Artur Boruc v Spartak Moscow v Lee Naylor

Artur Boruc does not like Lee Naylor…Spartak Moscow hates Artur Boruc. With this much love floating around for the Polish shot stopper, you’d have to think that the pressure would get to him. In Boruc’s case he turned around a sticky ‘internal’ situation with team mate Lee Naylor, and then pulled off two penalty stellar saves to help Celtic progress in the Champions League (In my opinion, awesome goalkeeping). Let’s check out the verbal KO with Lee Naylor:

Followed by some fantastic penalty saves…

Not All Outfield Players Are Useless…

It is always a grizzly thing when you have been sent off, and there is no other choice but to get your outfield player to slap on your grimy gloves and your sticky goalkeeper jersey in the wishful plea that he will do you some justice. These kind of situations usually happen in kick around soccer for the local amateur team, but from time to time they do occur in the professional football arena…with surprising results.

The following video shows Mladen Petric (a fellow Croatian) of FC Basel pull off pure goalkeeping excellence, that can funnily enough be studied by all of us. Now the other thing you should know is that we Croatians are known as the Brazilians of European football, so we can do the job for you either out on the field or between the sticks ; )

On a serious note there were two things that Petric did phenomenally.

1. Moved off his line brilliantly, timing the shot and cutting the angle ridiculously well. Buffon would be proud!
2. Caught the ball…I think every goalkeeper would scratch their heads in amazement from the above video, as we usually would parry in a penalty situation.

So, the answer is no, outfield players are not completely useless. Giving your outfield players a few handy hints on how to save the ball can pay off if you are in a penalty situation and have been sent off.

Cesar Sanchez…King of Spanish Goalkeeping?

Goalkeepers often talk about Iker Casillas as being the best Spanish goalkeeper of his generation. But there is another Spanish goalkeeper who holds the name and the clout to make Casillas shake in his boots. When I stumbled across this video of the Real Zaragoza shot stopper in action I was smacked upside the head. Sanchez is certainly not the most graceful goalkeeper, but he certainly has the brilliant ability to attack his opposition with the guile and cunning of a fox as the following video shows.

We mentioned in a previous post how important it is for the competitive goalkeeper to be able to attack the ball at a players feet, and how difficult this action can sometimes be. Here are a few extra tips you can use to make this action more effective:

• Keep Your Eye On The Ball: This means never turning away, or closing the eyes (a natural reaction during a one to one situation). In moving toward the oppositions goalkeeper, maintaining a good angle that restricts the attackers view of goal, and focusing on the ball at the feet will be extremely effective.

• Follow Through: Using momentum, any goalkeeper should continue to follow through the movement of attacking at the feet. What this means is the goalkeeper should never stop-start his run, rather, time it effectively and follow through in one clinical sweep at the ball.

• Measure Your Opponent: Never try to just match the speed of your attacker. Goalkeepers should endeavour to be quicker than the attacking play (this is where agility comes into action). Being able to measure the speed of your opponent, and attack when the time is right will be more effective than just making a half hearted effort.

Take something away from the video of Cesar Sanchez. I think you’d be hard pressed to find goalkeepers these days being as brave as what Sanchez displays in his goalkeeping effort and the above video.

Did David James Really Cause a Calamity?

Having watched video replays of Lampard’s goal for Chelsea against David James, it leaves this goalkeeper scratching his head about the ups and downs of the Portsmouth shot stopper. Was it a case of shaky hands, or just classy finishing from Lampard?

James seemed to have come off his line well to cut the angle, but it seemed that his own defender had blocked the view of Lampard’s shot? Some called it a deflection, but I feel it was the visual deterrent, plus the speed of the shot, that ultimately defeated James, not a blunder on his part.

Following are some tips any goalkeeper can utilize to aid their ability to make a clinical save from a powerful low drive:

• Get Out Of The Way: As much as your defenders can help, they can also hinder. Being able to clearly articulate to your defenders that you need an open view of the attacking line during offensive plays will help every goalkeeper be more alert against a powerful oncoming attack.

• Don’t Move Backward: Momentum (my favorite word of all time) is a powerful tool for any goalkeeper to utilize. In this case, James did well to come off his line, but he seemed to teeter back toward his goal mouth, uncertain of the outcome of his defenders ability to curb Lampard’s effort. Moving backward increases options for attackers, and can leave a goalkeeper looking like a turkey.

• Get Low Quickly: People may say it is age, but the low drive is possibly the hardest shot on goal for any goalkeeper to stop, and while James did well to get down, it seems his reaction speed was erred by the force of Lampard’s shot. Training for agility is vital, especially when it comes to the low dive, and especially when the goalkeeper is coming of age.

David James is one of those goalkeepers you will never forget. At one time awe aspiring…other times, able to turn a crazed crowd into a stone wall of silence? It will be tough to convince England’s powers that be of James ability to hold his own in international competition, if he can’t hold onto the ball in the EPL, at least that is what some critics will try to convince themselves.

In this following article, I find David James’ insight quite intelligent, as he talks about (indirectly at least) the transition of the need for goalkeepers to catch or parry. I’m from the old school, where parrying was always a part of the goalkeeper trainers “no-no” book, catching was everything. Sure hands, utlimately, allow team mates to have confidence in a goalkeepers ability, or do they?

Can Kasper Schmeichel Surpass His Fathers Shadow?

Big boots to fill, those of Peter Schmeichel, big gloves too. In fact, trying to fill a goalkeeping career so large and surreal as Schmeichel’s would be a daunting task for any modern goalkeeper. Imagine how young Kasper Scmeichel must feel?

Ahmed over at Soccerlens makes a good point of “little” Schmeichel playing a cool head for Manchester City that you have to admire the young guy’s ability in goals, and the possibility of another era of the Schmeichel name terrorizing attackers in the EPL.

It is also intriguing to wonder at the great respect the young lad must have for big poppa, as this very cute window into the ability of the young Kasper Schmeichel shows some of the surely mesmerizing goalkeeping ability that is to come. You can only wonder of the massive influence big daddy Schmeichel played in shaping Kasper’s career.

Paul Robinson Forgot About The Law of Dominance

There has been much talk about Paul Robinson’s blunders against Germany. While there has been blunt criticism of the goalkeepers ability, there has been strong support from team mates which is a good thing for Robinson. In goalkeeping nothing is certain. We can blame and point fingers as much as we want, but it does no good. In the social sciences there is something called a “Dominating decision rule”, and it points to some striking points as to how goalkeepers can make better choices in uncertain or pressured situations. Following are some tips that you can utilize to help maximize your goalkeeper performance under pressure:

Decision theory is a great way for the competitive goalkeeper to help maximize the way they approach certain aspects of their game. Whether it be to stand back and command your defense instead of attacking a cross, or, coming off your line instead of staying on it (the decisions are limitless).

So what is decision theory as it relates to goalkeeping? Simply it means, identifying the right action to take when the goalkeeper is fully informed of the situation around them, and are able to compute the decision with perfect accuracy, and be fully rational when they make their final decision.

Pascal spoke of a phenomenon called “choice under uncertainty”. This rule (in goalkeeping terms) means that when faced with numerous decisions in a competitive game the goalkeeper should determine all possible outcomes, weigh up the negatives and positives and go with the decision that will provide the best possible result (ie. a save).

So, in a perfect world, Pascal’s rule is relatively hard to action, as the decisions that need to be made by the competitive goalkeeper during an attacking situation are usually instantaneous or split second. The maxim for goalkeepers here is to act first, think later.

To make matters more complex, the goalkeeper faces something called “paralysis of choice”. What we mean here is that when faced with more than one choice under pressured situations, the goalkeeper will make poor decisions or no decision at all.

What should a goalkeeper do? And how can the goalkeeper help themselves make accurate decisions in pressured situations?

• Be Better Informed: This resonates to how the goalkeeper communicates with their team mates. It also comes down to an analysis of your own strengths and weaknesses. Making a concentrated effort to do communication drills during training is important. While at a personal level, repetition with training drills and possible video analysis of performance will help maximize the way a goalkeeper visualizes certain scenarios, and allows them to act more efficiently when these scenarios are played out during competition.

• Make The Decision: The above points will help the goalkeeper to better be able to make the right decision at the right time. The dominating decision rule works when the decision the goalkeeper makes is sometimes better, and never worse than the decision previously made. This points to the fact that more repetition and preparation is needed by the goalkeeper for their decisions to be effective, and help maximize their ability during pressured situations.

• Be Rational: Effective decisions are rational ones. Rational decisions resonate in every aspect of your life. Acting under pressure too early, without rational thought during a competitive situation can lead to some of the same blunders that were experienced by Paul Robinson. Therefore, being calm under pressure is vital to success in every situation that the goalkeeper faces.

It’s a great thing to see David James heading back into the role of England’s No 1, whether he takes advantage of it, time will tell. All in all, make sure that you remember the law of dominance, and the way to make decisions effectively when under pressure in a competitive situation.

Is Jens Lehmann Getting Too Old?

Jens Lehmann is currently being hammered in the media for his blunders in Arsenal’s first two premiership outings. Lehmann has stood strong against critics responses, but the back pass which went horribly wrong has shown that at 38, Lehmann may be slipping with his goalkeeping skills? The back pass is really something that every goalkeeper should practice for, we’ve mentioned it time and time again here at Keeper Skool. Also, mental preparation is key before, during and after the competitive training week. Here are some tools to help you succeed with your mental preperation…so you don’t blunder like Lehmann.

It is important to remember just how important nutrition is in mental preparation, sometimes all the physical training you have encountered will not prepare you as well as a good balance of both training and sound diet principles. Carbohydrates are extremely important during the training week, especially with intense goalkeeper training. Therefore, carbohydrate loading will ultimately help the goalkeepers mind be more alert during competition, and lead to less mistakes out on the pitch.

• Before: Write down your thoughts and feelings about your previous game and each training session for the following training week in a journal. Training journals are a great way for a goalkeeper to be able to weed out any problems they encounter throughout their competitive season. Also, the training diary becomes a repository of your development over the years that you can check back on to tweak your performance in years to come.
• During: Before you step out on the field, try to get yourself in the zone. Every goalkeeper will have their own way around this, whether you prefer time by yourself, or warming up with your fellow goalkeepers, listening to music…the list goes on. Having some sort of warm up ritual is vital to keeping alert and focused on your game.
• After: Being able to review the game via video is a great way of ironing out weaknesses with the rest of your team mates. Even in lower leagues, someone on the coaching staff, or even parents should have a handy cam ready so that the team can review the results of their game. Visuals of mistakes made, are a great way of ironing out any bumps in your game. Remember to write down a journal entry of your game, and discuss the outcomes of the match with your goalkeeper coach.

So is Lehmann getting too old for life between the posts? I don’t think so. I think it is a mixture of on field and lifestyle influences that are contributing to his blunders. The great thing to read, is that he has full support and confidence in his ability from fellow team mates. Having support from the team unit only solidifies the team, and enhances the goalkeepers ability to have more confidence in their overall game.

Does Football Need Goal-Line Technology?

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. Following is an analysis of the Pro’s and Con’s of goal line technology.

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”?

Pro’s

• 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.

Con’s

• 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?

3 Powerful Ways For Goalkeepers To Get Their Metabolism In Shape

Goalkeepers who get their metabolism right from the get go, have a better chance of maintaining their maximum ability throughout the competitive season. We talk about the power of periodization in The G-Code as it relates to strength and aerobic training, but what about nutrition? Getting your eating right, at the right times can boost your metabolism and increase your goalkeeping performance. Following are three power tips to get your metabolism in tip top shape:

Everyone of you should know by now that carbohydrates are the best way to help enhance your performance during the competitive season when the intensity is high. But what about in the pre-season?

MET (Metabolic Efficiency Training), is a way to help the competitive goalkeeper use macro nutrients more efficiently and increase your overall performance. With that said, being able to reduce the intake of your carbohydrates during pre-season, along with aerobic training at moderate to high intensities, will help the goalkeeper maximize their efficiency to produce more energy when the season kicks off.

Here are three key points to utilizing MET to enhance your goalkeeping performance:

1. Over a 12-16 week period utilize a periodized program training within your heart rate zones, with moderate to high intensities.
2. Decrease the amount of calories consumed through carbohydrates. Because you are using MET in the pre-season, you will not be utilizing too much energy in the first place.
3. Don’t go crazy on the calories. Make sure you eat to maximize your performance, not overeat.

While the MET can be a little more complex than what was stated above, it gives you a window of insight into how using a periodized program (as shown in Keeper Skool’s The G-Code), in your pre-season training sessions, will ultimately increase your body’s ability to maximize goalkeeping performance throughout the season. Aerobic training is extremely important to create a solid base for your goalkeeping and combined with training protocols like the MET, can only make you a more efficient goalkeeper.

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