Romero: not exactly the king of 'distribution'

With De Gea starting the Red Devils' pre-season games in America, the recent intake of players has included Argentina's first choice Sergio Romero. The goalkeeper best known for playing a couple of club games (his club football is nowhere near a good record as his international one) and then going to a World Cup final, is now added to the Mancunians' roster going into the 2015 season.With the breakup between Valdes and Van Gaal doing the gossip circuit and De Gea still been linked with Real Madrid with Casillas now with Porto, it seems the Dutch manager is looking to add to his dressing room, with depth in between the posts.

Romero over Valdes, honestly?!
Personally, I think the choice of Romero over Valdes is a silly one. You can patch up things normally between coach and player unless something horrendous has gone wrong (an apology outside the media eye normally does wonders), and if Valdes was spun his joining with phrases like "you'll have a shot at the first team", "we'll give you the chance" etc. etc. yadda yadda, then it's no surprise he'd be a little peeved if he didn't get any games in. He only played a few reserve games before being put on the bench, and with no solid back-up options there already, am a little confused about that moot point.

Going by the comments and sound bites coming from United goalkeeping staff, Romero is apparently a great fit because of his confidence, ability, and his great distribution:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/33671260

I'm honestly not sure how they came to that conclusion, and I can't say that his kicking ability is anywhere near that of Valdes'. Rolling the ball out to a defender to kick long is nothing like punting the ball to a forward pushing into the last quarter of the pitch to create a scoring chance, or even Neuer's infamous long throws! If they insist on highlighting the need for a distributional goalkeeper, why keep looking for available goalkeepers that aren't talented in this skillset!!

No Ter Stegen
Ironically Ter Stegen is the most suited to playing in the mould that Van Gaal is looking for: great at shot stopping, with amazing passing ability to almost pinpoint perfection (and still improving! Imagine what he'll play like in five/ten years time), which is needed for Van Gaal's famous Ajax system of high press, ball retention and cycling that sees the ball transfer front to back and round again to open up lanes to attack through, which requires a goalkeeper that plays 'like an outfield player with gloves on'. Man United have missed a beat and shot themselves in the foot effectively by letting go of a player who is known for this, with the record to back it up. And Romero can't solve these issues...

No Friedel deal
Valdes could have been a steal if Van Gaal had played him right and swapped out his backline for more attacking defenders. Friedel arrived on a free and was major reason for Tottenham's success during his 'Indian summer' in his goalkeeping ability as he stole the show before Lloris was factored into their plans. Valdes arrived on a free and I personally think he is the only goalkeeper that fits Van Gaal's system.

And if Van Gaal really wants to continue a system and pick the players for it (like Wenger or Mourinho), than the other way round of players that make up a system by their mixing playing styles, why continue to play a goalkeeper that is amazing at save making behind a straight four-four-two style system and four man backline that stays together in the old offside trap set-up, when you are making the switch to an adaptive line?

Back-up rather than 1A
Ultimately, he's more likely to be a bench warming back-up goalkeeper to provide support and mentoring for De Gea (IF he stays). A 1A - 1B system is where the second choice can easily step into the other's shoes (like the Sorensen/Begovic relationship); this I can't see happening here. I can understand and see the link with Van Gaal and him having coached him when he played for Alkmaar, sorts the problem of Valdes' refusing to play reserve games - with a working relationship between the two, you'd think there'd be less of an issue! But that amount of money for a back-up, and one that doesn't play the ball well, why continue to keep this up?

A goalkeeper that United should be looking at more is that of Vorm, whose stats of completed long passes were some of the best in the league whilst at Swansea and . Romero doesn't really solve the problem of , and if De Gea does go, he is there purely as an insurance policy, so that the second choice is sorted before they look for De Gea's replacement. They can avoid further dressing room fallout with , and .

Given to Stoke: thoughts

A veteran transfer sees Stoke join up with Villa-leavee Shay Given. Having made the most of his loan spell at Middlesborough and fighting his way back into the side after a strong cup run, Given has made the decision to leave the club and move forward with his career. With Begovic moving, and Sorensen having already retired, Stoke management needed to look for an experienced veteran to bring into the fold. With Buckland still pushing for that elusive starter opportunity, with so much game experience on loan and internationally with the England U21's, now more than ever Stoke will need a veteran with the right attitude to warm the bench but also be able to step in if needed.

Back-up to Butland?
The signing of Given and not signing of another big name goalkeeper (Given would be a bigger name say ten years ago when he was great for Newcastle!) really suggests to me that Stoke are non-verbally giving the nod to Butland. Butland has also shown his desire to play in the Premier league, and took the offer from Stoke rather than Chelsea (ironically as a back-up role that Begovic has potentially moved for) to match this, and a fair amount of loans to give him the next level up in playing experience to prove he is ready for the big show.

Like I mentioned with Begovic, the Given deal gives Butland support from the bench and a mature, experienced goalkeeper to learn from, go to for advice and to work with on the training ground. This should make for a great tandem as Butland gets given his opportunity to shine, and Given is there in the background to egg him on.

Begovic to Chelsea: why?

The move of Begovic to Chelsea is quite an interesting one, with the Bosnian international trading regular games with Stoke to potentially 'riding the pine' of the bench at Chelsea. Courtois, who has continued to add to his silverware, took the no. 1 shirt from Cech and ran with it. Mourinho is known for his shrewd approach to the transfer market and with plenty of other examples of backup transfer attempts, like with Butland and Ruddy, Chelsea are keen to fill the void left by Cech.

And so here's some thoughts on the reasons behind the transfer...

Champions League football
Moving to Chelsea allows Begovic to get the chance to test his mettle against some of the world's best players in European competition. Even just for the starting games, he gets the chance to put himself on a bigger stage, with more mental roadblocks, like dealing with the increased media coverage and fanfare of playing in big games like this. As Bosnia's number one, and for an emerging team that might want to push for a World Cup historical success, he needs this kind of experience.

Injury cover
We all know how well Chelsea have done in recent years with their cover in the goalkeeping department and with Cech gone, Mourinho has no chance to simply point to the bench and bring on an experienced veteran that can guarantee them the win, should Courtois pull up injured. Bringing in Begovic solves this as he has the experience and mentality to provide cover as needed.

Time share
Playing with Stoke, and sharing time with Sorensen, Begovic is pretty used to the routine of having to prepare to play week and not the next. It takes a special kind of goalkeeper, person and mentality to have a time share in goal at this level. It's pretty common to see in ice hockey, where goalies will play upwards of 60 games and the coach can turn to whoever is 'riding the hot streak' to see out some wins, or to give the first choice time to rest for the playoff run.

It's not too common in the EPL but Mourinho might be considering a 50-50 split eventually (or if Begovic plays well enough) so that he can keep his young prodigy sharp and rested, and to ease the pressure on a young mind from cracking.

Guiding Courtois
A thing of the old days which is forgotten about a lot in the age of superstars in the media, is the need for a goalie pa- a father figure, room mate and encourager to keep the first choice content and ready for success. Goalies train with each other, spend a lot of time with each other, and can push each other on to greatness, like with the simple competition at training of stopping the most shots. And not just making sure the goalies don't hate each other behind the scenes, goalies that get along, will do so much better as a team.

Courtois is incredibly efficient with his technique and maturity, but there is always more to learn (so long as you care enough about being the best you can be). With him looking to continue his dominance of Belgian callups and at Chelsea, it would be good for him to have a guiding figure who has been in the game longer than he has to provide tips and support from the goalie's point of view. Ironically this is the same kind of role that Given can provide at Stoke, if they choose to give Butland his chance, and will play a big (if invisible) part in his evolution.

A busy summer for goalie transfers

With so many top name goalkeepers being actively linked with new clubs and others looking for new opportunities to push for first team games, it's going to be a busy transfer window this summer. As ardent fans of goalkeeping, it will be great to follow and make the pre-season a more interesting show than having to put up with star name strikers and the like making changes.

There are a lot of goalkeepers that could be potentially moving, as well as plenty of rumours about possibles. I'm hopefully going to cover the trades with some more insight as to why and whether they'll be a good fit.


Done deals:

• Cech to Arsenal
• Casillas to Porto
• Begovic to Chelsea
• Turnbull to Leeds
• Given to Stoke
• Al-Habsi to Reading
• Romero to Man Utd

Rumours:

• Valdes up for market after refusing to play reserve games
• Heaton to Everton as a long term replacement for Howard
• Hennessey said to be linked with a lot of teams but no solid offers - makes sense if Palace stick with Speroni who has been so strong for them (and the last games of the season allowing club to show off his market value)

Possibles:

• Westwood - shown so much promise with Sheffield Wednesday and a good bargain should a Premier league side move for him
• Craig Gordon - would be surprised if no-one moves for him after having such a strong outing with Celtic after making his comeback from injury
• Szczesny - introduction of Ospina into the Arsenal team saw him stuck on the sidelines. Not wanting to languish on the bench, I could see him moving elsewhere to get game time.

Casillas to Porto and the domino effect

So the deal is done, the rumours are now reality, and after a legendary career with Madrid, Casillas is off to Portugese title challengers Porto. Looking lacklustre and despondent a lot of last season, it's the perfect chance to free himself from the toxic environment that comes with being a superstar and not living up to previous expectations. With De Gea hot on his heels for international selection, it could be more than just the passing of an era at Madrid, with his Spanish number one spot up for grabs and his career declining (no Champions league semi/final guarantee).

This leaves question marks over his replacement, with De Gea still being suggested, even by Van Gaal, and Madrid already owning Keylor Navas and Casilla (who has been performing well enough in recent outings).  And with him leaving, it will a create a big domino effect as goalkeepers shift clubs and coaches and analysts and scouts lean towards buying in talent that can assure them similar levels of success in the top tier leagues. I think this transfer window could be one of the biggest (if not, the) in recent history as clubs look towards the market to sure up their goalkeeping positions.

For Casillas, it's a great opportunity to get away from it all - in a sense - there will always be media attention wherever he goes, but I think he might want a change in career, as it looks like he doesn't want to be there a lot of the time. Let's not forget how talented he is and what he has achieved.

A big factor could be him peaking to early as a goalkeeper due to the sheer amount of games he has played (international, domestic and cup competitions) meaning he hasn't really had a break or rest in over 11 years, with all the training and off-season work required to stay at a high level of consistency. At 30, he would be expected to be in his golden age as a goalkeeper, but like Courtois, who has achieved so much so young, how higher can you really go, if you are already technically perfect? It's food for thought at least...

Whatever Casillas chooses to do with his career, his move away from his lifelong club as a pro will make for great discussion and rumour mills for goalkeeping fans everywhere.

Cech to Arsenal

The biggest goalkeeping transfer for the EPL so far, this early on in negotations, is Cech's move to Arsenal. There were a lot of comments being made linking them and by ex-Gunners goalies about how great Cech would be, and gathering momentum about Cech being the perfect fit; his experience, his maturity to lead a young team (which Wenger seems to favour right now), will pay huge dividends going forward.

After Courtois took the reins once he'd been given the chance by 'the Special One', it was guaranteed that Cech would go. Whilst he would be a great mentor, this isn't the time in his career when he should be warming the bench, and Arsenal are a gift in disguise; saving him and also saving Arsenal who have had no legacy in goal since the days of Seaman.

The good
Cech walks into the starting job even if he'll be a little rusty for regular games; he can get back his confidence and lead from the front. Arsenal give Cech the chance to fight for Champions League placings and beyond, whilst Cech can be the missing piece in the puzzle to win the league. Cech has a proven CV of experience and the mindset to back it up - he can leave a good impression on the youth and help them develop to top tier players.


The bad
Arsenal are one of the few teams in the league that truly play a counter-attacking system (Tottenham - ironically - and Liverpool being the others), which requires good kicking ability, and Cech isn't known as a sweeper keeper, which would be needed for this role without changing the playstyle and press of the team. Whilst Cech is an amazing shot stopper, it's a bit late to add this element to make him a really modern footballer (i.e. akin to what we're seeing in Ter Stegen). He's not used to playing behind a high line that forces him to play aggressively, or kick to touch on a breakaway, so this could prove difficult for the two to marry technique.


The ugly?

Szczesny could be an issue. He's not the kind of goalkeeper that wants to warm benches either! Ambitious to say the least. He's already known to cause a bit of a stir in the dressing room and in the papers, . Arsenal don't need . And they have a pretty poor track record of managing goalkeepers and goalie relationships. Remember the  Lehmann - Almunia saga? And more. Ospina was brought in after a strong World Cup and will also be looking to move for games (to move forwards for another cup and keep in the running for his international selection), and is now no longer needed.

Whatever happens though, Arsenal have just saved Cech's career (there are no other teams in the league looking for a goalkeeper of his calibre, and he could have ended up at another club with no European football etc. etc.) and Cech could save the Gunner's reputation.

Westwood deserves a second chance

Whilst there are plenty of goalkeepers that have had media notable seasons, one that has quietly gone about his business largely unnoticed is that of Sheffield Wednesday's Keiren Westwood. The Irish international was seen as a liability for Premier League standard play, and was replaced by Mannone and City's Pantilimon was brought in, but like Craig Gordon, has been on fire and showing what his former employers are missing.

When Sunderland let Westwood go in the summer, they thought they were freeing themselves off a deadweight (injured goalkeepers automatically drop low in stock despite how well they have been played - hint - try not to get injured!) and another wage packet. And instead of letting that get to him and ruin his confidence and self belief, he turned things around massively.

He looks like the real deal because of his hybridised approach (able to deal with anything and select the right save for each shot etc.) and a great acquisition should any of the Premier League's teams go looking for a new 'keeper in the off-season. Voted onto the PFA Championship team of the season and picking up various awards, he is a definite upgrade for his team and any other looking to take on his services.

A lot of Westwood's success has been down to his save selection and attacking depth (changed to deal with shots near the goal line, as seen in the highlights), so it is worth noting analysis of his save technique. Unafraid to be unorthodox, he has had a lot of success with properly used leg saves to block lower and cover with quick reactions low when he cannot dive out to reach low.

So, he are some worthy save pointers:

• Westwood has made a lot of leg saves this season (more than De Gea ;) and in all of the English leagues) - a style popular in Europe (something Cech might do but rarely) BUT ALSO has brilliant rebound control to push the ball away ON the save to get it away to safety
• Great rebound control - sees shot early, and controls ball to safe area free of players (and their rebound attempts)
• Happy to 'get big' and block with his body on point blank range shots
• Reading the game really well - well aware of danger before it happens and very quick off his line to deal with or get in position to do so
• Big selection of saves 'in the toolbox' to help him deal with any and every possible save situation
• Brave and courageous - important in 1 on 1's and more importantly to play so well when you are worried about having another dangerous injury (i.e. career ending)
• Incredibly confident - has an air of certainty and supremacy that carries around the team i.e. not worried about losing the game because of their goalie or having to defend and run extra (shown in body languge, dominating his area etc.)

De Gea injured, Valdes starts & Van Gaal drops hints

So this weekend's games saw something pretty unexpected. De Gea goes down with injury and former Barcelona no. 1 Valdes finally stepped off the bench (which he'd been keeping warm for a while!) and got some game time for his new team (which, if you remember, he joined on a free and could have earnt more with offers from Monaco etc. but chose to follow desire and ambition instead).

Valdes will start his first full game for United at the weekend in the final game of the season. It will therefore be interesting to see how he deals with the pressure of top league placing to bring home the points.

After a much more consistent and reliable season for his Red Devil team mates, this did come out of the blue. Valdes suffered the same as David last season; going down with a major injury at the end of the season. Now, De Gea also picked up an injury which forced him to miss Spanish international action (which I think personally really affected him, as he could have had a great chance to beat out Casillas for game selection), but this seems more serious.

Added to that, Van Gaal dropped the clanger that he himself . Normally a man of few words who skirts around issues and topics in group interviews, it adds to the belief that De Gea is off to Spain in the summer transfer window. Now, I normally wouldn't agree with following 'paper talk' as it is normally for papers to fill up page space, agents to manufacture new deals for players, or just pure gossip and 'wish listing', but there are a lot of signs that point to this happening.

As I've said previously, De Gea doesn't fit Van Gaal's desired model system of sweeper keeper within a 'total football' style. And I think this is the differnce maker. Rather than stamp his mark he is doing it quietly, and it will be interesting to see how things pan out. A lot like the equivalent of Mourinho dropping a sweeper for a keeper to play behind a defensive line of 4-4-2, or ironically Rodgers dropping Mignolet to bring in a sweeper for fast counter attacks (amusingly Reina already fulfilled this role!). And with Valdes doing the job and more on less pay, Van Gaal can focus his finances on seriously rebuilding his squad to fit what he wants.

http://sportinglife.aol.co.uk/football/news/article/22882/9854823/manchester-united-1-arsenal-1-louis-van-gaal-on-david-de-gea

De Gea to Real Madrid: the cues

So with the Internet and the real world abound with theories and chatter about De Gea's future transfer prospects and beyond, I thought I would put my thoughts down in one go, combining the Casillas questions and a little on analysis of why I think De Gea is fitting van Gaal's system, to save on time (you reading, me writing) and focus!

Frosty relations

When asked what he thinks of De Gea's season and match winning saves, van Gaal has responded with "he's doing his job", "that's what a goalkeeper should be doing". With no real hint of encouragement or praise lining his feedback, there does seem to be an underlying tone to De Gea's coach's statements.

Now I'm not one who would easily jump on the De Gea bandwagon (I still think he has some major flaws that show at this level, and think he's a little one stop shop at times like Tim Henman's one style near net approach; i.e. not enough tools in the toolbox), but it's undeniable that he has been majestic at times. And even the coach should be acknowledging it.

I therefore think that this hints at De Gea getting frustrated with things and that's not good for any player in that situation. I have always seen as De Gea moving back to Spain, a lot like Ronaldo moving on to Madrid.

De Gea is not a sweeper

Shown in their FA cup loss to Arsenal, De Gea just can't read the game  well enough with the mindset of a true sweeper to be able to . Whether he needs to work on reading the game, or is uncomfortable playing in this role, is uncertain, but ultimately he is not up to playing in this style; the style that van Gaal wants to build around!

If this had been another goalkeeper at another club, he would have been ripped a new one in the media and the press. I'm sorry, but if he wasn't at United, he would have been wiped the floor with in press comments the day after. Had that been Rob Green or Joe Hart (like the Sweden game against Ibrahimovic, you know!). And yes, you can find comparisons and commentary to back this up - I'm not just talking hot air!

We are talking a coach who specifically picks goalkeepers to perform specific tasks. It wasn't a wonder strike that Krul got switched at extra time to win on penalties - Cillessen has a track record for not stopping penalties, check his stats! But Krul, like De Gea is not a sweeper.

I really had expected van Gaal to stamp his mark on the club rather than tiptoe around Ferguson's reign, but perhaps he felt Valdes wouldn't have been ready after such a long time out of training and game practice to be useful.

The long and short of it, is that Valdes is a better sweeper keeper, and van Gaal wants a sweeper to allow ball retention and recycling the ball in the team's own half to open up passing lanes to hit the opposition on the counter. Without a sweeper keeper, the team cannot operate to its best. Thus, requiring a sweeper; the same style that Valdes is renowned and known for!

Compare the following clip with that of the De Gea goal. Valdes knows his positioning in the box (where he is in front of goal, how far out to challenge etc.) and he is more vocal - coaching his defenders with authority about where he wants them, and looking for that outlet pass. De Gea is a pretty shy goalie, not likely to bark out orders, and you can see the difference in Valdes jelling with the defence organically to move with the back line rather than staying static at the back behind a four man unit.

 De Gea's shot stopping style

These days, analysis or commenting on performance of goalkeepers seems to lean more towards 'bigging up' people without pointing out room for improvement, or well thought analysis. However, I don't this is appropriate or useful. Rather than highlighting the strengths and style of the individual goalkeeper (no single one is the same), and applauding these, any criticism (no matter how well put and constructive) is seen as weakness or failure. But this doesn't work!

De Gea stays deep to give him longer to react to shots, meaning he is going to have to make extension saves as players look for space in the corners (as they see more of goal). He combines super reflexes with amazing natural agility to pull off those miracle saves bouncing around the 'tube.

That's him and his style down to a tee, in a nutshell. With other systems and other defenders or defensive appproaches, this is out of place. Just as him sweeping up is out of position for him.

If United bring in Begovic as a replacement for him (as has been talked about time and time again, with Butland eager to take over), then they have another strong, save orientated goalkeeper, who is comfortable to sit behind a strong backline, the atypical 4-4-2 of English football, and make glorious saves based on angles and channeling shots via defensive strategy. Again, NOT a sweeper keeper, or that of what van Gaal wants.

van Gaal, if allowed to, will implement a system from top to bottom, like Mourinho, and his views on goalkeepers and where they are in the team and how they work with, and aid, the team, will come to the fore.


For note - go and check out Vermeer's implosion, Ajax, dutch football, and the origins of sweepers and attacking systems (i.e. van Gaal started it as coached systems - hint, hint!).

The Valdes question 

Valdes was a steal move for United, kind of like Harry Redknapp working his magic on the transfer window at the time. Sure, he suffered a major season ending injury, but it's not the end of the world. Craig Gordon and Keiren Westwood have both had amazingly strong seasons after coming back from major career affecting injuries, and proven those who turned their backs, dead wrong. Valdes came in on a free. De Gea would go out with profit. 0 + profit = money = money to spend elsewhere on the squad! Attracting top level players who would have to postpone CLeague football costs money!

Casillas & Madrid's revenue

Casillas is looking like a man who doesn't want to play in goal anymore. It's as if you're seeing someone who has spent their entire life in a profession or art etc. and they deciding it's not for them. He plays like a Sunday league goalie who doesn't want to be there at times. And it shows.

Sure, a little hyperbolic, but I really think he needs to go on a sabbatical. He's burnt out. Simple as. You don't play for that long (Spain's no1 at 19), all those competitions and all the training that goes without, and still have the energy. You don't. He needs to recharge his batteries and refind his form. 

Why on earth spend all that money on a goalkeeper who outperforms your starter in training, outperformed him at the world cup and worked his ass off to get a look in at the club, only to WARM THE BENCH! Yes,  Ancelotti, I'm looking at you!! Keylor Navas is too good to be sitting on a bench at a top club.

Casillas looks like a goalkeeper who has lost the fight and drive to play at this standard (as mentioned). You don't always have it your way; the best athletes (and goalies) are not ones who have it easy and are uber popular, but the ones that work and fight hard to follow the dream, and fight for their team. Casillas doesn't battle, he just looks like he wants to be subbed off the pitch and go home.

Add in the fact that De Gea is now pretty much a superstar, and a household name, he can bring a fair amount of cash with him. Bringing in star players like Bale to Madrid, or Neymar to Barca, results in ridiculous sales for Barca and Madrid, which they use (along with TV rights) to play their players. It's basically an opportunity to print money. Both clubs are the best in Spain, and the Spanish league and international set-up probably suffers as a result.

Add in the fact that De Gea is heir apparent for Spain, Spain need a better class goalie to aim to win another World Cup, and that any other options - like Reina (who wait all season for a game and then get sent off!!), are not up to scratch, and you can see a pattern emerging. De Gea to Madrid doesn't require a degree in rocket science to put together.

He's a better fit

I'll say it once, and I'll say it again. Even if he doesn't go yet, I still think De Gea is better for Madrid. His girlfriend isn't happy with him being in England (compare that to Lloris moving his family to London), he was a little homesick in his first season and more. He will get Champions League football at Madrid, he will be able to play in a more defensive system (rather than playing as sweeper out of position so to speak), and can woo international coaches up close and personal.

He's young, has proved he has elite traits, and has a very reflex based style that fits with a static, rather than mobile, defensive line. Coming out to collect crosses is not an issue outside England because it's not the reality of the game in Spain. He won't have to play in a different style he is used to, no longer having to play as a sweeper, he will bring in buckets of money to Madrid, and he will be given a platform to take over the Spanish no. 1 shirt.

I'm sure United fans will be sorry to see him go, but for De Gea, personally and for his career, I can see it happening pretty soon.

Valdes can be great for United

By acquiring the services of newly ex-Barca goalkeeper, Manchester United not only managed to deny any opponents points by getting him on the team sheet themselves, but more importantly potentially provided Van Gaal with the cure to his current problem. Should he be brave enough to risk it, Van Gaal has at his disposal a veteran goalkeeper who just happens to be one of the best distributors of the ball in the game from in between the posts. To anyone outside the club, this looks to be a Harry Redknapp style bargain transfer deal. And yet, he hasn't yet featured in a game yet, even that of a less important cup fixture.

Everyone knows that Van Gaal prefers the Ajax system of which the newly appointed predecessor to Moyes and Ferguson is looking to implement in North West England (after all, he was a central fit to establishing it in the first place!), and Valdes as a goalkeeper can easily become the missing link in a system that revolves around ball retention and link play to create a constant press high up the pitch whilst keeping possession. Therefore a goalkeeper in this system has to be good at their feet. The very thing Valdes is famed for. Yes, that's right; the proverbial modern 'sweeper keeper' that is becoming more and more popular with the likes of Neuer pushing it to its limits and Ter Stegen (another not-so-typical German goalie, both seemingly fighting for the no1 shirt soon enough) shifting the ball from both feet.

It is pretty obvious then that Van Gaal chooses his goalkeepers to fit the system off ball retention and pushing high up the pitch, with the skillset to match; hence why Krul was saved for penalties and why Cillissen got the starts, due to his abilities in playing the ball and in 1-on-1 situations (which arise from a high line and gaps opening up for attackers to slip through). Ironically Vorm can do both; known for his penalty killing abilities alongside his inarguable sweeping technique, but it seemed coaching staff were more worried about injury concerns and not being involved in the qualifying stages for the team to be used to him.

Anyway, for a manager that is happy to take the risk of switching goalkeepers going into extra time in a World Cup semi-final of all things, gambling on the penalty saving skills of that choice, with the chips down on a shootout, for it to pay off, I can't see what the problem is. Whilst De Gea has been amazing (those saves stemming from his deep positioning and athletic style), he is a totally different style of goalkeeper than Valdes, and without Victor, Van Gaal's system won't work as well as it can.

Teams that have missed out on Valdes

With Valdes signing for Man United in the January transfer window, after rehabbing his season and career ending injury (at least in terms of encouraging his move away!) at Barcelona, in a move similar to that of Craig Gordon making a comeback at Celtic, it is worth looking back at other teams that could or should have made a move for him, and why.

• Liverpool

Other than struggling with crosses and save making compared to his breakout season with the club where it looked like he could take them to a title finish (), Mignolet isn't too confident playingan outlet pass from the back and doesn't look too comfortable playing behind a high line. Unfortunately for him, this is something that works well for the team under Brendan Rogers and is likely to be difficult in the long run. Ironically this is the same role that Reina provided (now content to simply warm the bunch for that well known Ballon D'Or contendor at Munich) and played so well in when he was at the Kop. However, instead of simply bringing him back into the fold, Liverpudlian management have made a major boob losing his services. Not only is he a suitable shot stopper, Valdes would be a perfect fit for a team that needs their goalkeeper to have the feet of a midfielder.

• Arsenal

Given that Wenger finally gave Ospina his first Premier League start after a long wait without much playing time to adjust to the British game on loan or for the U21's, it seems the veteran French manager may finally take a gamble on his goalkeeping options. With dissent supposed to be brewing in the dressing room and a calmer head needed for their goalkeeper of choice, Valdes could capably bring more to the table than others. With Martinez getting bench time after a strong oan time at Sheffield Wednesday,it's safe to say they could cash in on their Polish star and reuse funds to invest in a new strikeforce perhaps. After all, the Gunners are another team that love to push forward, with a fair amount of fans screaming at the missed chance to bring in Lloris against their rivals, who are currently loving his sweeper keeping successes (with Vorm also brought in to fill that role in Europe and cup games).

•  Leicester or Southampton

Victor has made it pretty clear that he wants to try out pastures nwe and see more of the world after a long and famous career as franchise goalkeeper at Barcelona. With Ter Stegen proving easily how much of a dab hand (or foot should I say!) moving the ball accurately from both feet - you wouldn't believe how rare this is for a top class 'keeper, thus making him much of a keeper for the Catalans down the road! Monaco are doing fine with their bargain, underrated Slovak, Sirigu has solidified his spot, so unless he fancies a trip State side, the UK would be a good start.

A very outfield theory, but the newly promoted side are in dire need of goalkeepers with Schmeichel injured.

Personally, I think he would make a great starter at Southampton. Pochettini set up the groundworks for a high line needing a sweeper keeper, and Valdes can offer this in spades. Doing well and likely to want to try their hand at European competition, Valdes' veteran experiences in the Champions League would be so useful. That and he could provide suitable tutelage to Gazzaniga he has proven his own sweeper abilities and could have the mentorship of Victor to iron out the technique, sometimes getting caught on the backfoot by his communication skills with his defenders, instead of pushing up to clear.

For now, that's all I can really think of, as there aren't too many top tier teams looking for a goalkeeper, and Real Madrid might not want to take on a previous player of their arch rivals!

Ter Stegen looks all set for Barca ...

With pre-season well under way for teams across the globe, Marc Andre ter Stegen has had a great opportunity to show off his talents and stake his claim for first team football. As yet, I don't have a clear idea who the Spanish side's decided choice is, but ter Stegen is not one to sit on the bench. Having played non-stop for Borrussia Mochengladbach, and starting every single league game for them after fighting his way onto the team sheet, I can't see why he would have gone to all this effort just to warm the bench. A clear competitor (in the mould of notable German goalies throughout history), I still have no idea why Bravo joined, given his vastly differing style of goalkeeping.

ter Stegen is clearly happy to play as a sweeper, as shown by his performances in the Bundesliga and internationally, and this is the exact style of goalkeeper Barcelona want. As a like for like replacement for departing Valdes, he can easily play the ball with either foot, but even more so, is happy to pass like a midfielder from his box. Buzzing with confidence and a high energy/confident goalkeeper, has a higher starting position than Valdes, he should also be able to come out strongly on one man rushes and to intercept far outside his area.

Adding extra dimensions with his accuracy in passing and his ability to pass the ball to either wing with ease because of his comfortable ability to play the ball with left or right, he could go on to have an even greater career than the goalkeeper he has been brought in to replace. A penalty shot killer (see him versus Messi as an example) and strong on 1-on-1's as well as a keen battler, he has a lot to give, and could be challenging the world's top five in the not so distant future.

As you can see in this clip, in a warm-up friendly, you can see how quickly he has adapted to the style and role Barca want him to play in. Pinging the ball out to the wings for attacks to start, he is also clearly happy to maintain possession by playing the goal kick short and then rotating ball possession (like you would see in Dutch 'total football' or at Ajax and under Van Jaal). His defenders are clearly confident in his kicking skills and happy to pass back to him knowing he will get the ball out safely, as you can see numerous times with the defender turning around straightaway to give the ball back to him.

It's also easy to spot how ambidextrous he is, able to pass the ball out with distance, height and accuracy. This helps mark him out and increase his worth as this style of goalkeeper.

I don't think it will be long until he starts challenging Neuer for the sweeper and German crowns, and he clearly has bags of potential going forward this season and into the future. The future of the modern goalkeeper looks bright and I'll eagerly be waiting to see how it all turns out!

Super Tim!

Another noteworthy revelation from Rio was the record breaking number of saves by Tim Howard in the game against Belgium; one of the best to watch in the whole world cup. Able to do everything but score to get his team the win, Tim made a big impression for his home nation, enough to perhaps even grow the audience of soccer in the States!

His performance pretty much epitomised what being a good goalkeeper is: being there for your team mates, putting everything on the line for them, not worrying about conceding but focusing more on the task at hand, and playing with a gutsy and emotional approach.

Tim's story is also given greater depth by his personal struggle with Tourettes and his grandmother's inspiration for him playing in goal in the first place; the self belief and sticking to his dreams that turned him into the goalkeeper and person he is today. For that to happen, he has taught himself to deal with the condition and the self discipline and concentration levels that are needed to play at the highest tiers of football in the specialist position of goalkeeper.

And with this in mind, I would go as far as a so-called 'disability' has actually enabled him to play at the level his capable of, as it pushes him to concentrate and focus on the game more than say perhaps someone with 'normal' neurology. Not that I have a wealth of understanding of the specifics, but from a performance analysing perspective seems to definitely be the case.

What we learnt from Rio: Neuer is boss

Or something like that for a title!

Whilst we saw Brazil bow out in a way that the people of that fine footballing country wouldn't have been happy about, we did get to see a new breed of goalkeeper dominating the World Cup. Germany pretty much steamrolled there way to the finals and the cup, but in part had a lot to thank there goalkeeper for. A mix of fine committed defending combined with a goalkeeper more than happy to meet the ball and make mind-blowing interceptions outside of his box, worked together to create one of the best defensive units in the world.

As football observers, we have seen and grown used to, a style of German football that is more tactical, disciplined and robust than anything else. Big, physical and technical to the bone, rather than creative and skillful; the kind of style of football that Brazil historically hates to go up against, which showed in their undoing as the Germans went on to demolish them on home turf. Something unbelievable and yet real. The style of German football (much like their hockey too) wins games and is great for the tactician, but for 'total football' fans, it's hard to watch without that spark of inspiration a player like Neymar can produce.

 But here is a goalkeeper doing something not exactly associated with this style. Within this mould, the goalkeeper would be expected to sit deep in the area and let the play come to them, rather than forcing it and coming undone by rushing the attack and over thinking and acting irrationally. Strangely enough, this is what Robert Enke (Neuer's predecessor) believed in; with his knee down block save to protect against the much hated shot between the legs on the breakaway. And yet, here is a goalkeeper being ridiculously radical and taking the position of goalkeeper so far it looks like he's playing in the original format when the game started; an outfield player with gloves on!

Pushed out of his comfort zone by Guardola at Bayern Munich, a few tweaks and refinements here and there have turned this typically statured German machine into a sweeper keeper that is pushing the limits on what is expected of goalkeepers and in turn, what they are truly capable of.

A lot of this has to do with Neuer's confidence, which looks sky high. Self assured and more than happy to play this way, he dominates mentally as well as in his play. I for one (seem to have a habit of being wrong!) never thought Neuer would grow to be this confident or solid as a sweeper-come-goalkeeper. In his first World Cup outing he looked pretty shaky, especially at corners, but over time, he has started to show he amazing he really is.

He was especially sweeper like in the game against Algeria. And more so, was showing a streak of attacking play not even seen in any other goalkeeper on the planet right now (yes, it's true!). Playing high up in his box, he got his defenders to channel the attacker, before timing his run perfectly to reach the ball outside the area! And this involved a bit of sliding in (like Vorm), headering away (Casillas/Lloris) and some neat trickery. But his regular use of this radical style of goalkeeping; attacking the pass rather than trying to go for the save (like those in the Ochoa camp of support and thinking), totally pushing boundaries on what to expect of goalkeepers.

What does this mean for the future of goalkeeping?
Just to try and round this all up without writing pages and reems of analysis, it seems worth summing up what Neuer brings to the table and what can be learned:

• Self confidence is crucial for the goalkeeper to perform at their best
• Attacks can actively be shut down by the goalkeeper outside (!) the area; this is something only Neuer really does and stands out incredibly
• A high positioning in the box is needed in order to do this

Can this shape the next generation of goalkeepers? Yes, definitely, however I don't see all goalkeepers following this model. Not all teams play in a shape like this or need their goalkeeper to, so would be unnecessary, plus the goalkeeper needs to be comfortable with their feet and able to read the game to the highest levels. And Neuer is a unique individual. Just as Lloris is one of (if not THE) fastest goalkeeper I have ever witnessed coming off his line to intercept, so is Neuer in his positional play.

As long as Neuer keeps playing like he does, so goalkeepers can rejoice in dismantling those bad jokes about us not being able to play anywhere else on the pitch, and also to redefine how we play!!

Super Krul needed against Argentina

After all the talk about much Van Gaal is after taking an uncertain Dutch squad to the World Cup semi-finals and finishing third, one wonders why he didn't bother throwing the dice so to speak against Argentina. After subbing on Tim Krul to star in the penalty shootout that took them to the semi-finals, he bottled it and made the switch to bring on Huntelaar, who then got carded and failed to create any solid goal scoring opportunities. Tongue in cheek (still wonder if had anything to do with needing to leave Rio to start Man United's pre-season early) aside, after making the switch against .

It wasn't just the extra reach that evaded Jasper, but also the positivity. Once he got his head down, he struggled to perform anything close to the three point winning save against Spain in the first game or some of his other notable saves. Krul was 'pumped' against Costa Rica, his confidence over flowing as he made save after save to take his team through. And Holland had nothing to lose. Clearly Jasper wasn't as good at penalties (not all of the goalkeepers at the World Cup have proven themselves as penalty specialists), and Tim offered them a better option.

Jasper seemed to be the man for the 90 minutes; playing as a solid sweeper (the tuck back on show many times to annoy the opposing forward trying to hassle him - looking at you Aguero!) as well as shot stopper (coming out and looking big, like against Spain). But Krul shone in the penalty shootout. As Argentina snuck through with a goalkeeper that has played all of four (yes, four domestic games this season in Ligue 1!), there's always going to be that 'what-if' question mark as to whether Van Gaal could have made the same tactical switch yet again...

Ochoa: worth the hype?

With Rio almost over, and my thoughts late as always (I blame my current health; more on that another time...), there have been some sparkling goalkeeping performances that have drawn much attention from fans and media all around the world. And one goalkeeper that stood out in particular was Ochoa. With his reaching stops to deny Neymar and keep Mexico in the game, or palming away unsighted shots at free kicks, it's not a surprise that praise bordered on cult worship as Internet mems popped up all over the place!

But in a world where everything is uber hyped and then smashed to smithereens in the celebrity, it's important to reflect over whether or not there is too much hype for Ocha. And the bottom line is simple: Ochoa plays in a way that makes his look miraculous, impossible and jaw dropping. The fact he has the rare reaction speeds (like a cat!) and his level of athleticism are incredibly important to this; almost a football like version of Felix Potvin.

By positioning properly - which can be easily missed by goalies and players alike - is essential to achieving this. This is his style: each goalkeeper is unique and whilst there may be 'systems' or 'models' that work, ultimately he is working with his natural abilities to play as a goalkeeper - that with a bit of refining, could be truly world class. By staying so deep he gives himself those extra seconds to react (given the speed of the ball, this is longer than a 113mph puck etc.) and at the same time means he has further to stretch, forcing him to be so athletic. When combined together, these two traits executed properly equate to produce an athletic goalkeeper that purposefully sets up for the expected angle of shot to then save. A lot like Martin Brodeur's approach: offering visual shooting space that you want the player to go for, before taking it away!

Of course for the armchair fan (that would think Ochoa is a god as a result) it can be easy not to know this. And . If Ochoa wants to make the leap to playing in the Premier League, then he will have to adjust to the physicality and control of his area needed to play in this sort of arena. Just as De Gea struggles still with English football in spite of those ridiculous almost impossible saves reaching out at the last moment for the fingertip full extension save, so Ochoa needs to be more than a one trick pony to make it to that stage. That's not too say that he couldn't or even can't, but if a Premier League team decides to snatch him up after his Rio theatrics (being a free agent after his deal with Ajaccio ended), he may have trouble straightaway if he doesn't work to adapt to the style of game and   to finetune what he has got already working for him.

Areas Ochoa is already strong in:

• One on one's - this is a difficult area that a lot of goalkeepers struggle with, but is so important at a level where breakaways are regular. Like Valdes' success in a system that sees these odd man rushes, Ochoa is the opposite, struggling behind a poor defensive line. Either way, he is very good at closing down the angle and looking big for the block, also working on Enke's idea behind the knee block to close the '5 hole' gap between the legs which shooters look to exploit.
• Free kicks - Ochoa is aware tactically of the need to set his wall up properly, with the angle being set to aid in his save making; staying deep behind the wall to make the stop expecting it to loop over. However, he might need little adjustments for playing in England or other stronger European Leagues.
• Double saves - Ocha is incredibly quick coming out just as much as he is in recovering for the next stop, with an 'in the zone' mentality to keep everything out. Multiple save series were regular in his World Cup performances for the highlight reel.

Areas that will need improvement:

• Control of his area - not always vocal, Ochoa plays more conservatively than the modern goalkeeper sitting deep in his box in regular play just as in his goalkeeping style. Ochoa could work on being confident and commanding, as seen in Chile's Bravo (who is now at Barca) and Neuer
• Distribution - Ochoa cannot currently play as a sweeper or as an outlet option; his kicks need to be more pinpoint and  to pick out players free on the counter attack to achieve the high tier expectations of the world's elite goalkeepers
• Catching - 'pop outs' are something that are definitely exploited by attackers in the Premier League, and Ochoa would need to work on his catching and decision making. If he has time to make the catch then he shouldn't punch and would need to work on holding the ball rather than letting it rebound out with hard hands, in case of secondary scoring opportunities.

Foster solid against Costa Rica

Even though England were dumped out of the World Cup easily in the first rounds, it was a good experience for West Brom's goalkeeper Ben Foster. Ben, who like starter Joe Hart, had a key season on loan at Birmingham that helped cement his development into a solid goalkeeper, showed a mix of the simple and the elite in his outing against Costa Rica. Whilst it seemed an odd choice to start him in goal after Hart's struggles to reach his peak and Foster being closer to retirement age come the next World Cup tournament, he repaid the coach's trust in him with an outstanding performance.

Mixing a series of athletic diving saves to reach the ball, with some solid positioning that made his catches look easier than they are, he showed the hybrid approach of fulfilling multiple roles and jobs, which is needed of a goalkeeper at the highest tier of football. Commanding as well as calm and unfazed at the right times, he also showed a cool head and mental balance that is required to play at this level. Gone are the days when England fans would expect to hide under the sofa as the goalkeeper got on the wrong end of a humiliating blunder, and there were no mistakes or slip-ups Foster made that would have cost his team.

West Brom, who have a lot to thank Foster for, in keeping them in it for every game of the season, are in a great position going foward, starting out strong from the back. Whilst the numbers and stats might not have been in his favour in the league table, Ben did have a very strong outing last season and was one of the top performing goalkeepers in the Premier league as he gave them a chance to compete all season long.

So to summarise, here are some thoughts:

• Foster has a very strong technical foundation that allows him to make the difficult saves look easy, as well as being able to make the simple saves without a mental barrier
• Has great self confidence and calmness which allows him to achieve clean sheets
• He is a leader, with a strong command of his area and his defenders
• A team player, he will fight for the win and compete intensively
• Can do the various aspects of being an elite goalkeeper

Assessing Casillas' troubles

Everyone has seen Iker Casillas' fall to pieces at the World Cup right now, and a lot can be said about what happened. Personally, I think there were multiple factors, and getting demoted to the bench in favour of Diego Lopez didn't help matters. It was going to happen, and it did. So to summarise about my thoughts, I've summed up my thoughts below, to save me writing (and you reading!) paragraph upon paragraph:

• He did make some great saves, but once his team had given up the effort, things were going to go bad from then on in
• You could see that his confidence was hit and spiraled out of control: for a goalkeeper to be at their best, they have to be really certain in their ability and Casillas was second-guessing, self doubting, and not playing as commanding as we have seen him in previous world beating form (electing to punch instead of catch etc.)
• Spain were playing a higher line and recycling the ball more through the back four, forcing Casillas to play as a passing sweeper - something he doesn't do, and what Valdes is best at actually - which got him caught out in the thrashing in the first game to add to his woes
• Casillas only got to play in cup games this season, which is not enough to expect to be at peak performance for a World Cup; friendlies maybe, but not when you have the expectant winners to continue their reign! He really should have cut ties with Madrid and looked for regular playing time elsewhere. Cesar looks fine, but the MLS would tie into a strong enough build up to peaking for Rio versus a significant layoff
• Valdes' injury at Barca really made a difference; coming off a strong season, he really could have come in straight away and played as the sweeper role as well as expected to have made great stops as he had been in La Liga had he been fit!
• The coach needed to be more brutal and either ask Casillas to look elsewhere for match time if he wanted to play at Rio, or to make a choice to bring in another goalkeeper. Cillesen is playing great for Holland and many would say that Krul and Vorm are better keepers, but he was forced into playing due to their injuries, and has been consistent for Van Gaal so far and could see them all the way through to the finals
• The pressure on such a celebrity figure like Iker has a great impact on the sports psychology of goalkeeping. The more stress packed up on him can make things even more tricky with decision making as he totally lost self confidence and therefore his team lost confidence in him
• Having broken into the first team at Real Madrid at incredibly young age for a goalkeeper, the last nagging question is: has Casillas peaked to soon? Are his best days over? For goalkeepers, 30s are their prime time, but Casillas had most of his best seasons before that period. And if we look to other sports, like ice hockey, Jonathan Quick didn't become the starter at LA until he was 26 and has won 2 Stanley Cups in 3 seasons, whilst Fleury is also regressing. Akinfeev is struggling; is peaking-too-soon showing similarities here??

Pro Used: Fabianski's fingersaves

Another recent goalie acquisition, was a pair made for Fabianski. I can only assume these were a training pair, as he doesn't seem to use fingersaves for matches. Now with Swansea, these were made specially for him during his time at Arsenal. Interestingly, they had fingersaves at the thumb as well as the other fingers. This is something you don't often see this level of player using (normally just the four fingered reinforcements) and the thumb curve was very rigid and close to the thumb within the glove.

The fingersaves were pre-curved and fixed in (not removable), and bent in a way that it made it difficult to properly bend at the fingers to make a strong catch to hold the ball. However, this would be great in training and for fingertip stops to make sure the fingers weren't bent back during the save.

The glove cut was also rollfinger (a lot more 'roomy' than the Kenny cut). They were essentially an adaptation of the Bionic Uhlsport model.

Pro Used: Kenny's Sells

As a bit of a kit fanatic, I love getting the chance to try out professional standard goalkeeping gear whenever I have the chance. I don't think much compares as a goalie obsessive to wearing kit that has been specially made for an elite level GK. In America, for ice hockey especially, a lot of goalies will get 'pro returns' at a great price, allowing them to play with great protection and extra features not normally featured in stock pads (like an SMU glove basically). And I think this is something that would be great to feature on the blog to add a bit of spice and difference.

Personally, I think it would be awesome to have this kind of thing seen more regularly in the football GK Union, with lower level GK's learning more about gloves and their features by getting the chance to play with a pair worn by their fan fave goalie.

First up is a pair of Sells rollfinger Aqua gloves made for Paddy Kenny. I got them from that well known auction site (aka Ebay!) where you can often find some great deals. First impressions were how much they were an incredibly tight fit. I have slight (slim/thin) fingers, apparently like those of an artist/sculptor/painter and with the rollfinger design made to conform to the finger as close as possible, it was really noticeable how tight the fit was.

I think this would have a big impact in game, as it was harder to bring the fingers in, versus the cut-in designs you see that make it easier to bend the fingers without limiting glove W shape. This was pretty much the main design change, other than the added extra venting, with the glove pretty much stock otherwise.

Gloves before the wash!

The bacteria noticeable after the wash!!