Liverpool FC Forum

[Cool Hand Luke]

It doesn’t take a fool, it just takes a misjudgement, and anyone can do that.

Have to agree with this. Loathe him or hate him, Fergie's no fool but he's had a torrid time finding a keeper since rudolph upped sticks. Bosnich, Taibi, Barthez, Carroll, Howard have all tried and failed. Apparently Fergie was absolutely convinced he had found the answer each time.

Finding a top top keeper is just about the hardeset scouting job there is particularly as mind-set and prescence figure just as highly as ability.

My favoured option (discounting Cudicini as it simply won't happen) would be Niemi or Canizares.

While Niemi and Canizares are good goal keepers are easily into their 30s, Niemi is 33 I think and Canizares is 36. I know all about goalkeepers entering their primer in their later years but I think both are too old now and will be in physciall decline.

It is diffucult to find a quality long term goalkeeper, Chelsea are sorted for the next 10 years. The one thing about Reina is that he has time on his side. By the way I still think Kirkland will make a real good goalkeeper when he gets injury free and playing regualry, we will regret not giving him another chance.

[XSD]

If he wasn't better than Dudek at commanding his box then why would Rafa be after him (whether we'll sign him or not we don't know, just pure speculation) in the first place?

If Veron wasn't suited to the Premiership, why did Fergie spend 28MIL on him? And why did Chelsea spend 15MIL on him even after he had failed in the Premiership?

If Jeffers was never that good why did Wenger spend 8-10MIL on him? If Richard Wright was so overrated why did Wenger spend 6MIL on him? If Almuina is so rubbish why did he keep getting in the Arsenal first team ahead of Lehman?

All people are open to mistakes and misjudgements, just because Rafa is going buy him, it doesn’t mean that he will be better than any of our current goalkeepers.

Not really suitable comparisons. There is no "adapting" between leagues for keepers I think, it's the same job everywhere.
Have faith in benitez, he hasn't even signed the guy yet and if he does let him play games before criticising that.

[Scottbot]

There is no "adapting" between leagues for keepers I think, it's the same job everywhere.

I don't buy that XSD. While the job is essentially the same. keepers in this country have to deal with considerably more crosses, more high balls & physical challenges. Also, keepers in this country are expecting to catch the ball where as punching the ball seems to be the norm on the continent.

[Huck]

I watched yesterdays match against Barça and yeah, it wasnt definitely his night but believe me, hes the best Spanish goalkeeper (just after Casillas of course...lol), really reliable, serious...of course its easier to be the keeper of a team like Villarreal has been this season but u must also think that perhaps the defence game has been so succesful because its based on a confident goallie...its my opinion at least. Definitely a great great signing for u.
P.S.- I could agree African and South American keepers havent historically been very reliable (though there are some big exceptions...for instance the one that ur gonna face next Wed - Luis will score no worries lol-) but I honestly think that Spain is a country that provides really good ones, and its not chauvinism...thats only for French lol

[Scottbot]

While Niemi and Canizares are good goal keepers are easily into their 30s, Niemi is 33 I think and Canizares is 36. I know all about goalkeepers entering their primer in their later years but I think both are too old now and will be in physciall decline.

It is diffucult to find a quality long term goalkeeper, Chelsea are sorted for the next 10 years. The one thing about Reina is that he has time on his side. By the way I still think Kirkland will make a real good goalkeeper when he gets injury free and playing regualry, we will regret not giving him another chance.

I know they are both getting on a bit but you have to admit keepers are like fine wine. They all seem to get better with age/experience. Keepers that come in and DO IT from a young age and maintain/improve that standard for the rest of their careers are very rare.

Buffon made his debut for Italy in an away play-off game to Russia when he was about 18/19, played a blinder and has never looked back. Cassilas was another teen prodigy who has maintained his for despite a little blip a few years ago. Seaman and Smeichel both made the grade as youngsters and got better with age.

Chelsea certainly seem to have struck gold with Cech but lets wait and see how this young lad deals with pressure once he has made a couple of howlers to cost his team in back to back matches to cost the opposition fans are singing songs about him and the press are laughing.

So many other young keepers look the part for a season or two, go off the boil, disasapear off the radar and then come back to the fore as they get a bit older, wiser and more experienced. The likes of Richard Wright, David James & Ian Walker spring to mind in this country.

It sounds like this Reina deal could well be a done deal but time will tell whether we have ourself another Buffon or the next David Jamo.

From the looks of him this season - Everyone missed the ball with Paul Robinson - Looks like an old head on young shoulders

[A.B.]

I watched yesterdays match against Barça and yeah, it wasnt definitely his night but believe me, hes the best Spanish goalkeeper (just after Casillas of course...lol), really reliable, serious...of course its easier to be the keeper of a team like Villarreal has been this season but u must also think that perhaps the defence game has been so succesful because its based on a confident goallie...its my opinion at least. Definitely a great great signing for u.
P.S.- I could agree African and South American keepers havent historically been very reliable (though there are some big exceptions...for instance the one that ur gonna face next Wed - Luis will score no worries lol-) but I honestly think that Spain is a country that provides really good ones, and its not chauvinism...thats only for French lol

I'll take your word on it. I pay attention to the La Liga but not all games.

[stapo1000]

Watched the lad play in Villareal's 3-3 draw with Barcelona yesterday at the Nou Camp(Diego Forlan scored a hat-trick for the visitors) and was not impressed at all with him. Maybe it was not his night.

Does someone know a little bit more about him

he could have saved all 3 goals but thats the only time i've ever seen him so i cant really criticise him

[MilanBarosLFC]

Similar case for me coz it's the first time i saw him play, so can't really judge him from that.

I really trust Rafa with his signings and i still believe he will give young Scott Carson more chances next season as the guy is good. He just needs some more experience but i'm sure that he'll be up to number one in the coming seasons. He is only 19 years old and already named in Sven Goran Eriksson's squad for tour of US.

Chris Kirkland might me good but he hasn't performed up to his best since he is always having injury problems, but i still think that young Carson can be as great as Ray Clemence or Banks or even Peter Schmeichel

What do you guys think about that ?

[Erica]

I don't know too much about him but iv seen him play once or twice and he is a good keeper, you have to be good to be in the spanish national squad. Erica seems to know a bit about spanidh players.

I have already talked about Reina in another post. I think he is better than Dudek, but he is not an extraordinary goalkeeper. In my opinion paying 8 million is too much. Since we learnt that he was coming to Liverpool he seems to have got nervous, because it is at the end of the season when he has started playing worse.

[adamnbarrett]

[/quote] Similar case for me coz it's the first time i saw him play, so can't really judge him from that.

I really trust Rafa with his signings and i still believe he will give young Scott Carson more chances next season as the guy is good. He just needs some more experience but i'm sure that he'll be up to number one in the coming seasons. He is only 19 years old and already named in Sven Goran Eriksson's squad for tour of US.

Chris Kirkland might me good but he hasn't performed up to his best since he is always having injury problems, but i still think that young Carson can be as great as Ray Clemence or Banks or even Peter Schmeichel

What do you guys think about that ? [/quote]



Yer, i was at the game vs juventus and that save he pulled off from that del piero shot was out of this world, however i dont think sven will play him during the tour unless one keeper gets injured because there are 2 games and you have 6 subs to use and in recent frendlies he has not changed the keeper.
But anyway carson iv been very impressed with and even though he made a mistake vs juve he was unlucky he just misjudged the bounce it can happen to anyone. I think carson will become an integral member of our squad and will play a huge part in the clubs future success, and i believe that he will become one of the best keepers in the premiership.

[Ace Ventura]

Watched part of the Villareal game and seen the mistake for the Giuly goal, it was a poor mistake but he's obviously had a good season and is a decent prospect.
It is a very difficult position to find a quality player and nearly always a gamble, who knows whether he will be the answer but it would be a bit harsh criticising him before he's signed based on one game.
I think alot of our fans expect mistakes from our keepers and put extra pressure on them. The last thing we want to do is put extra pressure on someone before they have even signed.

[wee_boi888]

On the commanding the box issue, would the language barrier be a problem? I haven't seen him play any games so I won't judge, but how is his english and his ability to command OUR box

[115-1073096938]

Commanding your box has little to do with communication. Its about positioning, decision making and ability to take charge of situations.

When David James was at his best this was his strength. He used to come out and collect everything in the air and he was always in charge.

Schmeichal was very good at it. The only keepers in the league now who do it properly are van der Sar, Cech and Robinson.

[woof woof !]

50% of a keepers game is confidence . I can't say much about Reina as I haven't seen much of him . But in defence of Dudek , the fella's an international keeper ,sure he's made some howlers ,will somebody name me a keeper who hasn't ? Dudeks mistakes have been well documented ,he has however been under intense pressure in a team struggling to regain their reputation and playing behind a seemingly ever changing back four . A goalkeeper is part of the team NOT a solitary individual stuck between the sticks . Personally I would rather see our money spent on other area's of the team as imo our goalkeeping department is pretty solid . Apart from Robinson, the chelsea duo and maybe Niemi at Southampton I can't think of another keeper in the prem who is better than Dudek.

[Erica]

On the commanding the box issue, would the language barrier be a problem? I haven't seen him play any games so I won't judge, but how is his english and his ability to command OUR box

The language a problem for a keeper?? Give me a break!
How many different expressions do goalkeepers use: 3? 4? 5?
Unless the guy is stupid, that does not take long.
My boyfriend has taught me English in less than two years.  
So I guess the goalkeeper can do the same with a few expressions.