The best goalkeepers in the world

If they played in a weaker team, lower premier league team, would they still be classed as world class?

The reason I ask this is because alot of world class keepers play behind world class defences therefore come under alot less pressure. Obviously the lower teams keepers have more pressure on them which could be why they make certain mistakes.


Personally I think Valdes is good at shot stopping and thats it. I reckon he'd crumble in a lower team where his team is under pressure for most of the game every game.

Discuss.

Your logic is backwards.

Why is it backwards?

Van Der Sar would be great in any side.

If this turns into a biased club v club debate then lock it.

James ♠ wrote:Why is it backwards?

Because generally the keepers with good shot stopping and not much else are the ones who thrive in the teams who come under pressure more.

He has a good point. I've seen some keepers get a bit of stick when people praise them because of the defence in front of them (Van der Sar's clean sheet record springs to mind), but I always thought he was brilliant even at Fulham.

On Valdes though, yeah. I've always thought you can get a mistake out of him.

Thats not true. Casillas is a great shot stopper and plays for the best country in the world and 2nd best team in its league.

James ♠ wrote:Thats not true. Casillas is a great shot stopper and plays for the best country in the world and 2nd best team in its league.

In what way does that have anything to do with proving Valdes would be poor in a smaller side because he's a good shot stopper and not much else?

For what it's worth Casillas' shot stopping has left a lot to be desired over the last 2 or so seasons, he's been off his game for a while.

There are probably some keepers in league 2 maybe even the conference that are better than most Premier League keepers.

I just made a point that my post isn't backwards logic.

Valdes has made mistakes behind a good defence, and rarely comes under massive pressure.

I reckon Valdes in a weaker team would expose them more.


I realise you support Barcelona though and will just be biased in this thread.

Jord wrote:There are probably some keepers in league 2 maybe even the conference that are better than most Premier League keepers.

Are you being sarcastic?

Jord wrote:There are probably some keepers in league 2 maybe even the conference that are better than most Premier League keepers.

Joe Hart was probably better than some PL keepers when he was at Shrewsbury, and possibly that other guy that Everton snapped up.

James ♠ wrote:I just made a point that my post isn't backwards logic.

Valdes has made mistakes behind a good defence, and rarely comes under massive pressure.

I reckon Valdes in a weaker team would expose them more.


I realise you support Barcelona though and will just be biased in this thread.

I think Valdes is overrated; he's a good keeper, but if he didn't have Pique and Puyol in front of him and the fact that barcelona don't give the other team chances to score, then he would be caught out many times.

James ♠ wrote:I just made a point that my post isn't backwards logic.

Valdes has made mistakes behind a good defence, and rarely comes under massive pressure.

I reckon Valdes in a weaker team would expose them more.


I realise you support Barcelona though and will just be biased in this thread.

No, let's leave names and teams out of it then to avoid the Barca fan debate.

If Goalkeeper X is "good at shot stopping and thats it" then why will he suddenly be a failure in a team that will mean he gets more shots fired at him? Surely if that's what he's good at it won't make him look bad?

Because there is more to goalkeeping then shot stopping.

A team under pressure doesn't just mean they get more shots fired at him.


There will be more crosses towards him, he'll have to be good upstairs seeing as a mistake for a smaller club is more costly than one for a massive club.

Also, I'd say what seperates the great from the good in keepers is being able to make only 1 save a game. Almost every goalkeeper around is a good shot stopper, only the elite have the ability to play at a top team because they can handle the pressure and have the concentration to save on the rare time they are tested.

James ♠ wrote:Because there is more to goalkeeping then shot stopping.

Which aspect is more tested at lower teams than big?

The good shot stoppers are the ones who get overrated the most.

There's a lot more to be a good goalkeeper than stopping shots.....but people see "great saves" on t.v. sometimes and praise way over the top when if that goalkeeper didn't make the save it would've been a howler and they'd criticise the goalkeeper.

So you think it is harder to make one save per game then it is if you team is under pressure for 90 minutes having shots and crosses fired at him all game?

Fine Shagger wrote:

James ♠ wrote:Because there is more to goalkeeping then shot stopping.

Which aspect is more tested at lower teams than big?

Read my edit.

In my opinion, Lee Camp would do well at a Top 4 club, but because he isn't foreign and plays in the Championship currently, he'll never even be considered.

James ♠ wrote:So you think it is harder to make one save per game then it is if you team is under pressure for 90 minutes having shots and crosses fired at him all game?

I think it's harder to be a success for a top club than it is to be for a small club. Put Valdes, Reina, Casillas etc and they will all easily look as good as the like of Foster and keepers at teams like Birmingham. Reverse it and the same doesn't apply.

I see where you're coming from James. I think the top goalkeeper have earned their status. They have all the shot-stopping skills, plus the the thing that sets them apart, i.e. their mental focus. The focus that is needed to be ready when they are called - however little -upon during the game.

James ♠ wrote:Because there is more to goalkeeping then shot stopping.

A team under pressure doesn't just mean they get more shots fired at him.


There will be more crosses towards him, he'll have to be good upstairs seeing as a mistake for a smaller club is more costly than one for a massive club.

How is a mistake for a smaller club more costly? Is it not costly to lose a title from a keeper mistake?

Jamie, it is harder to be a world class keeper at a smaller club than it is a top club.

Fine Shagger wrote:

James ♠ wrote:Because there is more to goalkeeping then shot stopping.

A team under pressure doesn't just mean they get more shots fired at him.


There will be more crosses towards him, he'll have to be good upstairs seeing as a mistake for a smaller club is more costly than one for a massive club.

How is a mistake for a smaller club more costly? Is it not costly to lose a title from a keeper mistake?

In a big club, the team is more likely to recover from your mistake. Valdes makes a mistake, he has the best team in the world in front of him to dig him out of the hole.


Al Habsi makes a mistake for Wigan v Man City = they lose the game and miss out on a valuable point fighting against the drop.

Ben Foster.

Common logic really, if a keeper has to face more shots then he will concede more goals and appear to be a worse player.

James ♠ wrote:Jamie, it is harder to be a world class keeper at a smaller club than it is a top club.

Obviously, but that would hardly mean they would crumble. You can usually tell who the geniunely quality keepers are at smaller clubs though. Given is the perfect example, it was blatantly obvious he was a good shot stopper with not much else to his game, and it comes as no surprise he failed when making the step up from Newcastle. Ditto Ben Foster. Newcastle and Birmingham were their level and once they moved up they failed.