The biggest issue facing Hughes is the uncertainty surrounding keeper Mark Schwarzer’s future. The big Aussie is still being courted by Arsenal and has made his desire to join the Gunners quite clear.

However, a massive bonus for Hughes has been the form of Schwarzer’s understudy, David Stockdale, in the Fulham goal.

Whether he is able to do the business on a regular basis remains to be seen and it seems highly unlikely that Hughes would want to gamble on Stockdale staying fit and in form for the whole season.

The Schwarzer saga seems to highlight an increasing shortage of quality goalkeepers in the Premier League, with many sides being forced to pay massive amounts of cash in order to prise their targets away from their current clubs. It will be interesting to see if Arsenal get their way on this one. The latest Andy Gray podcast will no doubt have something to say about it if the deal does come off.

In front of the keeper, Hughes has been looking to strengthen his squad. He managed to make his first signing recently, bringing in Algerian defender Rafik Halliche. The club have also agreed a fee to sign PSV’s Mexican left-back Carlos Salcido who has been signed to cover the seemingly Liverpool bound Paul Konchesky. The left-back is in talks to join his former manager on Merseyside. A reported fee of £3.5million for the 29-year-old Konchesky who is entering the final year of his contract is probably as good a deal as the club could expect.

With Phillipe Senderos out for a large chunk of the season with injury, Halliche will prove valuable back-up to current first choice defensive pairing of Brede Hangeland and Aaron Hughes. Halliche has joined Fulham on a three year deal after failing to break into the Benfica first team. The versatile defender played in all three of his country’s games at the World Cup this summer in South Africa. Some people made Fulham betting tips for relegation before the start of the season, but these signings should help them stay up.

A lot of Fulham’s success this season will depend on their keeper and his back four, so the next few weeks could be very interesting for fans of the club.

Post from: Keeper Skool

Fulham face keeper tug of war

With the Bosman ruling and the less well-known, but still potentially important, Webster ruling shifting the balance of power in transfers even further away from clubs towards players, the question that is now being asked is will we soon see a Begovic or Mascherano ruling that fundamentally alters the state of football?

With Begovic likely to be just a benchwarmer should he join Chelsea, with goalkeeper Petr Cech unlikely to lose his place to the youngster, his attitude towards his current club is even more shocking. At the age of just 23, the player should be concentrating on becoming the best goalkeeper he can, rather than just looking to grab a big money move.

Perhaps more than any other position on the pitch, keepers need to play week in week out or they start to lose their edge. Switching to the Blues now could be a bad move for all involved. Most people make Stoke betting tips for mid-table safety, but the saga could distract them.

However, should Stoke choose to ignore any renewed attempt by Chelsea to buy the keeper, a one-man strike may well end up in a court battle that could determine the very future of how transfers are conducted.

While this may sound like a gross exaggeration, Arsene Wenger is one of several top managers who have already suggested that transfer fees may well become a thing of the past should player power continue to increase its hold on football.

Chelsea and Stoke clash at the weekend and the Betfair Football odds make the Blues favourites, but this issue will leave a bitter taste in the mouth.

Although it is clear that players should be allowed to have a major role in their future transfers or career moves, the decision of some players to show a lack of loyalty or understanding of the fact they are betraying the fans who help pay their wages clearly highlights the growing gap between players and fans.

Post from: Keeper Skool

Keeper sulk will help no one

1. Figure out how many people you need in a wall. Free Kicks that are close in (18-23 yards) have more people in the wall than free kicks that are further out (24-30 yards out). Generally, you never want to go more than five people in a wall.

2. Run to the near post and start communicating with the wall! This may be the most important step. You don’t have very much time to get your wall set up, so you want to move as quickly as possible. Don’t be afraid to scream to your wall how many people and where to start. For example, if it’s a four-man wall, run to your near post and scream, “Four in a wall! Four in a wall!” until the wall is built. Next scream which direction you want them to move. Usually they are facing away from you, in which case you just scream “Right!” or “Left!” However, in the case where one or all of your wall members turn toward you, make sure you’re telling them to go to their right or left, as to not confuse the wall.

3. Get into a proper position on the far post. The goal of the wall is to block the near post, so the shooter has to literally bend the ball around the wall in order to get it into the near side. So your duty is to take care of any shots that come through to the far side. You want to position yourself in a way that if you dive one way, you block anything that can squeeze through the post; and if you dive the other way, you can block anything that can squeeze in through the wall.

4. Be prepared for anything. Sometimes a wall member moves to early, or the ball goes up and over the wall. Don’t always assume that the ball won’t get through the wall. If something happens to where the wall doesn’t work, be on your toes to make quick moves.

5. Make sure to tell your team what to do after the ball is played. Let them know that “You’ve got it!” or “It was blocked, move up, move up!” You’re the leader on the team, and you can see everything. So it’s your job to give your team direction after a free kick. Walls can be extremely useful. Building one is the hardest part, and it takes practice! So maybe at your next practice, you can work on building a couple to get you ready for game time!

By Bonnie Kuhn. Bonnie buys her new gear like the Adidas F50′s and Adidas soccer socks at soccerpro.com.

Post from: Keeper Skool

How To Build An Effective Wall

So where’s the perfect place to stand, you ask? Well that depends. Sometimes it’s good to be back a little farther, sometimes it’s good to be up a little closer, and sometimes it’s good to stand a little toward the right or left. It’s all about angles and covering your territory.

Let’s break it down into three components: breakaways, crosses, and free kicks.

Breakaways: Being a keeper on a breakaway is one of the toughest parts of the game. As the person is running in, you don’t want to run back, because you will give them more room to shoot around you. At this point, the closer they get to you, the closer you want to get to them. You want to make sure you come off your line as they are coming in to take away the space for them to shoot. You don’t want to come out to fast, because one move and they’re around you. You can’t come out too slowly, either, that just gives them more space. Positioning on a breakaway is similar to defending in the backfield. You want to contain and wait for the ball to get just far enough from them and just close enough to you so that you can dive and snatch the ball away.

Make sure you come out at an angle to cover you near post (it’s always harder for the opposition to shoot on the far post). A general rule of thumb is to come at an angle that if you dive forward and to your right, your hands block everything from the right post to your feet. If you dive forward and to your left, you cover everything from the left post to your feet.

Crosses: Crosses are difficult to judge sometimes. You don’t want to be stuck on your line, becuase a cross could come into the center, giving the opposition the whole goal to shoot on. You want to be somewhere (depending on your range) around the top of the 6-yard box. If you have a bigger range to dive or you can recover faster than most keepers), then coming out a little further is alright. If you have a smaller range to dive or you recover slower than most keepers, then a step or two closer to your line is alright.

When the ball is crossed, the 6-yard box should be considered “your area”. Anything that you can get to in your 6-yard box, you call! If it’s way over your head, shift back toward your line a bit, and break down the angle. If it’s too far out into the center, shift back toward your line a bit and break down the angle. Crosses are all about knowing your range and knowing where your goal is. You have to own “your area” and know what you’re capable of.

One thing to keep in mind, especially on crosses that come from the corner (or on corner kicks) is that it is always easier to run forward than it is to run backwards. Sometimes it’s okay to stand toward the far two-thirds of the goal to cut back on the balls that go over your head. Make sure you aren’t too far back, though, because some good players can bend the ball into the near post!

Free Kicks: Free Kicks are always based on where the ball is and how far out the ball is. If it’s something to the side, play it like a cross and own the 6-yard box. If it’s something close and to the middle, set up a wall on the near post and make sure you have the far post covered. If it’s far enough out that you don’t need a wall, make sure you cover the near-post/far-post angles like you would any shot, but stand back a little farther because free-kicks are often kicked up and over. You don’t want to get chipped on a free-kick.

You can use what you know about breakaways and crosses to determine positioning on free kicks. First of all, the angle you need to cover uses the same rule oft humb that breakaways use. If you dive forward and to the right, you should be able to cover the whole right post. If you dive forward and to your left, you should be able to cover the whole left post. Second, remember that it’s always easier to run forward than it is backwards. On close free kicks, it’s okay to even start behind the goal line a little, to give yourself awareness on the ball, and allow yourself to come out with momentum to either dive or punch the ball over.

No matter the situation, make sure you communicate to your players! Make sure you own your area, and make sure you let your players know if you have the ball or not. Make sure you guide the wall, and make sure you tell your players if you are out of position. All keepers can get out of position sometimes, but if you communicate, your defenders can often cover for you!

By Bonnie Kuhn.

Bonnie stays light on her feet and keeps her goal safe wearing the new Adidas F50 Adizero. Get yours today from SoccerPro, the authority for soccer gear and training.

Post from: Keeper Skool

The Perfect Positioning for any Goalkeeper

Making a save may be the most difficult job a goalkeeper has, but the aftermath is very important! There are several ways to distribute a ball after making a save. You can punt, dropkick, drive, roll, or throw the ball out to your player. However you do it, accuracy and position are the key components to ball distribution.Punt: When punting the ball, make sure to have a proper approach. The power comes from your legs, so if you take a few good steps first, that gives your legs momentum. Make sure you step so that you can plant your non-kicking foot before the 18-yard box. When kicking the ball out of your hands, make sure your toes are pointed downward and you are kicking with your laces. To get the most kicking power, land on your kicking foot. The best place to punt the ball is toward the wings. Punts can sometimes turn into 50-50 balls, so you don’t want to kick the ball right in front of the net, in case the opposing team recovers.

Dropkick: Dropkicks are similar to punts in that that you should place the ball toward the wings, point your toes, kick with your laces, and land on your kicking foot. However, dropkicks are all about timing. When you are approaching a dropkick, you want to make sure you drop the ball in enough time for it to bounce off of the ground for the kick, but you do not want to drop it too early! The bounce should occur just before the kick occurs, otherwise the ball will bounce off of your shins or knees! The dropkick is a great means of distribution on windy days. They drive low off of the ground, and can be very accurate if timed right! The trick is to get the timing perfect!

Drive: Driving the ball off of the ground is a great way to distribute the ball a long way, if you’ve got the foot! It can be the most accurate, especially in the wind. Driving the ball is great, because it drives low off of the ground, goes a long way if you have the power to kick far, and doesn’t need to perfect the art of timing the ball off of the ground (like a drop kick does). Simply place the ball on the ground, approach it as if you were taking a goal kick, point your toes down, kick with your laces, and land on your kicking foot! Again, placing the ball out to the wings is the best place for distribution!

Roll: Rolling the ball out to a defender can sometimes be the most accurate way to distribute a ball. It catches the other team off guard, and it can lead to a very quick attack up the field. The best time to roll the ball to a defender is when the other team is transitioning back to anticipate the long kick or punt. Simply roll the ball (hard, and on the ground) to an open defender making a run. Make sure to time the roll, so that your defender can run onto it. You don’t want to roll it too far in front of them, but you don’t want them waiting for it either!

Throw: Landon Donovan’s game-winning goal against Algeria in the 2010 World Cup came from a beautiful throw-distribution from Tim Howard. This method of distribution can be extremely accurate and is great for a quick transition. The best part about a throw is that it can be used for the short play or the long play (if you have the arm). The key to throwing the ball is to time it so that the open player can run onto it, similarly to the roll distribution. You don’t want the open receiver to have to wait on the ball. You also want to throw it toward the ground so that it doesn’t bounce too high; a low skip is better than a high bounce so that the receiving player can settle the ball with his or her feet.

Now that you know five primary methods to distribute a ball, try a new one in your next game! Whether you dropkick because it is windy (make sure you practice the timing), or throw the ball for a quick transition, an accurate distribution from the goalkeeper can lead to some of the greatest goals!

By Bonnie Kuhn. Bonnie buys all of her goalkeeper gear from SoccerPro.com. They have the best selection of goalkeeper gloves and goalkeeper jerseys

Post from: Keeper Skool

The Art of Good Distribution from the Goalkeeper

2). Hugo Lloris: If you haven’t heard of him by now, you definitely will be hearing his name praised in a month. Already becoming a star at 23, the French international has been in incredible form for both club (Lyon) and country. He helped guide Lyon to a Champions League semi-final and a 2nd place finish in the league for automatic Champions League qualification next season. He also (arguably) single-handedly qualified France for the World Cup finals with an incredible performance against Ireland (in one of the most controversial games in recent memory). With an extremely favorable group draw in South Africa (Uraguay, South Africa, and Mexico), one can expect a few clean sheets a potentially long run in the World Cup.

3). Iker Casillas: Sure, he plays on two of the most talented teams in the world (Real Madrid and Spain). Hoever, the 28 year-old Spanish international has been voted in UEFA’s team of the year three years in a row now and he deserves all the accolades he receives. Having made over 350 appearances for Real Madrid and earning 100 caps for the Spanish squad is a tremendous accomplishment and he will keep earning more appearances with his best football years potentially ahead of him. Playing around the likes of Xavi, Iniesta, Torres, Villa, and Puyol should help make his job a bit easier, but take nothing away from Casillas. His smaller size as a goalie has never stopped him from being part of an elite group of players and he will be certainly be earning a couple clean sheets in South Africa.

4). Júlio César: One of two goalkeepers receiving votes in the 2009 Ballon d’Or (the other, Casillas), Brazil’s first choice goalkeeper sat in the shadows of Dida for a long time. However, he has emerged as one of the top goalkeepers in the game, helping to guide Inter Milan to a possible treble this season (behind fellow countrymen, Lúcio and Maicon). Inter have won Serie A each year he has been the posts and that is no coincidence. He plays behind a terrific and powerful backline, which will help him pad his already great reputation as a top goalkeeper.

5). Tim Howard: Surprised? Let’s look at the facts of the US international. Howard was named the Confederations Cup golden glove winner (ahead of the likes of Casillas, Júlio César, and Buffon). He is 6 foot, 3 inches, so he has a ridiculously long wingspan. The US is paired with Algeria and Slovenia, two of the weaker sides of this year’s cup with not much attacking prowess. His performances for Everton have them on an 11 game unbeaten streak, recording 5 clean sheets in that span (11 total on the season). Why couldn’t he shine brightly this summer? England may prove tough to deal with, but expect Howard to be a monster between the frames for the US.

By Chris Behrens, writer and media manager for SoccerPro.com. Besides being a soccer fanatic, Chris owns a large collection of goalkeeper gloves and soccer jerseys.

Post from: Keeper Skool

Top 5 Goalkeepers of the 2010 FIFA World Cup

After Shay Given was ruled out for the rest of the season with a dislocated shoulder, City had to use the emergency loan system to draft in a replacement and Sunderland ‘keeper Marton Fulop is the man they have signed until the end of the season.

It’s amazing that a club chasing fourth place in the most lucrative league in the world, with a multi-million pound backer and a manager as professional as Roberto Mancini, have to go cap in hand to the Premier League in order to find a goalie.

Gunnar Nielsen, 23, played the last 17 minutes of the 0-0 draw with Arsenal after Given’s injury and he’s the only fit senior stopper on the books with Stuart Taylor still recovering after a knee operation and David Gonzalez suffering from a groin injury. City, who are facing their most important ever Premier League run-in, did try and recall Joe Hart from Birmingham, but the terms of his loan meant this was not possible. England’s World Cup betting suggests he is in with a chance of starting as number in South Africa, but he won’t be filling that role for City this season.

Mancini might point to the fact that City have been unlucky with injuries, but you would expect a club the size of City to have a keeper able to fill in without having to borrow one from a lesser rival.

Fulop has made 12 Premier League starts this term, but he fell out of favour on Wearside following the 7-2 thrashing at Chelsea in January and has remained as Craig Gordon’s understudy ever since. The Hungary international is highly rated but is set to leave Sunderland in the summer and an impressive few weeks at Eastlands will put him firmly in the shop window.

However, it seems unlikely City will let Hart go out on loan again next season, with the young ‘keeper seemingly set to help England live up to their World Cup 2010 odds in South Africa.

Post from: Keeper Skool

Emergency Fulop to City’s rescue

1. Getting “centred”: This principle pertains to the need for the goalkeeper to be centred across the goal line at different intervals depending on the direction the ball is being shot from. The following diagram will give an overview of where a goalkeeper should stand whilst centred facing a shot on goal directly. The ball (in this scenario) may move across the goal at different angles, though the more the goalkeeper moves off their line, the more effectively they will be able to cover their goal.

If the goalkeeper moves off their line and attacks the ball at a 20-30 degree angle the goalkeeper will curb the attack on goal extremely effectively. The subsequent diagrams show the same principle though with the goalkeeper attacking the ball shot toward their near post (both left and right side).

2. Moving forward: Being able to understand when and in what situations to move forward is an art form in intself. It takes precise understanding of your surrounding goal area. Movement should always flow with the game. Therefore, as the team moves up, you move to compensate and act a defensive aide at all times.

As the team unit moves back, then you compress back into goals, but never venture so far back that you are on your goal line. Standing on your goal line provides many options for your opposition to score, standing off your goal line, reduces attacking options for your opposition (their line of sight is obstructed, though it also means you have to rely on agility and fluidity of attack to be effective off your line). It’s a simple concept, but one which many goalkeepers forget to enact.

The following diagram shows just how effectively a goalkeeper can cut off an angle as they move forward out fo their goal area (note: movement forward to attack a ball in or just outside the 18 yard box, takes a lot of time and practice):

Therefore, 2 key concepts are always vital if you want to be more efficient on goal, that is, attacking motion (moving forward) when centred at any angle in goal, and being able to move with the flow of the game to help enact attack and curb defense.

Join Keeper Skool Certified today to access exclusive interviews with leading goalkeeper coaches, articles and The G-Code ebook to enhane your fitness and training. Click here to find out more.

Post from: Keeper Skool

How to get centred and attack the ball more efficiently?

Technical:

-The goalkeeper should always be in a centered position no matter what angle they are attacking.

-The goalkeeper should work toward diving at an angle of between 20-30 degrees to effectively attack the ball and cut the angle of the attacker shot on goal.

-Footwork is key with short and explosive steps before launching to attack the ball. A short and explosive step forward helps measurably in attacking the ball.

Physical:

-Leg strength is critical to help facilitate neuromuscular power in the muscle to attack the ball more efficiently.

- Foot speed is also critical in helping to generate efficiency to attack a ball more effectively. This resides in utilizing agility specific training.

- Numerous studies have shown that their is an inherent weakness in the human visual system. Goalkeepers unfortunately can have a hard time reaching balls driven at a high speed as the eye cannot typically track a fast paced balls movement forcing a delayed reaction.

Getting to those hard to reach balls driven wide, low and hard need not be difficult. By simply moving off the line, with a forward momentum and typically attacking the ball at a slight 20-30 degree angle will enable the goalkeeper to be more efficient when attacking the ball.

What I have noticed with many of my younger, less experienced goalkeepers is that they tend to wait for the ball to come to them, and because of this delay they tend to move backward rather than forward. Moving backward, provides ample space for your attacker to score, moving forward reduces the likelihood of a successful attempt on your goal.

Therefore, we should always work toward becoming “attacking” goalkeepers. When a ball is driven wide, low and hard toward your goal, attacking the ball and utilizing a 20-30 degree forward momentum toward the ball will curb this type of shot effectively.

Post from: Keeper Skool

How to attack a shot and win everytime?

Gomes was in brilliant form at White Hart Lane as he kept Arsenal at bay almost single handed.

His two saves from Robin van Persie were world class, while his close-range stop from Sol Campbell’s header was breathtaking and earned Spurs a crucial 2-1 victory.

But had it not been for Harry Redknapp sticking by the 29-year-old, he could have been on the Spurs scrap heap.

His form when Redknapp took over was erratic with many fans and pundits calling for Redknapp to draft in an experienced replacement, but the Spurs chief showed faith in Gomes after hearing so many good reports about the former PSV stopper.

The Spurs boss said: “I always knew he had the ability. I spoke to Guus Hiddink and he said he nearly took them to a Champions League final in 2005, he’s that good.”

Gomes has made almost 40 appearances for Spurs this term and his consistent form this campaign has been aided by the close work he has been doing with goalkeeping coach Tony Parks.

Indeed, this work could boost Spurs, and it might see Brazil’s World Cup betting odds shorten even further as they now have three top-class ‘keepers at their disposal.

After a spell adapting to life in the Premier League, Gomes now seems to be at ease in the top flight and looks full of confidence.

Gomes, who was signed by Juande Ramos in the summer of 2008, is now looking like a £7.8 million recruit and he has his sights on a place in Brazil’s World Cup squad.

Brazil are currently second favourites in this year’s World Cup odds and will be hopeful of winning the tournament.

Post from: Keeper Skool

Spurs stopper Gomes comes of age