So the FA are thinking about the need for goal-line technology after the goal that denied Fulham an equaliser against Middlesbrough on Saturday, which sort of resonated profoundly back to the blunders created by Roy Carroll in Manchester United’s ludicrous win over Tottenham back in 2005. Now apart from the above incidents, there are implications that every goalkeeper should take heed of especially if FIFA and other soccer governing bodies decide to introduce goal-line technology into the game.

Incidents such as the Fulham v Middlesbrough game show the need for game officials and organizers to be a little more stringent about the way a competitive match pans out. In this instance, I believe that Middlesbrough did not deserve the game, and even though Mark Schwarzer could not do much in this situation, Fulham were clearly denied the right to an equalizer. But, what the officials say…goes. But does it have to be that way? Could goal line technology really be a way of creating “fair play”?

Why goal-line technology will be good

• Teams who have scored a clear goal, can now be awarded points that they rightly deserve.
• Goalkeepers who blunder can be rightly caught out for their errors.
• Goal line technology will allow for officials to be more diligent and more confident in the way they rule the outcome of competitive matches.
• Goalkeepers will need to be more effective and alert, thus creating a better quality of play.

Potential problems

• Technology can go wrong. Not even the best technology in the world can be 100% accurate?
• Could slow down the pace of the game, as officials ponder over the results of the technology during game time.
• From a goalkeeping psychology perspective, it could further change the role of the competitive goalkeeper, as they must utilize extreme care and caution so as not to be caught out by any blunders that are signalled by the technology.

There are many other scenarios, but I feel that there will be some heated and ongoing discussion regarding goal line technology and it’s role in how the competitive football match pans out for quite some time. For goalkeepers, it could mean added and ongoing pressure to not create blunders in already highly competitive and nerve racking conditions during professional play. Overall, I feel that goal line technology will be a strong asset for the game, but it depends on how effectively it is utilized.

What do you all think about goal line technology, and how it will effect the role of the competitive goalkeeper?

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From Soccerlens.com - Football News

There has been a lot of chatter in the media about Scott Carson’s 360 degree turn to head to Aston Villa, instead of joining Liverpool as understudy to Pepe Reina.

The decision, whether good or bad, will ultimately align Carson closer with a chance to be part of the England squad. Having been understudy to not one, but many top notch goalkeepers in my time between the sticks, I can understand Carson’s decision. Goalkeepers have to also become strategic decision makers in their quest for getting an elusive number one jersey. Following are some pointers on becoming more strategic as a goalkeeper.

Discover What Is Best For You: It is great to be part of a massive set up with everything, and anything at your disposal. But where do you want to be as goalkeeper? Do you want to play for a top flight club? Or do you want to align yourself with trainers who are part of the national team set up? If you can get the chance to have the best of both worlds you are in a good spot.

Play The Waiting Game: For younger goalkeepers all I can critique is that if you have landed the opportunity to be part of a great club team, then take the time to progress and develop within that team. As you gain the opportunity to play regular games, you will have a greater chance of becoming the top goalkeeper within you club. Patience is a virtue.

Beggars Can’t Be Choosers, But Don’t Wait Around Forever: If you feel that the management’s vision for the team does not include you, or you have played second or third string for too many seasons without any serious game time, then don’t wait around forever. Every decision you make as a competitive goalkeeper should be aligned with the longer term vision you see for yourself. While opportunities in playing with larger clubs are great, wandering around aimlessley while other chances slip you by will not help you get to where you want to be.

So make every decision as a goalkeeper in a strategic fashion. Make sure that every move you make is strongly aligned with the vision and ideals you see of yourself as a future goalkeeping star.

BIGJ runs the Keeper Skool blog with news and information to help every goalkeeper succeed.

PS…Yes Ahmed, I’m a nasty fkn Croatian who seriously wants to bust some heads open! ; )

Also See: Premiership Transfers Summer 2007

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

So Craig Gordon has signed for The Black Cats at 40,000 pounds per week. It is a great move for a goalkeeper of his caliber.

Transitions to higher levels of play can be a daunting for any goalkeeper, especially if you have not had any kind of exposure to top flight teams and competition.

While I don’t think that Gordon will have any problem in The Premiership, there is still a higher level of expectation from club and fans. What are some of the key things a goalkeeper should acclimatize themselves for when it comes to taking the step from local club football to higher levels of competition?

Intensify:Training intensities are super high going from your local leagues to a higher division or competition. Going from one or two training sessions per week, to three or more is initially taxing on the body. To prepare, you have to start getting the body ready before the season starts. Increasing intensity in your goalkeeper training by 5-10% each session is important for adaptation to the rigors of the competitive season ahead.

Get Your Head Right:Thinking that you’ve been gifted a glorious golden glove from the goalkeeping gods just does not swallow well in highly competitive teams. Sure, being too head sure and cocky might get you thinking you can be the next Buffon, but that mindset has to transition into your game. Just as the body shifts into a higher level of intensity, so must your mind.

Iron Out Weaknesses: Top flight goalkeepers are being shot down by injury more often these days (you’d think they are becoming extinct!) But it all comes down to that increased intensity we are talking about. Going from one game per week plus training, to two or three training sessions plus cup games and competition games can be extremely mentally taxing. If you are not prepared, then you can get yourself into serious trouble. Get to the physio if you have niggling injuries, and get onto the training field well before the season kicks off to get your goalkeeping technique into A1 condition.

So think about some of the key points above before you take a shot at the big bad leagues. On the flip side, the above transitions into higher competition ultimately helps the goalkeeper adapt and become better at their game…but it all takes time. Being prepared well before you start a new venture in higher levels of competition can only help you become a better goalkeeper.

BIGJ runs the Keeper Skool blog with news and information to help every goalkeeper succeed. (Ed: In the real world he a fkn mean Croatian who just wants to bust your head open…)

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Big J from Keeper Skool writes about Manchester United keeper Edwin van der Sar:

With only another season left at Manchester United in Edwin van der Sar’s goalkeeping gloves, the Dutch maestro is contemplating a future that seems uncertain. Recently I have been stumbled across many instances where goalkeepers of van de Saar’s generation are moving on…some with their pants off (ala Oliver Khan and Asia)!

It seems that van der Saar is not so much confused about what to do with himself, rather he has become bored. Seriously, you get to a point in your career where the training becomes monotonous. You look for new challenges that are outside the usual sphere of goalkeeping, say, coaching or maybe golf at an exclusive resort?

“When you reach my age, you have to take it like that both in terms of the club and the player. You must always try to keep the pleasure in your game.

“When you don’t have that 100% desire any more, you can stop or go to a lower level or whatever.”

Read more: Van der Sar needs to figure out his future

Will EVDS stay at Manchester United? Will Ferguson have to blood Foster or Kuszczak as Manchester United’s next goal keeper or will Manchester United move for Craig Gordon?

Discuss.

BIGJ blogs at Keeper Skool, the most up to date goalkeeping blog on the net, with news, fitness tips and more.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Ahmed…I wrote this for you, knowing that you have secretly wanted Oscar Ustari to sign with Manchester United.

Well, it’s probably old news by now, but Oscar Ustari, the super Argentinian goalkeeping prodigy signed with Getafe CF under Michael Laudrup a few days back. It’s a significant period in this young guys development, and the more I look at his goalkeeping ability, the more he reminds me of Casillas (just call it goalkeeping intuition). The young Argentine has shown some great presence in goal over a pretty well pronounced career.

Ustari’s 6 year deal will really bolster his ability in the La Liga, and I feel that his goalkeeping skills will truly become uncanny over the coming few seasons (he has brilliant presence).

Overall, it is a better move for the young guy than signing with Manchester United, where I feel he would have had to have fought hard to pry open his chance to prove his worth against Van der Saar. Here is a video preview of a goalkeeper I feel will be one of the best in the coming few years.

BIG J writes at Keeper Skool, the only up to date fitness, diet and news resource for the competitive goalkeeper.

Ed’s Note: So what do you guys think? Should Manchester United have moved for Oscar Ustari or are Manchester United’s current crop of young keepers (Foster and Kuszczak) better than Ustari? Or should Barca have snapped him up as a long-term replacement for Valdes?

Discuss away.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

I’m trying to like you Roy, I really am.

It must be some lucky shamrock the Northern Ireland native has stashed away in his goalkeeping gloves. Having signed with Rangers for a year, he is vowing to fans that he is not at the team to party on drunkenly.

Though when I hear comments like (check out the article) “I decided to come up here because they have Champions League as well”, I kind of err on the side that this guy is just shadowing others for a shot at Champions League glory, which is not a problem at all, but how about you prove your place first.

Now back to the Shamrock…

If you look at his performances at Man U, that Pedro Mendes incident just resonates in every goalkeeper’s mind. Remember AC Milan in the 2005 Champions League? Red Devils fans are still cringing. He had a shocker time at West Ham to boot, being injured for a whole season, so hopefully this is a fresh start? He did play extremely well for Wigan back in 1997 through to 2001, but he never switched it on in the Premier League…it’s a totally different gig.

I think Carroll is not a “pressure” goalkeeper, what I mean by this is that some goalkeepers are great at being second choice in top flight football, but can never transition mentally into holding onto the number 1 jersey. Reserve goalkeepers are ultimately there to provide first choice goalkeepers an edge (think Cudicini and Cech, Cudicini being a fantastic goalkeeper).

This does not mean that reserve goalkeepers do not have the ability. In cases of poor performance, reserve goalkeepers whom come up to a first choice position in a top-flight team, suffer from a lack of game practice, stage fright, and living up to huge expectations from fans. These same emotions hounded Carroll at Man U.

Roy, I hope that you find a Shamrock that brings you some luck mate…following is an interview.

BIGJ writes at Keeper Skool, the only real-time goalkeeping blog on the net.

Ed’s note: Any mention of Roy Carroll cannot be made without showing this video.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Having spent a long, cold winter in the gusty winds, and cracking chills of Zagreb at the age of 15, training with Dinamo Zagreb, when I hear about Eduardo da Silva being signed by Arsenal, it is something close to my heart.

I believe it is a fantastic choice for Wenger to make, and he will be a very good replacement for the much beloved Henry. But the question remains…will his Brazilian skills adapt to the chilly cold of London, and make enough of an impact in the void left at Arsenal by Thierry?

Emmanuel Adebayor is now the central play-maker in attack for Arsenal, but it could be the goal poaching style of da Silva that could make a significant difference for Arsenal in the coming Premiership campaign.

Eduardo da Silva is a Brazilian (if you did not know about him already) plying his trade in Croatia (now a Croatian citizen), and has scored a whopping 34 goals out of 32 games for Dinamo Zagreb. The question remains, can this same flair for goal in the leagues of Eastern Europe be called on in the dynamic play of the Premiership…can da Silva bring in much needed goals for Arsenal, the way Henry did?

The other side of the coin is da Silva’s presence for the Croatian national team. The young Brazilian/Croatian has a freaky knack for goals, but again, does playing against teams like Israel or Macedonia translate to the ability needed to score vital goals in the English Premier League?

Ed’s note: Does scoring a goal against a crap England team count?

The following video shows some of Eduardo da Silva’s goalscoring ability, you decide if he is worthy to replace Henry…some mighty big boots to fill I’d say. Overall, I think da Silva will amplify his ability as a formidable striker with The Gunners, where others from Eastern Europe have left us thinking…”who the hell signed these guys in the first place”?

Will Dudu be good enough for Arsenal? Come discuss this (and more) in the Soccerlens Forum.

BIGJ writes at Keeper Skool, the best goalkeeping blog on the planet.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Rafa is going goalkeeping crazy. First it was young Aussie Dean Bouzanis, then he reeled back Scott Carson and now he forks out the dosh for Nikolay Mihaylov?

I have mixed thoughts about it. First, who is Mihaylov? An U-21 Bulgarian International who copped 5 goals against Scotland in the Kirin Cup (Japan) and who has plyed his trade for Bulgarian champions Levski Sofia.

It sounds that the young guy has promise, maybe…but I’m still concerned. These young goalkeepers will get some of the best development they will experience anywhere on the planet while at Liverpool, and it will make them better goalkeepers in the long run…possibly.

With so much competition, in such a competitive club like Liverpool, do you pigeonhole your career potential? I remember playing for Sydney United in the old NSL (Australia), waiting my turn under guys like Zeljko Kalac. I was 15 years of age playing for the reserve team…there were 3 other senior goalkeepers above me…it was a tough gig.

Now it was not that I had not learned anything, I uncovered much of my potential over my three year tenure. But did I become a better goalkeeper? I only ever played a handful of games, and in the grand scheme of things I did not feel I had reached my full potential. Full potential takes time.

You see for a goalkeeper, lots of training…but no game time, does not equate to overall performance potential. Being loaned out would be the best option (like Carson), and I guess that Rafa will do the same for all of these young lads at Liverpool.

I hope that these young goalkeepers get the chance to prove their worth. With time, I’m certain they will. But the life of a competitive goalkeeper can be long-drawn and it takes many, many years for any goalkeeper to reach their potential. For any young goalkeeper thinking about the big leagues, the best advice I can give is that goalkeeping is a waiting game…and then some.

If Mihaylov, Bouzanis and Carson have patience and a steely reserve they will reach their full potential at Liverpool under Benitez or at another club. What do you guys think?

This article was brought to you by Keeper Skool, a blog on goalkeeping tips.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

So there has been much hype about young Liverpool goalkeeper Scott Carson, with Rafa Benitez vouching that the young guy will give Liverpool’s #1 Pepe Reina a good run for his money in the upcoming Premiership season. Question remains, will he replace Reina?

I had a hard time trying to scratch up some footage on Carson, but had watched the U-21 European Championship and was mesmerized by not only Carson’s goalkeeping skills, but the depth of growing talent in the future England ranks.

Sterling talent from the tournament included Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha, Newcastle United defender Steven Taylor, and West Ham United midfielder Mark Noble.

Others like striker David Nugent and Reading’s Leroy Lita were also showcasing phenomenal skills. So back to the goalkeeping side of things, I think that Carson has shown some great leaps and bounds over the years, and will definitely give Reina a run for his money.

The following video shows highlights from the U-21 European championship, with some great saves from Liverpool backup Carson during the penalty shoot-out and a great strike on goals.

So what do you guys think? Reina will certainly be Liverpool’s first-choice keeper next season, but what are Carson’s chances of taking over in the future?

BigJ writes at Keeper Skool, the world’s best goalkeeping blog.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

You might forgive young Brad Jones’ inexperience on the world stage, but the young Middlesbrough goalkeeper showed how harsh an environment the big, bad world of international goalkeeping can be. In what seemed like a routine cross, the young Jones gifted a goal as he caught nothing but the cold night breeze against a muddled Uruguay last night in Sydney.

It poses the question as to whom, if anyone could ever fill the role of “numero uno” for Australia if Mark Schwarzer ever retires from the international football scene. Some local soccer pundits look too rising A-League talent, but it is a far cry from the good old days of Bozza (Mark Bosnich).

If it weren’t for his porn video antics and snorting the white lines (other than the football field), I feel that no Aussie goalkeeper would ever eclipse the brilliance of Bosnich in his hey day. Alas, those good old days are come and gone. Brad Jones is still a young lad, with promising potential ahead of him, and goalkeeping is a true test of pressure and time.

Jones seemed a little flustered against the likes of Recoba and Forlan, and it would be a daunting battle to behold for any young, aspiring goalkeeper in their first major international debut amongst a sea of green and gold at home. Star Aussie internationals like Cahill, Viduka and Kewell missed the game, and the lack lustre effort showed in this game against Uruguay.

Overall, I don’t blame young Jones. It will be first of many learning curves for a young goalkeeper with plenty of time to ply his trade in the Premiership and international stage. I just hope he gets the chance for Australia’s next friendly game against Singapore on June 30?

BIGJ runs Keeper Skool, the only up to date resource for the soccer goalkeeper on the internet. He is also the author of The G-Code:Unlocking The Scientific Secrets To Goalkeeping Success.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News