Comments on: Thoughts on when you’ve got yourself a keeper

By: Unbelievable

Unbelievable — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 15:51:55 +0000

I yield to my fellow posters regarding keepers.

GLTAL

By: Marlon

Marlon — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 16:22:15 +0000

I think we can all agree that it’s nice to have good players everywhere on the pitch including the keep.

By: Dex

Dex — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 16:02:59 +0000

To not include GK’s as players is ridiculous. No matter how good the 10 in front of him/her are, something will always get through – a deflection, a better team, tight offside call, breakaways. Having a great GK is something I think every fan of any team wants (just ask Newcastle fans).

By: Ray

Ray — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 14:26:00 +0000

Of course I’m assuming the ten out of the box can manage a goal in 90 minutes. And that’s the problem: a perfect goalie performance only guarantees a tie.

By: Ray

Ray — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 14:24:53 +0000

I agree with shivam…a goalie will be given plenty of blame for letting in bad goals and losing the game for a team. He deserves just as much credit for making great saves and winning it. In this case, I think Howard’s performance can’t be credited to the defense playing out of their minds–and obviously they weren’t a factor in the PK’s. He won the game for them. Kahn definitely beat us in the WC in 2002. I think it’s ridiculous not to call him one of our best players…or at least most important in whether we succeed in WCQ and 2010.

By: shivam

shivam — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 20:00:55 +0000

oh yeah, completely true. i guess my main argument is that it’s just as important to have someone who prevents you from losing as it is to have someone who gives you the win.

By: Unbelievable

Unbelievable — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 17:36:12 +0000

Shivam, I understand your point of view, but game in and game out the game is won by the ten who are out of the box. Occasionally you will have phenomanal efforts by keepers that will win a final, or semifinal, or whatever. But the effort by the 10 players out of the box is what gets you there.

I completely respect Marlon’s post. Well written with sound reasoning. I have no complaints. I am just giving my opinion as I see the game.

GLTTUSMNT

By: Marlon

Marlon — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 13:39:05 +0000

To be honest I’m not sure what the discussion is and I don’t think what Unbelievable wrote is in opposition to what I wrote. I don’t think the two pieces are in discourse with each other.

By: shivam

shivam — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 13:36:29 +0000

i don’t see what marlon’s age has to do with this discussion. maybe it’s because i’m 20 and i happen to agree with him.

sure, keepers don’t control or advance the game, but they can still single-handedly win it (as howard pretty much did). at the end of the day, a player’s worth IS his impact, not anything else. another example was rustu recber in the euros this past summer. not only did he make some quality saves, he got the game winning assist in stoppage time in one of the matches.

if you’re a central defender on the same team as an iker casillas or a gianluigi buffon or even tim howard, you play with more confidence bc you don’t have enough pressure. when defenders play better, midfielders can get forward more, allowing the strikers to be in their best position to do damage.

By: Marlon

Marlon — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 12:13:04 +0000

I’m twenty-one.