NFR: English goalkeepers

[sipwell]

With the international game(s) approaching, Belgium is yet confronted again with its wealth in goalkeepers. Fortunately one of them broke his foot, so the national manager only has to pick between 5 excellent goalkeepers who play regularly (if not: always) at their club. Looking on the other hand at the English selection, the national manager decided to pick Stockdale, who hasn't left the bench in 3 months, as third goalie. With all due respect to Stockdale, but how is it possible that a manager needs to select a goalkeeper which has no match rhythm? How come England does not seem to have a tradition of good and reliable goalkeepers?
Belgium on the other hand has a tradition of absolute world class goalkeepers (being selecting twice in the World Cup top 11) and has been producing a whole new range of young but astounding goalkeepers. Simon Mignolet is... the oldest of a bunch of newbies who are playing in the top 4 teams in Belgium. Thibaut Courtois is considered to be the new Edwin Van Der Sar. He kept, at 19 (since last week), the Belgian title in Genk by saving three "made" goals (see below). With all due respect, once more, to Stockdale but he is far from as talented (and good at such young age) as Courtois.

So, how come England does not have world class goalkeepers? And, how come the world class goalkeepers aren't in the Premier League? How come they stay in France, Italy, Spain, Germany or Belgium?


Note: context is the video is as follows. 80th minute in the final game of the season, with the two remaining teams competing for the title playing one another. The score is 1-1. If Standard (in red) scores, they are almost certainly champion. If Genk (blue) keeps the 1-1, they are champion. You'll have to skip a bit in the middle to see his other saves.
Courtois pakt de titel voor Genk

Three questions! Three answers! Go!

[sunburywhite]

who is the blonde at the end?

[sipwell]

who is the blonde at the end?

:D


Evasive answer, me like. It's the wife of Elyaniv Barda, the Israeli striker of Genk.

[jarv]

As a Scot, I had to suffer years of jokes about Scottish goalkeepers by my English mates. It does please me to see what goes around comes around. :011:

[HatterDon]

As a Scot, I had to suffer years of jokes about Scottish goalkeepers by my English mates. It does please me to see what goes around comes around. :011:

Joe Hart and the Seven Dwarves [Green is Dopey]

[Rambling_Syd_Rumpo]

How come England does not seem to have a tradition of good and reliable goalkeepers?

are you for real or just trolling?  086.gif  for many years ALL we ever produced was goalkeepers,from Bert Williams to Gordon Banks(one of the best ever-ask Pele) to Peter Shilton to David Seaman,not mentioning the famous Liverpool keeper Ray Clemence
that enough for you? what a rediculous question  094.gif

[CorkedHat]

Syd is absolutely right - there was a time when England had an embarassment of riches when it came to goalkeepers. Merrick, Williams, Macedo, Springett, Shilton, Seaman, Clemence, Banks, and even the much maligned Bonetti would walk into any team. It's cyclic and the wheel will surely turn and if Stockdale received a prolonged run in the first team he may be the start of it 092.gif

[AmericanJames]

who is the blonde at the end?

+1 098.gif

[sipwell]

Syd is absolutely right - there was a time when England had an embarassment of riches when it came to goalkeepers. Merrick, Williams, Macedo, Springett, Shilton, Seaman, Clemence, Banks, and even the much maligned Bonetti would walk into any team. It's cyclic and the wheel will surely turn and if Stockdale received a prolonged run in the first team he may be the start of it 092.gif

There was probably a time when England had good goalkeepers but you name only the best of their generation. There was Seaman but apart from him? I am not talking about individual top goalkeepers - you have golden players in every generation - but about the fact, in my opinion, that there isn't structurally a wealth of English goalkeepers. In the Belgian case, for every top goalkeeper (Pfaff, Preud'homme) you had/have two or three back-ups who were world class too. Goalkeeping has been a very important focus of the Belgian football teams and coaches are specially trained to deal with goalkeepers. I was just wondering how come that doesn't seem the case in England. Given the current discussions (who actually is England's # 1, is it the one who makes the least mistakes?).

And no, it isn't trolling. I was just wondering whether training goalkeepers is something is done in England and whether goalkeepers aren't the players who are not good enough to play on the pitch. In Belgium it is an honour to be a goalkeeper. From a distance that doesn't seem the case in England. That was all.

[finnster01]

As a Scot, I had to suffer years of jokes about Scottish goalkeepers by my English mates. It does please me to see what goes around comes around. :011:

There still is only two Andy Gorams, two Andy Gorams, ... :HD:

[ron]

English goalkeepers may well come into their own again when the current Euro-inspired "No Contact" rulings by refs goes out of fashion. The great goalies of old made reputations by taking on forwards physically and beating them.The current crop expect a free kick if they are brushed by opponents. Jumping against Banks for a header was like throwing yourself against a brick wall

Hence the reason why I am unshaken in my belief of who was the greatest Fulham keeper of them all...........(and yes, he was technically English !)