- Aug 20, 2003
- 9,297
- 11,355
Absolutely spot on sir!I think it's horses for courses personally, but I do think far too much emphasis is being put on being able to play out like an outfield player. I'm not bothered if Vic can't ping a ball 40 yards to the wings as long as he's calm whilst being pressed and keeps the ball out of the net. I also think Ange's philosophy is quite different to Peps in that I think Ange wants us to play through the middle under pressure in order to draw players in create spaces in behind the pressing players to create overloads that way. pep draws them in and Ederson is then able to bypass them over the top and to the full backs. Newcastle are just more direct. All 3 systems work in their own way and are effective.
It's still the case for me though that my keepers primary attribute should be shot stopping, and that's why I'm happy with Vic over the other 2 mentioned.
Bit of a keepers Union on this but fundamentally it boils down to a keeper doing the goalkeeping basics right 99% of the time, if that means whacking it out of play when needed then so be it. Keep it simple, I don’t understand this whole nonsense of having to try and play out from the back all the time as some of the goals conceded from doing it are just awful.
Joe Hart wasn’t a bad keeper at Citeh when pep came in and ostracised him for Ederson who quite clearly is a failed outfield player who just happened to be a half decent keeper.
The thing that worries me though is that this ‘pep philosophy’ about keeping has filtered down to grassroots football and you’ve now got lads who are as young as seven or eight who are fantastic keepers being told they aren’t up to standard as they are not so good with the ball at their feet.
Give me a keeper who can do his job as opposed to a keeper who is then asked to play like a centre half any day of the week!