It dawns on me as we enter another international break that lost amongst the table-topping displays from Chelsea, the mystifying transition of Manchester United, the head-bleeding stubbornness of Arsenal, or the head-scratching struggles of Everton, we are also witnessing pure and simple brilliance between the posts.
In an era where star goalscorers and slick playmakers win the majority of the headlines (and all the fame and the money and the girls that go with that particular role), goalkeepers get a raw deal. I am probably a tad biased since I used to don the gloves back when football really mattered, (ie., between the ages of eight and about fourteen). I idolized the men that wore the green shirt and represented the No. 1 with bravery and a little crazy thrown in.
As a Liverpool fan in the 80s and 90s, Bruce Grobellaar was my hero, of course, but mention the names Ray Clemence, Peter Shilton, John Lukic, Gary Bailey, Neville Southall or Dave Beasant and I won’t lie to you, but there may be some traces of goosebumps on my arms.
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These days sadly it is rare to see a goalkeeper in a green shirt, let alone wearing the proud old No. 1. Still, every week in the Premier League there is a buffet of brilliant goalkeeping on offer. The Prem might be criticised in some quarters for its failings on the field, but those weirdos in the gloves are a strength of the league and a credit to it. With the next round of Internationals upon us, we’ll see proof of that, with the Premier League extremely well represented.
David De Gea is the latest to feel the love from the English sporting public. The Manchester United man was beyond brilliant against Everton on the weekend (as was his new haircut, which elevates him to a level of football hipster normally only occupied by the likes of Xabi Alonso). Politically his selection for Spain this week is unlikely, as Iker Casillas continues to be Vicente Del Bosque’s golden boy, but De Gea is on the brink in a position that behind Casillas is extremely competitive.
Hugo Lloris is an automatic starter for France. Remember when the Lloris versus Friedel debate was front and centre at Spurs? No longer of course, Lloris might be the best shot-stopper in world soccer these days, and appears to have moved on from his wild and crazy days when he was an extremely poor version of Manuel Neuer.
Thibaut Courtois is no surprise anymore, most people accept he is the best goalkeeper in English football at the moment, and will again lead from the back for Belgium despite that head injury suffered on the weekend against Arsenal.
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Asmir Begovic? Simon Mignolet? Tim Howard? Brad Guzan? Allan McGregor, Wojciech Szczesny, Joe Hart? It is a good time to be a goalkeeper in the Prem because if you are it means you are really at the top of the heap.
The position has changed so much in recent years, these days a goalkeeper really is a good all round footballer. Consider that arguably the world’s top goalkeeper, Manuel Neuer, averages over 30 passes a game at a success rate of near 85 percent! No longer is it catch and boot!
So this this weekend during Euro qualifying, spare a thought for the goalkeepers. The position has been redefined and improved—it’s about time they got their due.