Neoprene shorts

Just wanted to quickly post about neoprene shorts. Although long legged baselayers have been doing the rounds with goalkeepers, a lot of elite (and amateur, even) goalkeepers are now using undershorts (and short sleeved baselayer t-shirts, normally with colours to match their team strip!) with a baselayer short instead of leggings. The benefits of keeping the muscle areas warm throughout cold and chilly games to prevent tears or sprains when called into action unexpectedly.

I managed to get hold of a pair new produced by Reusch off Ebay. A few other companies do them, but I'm sure it's possible to find ones not produced by goalkeeper specific companies.

Without fully realising what they were (getting back into the game after a significant while without a great knowledge base, is turning out to be an interesting learning curve, but what's the fun in not working things out?!?!), I bought them. But a weekend game later and I'd quickly worked it out; the extra heat being incredibly useful in a chilly wind on a Sunday morning. Although they seemed pricey, they do a great job, acting as a sort of baselayer and thermal short at the same time, the neoprene making them longer lasting and easy to clean too.

I love them so much I could write a poem about them (after all being made to with a Literature degree kind of fits, not sure how I'd manage a limerick), well, maybe...

On a serious note though, I'd really recommend them as they have turned out to be incredibly useful. Well recommended for the winter months or at training sessions when you're going to be working your muscles in cold conditions and don't want to pick up injuries (like Vorm's groin tear a while back, which could have been made worse by tensed/cold muscles).

Kirkland making the most of his chance

After being deposed by loan signee Damien Martinez, it looks like Chris Kirkland is 'back in the frame'. The ex-Wigan goalkeeper who was in the running for full England involvement in his era, along with Paul Robinson and Scott Carson, but struggled with consistency and the ability to stay fit due to long term back problems, looks like he is reasserting himself with his new club after making the switch from the Premier league not so long ago. And having earnt his chance to build up regular game time with back to back games starting as first choice goalkeeper, the loan deal for Arsenal's highly touted goalkeeping prospect seems like another strange one.

Although Martinez has been in sparkling form, and with Wednesday not having the overall talent or team spirit and strength to be looking to do real damage to the league table, it still leaves goalie analysts scratching heads. Because of the deal being short term and the back four having to get used to changing goalkeepers (and the problems it causes in knowing where the goalkeeper is, communication, confidence etc. game in game out), and Kirkland regaining his confidence and form, it seems a bit puzzling. Kirkland is their goalkeeper for the longer term, and Martinez is more likely to end up back with Arsenal after the summer, due to Fabianski wanting out, so for him the move is useful for getting game experience, but for the club, it has not been a massive impact, and with the return of Kirkland, seems to have been a gamble that has paid off, but not the extent fans and team mates might have expected or wanted.

Given's loan deal ends: thoughts

So in spite of performing admirably in the game time he did get whilst on loan at Middlesbrough, doing more than well enough to keep promotion hopes alive until his departure, and picking up a few clean sheets on the way, Shay Given will again be left troubled and confused over his future, on his return to parent club Aston Villa. Ever since losing his place to Joe Hart (who has himself since struggled without any competition to really push him to play to his best, which ironically is how Joe performs best), Shay has been struggling with confidence and a drop in form causing coaches to see him as past his prime and so on, losing his place to America's Brad Guzan after moving to Aston Villa. And Shay is not the kind of guy that enjoys 'chewing the bench' as they say, being the competitor he is.

Struggles off the pitch and international exclusion has also affected things, but even though he is aging, he is aging well. I'm sure he'll be looking to push for a deal that will give him playing time and the chance to make a name for himself again, with the loan to 'Boro fueling the fire to get back in shape and on form. I think a Championship club would benefit from his services and as long as Shay is eager enough, would be able to carry them onwards and upwards in the short term, even if his 'stock' may have dropped as low as it has.

Long dropped: England's future goalkeepers stock continues to drop

With George Long getting dropped to the bench at Sheffield United and his replacement managing a series of clean sheets, England U21's goalkeepers and the stock of future goalkeeping standout talent in the British Isles continues in its downward trend. If Long wants to continue developing, he needs game time not bench warming experience, and sitting each weekend until the season's end unfortunately won't help his ambitions of first team football and beyond, just as Butland needed to secure a loan move if he wanted to keep his faint dreams of going to Rio alive. Jason Steele is back from injury, but again is also out of first team action due to rust, forcing Dimitri Konstantopoulos into action under the coach's guidance.

Declan Rudd is getting crucial game experience on loan at Preston, having pushed out regular Stuckmann, but the only shining light in the Championship and for the England U21's, is Karl Darlow (other than Butland obviously, but the expectations are for him to be a Premier league starter and included fully in the English set-up given his ability), and even he is struggling, conceding five against Derby this weekend.

Whilst there is other goalkeeping talent around the leagues, there are no standout goalkeeping proteges, to challenge the likes of say Leno, Ter Stegen or Perin on the continent. As in there are no real Shilton-esque potentials, continuing to show the lack of depth and lack of goalkeeping stars in the younger ranks, having a big impact on the future of English football as a result.

Marchetti getting dropped for Lazio: Berisha getting his chance

Erit Berisha has been starting for Lazio in place of Marchetti, first from impressing in the Europa League enough to earn him a chance in Series A, and then after Marchetti went down injured in January, with his performances enough to certify him as first choice. This is disastrous for Marchetti, unable to force his way back into the side, as it shows he is potentially seen as expendable by his coaches.

Berisha has youth on his side, with the chance to continue developing apace and with time on his side in terms of having the chance to continue improving, whereas as Marchetti should be hitting his prime time soon as a goalkeeper and fate is making this difficult. This obviously puts Marchetti's World Cup hopes out the window as with no domestic action involving him, he'll see others step over him in the pecking order as international management will want to make sure they have match fit and ready goalkeepers on call (shown in Buffon's injury allowing Marchetti games in 2010). Having played for Italy in South Africa, he can play to this level and is highly rated, but Berisha pushing him out, Marchetti will really have to consider his options over the summer.

For Berisha, who was playing for Swedish side Kalmar, this is quite the jump, meaning that he has obvious talent that has caught many scouts eyes, enough for Fulham scouts to be interested last year. Noted for his athleticism as for his spot taking abilities (a la Joe Hart), Berisha is proving his mettle at one of the world's best domestic arenas of football. Having achieved international status with Almenia, he also has that 'big game mentality' required for these high pressure situations (Ali Al Habsi being Omar's first choice interestingly for instance).

Not only does this affect his international opportunities, with Sirigu impressing at PSG, taking them through Champion's League qualifying and making a big impact in the French Ligue 1, but Marchetti could also be seeing his own departure from the club at the end of the season. Marchetti has been regularly linked with teams like Arsenal, but with Szczesny proving his worth for Arsenal, he's going to have to look hard for the best option, especially with his stock going down right now. 

Hamer takes over from Thuram

With Charlton, managing to climb off the bottom of the Championship league table, a lot can be said of the change 'between the sticks'. Ben Hamer has been given his chance, playing with a lot more desire, energy and urgency in his play than the Frenchman who came in to replace him at the January transfer window.

After Hamer impressed in Charlton's cup run and forcing his way back into league play, the question still remains why Thuram was brought over in the first place. Obviously Charlton's new owners had a vested interest in getting him game time as they hoped to see him takeover as first choice for his main side across the sea, in Belgium in the next new season in September, allowing Thuram to get more games under his belt and develop. But he has really struggled with the rigors of British football.

Noted for being a lot more physical in corners and on attacks, Thuram struggled with crosses and the language barrier could also have been an issue (maybe?!! Especially with communicating what he wanted from his defence anyway). This, and his constant approach to palming away the ball than catching, not so skilfully as Cesar (in his time at QPR last season) is capable of.

And he has also struggled with the back-pass ruling and the involvement of the goalkeeper in passing play and as a passing option, scuffing up a back pass from a defender, allowing a scoring chance that nearly had coaching staff and fans diving to cover their embarrassed faces in their hands. These things combined meant that Thuram was costing his team rather than offering them a chance to fight back in games and up the table, again leaving critics scratching their heads over why he was given playing time when it was actually more of a disadvantage than an advantage for his team mates and his new club.

So with Hamer reasserting himself, will Charlton fans actually miss Thuram (in the expected return abroad over the summer), especially considering Hamer is doing a better job as their first choice goalkeeper right now?

Amelia gets his chance with Abbiati out

With Abiatti sent off last weekend against Parma, Marco Amelia has his chance to stake his claim for the 'other' Milanese team. Abiatti has also stated he will probably be 'calling it quits' very soon, so Amelia has a chance not just to get game time, but to put his name in the hat for Abiatti's replacement. AC Milan have dropped to mid-table and given their history and stature, changes will being made across the board for the new season in September, not just in goal. And his height, presence and experience, Amelia will either be able to throw his 'name in the hat' so to speak, or look to continue bench warming once the powers that be choose Abiatti's replacement, with well respected Mattia Perin's name being thrown around in the papers and rumour mill.

Ankle supports: the cheap wrist support alternative?!

As a broke graduate living in a recession (cue sympathy vote lol, it's a tough world out there son!), it's becoming more and more of a realisation that I need to get creative to cost cut to keep playing sport as regularly as I want to (which is quite more than once a week in all honesty). And I still want the right equipment and the old school approach of wizardry and gadgetry to get the most out of my kit and play, just on a budget!

With wrist supports, this piece of kit helps look after your palms and wrists, stopping your wrist turning back too far when stopping a really powerful shot with a drive like Madrid's Ronaldo (which clocks in at 40mph or thereabouts - actually quite fast for a football - enough to break a Bournemouth fan's arm in the process, so fast enough to do real damage!). They are the replacement to strapping bandages around the arm, wrist and palms to keep this area reinforced and supported to strengthen when palming shots and heavy shots into the area. I'll show different bandage methods at some point in the near future, but for now, this will have to make do and this clip on the Utube shows and explains the uses, and the more common neoprene design that is made by companies including the well known goalie supporter Reusch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCSv7ZAX_vI

And living near a pound shop (where, you guessed it, everything is a pound a piece, hip-hip-hooray!), means I can get access to easily available and cheap alternatives. And one unlikely one is a ankle support used for supporting said area after a bad fall/twisted ankle etc. or for supporting the ankle in other sports like kickboxing. Easily washable, they also seem to do the job well enough (more than enough tbh on review) to be a good replacement for wrist straps. Holding tight to the wrist as much as you would want and find in a neoprene version, they enable greater support for the wrist without interfering with your gloves, helping get a tighter fit actually when strapping on your goalkeeping gloves before the game.

Boxed up:

Out of the box:

Worn; notice how close a fit they are, with tight hugging for maximum support of the palm and wrist: