Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Play Green or this Goalkeeping Curse Will Continue

Rob Green will forever be remembered for his terrible mistake, even more so if England don't qualify for the knock-out stages of the World Cup. The only way that he could possibly make up for it in the mind of every Englishman and woman is if he saves all penalties in the World Cup final - if we make it that far.

Goalkeeping mistakes have been with England for a while. Some may call it a curse. Others are less superstitious. But there is a problem. David James has been a victim, along with Paul Robinson, Scott Carson and now Rob Green. It doesn't look as if the pattern will stop, and it is England's biggest problem.

When David James made his mistake(s) he was labelled "Calamity James". He has the ability to make an easy save or decision into something much harder than it is. A liability you can call him.
Paul Robinson was a very good 'keeper before he made his mistake. Everyone lost confidence in him, which in my opinion was slightly harsh. All he could of done was to stop the ball instead of swinging straight away, but a cruel bounce proved too much.
Scott Carson's in-experience and nerves in the big Croatia game showed, as he allowed the ball to slip through his gloves into the net.
Now Green. A simple stop. He could have stopped it with his foot. Anything. Just get his body behind it. But it just didn't happen. He was unlucky.

But really, the only way to stop all of this is to find one goalkeeper who we trust - Joe Hart is a candidate, and stick with them. If they make a mistake, just build them up and get them going again. It isn't as if the goalkeepers listed above were dreadfully bad. They were good goalkeepers - not great, but they definitely have the ability.

Rob Green has proved that he is a good goalkeeper, and now that we have played him in the first game, it would ruin him, like it ruined Robinson and Carson, if we drop him for the second. We need to get behind the players and support them even if they make a mistake. I think that if Rob Green is never picked in a team under Capello at this World Cup, the goalkeeping problem will continue.
Who is ever going to want to take the number 1 shirt if their first mistake is followed with being dropped and never picked again?

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