrowed into the top corner. One has a 100% save percentage day, the other 0%. Over the course of the season, every goalkeeper is going to be involved of both of those scenarios. You can say they even out, but there is no scientifically valid reason they must. The variance in difficulty of shots faces by goalkeepers is far too great for any one-size-fits-all metric like save percentage. It is a somewhat more meaningful stat in ice hockey, a sport in which every game takes place in the same conditions. But a Premier League goalkeeper will play some games in howling winds, or rain, or with a low sun in his eyes, and all these factors further impact the difficulty of any given save.

As an example, imagine a shot from eighteen yards, from an angle forty-five degrees to the goalkeeper's left. There is a considerable difference in degree of difficulty for the goalkeeper, and the likelihood of the attacker scoring, depending on whether this shot is struck with the left foot, which opens up the far post, or the right foot, which somewhat limits the attacker's chance to finish. Save percentage doesn't take these, or any, variables into account. It looks only at the number of shots and the number of goals conceded, effectively treating every shot as if it were the same.

Then there are the metrics that are dependent on team performance, such as goals allowed per game. Swansea City goalkeepers have allowed more than twice as many goals as Southampton goalkeepers. Is this defensive record down entirely, or even mostly, to the respective goalkeepers? Of course it isn't. Team defending - overall team play, really - plays an enormous role in goals conceded. A team's style of play will also go a large way to determining how often the goalkeeper is needed to do things like sweep up behind his back four. Teams that sit deep and play on the counter attack do not put their goalkeeper in this situation very often; so negatively judging a goalkeeper based on his total interventions like this is, again, flawed.

No doubt, someone will develop more advanced metrics which do give us a better view of a goalkeeper's performance. Until then, the eye test is still the most reliable tool. This is always subjective, but then again, so are 'scientific' metrics like 'most errors leading to a goal.' Who decides what constitutes an error?

Please don't conclude that I am anti-analytics, or anti-technology. Nothing could be less true. I just don't believe the current metrics some use to judge goalkeepers are sound. Especially not ones that come to the conclusion that David De Gea, one of the most talented and effective goalkeepers of this generation, is among the '10 Worst Keepers of the Premier League.'

Draw the X

2016-11-03T11:17:00.001-04:00

It takes a certain level of athleticism to pull shots out of the top corner. Not everyone can do it. But proper body shape and control is important to every goalkeeper, of every level.

If you were to superimpose the two photos above onto each other, the two red lines would draw an X. What's happening here is the goalkeeper (David De Gea - you might have heard of him) is propelling his body upward to get a hand on the ball, and then his legs are carrying on upward as his upper body pitches down, contacting the ground first.

It's important to understand that the body shape here - the X - is not in itself critical ; it's what it indicates. 'Drawing the X' indicates that the goalkeeper exploded off the ground with maximum spring and power. If your feet 'keep going' and end up over your head, momentum dictates that your body has no choice but to react in this way. Now, there's more to making this save than just the explosive spring off the ground. You need the upper-body flexibility, the reach, and the sheer will to claw the ball to safety. But having the spring is an excellent start.

Sometimes goalkeepers who most definitely have the requisite athleticism don't, for whatever reason, get the timing or the spring quite right. They start the dive by pushing off their lead leg, drawing the X's first red line - but this body shape never changes, the feet drag along the grass, weighing them down, and they fall back to the ground without ever changing their body plane, the lower body landing first. Sometimes they still manage to make the save; sometimes they don't.

Watch this Andrey Arshavin goal vs Manchester United many years ago. I've always thought Ben Foster's dive looked a little strange, and I think it's because he never really gets his lower body powering off the ground. And if the lower body drags behind, the upper body is going to struggle to extend.

In still frames below, you can see his feet dragging along the ground, and his lower body contacting the ground first when he lands. Again, this may not be the technical reason he didn't make the save - but it indicates he didn't get the greatest spring in the first place.

This is where video analysis can be so beneficial for young goalkeepers. Watch your body shape as you deal with these shots. Can you draw the X? If not, it starts with lower body speed, power, and explosiveness.

The Joy of Three

2016-10-19T15:42:00.000-04:00

In the span of twenty-four hours, three of the world's best goalkeepers made three of the best saves you could ever want to see. The saves differed - one featured blinding reflexes from a close-range deflection, one required scrambling determination to keep out what should have been a tap-in, and one demonstrated the leaping dolphin-like agility for which the keeper has become known. Gianluigi Buffon, Hugo Lloris, and David De Gea are goalkeeping artists. The highest compliment we can pay them is that none of these saves were surprising.

In the immediate aftermath, the Twitterati seemed determined to rate, critique, and rank each of these saves. No. Stop. Just enjoy them for what they are: the art of goalkeeping manifested at the highest possible level. Starting with Gigi (it's the last of five saves on this video, but really, watch all of them):

This save is, in a word, crazy. Gigi is committed to the shot, and as it deflects - sending it higher but taking no pace off the shot - he somehow whips up his right hand and is strong enough to turn the ball over the bar. 38 years old and still going strong.

Next up, Hugo Lloris:

Another absurd piece of goalkeeping, this one as much about will and determination as anything else. Lloris had time to see the danger as Chicharito closed in, but refused to believe he was beaten. Yes, Hernandez should have done better, but Hugo still had to battle the forces of momentum once he got his right hand to the ball. He somehow contrived to roll and turn with the ball, while (just) keeping it from crossing the line. There's an old cliche that says tall goalkeepers have a hard time getting down to low saves; not when they're this athletic and talented, they don't.

Last up, David De Gea, enlivening an otherwise dreary Manchester United-Liverpool encounter:

Simply beautiful. De Gea top hand saves are some of the most gorgeous sights in the modern game. I saw a bit of 'If Goalkeeper X had made this save, nobody would have raved about it.' Well, here's the thing: very few other goalkeepers would have kept out this particular shot. Very few have this body length, arm length, spring, and elasticity.

These were not the only saves these keepers made. Buffon saved a penalty, De Gea denied Emre Can from close range, and Lloris was busy all day. As much as we appreciate the nuances of top-level goalkeeping - the positioning, the organizing, the distribution - moments like these are when goalkeepers move beyond craftsmen, and become entertainers.

(But here's the real best part of these saves:)

Joe Hart's Road Back

2016-07-14T15:29:00.000-04:00

Nobody, it seems, likes Joe Hart very much right now. With Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said to be looking for a new goalkeeper to begin his Premier League stewardship, Hart’s stock plunged to a new low with his underwhelming performances at the Euros, where he made no saves of note and allowed at least two soft goals. He was far from England’s only under-performer, but his penchant for tunnel theatrics and anthem-belting makes him an easy target. He still has backers among many City fans, having saved his best performances for the Champions League knockout games, but even they must be worried by recent developments.

Hart’s career trajectory has taken a number of sharp turns in recent years. Displaying the best form of his career, he was as responsible as any City player for their stunning title in 2011/12, but suffered through periods of indecision and bad form, and was dropped more than once, in seasons to follow. Every goalkeeper makes mistakes, but Hart’s have been more scrutinised than most, for a number of reasons: he’s England’s number one, he stars in a television advert which curiously implies that being dandruff-free is the key to England finally winning a penalty shootout, and he has a personality that appeals to some and repels others, but is not easy to ignore in either case.

I wouldn’t know, of course, but being a goalkeeper at Joe Hart’s level surely comes with more than enough pressure and expectations. Why pull ‘funny’ faces in a penalty shootout, when it only magnifies the pressure on yourself when you don’t save any of them? Why scream ‘motivational’ obscenities at your teammates in the tunnel when you know a live TV camera is three feet from your face? When Joe Hart shouts, “Right boys, right, get that ball, move that fucking ball, COME ON!” which England player, in the back of his mind, wouldn’t be justified in thinking, “How about you catch it?”

There is nothing wrong with intensity. Gianluigi Buffon is intense, too. But he knows how to channel that intensity into displays of controlled and focused goalkeeping. He also, not coincidentally, enjoys the benefits of a global reputation for excellence. Nobody watches Gigi belt out the National Anthem and thinks, “Wow, he really likes the attention.” They just see passion. He has nothing to prove to anyone about his goalkeeping.

Before he matured into the best tennis player in the world, Novak Djokovic was often guilty of ‘look at me’ antics that seemed borne out of the frustration of not receiving the plaudits of his exalted peers Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Eventually, he figured out the best thing to do was win more tournaments. It’s funny how nobody asks him to do on-court imitations anymore. He’s a champion now. He acts like one and gets treated like one.

Pretty much done with the joking around now

The sight of Hart swearing and weaving on his feet, eyes bulging, almost unable to contain his energy just moments before kickoff, makes me wonder - what if he doesn’t have anything to do for the first twenty minutes? Where is all that adrenalin and excess energy going then?

I think that intensity and excess energy might be the reason for what I see as his one true weakness in goal: a persistent failure to hold his position and get his feet set before shots. His great strength is spreading and throwing his body at attackers shooting from close range. It’s brave and explosive and extremely effective, and he has pulled off a highlight reel’s worth of these spectacular blocks. But he sometimes tries to use this technique with shots from further out, when he’s too far from the attacker to be an effective barrier, but too close, by virtue of coming off his line, to give himself reaction time to make a save. And even if he did have time, he’s still moving forward, feet not set, which further reduces the likelihood of a save. Often, there is a defender back in a position to put in a challenge, or actually in the midst of tackling, when he does this. But the defender never gets a chance.

Below, you see a very strange situation: Raheem Sterling, while still at Liverpool, confronted with a defender and, one step behind the defender, eight yards from his goal, goalkeeper Joe Hart.

Hart’s positioning here effectively makes his defender redundant. Instead of having to beat first the defender and then the goalkeeper with two distinct actions, Sterling needed merely to shift the ball onto his right foot and shoot past both of them, which he did. Had Hart held his line, a shot from this angle, once Sterling beat the defender, would have needed to be exceptional to beat him. In the end, Sterling simply passed the ball into an empty net.

Here’s another example, from last season, away to Southampton. A defender closing with a tackle, with Hart rushing off his line to block, unable to get close enough to do so. This resulted in another ball simply being passed into the net.

And from the same game, yet another one. This looks like the same goal from a different angle. It’s not. Just the same outcome.

There are numerous other examples of this, and also of his tendency to guess or lean when an attacker is shooting from a distance normally best dealt with by getting set and reacting to the ball. City goalkeeper coach Xabier Mancisidor will surely be aware of these tendencies, and would have designed training activities to compensate. I see these not as technical flaws, but as a failure of patience, an honorable but misguided attempt to force the play when the situation doesn’t call for it.

We coach goalkeepers to be proactive, but proactive doesn’t mean unchecked aggression. It means reading the game, anticipating danger, and taking actions - whether through communication or positioning - to eliminate that danger before it can manifest in shots on goal.

There most certainly are times to ‘narrow the angle,’ such as when an attacker is in on goal and there are no defenders closing him down. But what Joe Hart does is consistently turn shots 15-25 yards from goal, and effectively make them 12-18 yard shots, in terms of his reaction time, by positioning himself so far off his line. And he does this with defenders in position to put in a tackle.

These weren’t the mistakes Hart made at the Euros, of course. Those - Gareth Bale’s free kick and Kolbeinn Sigthorsson’s tame low effort - were simple shot stopping errors, which all goalkeepers occasionally make. David De Gea and Manuel Neuer each allowed a single uncharacteristic goal at these Euros, but each also made a raft of signature saves. Hart made no such amends.

I have no idea why a goalkeeper with Joe Hart’s outstanding reflexes and athleticism doesn’t stand up and back himself to make saves more often - when he does it, he’s capable of brilliance - but I think this is where his rehabilitation is to be found. If he can rediscover the patience needed to read and react to situations, rather than always be looking to force the play, he can hold on to the number one jerseys given him by two now-departed managers. He has emerged from troughs of confidence before, but he’s never had so much to prove to so many.

As for his public image, maybe he doesn’t care what people think, and it’s not easy to change who you are. But I look to the Djokovic example again, and how changing the way he presented himself coincided with better results on the court. Once he stopped trying to be noticed for anything other than his tennis, his tennis improved. It could be a coincidence, but I doubt it.

Don't Judge Keepers Based on the World Cup

2015-08-31T13:36:00.003-04:00

World Cups have traditionally been the favored venue for slating goalkeepers. South Africa 2010 saw the usually bevy of 'Goalkeeper Calamity' headlines, with Robert Green taking center stage, and the much-maligned adidas Jabulani ball baffling more than a few other keepers along the way. Goalkeeping catastrophes are great for clickbait and column inches, so it was slightly surprising when goalkeepers turned out to be among the most feted players of Brazil 2014. Keylor Navas of Costa Rica, Tim Howard of the USA, Rais M'Bolhi of Algeria, Guillermo Ochoa of Mexico, Claudio Bravo of Chile, and Vincent Enyeama of Nigeria all turned in Man of the Match performances, and that's before we even get to proven quantities such as Manuel Neuer and Thibault Courtois.

But playing well in a World Cup is not the same as consistently playing well at club level. There are a few reasons for this, but the most salient is that the World Cup is merely a handful of games, and a handful games is often not enough to expose a keeper's weaknesses, be they technical or mental. By the same token, the small number of games can mean that one mistake takes on disproportionate weight. If you judge Rob Green on that one error against the USA, you're ignoring the years of solid duty he's given his clubs.

If a keeper is weak on crosses, say, or poor with his feet, he may just be fortunate enough not to be tested too much in these areas in three, four, or up to seven games. Rest assured, though, over the course of a ten-month league campaign, he will. In fact, once a keeper struggles in an area of his game, opponents will go out of their way to target it. There is no hiding a weakness in the modern game.

The World Cup also tends to be played in a style that many keepers find comfortable: a slower pace (because of heat?) and less physical (fear of suspension from yellow card accumulation?). There are also games at World Cups where neither side is particularly worried about winning, such as when the top two teams in a group meet, with both already assured of advancing, or the flip side, with two teams already eliminated.

Don't do it....

In the US, Tim Howard enjoyed breakthrough, mainstream popularity after his 16-save performance against Belgium, but his performances for Everton the following season were below the standards he had set for himself. Memo Ochoa and Keylor Navas, meanwhile, barely played a league game between them, although Navas will now get his chance with Real Madrid, while Rais M'Bolhi signing with Philadelphia of MLS is now seen as one of the bigger disasters in the club's short history. It is easy to see how a club can be dazzled by a strong game or two in a World Cup, but apparently nobody in Philadelphia took notice that M'Bolhi, by age 28, had been at nearly a dozen clubs and had made as many as thirty appearances for none of them.

Neuer and Courtois, on the other hand, have only furthered their reputations since Brazil, and Enyeama continues to be a strong if under-appreciated performer, but their reputations are based on a large body of work across multiple competitions, in every type of weather imaginable, with titles and trophies and relegation battles on the line. League and Champions League play are where goalkeepers make their living, and they're the best place to judge them.

Revolution of One

2015-05-26T07:56:00.001-04:00

My piece over at The Set Pieces, in which I argue Manuel Neuer is not really revolutionizing goalkeeping....he's too good for that.

Read it here.

How David De Gea Does What He Does

2015-03-11T12:19:00.002-04:00

We've all seen the saves David De Gea can make. I took a look at some video to see what - apart from blinding reflexes and natural agility - makes him so special.

The video tool I use is called Coach's Eye. I recommend it.

Start with a recent save, in the FA Cup loss to Arsenal:

And from last season, the save from Luis Suarez:

Any questions or comments, let me know here or on twitter. Thanks for watching!

What You Eat Matters

2014-08-18T22:13:00.001-04:00

At our goalkeeper camp at NC State this summer, our team nutritionist gave a 45-minute presentation on the benefits of a healthy diet for top-level athletes. While sports nutrition is a dynamic and evolving science, the basics have been known for some time: eat a balanced diet of proteins, carbs, and fats; try to limit sugar and processed foods; vegetables are your friend, etc.

I noticed that the more serious and dedicated goalkeepers in attendance - also the more talented ones - asked questions and took notes. Others treated the classroom session with barely concealed impatience. Among them, the common refrain was, "I know I should eat better, but does it really matter? I'm young."

Yes. Young or old, it matters.

Granted, you can get away with a lot more dietary indiscretions when you're young. But that doesn't mean you won't still pay a price for a poor diet. I have always maintained that goalkeepers' energy needs for a match are just as critical as outfield players, despite the fact that we obviously do far less running. In our case, we have to concentrate a great deal more, and concentration is impossible without energy. When I was playing ten p.m. games in New York in recent years, I sometimes found myself hungry in the second half. That's not good. In addition to the loss of energy and explosiveness that comes with low blood sugar, it's never good for your concentration to be thinking about food as the game rages around you. To solve this problem, I adjusted my schedule, ate a later dinner, often had a banana or bagel right before kickoff, and supplemented this with energy gels or chews at halftime. It did not guarantee better performances, but since there are many things out of our control in goalkeeping, it only makes sense to take care of things that we can control.

These days, as a fulltime coach, my energy levels are even more critical. My goalkeepers and players depend on me to be engaged, dynamic, and active in my coaching. In some goalkeeper sessions, I might serve hundreds of balls, demonstrate a new or complex drill, or act as an attacking player in a match-related training activity. I'm on my feet for hours at a time, in sweltering summer heat and humidity or bone-cracking winter cold. This takes good fuel, especially at my age.

Not really a performance food

Until last year, my diet was pretty poor. I was lean and in good shape because I don't have a huge appetite and I love the gym, but I was putting junk into my body every day, in the form of sodas, fried foods, and processed, sugary treats. I've always had a sweet tooth, and assumed it would be brutally hard to change my diet, but it really wasn't. Once I finally made the decision - more about that it a moment - it was simply a matter of replacing bad things with healthy things I liked. Luckily, it turned out I like spinach and kale, so I began replacing my pizza and burger lunches with grilled chicken salads. I switched from sodas to green tea sweetened with honey - still a little sugary, but exponentially better than soda - and replaced my late-night ice cream snacks with a Kashi Organic Cinnamon cereal. My pre-training, quick energy snack is an organic peanut butter, banana, and honey sandwich, and I have a chocolate milk right after, for recovery.

I made the decision to change my diet because, for the first time in my life, I noticed a slight increase in body fat. That is to say, I actually had body fat for the first time in my life. There wasn't much, but I didn't like it, and knew it indicated that my metabolism was, at long last, slowing down.

I also have to think beyond athletics and toward the issue of general health. Even the best diet is no guarantee against cancer, heart disease, or other serious illnesses and conditions, but it's the single best thing you can do to tilt the odds in your favor. This, again, is something young athletes likely don't concern themselves with, and I understand that. But I have noticed several things that have definitely helped my athletic performance, and would apply to an athlete of any age.

You'll learn to love it - or at least tolerate it

The first is that I sleep much better since cutting out caffeine. I've gone from three or four sodas a day to, at most, one per week. I no longer bolt awake in the middle of the night, jittery and nervous, as I did regularly for years. Better, more restful sleep means I'm rising more refreshed and energetic, and also earlier. Not long ago, I needed at least eight hours of sleep, and would often go as long as ten. Now, seven feels just right.

I also have more energy now. This is not surprising, since I used to fill up on foods high in fat and simple sugars, both of which increase inflammation and interfere with the various processes involved in turning food into readily available energy. Related to both more energy and better sleep, I no longer feel like I need an afternoon nap. Even when my schedule allows for it, I rarely bother with what was once a necessity.

Finally, I no longer feel like a hypocrite. For years, I have preached the value of good nutrition to my players, then gone home and inhaled a pint of Ben & Jerry's. I always justified it by pointing to my general fitness levels and gym work, but I knew it was a poor excuse. A coach has a responsibility to set the example for his players. You either embrace that responsibility or shirk it. It feels good to finally be on the right side.

I stress that I am not a nutrition expert, and nobody should take specific instruction from me about what to eat. I simply have had the benefit of working with professional nutritionists and sports performance coaches. There are hundreds of great, reputable sources online, for anyone needing a little guidance. I will say only this: if you know you need to make a change, but think it will be too hard, just try it for one day. You'll be surprised how fast your taste buds adapt to a new diet. I get the same satisfaction from my grilled chicken salads now as I did from the double cheeseburger tray from CookOut a few months ago. And most experts agree that you should build 'cheat days' into your week, so you don't feel like you're punishing yourself.

If any of you have your own stories, recipes, or favorite foods, I'd love to hear about it in the comments, or on twitter. Thanks for reading!

Iker Casillas Is Not Finished....

2014-06-25T17:00:00.001-04:00

....but he has a lot of work to do.

A hero to millions, and winner of the proverbial 'everything there is to win,' Iker Casillas saw his reputation take a double knock in recent months, first with a blunder in the Champions League Final, then with two entirely unconvincing displays at the World Cup. Spain slumped home, the defending champions out t the group stage, and Casillas came in for a large share of the blame. And it wasn't just these latest blunders that had people wondering. A pair of Real Madrid managers, Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti, have both preferred Diego Lopez in recent seasons. Clearly, 'San Iker' has been on the wane for some time. It's natural for athletes to decline with age. Nobody stays on top forever, and Casillas has been playing on the grandest stages since the late nineties.

But...he only just turned 33 last month. An age-induced decline really should not be happening now. What else could it be?

There's an old saying about cars: it's not the age, it's the mileage. Casillas has been performing at the top for a very, very long time now. He is approaching 500 appearances for Madrid, and ticked past a century and a half for Spain just prior to the World Cup. He has also, in that time, won a ridiculous array of trophies for both club and country. It would be fair to ask if his motivation may have waned, both to prove himself (which he will rightly feel he did long ago) or to win trophies. Goalkeeping is a very unforgiving position. Lose focus or drive even momentarily, and things will go bad in a hurry.

Casillas has always played a relatively low-risk style, preferring to stay on his line more often than not and rely on his outstanding reflexes and footwork. It's notable that some of his recent errors have come from him coming off his line ill-advisedly, as in the Champions League Final or for Robin van Persie's absurd flying header. There is a natural temptation, perhaps even for a decorated pro, to try to do a little more when you've been questioned, doubted, or dropped.

Iker Casillas doesn't need advice from me or anyone else, but he does need to get back to what he does best: playing the angles and making saves. The hard part will be finding the motivation for this career second act. For a player who enjoyed nothing but success and adulation, it surely can't be easy to be in this position now. There must be a temptation to shrug, point to his collection of medals, and insist there is no problem. But that's not going to get him back into the Madrid first team.

Edwin Van der Sar went through a similar mid/late career slump, which saw him bustled out of Juventus to Fulham, where he performed only adequately. To his credit, he recognized the massive opportunity presented him by Sir Alex Ferguson, and excelled during his time at Manchester United. His motivation would have been simple to find: a second chance at glory, success, and trophies.

Faryd Mondragon just played in the World Cup for Colombia at age 43. There is no physical reason Casillas can't go on for close to another decade; it's just a matter of his motivation.

The Ball Moves - Deal With It

2014-02-24T11:44:00.003-05:00

Hakan Calhanoglu of Hamburg did this on Saturday:

How does a goalkeeper as talented and experienced as Roman Weidenfeller get beat from 40 yards - with the ball hitting not the extreme top corner, but a part of goal you'd expect a top-class keeper to reach?

Because the ball moved. A lot.

On first and even second viewing, I thought Weidenfeller was guilty of being flat-footed. And, technically, he is. But still images make it easy to understand why.

This picture (click to enlarge) shows that halfway to goal, the ball has traveled on a straight line, from Hakan's foot toward Weidenfeller in the middle of goal. It has no spin, so it isn't bending predictably to the keeper's right. It is flying straight at him.

What this picture doesn't show, but action replays do, is that the ball is also traveling in a severe arc. So not only does it look to Weidenfeller that the ball is coming straight down the middle of goal, it probably also looks to be going over the bar at this point.

Now look where the ball ends up, compared to its original line of flight.

A late swerve of a full six feet to the left, coupled with a vicious downward dip, leaves Weidenfeller helpless, despite his best efforts.

The lack of spin, of course, explains why the ball swerves and knuckles so deviously. If you'd like a scientific explanation of why this happens, you can read it here.

This free kick, effectively, is like a deflection. The keeper is set and tracking a shot going to one place (middle of the goal), only for it deviate to another late in its flight. It's irrelevant how far away Calhanoglu was when he struck the ball; all that matters is the time Weidenfeller had to react when it deviated from its original course.

So how to deal with these situations?

Footwork is key. If we're going to be at all critical of Weidenfeller here, we might look again at the first picture. There's a clue there:

We can see that he has got into a set position with his feet significantly wider than the width of his shoulders. When you split your feet this far apart, it consumes precious fractions of a second to get your center of gravity and weight to the outside of your foot, which is where you need it to be to dive. It also means he has to dive without the benefit of a couple of quick, small shuffle steps, limiting his range.

Ideally, in training we reinforce our set position and footwork hundreds of times. Still, we have these reactions in games. Splitting the feet wide is a natural response when we feel we need to brace ourselves for powerful shots struck right at us. The problem comes when it turns out they're not right at us.

I'll say again that because of ball movement, long-range shots demand much the same from keepers as deflections. Training for one, therefore, is useful for the other. Activities incorporating redirected shots, an unsighted keeper, or using balls designed to move unpredictably like the Responseball can all help.

We also must understand that you have to keep 'fighting' a moving ball throughout its flight. Dealing with a shot that moves like this demands multiple technical adjustments in our footwork and body shape, but just as importantly, it demands competitiveness. You have to be simply unwilling to be beaten, and do anything you can to prevent it. You have to also accept that these shots will always be much harder to deal with than your coaches, fans, and teammates may understand. It's just another challenging part of the special job we do.

Why Do Goalkeepers Stop Improving?

2013-12-03T13:23:00.002-05:00

I recently took part in a three-day goalkeeper camp for boys and girls aged 14-17. The players worked hard, listened intently, asked questions, and in some cases, displayed real potential. The only concerning aspect of it is that several of the kids had been at the same camp back in July, and had not improved.

They were all much better than this guy, though

Now I wouldn't expect extraordinary improvement in just under six months, but 14-17 is a prime developmental period for goalkeepers. Some of the coaching points I made were very basic, and I'd made them multiple times back in July, but many of the goalkeepers still struggled. I'm not talked about advanced concepts; I mean basics like stance, posture, balance. So why weren't they getting it right?

Is it coaching? It could be. I'm not the world's best coach, but I'm not taking the blame for this one. I had these kids for a few sessions six months ago, and hadn't seen them since. The most likely answer is that in the intervening time, they simply hadn't had proper goalkeeper coaching, and slipped back into bad habits. Kids tend to focus just on stopping the ball, rather than worrying about technique. This is good in some ways, but not so good if the proper technique is not yet ingrained. There still aren't that many qualified goalkeeper coaches around. Most players have to make do without one.

But there are goalkeepers who DO get proper coaching, and still struggle with technique. Obviously, everybody has a talent ceiling. Some keepers are simply never going to have the athleticism or coordination to make a blinding top-had save or ping a side volley 60 yards. What's important, for serious young players at least, is maxing out whatever talent they do have. What I'm seeing is young goalkeepers who want to be excellent, and have decided that things like hand position and footwork 'don't matter.' What matters is spectacular saves. Fair enough; but my job as a coach is to make them understand that you need the stance, the footwork, the hand position to be right before you can consistently make those saves.

Coaching or not, goalkeepers who want to continue improving have to train. They have to play. This is the problem with organized soccer in the U.S, and increasingly in Britain. Everybody plays year-round, but only in an organized setting. That amounts to only a few hours a week. You've simply got to play more than that if you want to be truly good. You've got to play a frankly unreasonable amount, much more than the organized structure allows for, in parks and streets, in pickup games with your friends or neighbors of whoever you can convince to play. I built a pitch in my back yard when I was 12. We played on it so much that we churned away every last blade of grass, and soon nicknamed it the Dust Bowl.

It wasn't quite this bad

This is such a basic idea - train hard and you'll get better - that it seems silly to write a post about it. But it contradicts what has become the accepted model of improvement in the US: spend more and you'll get better. Parents send their kids to camps, pay for private training sessions, and buy them gloves and equipment. None of that is bad. But if the player isn't playing and training on his own or with their friends in between these financed sessions, he's not going to get much better, no matter who the coach is.

Coaching Male and Female Goalkeepers - Differences & Similarities

2013-09-18T09:35:00.001-04:00

Sorry for the long hiatus from the blog. I returned to full-time coaching this summer and the combination of preseason, travel, and a packed schedule has meant this update is long overdue.

I've coached both male and female goalkeepers, as have most goalkeeper coaches, and I suppose I always subscribed to the common conceptions about their differences and similarities. But the last two months have caused me to re-evaluate some of these points, and the simple reason is that the standard of women's goalkeeping, at least at the higher levels of the game, has improved tremendously in the last decade. Many of the commonly accepted orthodoxies about female goalkeepers are simply no longer valid.

For example, saves like this...

Nonetheless, women are still playing in a goal with dimensions designed originally for men. Women tend to be shorter and have a little less explosive jumping ability than men, and so what has always been true remains true: female goalkeepers need to play a little closer to their line than men, to reduce the likelihood of getting beat over the top.

In some respects, this is a similarity too, because I believe most male goalkeepers also play too far off their line, even at the highest levels. Petr Cech, for instance, never stops moving forward when the opposition is in shooting range, and will often be a full seven or eight yards off his line when a shot is struck from the top of the box. This narrows the angle, you say - but it also reduces his reaction time, and leaves him vulnerable to high shots looping in over his head. Mario Balotelli scored one such goal against Brazil in a friendly last summer, a well-struck shot that was nevertheless nowhere near the corner and would have been comfortably saved, had Julio Cesar been within a couple of paces from his line.

This should not happen.

Kicking and distribution has long been substandard in the women's game, but this too has changed. The female goalkeepers I coach at NC State can easily hit midfield with goal kicks, and so can most of the opposition keepers we've faced this season. I haven't yet seen a female keeper comfortable with side volleys, but have seen plenty of half volleys, which gives the same preferable lower trajectory.

Apart from stature and slightly less explosive jumping and diving ability, the technical area where female keepers are somewhat disadvantaged is, in my experience, core strength. Strength through the core, shoulders, and arms helps keepers hold shots and crosses when challenged and when falling to the ground. A strong core also helps with posture, set position, and injury prevention. Core work features heavily in the strength and conditioning program our players follow.

The physical is, of course, just one side of the story. I think in some respects, female keepers have an advantage when it comes to the mental side of the game. Men can be dominated by ego, making it difficult to accept mistakes and recognize the need to improve. This is a self-protective measure, sports psychologists will tell you, but the short-term good it may do is outweighed by the long-term harm.

I find the inverse more often to be true with female goalkeepers: they are quick to berate themselves, and the good ones channel that frustration into their training, desperate to improve. The danger, of course, is letting this short-term thinking damage their confidence and self-esteem. It's fine to acknowledge your weaknesses in order to improve; it's not so good if that turns into constant self-recrimination.

I don't think training sessions should be altered for female goalkeepers, but I think some coaching points and strength & conditioning routines benefit from being tailored to the specific demands of the women's game. There are some inherent differences between male and female goalkeepers, some positive and some negative, and there are some lingering stereotypes that are no longer accurate. As always, the best course is to evaluate goalkeepers individually and work to improve them, whatever their gender, height, or level of play.

Book Review: 'Scientific Approaches to Goalkeeping in Football' by Andy Elleray

2013-07-11T00:40:00.000-04:00

Go online and you can watch dozens, even hundreds, of goalkeeper training sessions, from clubs all over the world. This is a fantastic resource for coaches and keepers alike, but often you're seeing drills out of context. We don't know what has been happening in matches for these goalkeeper coaches to choose these specific drills. For a goalkeeper coach, merely copying these drills, no matter how advanced, may not be serving your goalkeepers well.

In his book, Andy Elleray argues for a modern, scientific, holistic approach to training goalkeepers. He covers every conceivable aspect of the position, from psychology and biomechanics to Andy's professional specialty, video analysis, and a great deal more. There are also guest contributions from international goalkeeper coaches such as Daniel Pawlowski, Inaki Samaniego, and Glenn Robertson. And of course, Andy includes a large number of drills he has found effective for all the demands the modern game places on a goalkeeper.

What I like about the book is its emphasis on functional training to mimic and improve what the game demands of the keeper, using cold logic and quantifiable percentages - science, in other words. For example, Andy presents numbers from multiple sources showing that a goalkeeper's overwhelming involvement in a game involves distribution. Anywhere from 60% to 75% of a goalkeeper's 'interventions' involve collecting, clearing, and otherwise playing the ball with their feet. With this compelling evidence, we can see that as coaches, we need to make sure our keepers have the kind of training that makes them proficient and comfortable with the ball at their feet.

I was especially impressed with the wide variety of video analysis information Andy presents. Video is a tool I have only sparingly made use of in the past; this immediately changed upon reading Andy's book. Video is useful not only for the coach, of course, but for the player. Being able to film a session, or even just a few shots, on an iPad, and then immediately show them to the player, gives immediate, abiding feedback. You can tell a keeper a hundred times that their posture or set position is poor, but this is sometimes difficult for young goalkeepers to accept. If they see it on video one time, however, they'll be much more inclined to accept it both emotionally and intellectually.

There are too many powerful individual points for me to list even a fraction of them, but let me paraphrase one from Polish goalkeeper coach Daniel Pawlowski. He notes that we as coaches can set up cones or hurdles in a goalmouth and instruct our keepers to jump, slalom, and shuffle through them while making saves, and they may perform these tasks perfectly. But put them in the complex, dynamic environment of a match, and they will struggle. This is because a drill, no matter how involved, is essentially a simple situation, whereby the keeper 'follows the rules' set by the coach. In a game, he must react to an ever-changing environment, read situations, and make decisions. Typical goalkeeper drills do not prepare him for these tasks.

Want to know what does? Buy the book!

*Disclaimer: Andy's book was published by Bennion Kearny, the publisher of my book. That is not why I reviewed his book though; I read and agreed to review it before Bennion Kearny accepted my manuscript. This review has been greatly delayed because of the publication of my own book, and because I very nearly died of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (yes, that's a real thing) back in May!

Book News

2013-05-28T11:07:00.004-04:00

Regular readers might remember I posted a few times in 2012 about my book and its imminent publication. It took a little longer than I expected, but it will be coming out later this summer from Bennion Kearny. You can read about it here. It'll be available in both print and electronic editions. Please buy five copies in case you lose four. For now, here's a small excerpt.

***

The first twenty minutes felt like one extended car crash. We couldn’t clear our lines, couldn’t keep track of blistering, overlapping runs and mean, angled passes. In front of me, Ajit, Chopper, and Robert Heilmann were working miracles, lunging to tackle or block shots, but they kept coming in waves. We lost track of a player at the far post and he looped a header back across the face of goal. Great, I thought. It’s going to drop in over my head. The crowd noise swelled and crested like waves crashing on a beach. But my feet, powered by the nerves and adrenalin, chopped at the grass and got me back to my line. I leapt and turned it over the bar with my right hand, before tumbling into the net. The crowd applauded. We cleared the corner, but a few minutes later came another header from almost the same spot, this one nodded firmly to my right, the near post. Again the crowd thought they’d scored. I twisted high, got both hands behind it, and held it. I couldn’t help doing something silly then – I turned and showed the crowd the ball and laughed, then kicked it as far up the pitch as I could. The nerves, the crowd, the moment had turned me into one of the silly showman-type keepers I have always disdained. Perhaps I had been too quick to judge. Put me in front of a real crowd, and it turns out that I’m a ham.

The Right Man

2013-04-29T11:10:00.004-04:00

The PFA raised a few eyebrows when they voted Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea into the PFA Team of the Year. Twitter and Facebook alike lit up with messages of astonishment (mostly from rival fans) parroting tabloid-fueled soundbites like "dodgy keeper!" and "weak on crosses!" Those epithets were borne of inconsistency and adjustment last season; they do not stand up very well to scrutiny this season.

It's hard to know the reasons why anyone votes the way they do, but my guess is that in addition to the by-now-expected great saves, his fellow pros noticed that De Gea drastically cut down on his errors. Specifically, it was the kind of error he didn't make that helped him greatly this season.

Remember the last-second equaliser at White Hart Lane, the one that led to Gary Neville's damning indictment? It was a mis-punch than happened to fall to Aaron Lennon, who crossed for Clint Dempsey to score. This is a "second phase" mistake, one where the keeper parries or pushes the ball back into play and then concedes. These are not always punished - had Lennon not happened to have been in the spot where the ball fell, there's no goal. There were two other second-phase mistakes as well, against Newcastle and (debatably) Swansea, where he parried shots back into the six-yard-box for goals.

This is not to excuse a second-phase mistake - a goal is a goal - and Eric Steele will have worked very hard with De Gea after each of these incidents. But those are the worst things De Gea did all season, and as 'clangers' go, they're just not that awful. It wouldn't have escaped the pros who voted - certainly not the Spurs players - that in that same game, he made a pair of brilliant saves which kept his team in the game.

Mistakes - BAD mistakes - happen. De Gea deserves credit for going through a highly pressurized season without having done anything like this:

Or this:

Nothing against three excellent goalkeepers in Simon Mignolet, Ali Al-Habsi, and Pepe Reina. These mistakes happen. Joe Hart, last season's PFA vote-winner, allowed three balls to go right through him this season (at Sunderland, Southampton, and home to West Ham). It didn't happen to David De Gea in 2012-13.

As for his famed aerial weakness, it's still not the strength of his game. But opponents who bombarded him with crosses to exploit it largely got nothing from him. Stoke at the Brittania, Villa at Villa Park, and most recently, West Ham at Upton Park tested the Spaniard to and well beyond the laws of the game. He passed those tests.

There is a human element at play when humans vote, and De Gea's standout performance against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu will have been noted by his fellow pros. While the award is supposed to reflect league play, that stage is one that was not afforded to the excellent Hugo Lloris or Petr Cech, back to his best, to say nothing of Mignolet and Ben Foster, who toil in relative obscurity. Nonetheless, for me the PFA got it right. De Gea deserves his spot.

South of the Border - Jonny Walker Interview

2013-04-08T21:13:00.001-04:00

While the majority of American keepers who succeeded abroad did so in Europe, Jonny Walker followed a different path. He went to South America, excelling with two of Chile's biggest clubs. He won a league title, played in the Copa Libertadores, and experienced the raw passion and spectacular atmospheres that European leagues cannot hope to match. Thanks to Jonny for spending some time answering my questions. Let's let him tell his story in his own words: -->

Most Americans looking for a move abroad went to Europe. You were the first to go to a top-flight league in South America. How did that move come about?

I was drafted by Dallas in ’96. They had a fantastic goalkeeper in Mark Dodd (I still talk to him to this day), and the club had also drafted fellow U-23 keeper Jeff Cassar. Dallas wanted to change my contract from the standard league minimum ($24k if I remember correctly) to a developmental contract ($1200 per month maybe??). I was stubborn, so I went back over to Sheffield United around August in ’96 in England where I'd had a youth trial 2 years earlier. They were ready to go, but I was unable to obtain a work permit. The rules had changed with the post Bosman Ruling (Dec. 1995) atmosphere. I had no direct European ancestry to obtain a EU passport and would not qualify for the new National Team requirements which would morph into what they are today. So back I came to the States in January of ’97 with a mission of playing matches. I knew that I needed games so I mailed my resume (funny isn’t it?) out to every coach in the A-league. Jacksonville had a team (Cyclones) and they were coached by Manchester United legend Dennis Viollet. Viollett saw Sheffield United on my resume, picked up the phone and spoke with either Howard Kendall or Dave Bassett, who knew me from my trials period, and offered me a contract sight unseen.

While at Jacksonville, I met Jorge Alvial, who was the assistant coach. Jorge was a former professional goalkeeper from Chile, and he always had these incredible soccer magazines showing crazy environments from South America. Attendance for A-league matches looked nothing like what I saw in the magazines, so wanderlust took control and I was able to get out of my contract and headed off to Santiago, Chile for a trial with Universidad Catolica.

The Catolica trial took longer than expected (7-8 months) as I missed a transfer window and I was a foreigner with no experience. A big club like Catolica could not risk a foreigner spot on me with little experience (although they liked me), so they loaned me to Huachipato for the ’98 season. After that it all came together.

What kind of cultural adjustments did you have to make? Did you speak much Spanish when you arrived?

I had two years of High School Spanish, so I wasn’t starting from zero. Conversational Spanish was difficult, but I forced myself to go to the city center on days off and interact with shopkeepers, bus drivers, etc… I also roomed with a teammate in Huachipato (Cristian Uribe) who did not speak any English. Huachipato is in Concepcion, quite a ways from the Capital of Santiago. There were no parts of the town that catered to foreigners. The television channels were all local. It was total immersion, and it was great.

What sort of adjustment period did you go through on the pitch and the dressing room, in terms of establishing yourself as the number one and getting to know your teammates? You had to do this twice, actually, since you initially went out on loan.

It is extremely difficult no matter what club that you do this with. The dressing room psychology and group hierarchy structure could be the subject of volumes of books (edit - couldn't agree more; that's why I'm writing one). Initially, as a player, you just want the respect of your fellow players and coaching staff. It gives you the feeling that you deserve to be there and gives you self-worth. Once you reach that point, you naturally begin to crave more. You hear the fans chanting for certain players, and you want to be one of those players. You are constantly assessing fellow pros in your locker room and at other clubs, always asking yourself: "Am I better than him, or can I be better than him?" Goalkeepers are a bit different when it comes to establishing the #1 position, as coaches rarely make a switch in the position, and if they do they rarely go back on the decision. While at Huachipato I was waiting for a chance to play. The team was performing well, so I knew I had to sit. The other keeper injured his finger (not broken) and I got to step in. I performed well and could notice a change in the way the big name players spoke with me and addressed me within the group. I could also feel the dislike of the other goalkeeper towards me. This was completely different than when I was at Universidad Catolica. The starting goalkeeper, Nelson Tapia, was extremely kind to me. He almost treated me as a brother, giving insight and wisdom, even when things weren’t going well for him personally. I always tried to emulate this type of relationship. I carried this with me to Colo Colo as well, when a young Claudio Bravo was my teammate. We got along very well and I gave him the best advice and friendship I could. He is currently the Chilean #1 and plays for Real Sociedad.

Nelson Tapia

You won the 2002 Apertura title with Universidad Catolica. What are your memories of that season?

I remember the extraordinary amount of talent that we had. Catolica was always loaded with some of the best South American talent that money could buy. But we worked incredibly hard for each other. We had one of the best teams in South America. We had a stretch of 700+ (I think) minutes without conceding a goal in league play. We were bounced by Sao Caetano in penalties in the Libertadores. We beat Flamengo home and away, and eliminated Once Caldas of Colombia, who would win the Libertadores a couple of years later. The team we advanced out of group play with was Olimpia (Paraguay) who won it all that year, beating Sao Caetano in penalties. We were a great team.

The title-winning 2002 Catolica team, with Jonny back row, second from right.

Eventually you went from Catolica to their greatest rivals, Colo-Colo. did this cause you problems with either set of fans?

Absolutely. My first press conference at Colo Colo was disrupted by members of La Barra who were screaming that they didn’t want the “mother fucking gringo from Catolica” amongst other loving phrases. The press ate it up. It wasn’t easy, but fortunately I won them over with performances on the field. We had the Superclasico against Universidad de Chile and I turned in a good performance and received man of the match honors. After that game, they supported me 100%. Ironically, I would face Catolica in the semi-finals while playing for Colo Colo. The fans who had loved me for four years did an about face. 20,000 Cruzado fans singing “Gringo, Gringo Concha Tu Madre……. En San Carlos(Catolica's stadium) le damos a comer”. Translated “Gringo, fuck your mother…In San Carlos we gave you food (or we fed you).

Back problems forced your eventual retirement. Can you describe how and when your problems started, and how it felt to be forced to give up playing?

I had just begun to feel good playing again. I found happiness in my play in Columbus, after injuring my shoulder in New York. Sigi Schmidt had been announced the Head Coach after Robert Warzycha had coached interim following the departure of Greg Andrulis. Sigi called for a mini-camp at the end of the season and we were playing an inter squad scrimmage. Someone played me a ball that had to be cleared first time and as I was about to strike the ball, it took a funny bounce and I tried to adjust my strike of the ball even though I had already started the movement.

Mentally I was excited to be playing again and was called into the December camp for the 2006 World Cup. I was working out on my own, but my back wasn’t getting better. They took an MRI and I was going to miss the camp. Then they sent me to one of the best doctors in the country for lower back issues in L.A. a month or two later. Without boring you with all of the details, I was effectively told I was done and that there was nothing that I could do to step on the field again. This was extremely difficult news to take, as I had just turned 31 a few months earlier. I was in a good spot mentally before this and was finally at a place where the game was easy. Goalkeeping is experience-based, and most goalkeepers don’t come into their own until 28-32 years old. I tried to exit with grace and without fanfare (not too hard actually!) Once I knew I was done, I went into the clubhouse one day with a black garbage bag, cleaned out my gear, and didn’t make a production out of it. “Here today and gone tomorrow” is the way that soccer works. Contracts come and go. All of us hope that we have a respectable career and that when we walk away from the game it is in a way that celebrates the contribution and effort that one puts in through the years. It doesn’t always work that way.

For a time, you wore Selsport gloves, rare for an American keeper. What were your alltime favorite gloves?

I loved the Selsport gloves. They were white with a powder blue foam. Probably my favorite gloves I had during my entire career.

Jonny in his Selsports

In keeper speak I was a traditionalist. Classic cut, size 11. No extended palms. No finger inserts. No Gunn Cut. No webbed foam. I always preferred the 3mm foam to the 4mm for better feel on the ball. I could talk gloves for hours on end, as I was a big soccer fan before I became a pro. I grew up watching Soccer Made in Germany on PBS, and I was always drawn to the neat gear that everyone had. The first gloves I really remember would have been the Reusch ’86 World Cup gloves. They had a compressed foam, with a circular palm design. Coolest feature was the neon slash on the R. I also remember the Umbro Essen, neon green with white foam. Pat Bonner was sporting them and they were definitely a must have.

Pat Bonner in his Umbro Essens

My alltime favorite, however has to be the Uhlsport F-1. They didn’t have the best feel or foam, but my God they were badass looking. Blue and white foam on the palm. Neons and blues on the top. I would love to just see a pair of these today.

Peter Shilton in the F-1s.

Win Things!

2013-02-21T11:51:00.001-05:00

My friends at Selsport are celebrating Sunday's Capital One Cup Final with not one, not two, but THREE different competitions that could land you all sorts of great stuff, including Bradford City keeper Matt Duke's signed Wrappa Classics, and even his jersey from the Final. Very cool. Go here to enter.

As for me, I'm still mostly wearing my Selsport Elite Spirits, sometimes adding the Wrappa Classic to the mix. Amazingly, my ProFlex Internas from SIX YEAR AGO still have plenty of life and grip, too. When you find something that works, stick with it!

Selsport Interview Series #2: Richard Lee, Brentford

2013-01-21T12:30:00.003-05:00

Brentford's Richard Lee has long been a friend to The Goalkeepers' Union. I've written about Richard for Goalkeeper Magazine and reviewed his excellent book Graduation: Life Lessons of a Footballer here last year. Along with being a pro keeper and a writer, Richard is an entrepreneur and a coach. He started GK Icon to improve the standard of goalkeeping, offering training, evaluation, and psychological coaching to keepers of all ages. Richard joined Selsport as an endorsee before this season, and took some time to chat with them. Thanks, as always, to Mark Tipton at Selsport, and to Richard.

Who has been the greatest influence on your career?
My Dad

Who do you rate as the top 3 goalkeepers in your football lifetime and what qualities did you most admire about these keepers
Iker Casillas
Peter Schmeichel
Gigi Buffon

Do you feel that the current coaching for goalkeepers in the UK is relevant to the modern game?
It is at GK Icon ;o)

If you were to play in another country which country would you choose and why?
America – I love the States.

Which types of training sessions do you prefer to take part in?
High tempo or more technical sessions low reps, high intensity – it matches what a keeper will do in a game. Explosive power is key.

What has surprised you most about being a professional goalkeeper?
How quickly things can change! Hero to zero and vice versa can happen instantly.

What are your thoughts on English goalkeepers in recent years?
We’ve got some outstanding ones. However, I do feel there’s room for improvement, although I hear GK Icon are well on their way to ensuring it does improve!

If you could choose one piece of advice that you have been given to pass on to another goalkeeper… What would that be?
Don’t be governed by other’s opinions of you. What matters is how you think, feel and act. Give everything you have to your game and be proud of it regardless of whether things are going well or not so well. Enjoy it.

If your best friend in football was asked to list your 3 biggest strengths as a goalkeeper. What would he say?
1 – Reading of the game
2 – Power
3 – Saving penalties

Do you practice mental prep skills as part of your weekly training?
Yes – I wrote a book on it! ‘Graduation, Life Lessons of a Footballer’ (how many more things can I plug here?!)

What exercises are most beneficial for young keepers to practice?
Technical exercises to give you a base to build from, then increase your power and speed. Added to that, it’s essential you ‘learn’ the game’ (positional sense) and figure out what allows you to perform to your maximum every week (thought processes).

If you were to design your own kit, what color style would you choose?
Black – I like it.

Do you have any particular rituals or superstitions before games etc.?
No. I just ensure that I eat well in the days leading up to it and get a good night’s sleep the night before, then give everything.

Your hopes any goals for the next year?
I would like to win the Brentford FC player of the year award again and for Brentford FC to win promotion.

Selsport Interview Series #1: Scott Brown, Cheltenham Town

2012-12-12T21:55:00.001-05:00

Glove gods Selsport - whose name and images you might have noticed around this site before - have been conducting interviews with their endorsees, and I'll be happily reproducing them here. First up is Scott Brown of Cheltenham Town. Scotty is active and engaging on Twitter, so give him a follow at @Scotty_brown85.

Scott Peter Andrew Brown (born 26 April 1985) is an English footballer. A goalkeeper, he is a product of the Wolverhampton Wanderers youth academy and played in the League of Wales for Welshpool Town before signing for Bristol City and then at the start of the 2005–06 season joining Cheltenham Town.

Who has been the greatest influence on your career?
I think my family have been very big influences on my carer. If it wasn’t my mum picking me up from school and taking me straight to training at Wolves three nights a week and games on a weekend, it was my dad kicking balls at me in the park or the garden to help me or watching or supporting me at games. My brother and sister have also been very supportive of me as well. In terms of coaches, I think Mike Stowell who I was with at Bristol City did a lot for me. I have become very good friends with him since, and has been a great source of help and advice since I left. My coach now at Cheltenham, Steve Book, has been great for me. He is always out working with the goalkeepers and always trying to improve us and probably most importantly his sessions are very enjoyable.

Who do you rate as the top 3 goalkeepers in your football lifetime and what qualities did you
most admire about these keepers?
1 – I used to love watching David Seaman. He had such a great presence about him and was so calm with the way he went about things and never seemed flustered by anything.
2 – When I was at Wolves I got the pleasure of working with Matt Murray, who, if it wasn’t for injury,
I think would have been one of the best goalkeepers in the Premiership. He used to come for absolutely everything in the box, and his hands and shot stopping were amazing to.
3 – In the current era, I think that Joe Hart is one of the best best in the world and can only improve. But in the Euros I was very impressed by Gianluigi Buffon. I hadn’t really seen much of him before, but I thought he was the best goalkeeper at the tournament.

Do you feel that the current coaching for goalkeepers in the UK is relevant to the modern game?
Yes, very very important, and I don’t think that there is enough emphasis put on just how important it is. I think all full time football clubs should have a full time goalkeeping coach, but unfortunately finances dictate that this is not always possible. Coaching is evolving, especially goalkeeping sessions, and are becoming better and better and more game-relevant.

If you were to play in another country which country would you choose and why?
Spain I think, because of the sun, and would love to live by the sea.

Which types of training sessions do you prefer to take part in?
High tempo or more technical sessions. I prefer a bit of everything. I don’t like to go into games thinking, "I should have done this, I should have done that." I like to have ticked all the boxes.

What has surprised you most about being a professional goalkeeper?
I think the most surprising thing was how alone you are. Sometimes it can feel like its just you and the goalkeeping coach against the world. You could have a not great game and keep a clean sheet and everyone says well done, but then have a great game and lose two-nil but only you and the goalkeeping coach will realise that you have had a good game, despite the result.

What are your thoughts on English goalkeepers in recent years?
I think that they are not given enough chances at the top level, which is why they haven’t developed as well as some have expected. But with the likes of Hart, Robert Green and Jack Butland, there is plenty of talent coming through.

If you could choose one piece of advice that you have been given to pass on to another goalkeeper, what would that be?
Like I said earlier, I like to tick all the boxes, so I would say, don’t regret what you didn’t do, whether that is in terms of training, stretching, eating and drinking right, or in a game situation.

If your best friend in football was asked to list your three biggest strengths as a goalkeeper, what
would he say?
Hmm, I would say, shot stopping, kicking, and decision making.

Do you practice mental prep skills as part of your weekly training?
I practice visualisation leading up to games, particularly the night before. It is something I have started to do recently and want to do more of, as I believe it is very beneficial to performance and confidence.

What exercises are most beneficial for young keepers to practice?
Anything match related is a good exercise. If it’s not match related or technique related then why are you doing it?

If you were to design your own kit what color style would you choose?
I would go baby blue or yellow as I like those colours.

Do you have any particular rituals or superstitions before games?
Yes, I always put my left glove on first, then take it off, then put it back on again before the right one. I only do this the day before a game and on a match day.

Any goals for the next year?
Hopefully build on last season and hopefully go one step further than losing in the play off finals.