RICHARD LEE: Schmeichel was one of the best ever... but he's also one of the biggest factors in the decline of English goalkeeping

Published: 02:30 EST, 30 December 2013 | Updated: 02:30 EST, 30 December 2013

 

SportsMail meet Brentford...

Brentford goalkeeper Richard Lee returns for his latest Footballers' Football Column and looks at subject of goalkeepers and how they are judged by managers, pundits and fans. He looks at the common misconceptions about goalkeepers and says Peter Schmeichel has played a part in the decline of English goalkeeping. Before you read his column, check out his video.

Let's face it, we're in trouble. Over the last few months there has only been one goalkeeper in the Premier League who is English and consistently been No 1 at his club. That man is John Ruddy of Norwich City.

Even our national goalkeeper, Joe Hart, could not get a Premier League game for a number of months in a country which once prided itself on its goalkeeping talent. To say we've fallen behind is an understatement.

But who is to blame?

The great Dane: Peter Schmeichel played a key role in changing the perception goalkeeping in England

Peter Schmeichel is one of the best goalkeepers to have ever graced football; a model of consistency, a mountain of a man and comfortably the most successful goalkeeper of the modern era.

Known for his dominant physique and style, he would bark instructions to those around him, especially to teammates playing below their best. Manchester United fans always feel confident with Schmeichel in goal.

But despite his undoubted excellence, Schmeichel has been one of the biggest contributing factors in the decline of English goalkeeping.

Schmeichel offered something that hadn’t been seen before in the Premier League. He was a giant of a man, yet juxtaposed this imposing stature with the sharpest of agility in his movements.

He could throw the ball three quarters the length of the field and kick it even further. He has helped shape the idea of what a goalkeeper ‘should’ be, largely thanks to the fact that he was considered to be the ‘complete’ goalkeeper, one that every manager would love to have between the sticks – i.e. one that cuts an impressive and imposing figure.

This iconic Danish goalkeeper and his reputation is not solely to blame for our present plight. We could argue that such a successful figure should be an inspiration to budding goalkeepers. Other factors play a significant part.

Most managers of football clubs were outfield players. In fact, if we observe the voice of football, that is, pundits and commentators, it’s fair to say that the vast majority were once outfield players. This means that despite forming a very important 1/11 of a squad, ex goalkeepers very rarely get a look-in in the UK when it comes to match opinion and analysis.

With this being the case, goalkeeping knowledge is poor on the whole. Outfield players are fortunate enough to be analysed with clever observation, (sometimes) articulate insights and relevant points of note thanks to the relevant experience had by the person making the analysis.

Making himself big: Schmeichel denies Alan Shearer by making his body difficult to beat

Goalkeepers however, enjoy far less specific observations. Instead, pundits can often be found dipping into their limited supply of stock sentences and terms when it comes to passing comment on the team’s No 1.

Cliched and ambiguous comments referring to being a 'good shot stopper', or being labelled a goalie who 'flaps at crosses' are in abundance. Not forgetting the ultimate goalkeeping sin of being 'beaten at their near post' – a common phrase that far too often falls out of ill-educated mouths.

I know first hand that there are a select few out there who truly understand the intricacies of goalkeeping but these educated souls aren't in the public domain right now. With this being the case they can only help a select few and these aren't always necessarily the ones who could benefit most from such sought after information.

First choice: John Ruddy has made the No 1 shirt at Norwich his own

Back with a bang: Joe Hart was dropped as City No 1 for over a month

Between the sticks: Ben Foster has played just five Premier League games this season

So, with very little knowledge to go on, this had led to goalkeeping ability being judged primarily on the most obvious cue of all – height.

Nowadays, the stereotypical British goalkeeper must fit a particular mould, one that encompasses substantial height and build. After all, imposing physical stature and the idea that the goalkeeper intimidates and daunts is one that is held in high regard.

So much so that attributes such as agility, technical ability and overall quality might find themselves lower down the list, which could be the reason behind our country’s relatively short supply of ‘Schmeichel-esque’ standard goalkeepers.

In fact, our goalkeepers are even considered to be below average in the eyes of our advancing foreign counterparts with Spain, USA, Italy, Germany and France leading the way in Goalkeeping development.

Small? At 6ft Richard Lee says he would not have made it given the current need for bigger keepers

Making himself big: Lee makes himself big to try and prevent Badley Wright-Phillips scoring

So with the likes of a moderately sized Iker Casillas being regarded as one of the world’s current best goalkeeper, is there a lesson to be learnt?

The truth is that size really is such a small part of goalkeeping. I’ve witnessed first-hand goalkeepers who are 6ft 6in but can’t make saves in the top corner due to slow foot movement, a lack of power or poor diving technique.

Another common misconception is concerned with the perceived benefits of a tall keeper. It is widely supposed that the biggest benefit is the ability to receive crosses more effectively, but this technique requires speed of feet, timing and power.

Providing a keeper gets this right then it doesn’t matter if they’re 5ft 10in or 6ft 6in. With the right spring, speed and agility they’ll still catch the ball thanks to the fact that no-one else benefits from the advantage of being able to use their hands!

Not bad for a small lad: Iker Casillas has gone onto be one of the best keepers despite being 'only' 6ft tall

The most saddening aspect of this common misconception for me however, is the repercussions of such beliefs. In this country the majority of academies don’t sign young goalkeepers if they believe they will fall short of being 6ft 2in when fully grown, essentially dismissing potential talent on height alone.

I’m a goalkeeper of 6ft and despondently aware that I wouldn’t have had a career if I were coming through today’s system.

Much about goalkeeping needs to change – the way it is analysed, perceived and judged. So too does the way in which a goalkeeper trains, with more focus being placed on maximum power exertion, increasing speed, and improving agility.

After all, height really does play such a small part in being an effective goalkeeper. I genuinely believe that we should have objective markers and performance indicators on which goalkeepers can be judged, similar to some extent as to how American sports operate with each player ascribed stats to gauge their progress.

Safe hands: Hart and Ruddy are both regulars in the England squad, but is the country falling behind others?

In my opinion, such stats could be compiled through a series of tests which include challenges of a technical, physical and even mental nature. Such observations should then help highlight strengths and weaknesses that are likely to affect gameplay, and are arguably far more indicative than just getting the tape measure out.

Only with a change of attitude and a structured program such as this being backed and implemented by people who appreciate the importance of such nuances, will a step change really occur.

If not, the country is likely to fall further behind those that are producing these well-rounded goalkeepers boasting phenomenal distribution, agility to rival a gymnast, and who are sufficiently reliable, technically and mentally, to withstand any setback.

So as it stands, change is crucial. Without a new holistic and compressive approach being implemented soon, it’s likely another generation of goalkeepers will fall short - regardless of their size.

And, while there are some initiatives currently out there trying to buck this height and stature-focused trend, it’ll be some time before the DNA of what a goalkeeper should be changes in the UK. For now the ghost of Peter Schmeichel lives on.

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