A make or break season expected for Reina and Liverpool

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Liverpool

1st Team Goalkeepers: Pepe Reina (29), Doni (32), Brad Jones (30), Peter Gulasci (22)

It’s a big season for Liverpool, especially when it comes to their goalkeeping ranks. Pepe Reina has been a brilliant acquisition for the club, but he’ll want to see progress under Brendan Rodgers or the option of joining a more competitive squad will start to appeal. He is renowned for his ambition and scrambling around for a Europa League place isn’t likely to quench his thirst for success. There have been whispers of a possible departure in the past and we can expect them to re-emerge should the Rodgers Revolution struggle to take hold.

Last season wasn’t Reina’s best for Liverpool, but given the club’s difficulties both on and off the pitch, it wasn’t a major talking point. He was a little more sloppy with his handling than we’ve come to expect, but his talent makes these blips fairly insignificant in comparison to his considerable strengths. He’s still one of the very best goalkeepers in the world and even a dip in form doesn’t take much away from his fantastic ability.

After Reina got sent off against Newcastle, which gave Alexander Doni a chance to stake his claim to be a starter, but that didn’t last long as he was dismissed in the next game against Blackburn. It could happen to anyone, but it was a big blow to the Brazilian who has repeatedly made noises about wanting to usurp Reina as first choice. With his vast experience, he’s a very useful option to have in reserve, but if he gets a chance in future, he’ll need to be more disciplined than we’ve seen previously.

Brad Jones was the eventual beneficiary of all the suspensions towards the end of the season and he got an unexpected appearance in an FA Cup semi-final. His time in the limelight was especially heart-warming after his five year old son, Luca died from leukemia last November. He started Liverpool’s first Europa League game of the season and although he won’t start ahead of Reina for the league campaign, it’s a sign that Rodgers probably sees him as the number two ahead of Doni.

Peter Gulasci is the up and coming goalkeeper of the squad. He has had several loan spells since joining the club in 2008 and he’s likely to be shipped out once more as he looks to build up his experience.

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Euro 2012 – a look at the array of quality goalkeepers in Group C

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It may not be as utterly ruthless as the competition’s group of death, but Group C is another tricky one, with several permutations that would surprise, but not necessarily shock. It’s also similar in terms being packed with an abundance of goalkeeping talent. Here’s the run through:

Croatia
Whilst they’re littered with famous names further up the pitch, Croatia lack a goalkeeper of international renown.

There is no doubt however about Slaven Bilic’s first choice however and that honour goes to Stipe Pletikosa (33). The vastly experienced custodian will most likely reach the 100 cap mark in the next 12 months and he has been the pick since the 2006 World Cup. His reflexes, agility and speed are all strong points. Early on in his career, he was considered vulnerable under the high ball. He has improved this area of his game, but doesn’t command the aerial battles with the confidence you’d expect of a 6′ 4″ keeper.

Another issue could be his tendency to parry rather than catch. It’s not a fatal flaw – especially since he has the happy knack of directing his saves away from danger – but you’d rather a keeper who catches the ball and takes command when the option is available. His club career has largely been one of almost breaking into Europe’s elite, but falling short. He had a loan spell at Tottenham but didn’t feature in the league. He was close to a move to Celtic, but it fell through and now he’s playing for Rostov in the Russian Premier League.

All of Croatia will be praying for Pletikosa’s good health, but that’s more down to the inexperience behind him than a lack of ability. Danijel Subašić is the second choice and he’s a talented young goalkeeper. His strong suits are agility, reflexes and bravery in one on one situations. Other than minimal international experience, there’s little else that would overly concern you. Plus he takes a mean free kick, going very Rogerio Ceni for Monaco earlier this season. He won’t get dibs on one for the international team, but it’s nice trick to have in your locker.

Ivan Kelava is the ‘one for the future’ of the three. The 24-year-old has yet to make his senior international debut and despite being very talented and capable, many will be hoping he’s not called into duty over the next couple of weeks.

Ireland

Shay Given’s injury problems has dominated Ireland’s build-up to Euro 2012. At 36, age does seem to be catching up with him a bit, but equally I think these problems can be traced back to that season he spent on the bench behind Joe Hart. Later on in a career, a goalkeeper’s body gets used to taking a certain amongst of abuse. When that stops for a while, it’s hard to restart it and I think that explains the variety and frequency of Shay’s niggles. He’s still a quality keeper however and his lack of aerial presence is compensated for by the fact his defenders know they have to deal with vast majority of the crosses themselves. Some see it as a weakness, but having played with Richard Dunne for so long, I think it’s a strength and there have been relatively few mix-ups down through the years.

Keiren Westwood is the man who will step in should Given’s injuries flare up at the tournament. He’s agile and got great reflexes, they only issue is a lack of experience at the highest level. He’s slowly but surely building that up at Sunderland.

David Forde of Millwall is the third choice option. He’s been a regular in Trapattoni squads for the last twelve months and if called upon, shouldn’t have too many problems. He has been known to make the odd poor decision during this club career, but he’s far from a calamity keeper and will no doubt add to his haul of two caps in the future.

Italy
With the Italy camp in apparent crisis, one constant is the rock-solid presence of Gianluigi Buffon. He struggled with injury in the aftermath of the 2010 World Cup, but got a full season under his belt and was immense as Juventus claimed their first league title since 2003. You know what you’re going to get with Gigi. He offers leadership, calmness, agility and authority. There may be an occasional mistake, but he bounces back strongly every time and he truly is one of the all time greats of goalkeeping. With 114 caps to his name, the captain is a huge part of the team and if they’re to defy the gloomy predictions with an extended run in the tournament, he’ll need to be at his best.

Morgan De Sanctis is second in command, but has limited experience of international football. He has been in Buffon’s shadow for much of his career and at the age of 35 has just 5 caps to his name. He’s a good keeper however and if called upon will perform well. He has the tendency to do something ill-advised on occasion, but by and large he’s dependable and does the basics with authority.

Salvatore Sirigu is the eventual successor to Buffon. The 25 year old joined Paris Saint Germain last summer and became a firm favourite with the club’s vocal support. His ability and reactions are top quality and his air of calm authority does have a similarity to the great Buffon. He’s unlikely to see any game time at Euro 2012, but his time will come at future tournaments.

Spain

For the third tournament in a row, Spain go into it with the strongest goalkeeping division – possibly of all time. Rarely has there been such and abundance of riches to choose from. In Casillas, Reina and Valdes they have three goalkeepers who would walk into most international teams, but beyond that there are another two or three high quality keepers who are knocking on the door to get into the squad; David de Gea and Diego Lopez being the two most obvious candidates.

There’s not much more hyperbole you can heap on Iker Casillas. He is the best in the world. I’ve said it before, he’s not perfect, but he rarely makes mistakes and when he does, he almost instantly makes amends. His command and control of his penalty is a hugely under-rated weapon for Spain. He cleans up with such authority, it often slips by unnoticed, but in doing so, he stamps out potential danger with the minimum of fuss.

Pepe Reina wasn’t at his best for large parts of the season at Liverpool. What was happening in front of him didn’t help. Erratic defending and Jekyll and Hyde performances elsewhere on the team made life very difficult, but Reina contributed superbly. If called upon, Spain should have no fears. He very presence in the squad ensures Casillas can’t take anything for granted and that’s no doubt partially why San Iker has maintained such high standards for the national team.

Victor Valdes is a curious player. At times it looks like his ball skills wouldn’t look out of place in the Barcelona midfield, but then he does something poorly judged in the course of his goalkeeping duties to make you question him. He’s the perfect goalkeeper for the Barcelona system, operating as auxiliary sweeper and passing the ball around with accuracy. The national team role is different and that’s why he’s at the bottom of the pecking order. When it comes to the bread and butter stuff of goalkeeping, Valdes isn’t bad, just not as good as the two ahead of him. Still though, he’s not a bad third choice goalie to have in any squad.

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Newcastle Form Fires Krul Into World’s GK Elite

It’s been a while since I’ve updated my World Goalkeeper Rankings and with 2011 drawing to a close, I wanted to round-off the year by revising my list to take into account some interesting developments in recent months. As ever, I’m trying to balance the current form with long-term performance. Knee-jerk reactions are keenly avoided – one mistake doesn’t mean you can automatically consign a goalkeeper to the category of ‘calamity’ and one great save doesn’t necessarily count for much if it’s sandwiched between bouts of uncertainty and silly errors. With that in mind here’s my end of year totally subjective and unscientific World Goalkeeping Rankings.

Current (Former)
1. (1) Iker Casillas (Real Madrid and Spain)
2. (2) Gigi Buffon (Juventus and Italy)
3. (6) Hugo Lloris (Lyon and France)
4. (5) Victor Valdes (Barcelona and Spain)
5. (3) Pepe Reina (Liverpool and Spain)
6. (8) Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich and Germany)
7. (4) Petr Cech (Chelsea and Czech Rep.)
8. (7) Joe Hart (Man City and England)
9. (=) Tim Krul (Newcastle and Netherlands)
10. (10) Shay Given (Aston Villa and Ireland)

Iker Casillas remains on top by virtue of his consistency and ability to bounce-back immediately from any semblance of a blip. He’s been typically reliable in Real Madrid’s surge to the top of La Liga and even in their defeat to Barcelona he was virtually foot perfect and showed leadership throughout. It’s ironic that the only goalkeeping error of El Clasico came from Victor Valdes and he ended up on the side that won with relative ease. It was a rare error from a goalkeeper with the passing skills that wouldn’t look out of place in the centre of midfield. Aside from his quality distribution, his concentration remains supreme and he’s the perfect goalkeeper for a Barcelona side seeking footballing perfection. It’s been a trying few months for their compatriot, Pepe Reina. The Liverpool goalie has been very good, but he’s been making more handling errors than we’ve become accustomed to due to the high standards he’s has achieved in the past. The mistakes were punished against Tottenham and Fulham, but there have been a smattering of other occasions when he got away with it. Reina is good enough that even when he’s not performing at his best, he’s still world-class, although slightly less world-class in recent months.

Another Premier League struggler is Petr Cech. Again, Cech has been excellent for much of the last few years, but this year has been difficult. At times he has shown the brilliance he is capable of, but hasn’t maintained it for long periods. A Chelsea defence struggling to adapt to life under Andre Villas-Boas hasn’t helped his cause and injuries has also disrupted his rhythm. He was uncharacteristically off the pace when Arsenal scored five at Stamford Bridge and at other times has been less than fluent in dealing with shots he has Again, he’s quality is not in doubt, but he’s not in his best form. Cech has bounced back from slumps in the past and there’s every reason to think a resurgence is in the pipeline.

Hugo Lloris feels like he’s been on the scene for years and it’s easy to forget that this Christmas will only bring his 25th birthday. Every time I’ve seen him, he has been hugely impressive. His reflexes, athleticism and composure are a delight to behold and as he gets older, he continues to add leadership to his box of tricks. He has been one of Europe’s best keepers for the last couple of seasons and it’s only a matter of time before he looks beyond Ligue 1 and towards the leading lights of European football for his next big challenge.

Tim Krul has been the best goalkeeper in the Premier League this season and contrary to the views of cynics, for once that’s not a position earned by default. The competition for that accolade has rarely been more fierce, but the Magpies number 1 has been so exceptional in so many Newcastle games, he is the pick of a strong crop. More than the impact of Alan Pardew, the shrewd acquisitions of Demba Ba and Yohan Cabaye, Krul’s form is arguably the reason for Newcastle’s surprisingly strong start to the season. For all their attacking play and improved organisation, they would a fraction of their points haul were it not for the numerous top quality saves he has come up with high in several games so far this season. The awesome display of agility and reflexes at Old Trafford may have been his most high-profile performances of the season, but in reality he has been excellent in virtually every game. He has progressed significantly since last season. Then he looked very capable, but also anxious and too prone to bad decisions and doing the wrong thing at the wrong time. Now he looks more composed, mature and seems to fill his goal far more than just a few months ago. The latter point may largely be down to the psychology of perception, but Krul is understandably more confident and it’s easy to see in his on-field demeanour. He makes his debut on the list after a stunning run of form that’s impossible to ignore.

Manuel Neuer was one of the world’s best whilst still at Schalke and he has enjoyed a tremendous start to his time at Bayern Munich. He set a club record for number of minutes without conceding a goal and although that run has come to an end, he is still making significant contributions to the Bavarians’ cause. Despite being top of the table, Bayern haven’t been flawless and Neuer has been there several times to make the difference between a win and careless dropped points. Style-wise, he’s the goalkeeper most resembling Peter Schmeichel in the game at present and if he continues to progress, he should enjoy similar levels of success to the Dane.

Shay Given is another regular feature on the rankings to have switched clubs over the summer. Clearly the older Given is more susceptible to injury than ever before, but already he has shown is immense ability by pulling of some fantastic saves for Aston Villa. He’s replicated that form for Ireland (one sloppy goal conceded against Estonia aside) and remains one of the world’s best. Gigi Buffon will no doubt empathise with Given on his injury troubles. The Italian missed a large part of last season with troublesome knocks he struggled to shake off, but since returning towards the end of last term and getting a run of games under his belt, he looks like the world-class keeper of old to the point where the debate about who deserves to be Italian number 1 that recently looked valid, as been relegated to the status of being almost laughable.

David De Gea drops out of the Top 10, but I stress that it’s not an abandonment of the belief that he’s something special and he’s destined to become one of the world’s best. Despite his excellent attitude and maturity beyond his years, he has struggled to get to grips with the Old Trafford spotlight. The standards at Manchester United are so high that there is little room for error and although he impressed hugely at Atletico Madrid, it would appear he is not quite the finished article – possibly more mentally rather than technically. Joe Hart takes a minor drop for a few errors in an otherwise good season for Man City. Like the rest of the team, we didn’t see the best of him in their abridged debut participation in the Champions League and he has been subject to a couple of lapses in concentration on the domestic front. It’s been an ongoing issue with Hart and one he needs to work on. The agility, handling and authority are all there, he just needs to iron out this one major chink in his armour.

It’s difficult to omit the likes of Michel Vorm, Woijech Szczesny and Guillermo Ochoa from the list, but it has to do done. Greatness comes with consistency and although they compare favourably with some of the other names on the list, they’ve not been operating at the same level for the similar length of time. Vorm has been nothing short of brilliant for Swansea. He has pulled off some breath-taking saves and is already a leading contender for the tag of ‘buy of the season’. Ideally he’d have more command of the aerial battles that are played out in his penalty area, but he’s so strong in other areas as to compensate for this short-coming. Szczesny has been excellent for Arsenal and before Robin van Persie grabbed the season by the scruff of the neck, he was their player of the season. He made massive progress in the off-season and even when the Gunners fumbled their way through the early part of the season, he was excellent. Guillermo Ochoa is a name I predict we’ll be hearing a lot more of in the new year. His move to Ajaccio in Ligue 1 was a curious one, but not long after arriving in Corsica, it became clear he viewed it as a stepping stone to bigger and better things. Don’t let Ajaccio’s dreadful plight at the foot of the French top flight fool you, Ochoa has been brilliant in almost every game. He has been supremely agile with good hands and without him, they would have conceded far more than the 36 they’ve shipped in their 17 games to date. He will be going somewhere at the end of the season and it won’t be Ligue 2. Which is more than can be said for the club.

Agree, disagree or think I’ve missed out on someone?
Have your say in the comments section.

Everton v Liverpool – Howard or Reina?

One on One

It’s often referred to as the ‘Friendly Derby’ but we’ve seen the physios called into action too often and red cards flashed with a frequency that suggest civility is at a minimum. In some – generally Blue – quarters it’s painted as a meeting of Merseyside’s ‘haves and the have nots’. There’s no doubt that the balance sheets of both clubs are in vastly different states of health, but at least in the goalkeeping ranks they can both consider themselves to relatively well off.

Tim Howard has the physical attributes of an excellent goalkeeper. The speed of his reflexes have to be considered amongst the fastest in the Premier League. The sheer number of amazing point-blank saves he has managed down through the years is down to more than luck and optimistically sticking out a limb. His agility is also supreme and he’s capable of pulling off some amazing saves. The fact that he has reestablished himself as one of the Premier League’s most consistent performers after being unceremoniously dumped out of Old Trafford shows a commendable attitude and determination. He has started the season extremely well and with Everton likely to be involved in a multitude of tight contests, he will be as important as ever to David Moyes.

The one area of his game that I think limited his progress and probably ultimately cost him his Old Trafford career was his concentration. Everyone is allowed make a mistake, but there is the lingering suspicion is they happen a little too often. In recent seasons haven’t exactly been prolific on the goalscoring front and as such his errors probably cost his team more points than they would elsewhere. When the mistakes do happen, they generally manifest themselves as handling errors. I don’t think his handling is necessarily weak, but when Howard’s mind does start to wander, he’s prone to fumbling a shot or spilling a straightforward cross. Still though, having him is a huge positive for the Toffees and being an ever-present for each of Everton’s last three Premier League seasons is a sign of how highly he’s rated.

Pepe Reina is one of the best goalkeepers in not only the league, but the world. I’ve written about his combination of agility, bravery, command and distribution countless times in the past. He is simply one of the best. Sadly for Kenny Dalglish and Reds fans, unless Liverpool start contending for major honours, he may be tempted by the sirens trying to lure him away from Anfield.

Pepe makes mistakes. Sometimes shocking mistakes. What’s remarkable about him is his ability to put them behind him instantaneously and continue to operate at a high level. For all his brilliance, he hasn’t been at his best in recent weeks. The defence in front of him has creaked and done him little favours. It’s at times like this I sometimes feel Reina tries too hard to compensate for the short-comings of his team-mates. Given his notoriously competitive nature, he seems to think he is the starting point for improvement and he strains every fibre of his body to generate the turnaround. I think a lot of the time, his errors stem from almost trying too hard to influence the game and his aggressive style of play leads to blips in his concentration. You’d still have him in your team every single time however and his form will be crucial in deciding how close Liverpool get to a return to the promised land of Champions League football.

It’s Reina over Howard for me, but it’s not by much, especially if the American continues his recent form.

Premier League 2011/12 GK Preview: Liverpool

Liverpool

1st Team Squad Goalkeeper: Pepe Reina, Brad Jones, Doni

Overview: Possibly more than signing Andy Carroll, Luis Suarez, Stuart Downing or Jordan Henderson, the one piece of transfer business capable of firing Liverpool back into the Premier League’s elite was hanging on to Pepe Reina. As unpalatable as it may have been to supporters, there was substance to the rumours linking him with Man Utd. Fergie and goalkeeping coach, Eric Steele are known fans and combined with Reina’s notoriously competitive ambition, the prospect of winning trophies up the East Lancashire Road must have been tempting. The upturn under Kenny Dalglish in the second half of the season convinced to stay, but the progress will need to continue for it to be a long-term arrangement. Last season wasn’t perfect for Reina, but he made some crucial saves in tight games that earned points and in turn saved the Reds from even greater struggles. Maintaining his services was vital for Liverpool because he’s virtually irreplaceable. Even in a hypothetical transfer market in which meeting the asking price was the only barrier to signing a player, there are only a handful of goalkeepers comparable in terms of ability and in the more realistic world of overblown transfer prices and personal preferences, they likely to be beyond the budgets and negotiating skills of even New England Sports Ventures. Reina is irreplaceable and Liverpool would be well advised to ensure he doesn’t need replacing until such a time when his Premier League career comes to its natural conclusion.

With Brad Jones likely to seek first team football elsewhere, Liverpool have brought in Doni from Roma as cover. The former Brazilian number 1 is a talented and experienced keeper, but his motivation has to be questioned. Does he has the misguided self-belief to think he can relegate Reina to the subs bench? If so, good as it will keep everyone on their toes or – more likely – is he coming for a hefty paycheque in the knowledge he won’t have to work especially hard for it? In recent seasons, he’s had several injuries which have severely curtailed his playing time and he may have one eye on feathering his nest before the days of him earning big money come to and end. If he’s motivated and focused, he’s an excellent option to have in reserve, but if he loses heart or interest, his contribution to the squad will be less constructive. He’s capable, but there’s a leap of faith required to conclude he’s sufficiently motivated.

Worst case scenario: Such has been Reina’s consistency over the years, it’s hard to imagine a sudden and dramatic downturn in form. He may make a couple of mistakes over the course of a season, but he’ll earn his side far more than he’ll give away. The fear is a long-term injury that would keep him sidelined for a couple of months. In that case Liverpool will be relying heavily on Doni and that’s not guaranteed to be a success.

Most likely outcome: Reina will perform to a high level – with the infrequent blips – and aside from the occasional outing in the cup competitions, Doni will see little game time.