Liverpool FC Forum

by **Gerrard30391** » Thu May 15, 2008 4:30 pm

I've been browsing the website and found this:

reina story

Rafa is saying that in a lesser club Pepe would look better. I don't know what you guys think about this, but i think he is class in a Liverpool team?

I think this is slightly strange from Rafa.

by **The Manhattan Project** » Thu May 15, 2008 4:35 pm

What he means is that LFC are so awesome, Reina rarely gets to show off his skills because the opposition can't even get many shots on our goal.

So if Reina was playing in a crapper team, he'd have more work to do, and you'd see his keeper skills put to the test and demonstrated more often.

by **Sabre** » Thu May 15, 2008 4:38 pm

Not very strange is it?

He's just saying that in a team that isn't as solid as Liverpool Reina would have the chance to be the hero more often.

Actually not every big club is proper for a goal keeper, for instance being the keeper of Real Madrid and Barcelona is more difficult than to be Liverpool keeper because they attack more.

Well Madrid has changed that a bit under Schuster who stresses more the defensive work and that has allowed Casillas to be the less conceding keeper, just like Reina has been the less conceding keeper in England this year.

Reina's numbers are record numbers, IMHO. He's been a massive success, in the lines of Torres success, but keepers are not as appreciated as forwards.

by **Gerrard30391** » Thu May 15, 2008 4:38 pm

Yer, he has Carra and Skrtel/Agger in front of him but i don't believe he hasn't been stretched to his full potential, he has pulled of some world class saves and although he would maybe replicate these more in a lesser team, he has to excel in thLiverpool team. This doesn't make him a better keeper because he can replicate world class, it just means hed be recognised more

by **Gerrard30391** » Thu May 15, 2008 4:41 pm

Sabre wrote:in the lines of Torres success, but keepers are not as appreciated as forwards.

Hit the nail on the head there i think

by **Gerrard30391** » Thu May 15, 2008 4:42 pm

Sabre wrote:in the lines of Torres success, but keepers are not as appreciated as forwards.

Hit the nail on the head there i think

by **red37** » Thu May 15, 2008 4:51 pm

Reina has been exemplary since his arrival. Bar the odd flap - though show me a keeper that doesn't have the occasional brainstorm.... He is fully deserving of the plaudits, remains a model professional and i hope he stays at the club for as long as possible. Best we've had since (on a par with...) Clemence for me. Solid, dependable, great stopper, stabilising influence and the best attacking release/delivery i have seen from a goalie for many a long while.

I would also endorse the view that he is as important a signing as Torres has been at the other end of the park.

by **RUSHIE#9** » Thu May 15, 2008 6:34 pm

Back in 2005 when it was announced that Rafa had sealed the £6million signing of Reina from Villareal many including me thought Rafa had lost his marbles bringing in a replacement for the keeper that had just 'wobbly legged'

his way to the European Cup.

Three years on this praise for Reina is fully justified. For me Reina is THE best keeper in the English game and is only outdone Europe wide by Cassillas at Real Madrid.
Reina doesn't get the praise he deserves over here cos the London press are too busy wanking over any English keeper that has a half decent game or Cech just because he plays for the superstars of Chavski.
Well for me not one English keeper comes close to Reina, and after his injury problems the cotton wool keeper from the Kings Rd is damaged goods now and you can see that at times now he hesitates to throw himself in where it hurts.
Reina though has al of the qualities of a top keeper in abundance. He's a good shot stopper, great one on one, fantastic distribution and commands his area with authority.

It may be a bit of a rose tinted view but then again show me a better keeper on these shores!!!

PEPE REINA :buttrock

by **Gerrard30391** » Thu May 15, 2008 6:44 pm

RUSHIE#9 wrote:Back in 2005 when it was announced that Rafa had sealed the £6million signing of Reina from Villareal many including me thought Rafa had lost his marbles bringing in a replacement for the keeper that had just 'wobbly legged' his way to the European Cup.

Three years on this praise for Reina is fully justified. For me Reina is THE best keeper in the English game and is only outdone Europe wide by Cassillas at Real Madrid.
Reina doesn't get the praise he deserves over here cos the London press are too busy wanking over any English keeper that has a half decent game or Cech just because he plays for the superstars of Chavski.
Well for me not one English keeper comes close to Reina, and after his injury problems the cotton wool keeper from the Kings Rd is damaged goods now and you can see that at times now he hesitates to throw himself in where it hurts.
Reina though has al of the qualities of a top keeper in abundance. He's a good shot stopper, great one on one, fantastic distribution and commands his area with authority.

It may be a bit of a rose tinted view but then again show me a better keeper on these shores!!!

PEPE REINA

Totally agree.

With regards to my original post, i think it's slightly strange because you can't win the league without a good 'keeper, and therefore it must mean that the 'keeper is used regularly enough to show his full potential.

For me, not that i have seen Casillas recently, Reina is the best 'keeper on the planet. I just hope he keeps injury free for many a year to come, because we'd be screwed without him tbh.

Pepe Reina :bowdown

by **red37** » Thu May 15, 2008 6:51 pm

RUSHIE#9 wrote:the cotton wool keeper from the Kings Rd is damaged goods now and you can see that at times now he hesitates to throw himself in where it hurts.

That is something that is quite evidently apparent. Which has to be measured as a weakness in Cech's game.

by **The Manhattan Project** » Thu May 15, 2008 6:52 pm

In terms of goalkeepers, we are OK.

We've got Reina.

That dude Hitachi is pretty decent.

And that young lad Martin.

No need for Carson. Villa can have him plus 5M plus a vintage Subbuteo set, in exhange for Gareth Barry.

by **Sabre** » Thu May 15, 2008 6:55 pm

Casillas is a better player under the sticks, and is a better player to get praise, because he does those flies that touch the ball that seems impossible to reach.

Reina in that aspect of the game is not a 5 star keeper, but he's a 4 star keeper.

But then for the team, he's very important.

Take a very common action in football, a goal kick. Then look at our back 4, they can push up and place the line wherever they want because they trust Reina will make a strong and accurate goal kick, and they can initiate the press inmediatly.

In Spain, only Barcelona drives the ball from the defence and brings it upward, the rest of the teams, in a goal kick, they make it long and they push up. So this actions are determinant to decide who'll be dominating the game in the following minutes.

If you look at a poor keeper, this simple, unmentioned, yet important action of goal kick can be a nightmare for all the team, and you can easily spot how much a defence trust the keeper. Reina in this situations is brilliant, better than Casillas.

With the arm, he starts countless counters aswell.

So I wouldn't know mates if I'd swap Casillas for Reina. If we talk about goal keeping beauty, it's Casillas. If we talk about effective keeping, then I'd go for Reina.

P.S. What would be the equivalent situation of the "odd flap" of a keeper when we talk about strikers? it would be a situation like a forward sending the ball up high when he's on the small box. Yet at the end of the season those missed chances are not remembered but the odd flap is. Probably the most ungrateful position in football the goalie.

by **ivor_the_injun** » Thu May 15, 2008 11:46 pm

His only real flaw is when attackers are coming in at an angle from the right hand side, and then put a shot in towards the near post. For some reason his positioning is often a bit suspect in these situations. Coupled with this in these instances, his left hand doesn't seem as strong as his right, so a decent shot sometimes seems to go through his hand where it would bounce off the left paw of a Schmeichel or James.

Bit odd, as I've seen him punch the ball 40 yards with that hand, and in other situations it's turned some fearsome shots around the post and over the bar. If I was the goalkeeping coach that'd be the focus of his summer's homework.

Regardless, a great keeper, and one of Rafa's best signings. His distribution is an asset to the team that's often akin to us having an extra outfield player.

by **Rush Job** » Fri May 16, 2008 1:51 am

ivor_the_injun wrote:His only real flaw is when attackers are coming in at an angle from the right hand side, and then put a shot in towards the near post. For some reason his positioning is often a bit suspect in these situations. Coupled with this in these instances, his left hand doesn't seem as strong as his right, so a decent shot sometimes seems to go through his hand where it would bounce off the left paw of a Schmeichel or James.

I agree with that, said more or less the same thing a few weeks back.

by **ConnO'var** » Fri May 16, 2008 1:53 am

Pepe is a fine keeper..... And Rafa's perfectly right in saying that he'd get more plaudits if he was playing for a weaker team as he would then be tested more. But one thing that people seem to forget is that no matter how good the defense is in front of you and no matter how few times you are tested in a match, the fact remains that when called on, as a keeper, you must still have the concentration to produce the goods.

This can often be tougher in stong defensive teams than in weaker ones. In a weaker team, you are always on high alert and as such your performance then trancends into the instinctive. In a strong team, you can get lulled into a false sense of security and get caught cold when required. It's the analogical equivalent of insufficient warm-up time before taking off on a sprint... you'll damage something for sure....

Another aspect of his game which I'm really pleased with is his distribution. Agree completely with Sabre.... His distribution and ability to act as the catalyst for counter attacks is truly excellent. This particular skill is oft times overlooked when discussing keepers. Before Cech was injured, I would say that Reina was 2nd but since that horrible injury, it's too close to call as Cech's game has clearly changed.

While he may not be flashy, his record speaks for itself and is a testament to his mental strength to complement his talent. As others have said, he does have the odd flap once in a while but by and large I would definitely agree he's one of the top 2 goalkeepers plying their trade in the premiership.

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