Jan
16
2010
Frustration isn’t a strong enough word for how Portsmouth’s David James must be feeling about the proposed loan move to Stoke City falling through. The 2 clubs could not reach an agreement regarding the England keeper’s wages.
With a possible bench position for James whilst still at Portsmouth, this may affect Capello’s choice of England number one, who may seek a more ‘match fit’ goalkeeper.
Stoke City will also see this as a headache. Their keeper Thomas Sorensen is well known for his reluctance to work with managers, spiting his old manager Martin O’Neil, and this hasn’t stopped since. In my opinion, if you keep losing your first team position club after club, sometimes you have to ask yourself, is it me?
Good luck to James. I hope it works out well for him.
Jan
12
2010
First of all, I use the word cocky as an attention grabber. I don’t mean it in the negative sense. Replace it with confidence if you like 
Some of the best goalkeepers I’ve watched in action are confident and sure of themselves. How do you become a ‘cocky keeper’?
- Understand that your box is YOUR area, nobody elses. You have been chosen to be the keeper because you are the best.
- Stand tall and realise that you have the skills to be able to save most shots, and the ones you don’t? pfft, so be it. Every GREAT has made more mistakes than you combined!
- Realise that confidence is WITHIN. It doesn’t go up and down like a roller-coaster. True confidence stays with you, regardless if you’ve saved a penalty or been nutmegged. You can be sad and STILL confident, angry and STILL confident. Confidence is a constant, regardless of what happens on the pitch.
I suggest you watch some of the best goalkeepers in the world during their warm up. Notice their body language. They are in the ZONE. It is their time. This attitude emanates throughout the whole 90 minutes.
Still don’t believe me?
Ask yourself this question. What would happen if your goalkeeper WASN’T owning his box? What would happen if he lost his confidence level? He wouldn’t be performing 100%, and thus, would never reach the highest level in his professional football career.
It’s time for you keepers to grow a pair and realise how effing good you are!
Dec
31
2009
Is there a way you can sit on your sofa, watch TV and count that as a GK training session? YES there is. It can help your GK communication skills
No, I haven’t gone mad. Let me explain.
For a football fan, watching a live or televised match against two world class clubs is always a joy. What you have to do is switch your attention to both goalkeepers.
As play breaks to either end, watch it develop. All you have to do is ask yourself this question…
“What should the goalkeeper be shouting now?”
That’s it!
It sounds so simple, but it requires you to watch the game in an entirely different way. You are analysing the game in the same way both keepers will be.
Think about what commands he needs to be saying. You will have a great view of the play from above, so you will see who is unmarked, as will the goalkeeper. Get inside that keeper’s head, what shouts will he be saying at each point of the play? For example common shouts are -
- Keeper’s
- Clear/away
- push up/squeeze
- Gallas, left shoulder
Short, sharp and concise.
Give it a try, you may be pleasantly surprised. It doesn’t require much effort at all.
Dec
28
2009
How young is too young when it comes to becoming a goalkeeper? I believe this requires more thought than just jumping in at first interest. Here are a few pointers that I think are important to take into consideration.
Interest
Avoid selecting a goalkeeper against his own will. For example, if you are a parent who was a goalkeeper, there may be an incline to wish your son/daughter to follow in your footsteps. Or a coach may see a tall player and want him to play goalie. Remember, only a small minority of footballers want to be goalkeepers, I see it more as a calling than a choice. Allow them to express interest.
Age Matters
At 9 years old, a footballer should be playing outfield as much as possible, even if he wants to play in goals. The reason for this is simple. If you start a child too young in goals, they avoid using their feet. I’ve seen many many 13/14 year old goalkeepers who cannot control a ball at feet. In today’s game, this is vital. Allow your goalkeeper to develop the same ball control skills as your outfield players.
Age 11 onwards
is a good time to transition to more specific goalkeeping training. Until that point, BALL CONTROL AT FEET is FAR more important.
It’s never too late
One of the best goalkeepers I have ever coached started playing in goals at 15. Up until that point he was playing sweeper. This worked in his favour as he was very comfortable with the ball at his feet. This gave confidence to his defenders when it came to back-passes.
Dec
27
2009
As a goalkeeper, you cannot afford to stop training during icy or particularly miserable weather conditions. You need to have a mental alertness that stays with you throughout the season.
Having said that, SAFETY trumps everything in goalkeeping. If firefighters removed their helmets and heavy equipment, they could probably enter the burning building quicker, but doing so would breach their safety, and ultimately end in disaster. Similarly as a goalkeeper, it is great to be committed to training through harsh conditions, but you’ve got to remain sensible. Here are few precautions you should take before starting training in the cold.
Adjust your planned session accordingly - If you are working on icy ground, it is best to avoid complex agility, extensive diving (for obvious reasons), and any explosive leg movements. Trapping a stud in the hard ground whilst actively twisting the joints can be very hazardous
When goalkeeper training in icy conditions; stick to handing, simple footwork drills and working with balls at feet. Simple dives can be incorporated but not excessively.
Assess the ground - Any experienced coach knows to assess the ground before training. This is vital when starting a session in icy conditions. What you are looking for is FLAT ground. Having ground that has been churned up then frozen leads to possible jarring of joints as you make contact with the uneven surface.
Correct clothing - Make sure you are adequately protected from both the temperature and the ground conditions. So be wrapped up, and have padding on the knees and elbow joints. Wearing shorts to look like the ‘big man’ might help your image…but it leads to unnecessary scrapes and cuts which are accentuated on hard ground.
I’d like to sum up by saying this – “When in doubt, don’t go out!”. So if you have assessed the ground, and are left worried that something could go awry, there is always a warmer tomorrow.
Enjoy the festive period. Train hard and train safe!
Nov
22
2009
Uhlsport have released the glove worn by Dino Zoff in the 1982 World Cup. Some may recognise the old school logo and coloured, traditional negative cut palm. It is aply named – “Uhlsport Limited Edition Dino Zoff 1982″
It is great to see this glove available for purchase. These days gloves seem to keep getting more and more ’space-age’ (Sells & NASA anyone?). Bringing things back down to simple terms is not a bad thing! They can be bought for around £25.
Not sure who Dino Zoff is?
Maybe you are a younger reader who isn’t familiar with this goalkeeping legend. Not to worry, here is a quick mini bio on Zoff -
Born in 1942 in Italy, he is the oldest ever winner of the World Cup, doing so in 1982 (age 40). He is ranked the 3rd greatest goalkeeper of all time and holds the record for the longest playing time without conceding a goal. 1142 minutes.
At club level he had playing spells at Udinese, Mantova, Napoli and Juventus. After retiring from playing, he managed a host of clubs, including the Italian National Squad from 1998-2000.
Nov
11
2009
Hannover and Germany goalkeeper Robert Enke was killed by a train on the 10th November 2009. Police have confirmed it was suicide. After suffering from depression following the death of his 2 year old daughter in 2006, the ex Barcelona keeper felt there was no other option but to end his life.
Our deepest condolences go out to his family at this time. At 32 years of age, Enke was arguably in his ‘prime’ as a goalkeeper, with an expected World Cup 2010 call up, it is a tragedy, not only German fans, but followers of the game around the world.
Nov
10
2009
Don’t be fooled by the word ‘basics’ in the title of this post. Handling is a core element to the keeper’s arsenal that must be mastered.
The key to good hands
Generally speaking, hand shape is broken down into 3 variants
- The W catch (aka diamond catch)
- The Basket catch
- The Scoop catch
The W Catch
This is when the goalkeeper’s thumbs form the letter W behind the ball. The reason for this is to add some protection, stopping the ball from slipping through the fingers. Remember, it does not have to be a perfect W (as the name suggests, sometimes it forms a diamond). Your wrists can be closer together, or the W can be slightly wider apart. Don’t stress about this. You will gain proficiency by repetition.
A W catch would normally be employed with balls at face, throat and slightly above head hieght. Depending on the keeper’s preferance, it can also be used at chest height.
The Basket catch
A ball heading towards your chest, stomach or waist area should be dealt with by bringing the pinkies and forearms together and wrapping them around the ball. At the same time, arching your back and sticking your bum out to absorb the impact of the ball, avoiding any bounce outs.
The Scoop catch
Similar to the basket catch in the sense that, the pinkies come together and you gather the ball into your body. The difference is what you do with your legs. If you bend one knee down, this will create a barrier to stop the ball going through your legs if your hands slip.
Why not 2 knees down?
Simple, it is much slower getting up with both knees down. If you spill the ball, you need to react as quick as possible. Allowing only one knee to go down gives you the leverage to move quickly if needed.
All of this means nothing if…
You don’t have fast feet to move around goal. Our blog article on essential goalkeeper skills explains the importance of fast feet for a keeper.
Oct
28
2009
Part 2 of my quest to highlight to you some interesting goalie brands that aren’t immediately considered by the regular consumer.
React Goalkeeping
Another newcomer to the world of goalkeeping gloves, React Goalkeeping is headed by Michael O’Doherty. They are based in the UK and currently offer 2 models of glove, a negative cut & roll finger cut.
Where to buy – React Goalie gloves
Pro-GK
Established in early 2007, Pro-GK was founded by Glen Johnson & Mel Capleton. They have an impressive 47 professional goalkeepers currently wearing the brand. The big break came upon release of their revolution range, which is proving a popular selection of 6 different types of gloves.
Where to buy – Pro-GK gloves
WGK Gloves
Professional goalkeeper Richard Wright released his own brand of gloves in 2008. Unlike many of his glove manufacturuer counterparts, WGK immediately produced products with a higher retail value, looking to go for a more premium business impression. They currently have 3 models of glove available.
Where to buy – WGK gloves
The One Glove
The One Glove company was launched in 2004. As the name suggests, for many years they only stocked one type of glove, aiming for an affordable and quality wear. Recently they have added a second glove to their product range, the JPS, Joint Protection System, which contains removeable spines.
Where to buy – The One Glove
Oct
27
2009
There are plenty of big players in the goalkeeper gloves market. In this article I want to shed some light on some lesser known glove manufacturers (though still established in their own right) so you can explore the variants on gloves and designs that are out there.
KA Goalkeeping
Kenny Arthur, professional goalkeeper (currently playing for League 2 side Rochdale) launched his own brand of gloves in 2007. Naturally the glove range has increased since the initial launch, with a redesign of the logo and offering other improvements such as finger protection within certain models.
Where to buy – KA goalkeeper gloves
Zapkam Football Specialists
Zapkam have been trading since 2007. Their founder and Managing Director, William Pedrick, saw a need for less expensive alternative goalkeeping gloves. The result has been not only a wide variety of gloves, but also the release of goalkeeper clothing and teamwear. Zapkam are continuing to branch into new territory with the release of their own brand of football boots in the near future.
Where to buy – Zapkam goalkeeping
WarbyGK
Bob Warby is a goalkeeping coach and now glove designer. In early 2008 WarbyGK released their first production model glove to the public, and since then the gloves have had a redesign and increase in variety on offer. Warby has also released coaching manuals and instructional video. Currently WarbyGK is gearing up for the release of their ‘Legend Rolls’ glove.
Where to buy – WarbyGK gloves
Kaliaaer Gloves
A relative newcomer to the market, launching their goalkeeping gloves in the 2008/2009, Kaliaaer are a Scottish based company. They are doing their best to introduce new technology into their recently released gloves, including ‘aerGrip’ a micro-fibre structure that improves hand breath-ability within the glove.
Where to buy – Kaliaaer Gloves
Talinz Goalkeeping Technology
Talinz is an Irish company founded by Paul McShea. Currently they provide gloves for not only football keepers, but also Gaelic football keepers. I wonder, is there any difference between the two when it comes to glove design? Talinz currently have 6 different glove designs available to buy.
Where to buy - Talinz Goalkeeper Gloves
I think it is important as a consumer, they we are allowed an informed choice. Unfortunately retailers do not stock every brand available, opting for the ones with the bigger mark up and branding exposure. It may be the bigger the company, the better the glove, but that isn’t possible to know until you’ve tried both ends of the spectrum. So maybe rather than jumping at the latest release from that ‘big brand’ name, scout around to see what else there is available. You may be pleasantly surprised.