Premier League Goalkeepers: Shay Given and my suspicions towards small keepers

Football Food For Thought / Frank Gregan / 16 January 2009 / 1

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Frank Gregan has seen and experienced a thing or two whilst being on the football pitch and watching from the sidelines over the years. Including watching a "small" keeper create his team plenty of trouble. Which reminds him of a certain Shay Given...

In light of the storm that there has been in the national press this week about a couple of our Princes having rather strange and racist nicknames for their brother officers and friends, I have decided to make my own politically incorrect confession.

Try as I might, I am unable to shake off the one prejudice that I have harboured from a very young age. It first started when I was playing semi pro football in Germany and our left back didn't so much get sold a dummy but bought half of Mothercare. I think he ended up in the bratwurst queue!

That meant that my skipper and centre back partner had to threaten the space beyond the near post and left me exposed on the edge of the six yard box in the mid goal area. The winger with the golden swerve didn't fancy taking on our skipper who was a cross between Popeye and the Incredible Hulk and instead opted to stand a cross up towards the back post.

The ball seemed to be in the air for ages, I was back peddling and tried to flick my head back as I jumped to put the striker behind me off. He was having none of it and because he had the run on me he was able to smash his forearm into the back of my head and batter me to the ground. At the same time his momentum enabled him to power a header towards the top corner.

From nowhere our keeper flew across his line, missed the ball with his leading fist but with his trailing hand got his fingertips to it and got it onto the bar and over. As I hit the ground I thought, "that is the best save I have ever seen!"

Our skipper then picked up the 'keeper and went mental, I thought he was going to lay him out. At half time I asked one of the guys who could speak English what the skipper was upset about. The skipper had said to the goalkeeper, "if you got your fat butt off the goal line, you would have caught that cross, he (me) wouldn't be laid out and we wouldn't have to defend this corner!"

And from that day forth I have held an unstinting prejudice against small goalkeepers. I am a smallkeeperist because they hog their line and reap the praise for saves that they would never have to make if they commanded their six yard box.

You know when you are in trouble when the opposition supporters catch first sight of a vertically challenged 'keeper and start their quips. I've heard them all, "do you pay VAT on your clothes? Hey 'keeper, when's the other half of you coming? Hey up jockey, where's your horse?" The most annoying one is "give my regards to Snow White" because that invariably leads to chorus after chorus of "Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work we go!"

Newcastle United this week claimed that Shay Given is the best goalkeeper in the Premier League. Every record that I have been able to uncover claims that Given is 6 feet 1 inch tall. There is no way he is 6 ft plus, they must have measured him on his way to an Abba theme night wearing 6 inch platform heels!

Mark Hughes apparently rates Given and has bid £3 million for the Newcastle shot stopper. It's worth bearing in mind that represents only 3% of what he has reportedly bid for Kaka so he can't rate the Irishman too highly! Hughes has said that he is unlikely to increase his bid so it looks as if the Geordie fans will keep their favourite at least until the end of the season.

Newcastle crashed out of the FA Cup on Wednesday night and their conquerors, Hull City, are now at home to Millwall in round four which should see them through to the last 16. They are currently [50.0] to win the trophy and I think that may be worth a back with a view to laying at a much shorter price if they make the quarter finals. It looks like being another abject year of failure for the Toon Army and they have wasted a glorious chance to get a much needed cup run going.

As far as Given is concerned I don't know whether to stick or twist. As a Newcastle supporter I think he is a tremendous 'keeper and has been a brilliant servant to the club. As a coach, manager and smallkeeperist, I still have the prejudice and as far as goalkeepers are concerned, I believe a good big un beats a good little un every day of the week!

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Paul Morrison | 19 January 2010

big keepers are not as aggressive as a smaller keeper. They may take some crosses but rarely venture out of the 6 yard box to break down a play or attack a forward at his feet.

Watch a big goalkeeper dive to make a save. He dives from where he is stood and uses his body length to hopefully make a save. A smaller keeper has faster feet takes steps before take off and gains considerably more distance than a taller keeper helping make that great save.

Gordon Banks wasn,t the tallest or Neville Southall but still better than most around today.

Goalkeeping is about the confidence you inspire in the team,organisation( this can mean far less attacks) and on occasion real bravery. Size isn,t everything its what6 you do with what you've got.