08-12-2017, 19:37
Today's balls are lighter and have less pressure than the balls used to when we had several of the world's best keepers, like Gordon Banks, the best of all time in my opinion.
Goalkeepers have very different gloves these days which are certainly intended to make catching easier. In my day a classy keeper wore green cotton gloves and in dry weather caught the ball in his bare hands. Current gloves are all weather.
In the days of the old-fashioned leather case ball, making it spin, curl, swerve or dip to order were pretty impossible. But the ball collected water, gained weight and could be like a piece of soap. Heading it, well ask Jeff Astle's family ....
As balls developed, at first things became a little easier for keepers, because the surface and weight of the ball became more manageable and catchable, but the pressure was similar, so movement in the air was still not radical.
Now with forwards wearing lighter boots capable I imagine of imparting more spin to the ball, the ball being lighter and resistant to water the ball does move about more. Equally these changes mean that keepers can kick the ball from the ground much further - just beyond the halfway line used to be decent - now keepers effortlessly put the ball down and hoof it way into an opponent's half if the defenders are lying deep.
The conclusion I would draw is that several things including the rules are more difficult for the modern goalie BUT goalies today should be feeling the benefit of constant coaching from ex-keepers that just didn't happen back in the day, pitches are miles better and more predictable, the weather is better, they are protected by referees and the change in the offside rule seems to have resulted in far fewer one on ones with keepers going down at the forwards' feet.
As a curmudgeonly old goalie I'd conclude that:-
goalkeeper coaching has had a surprisingly negative influence
goalkeeper prolonged warm-ups pre-match are purely for show and of ZERO benefit to the keeper
media influence has made goalkeeping a blocking exercise by putting forward that any kind of block with any part of the body is a good thing, when in fact use of the hands enables a block to be directed away from forwards and gives the keeper the chance of catching the ball, which stops an attack entirely
other countries are producing goalkeepers who can catch so changes in equipment and the rules cannot be responsible
goalkeepers have always made mistakes and dropped the ball occasionally, every error is now recorded whereas in the past they were certainly forgotten by the following game; that is very hard to live with mentally because goalkeeping is almost wholly negative anyway, a big part of goalkeeping is putting your mistakes behind you
if a goalie is worried he might not catch a cross he'll punch and the more pressure he thinks he is under the more likely that is to happen
BUT movement in the air, especially late swerve or dip has the same effect on goalies as it does for batsmen facing a fast bowler - late movement when you have already begun your save is like a deflection. Even catching a cross that suddenly dips means you have to very quickly readjust your hands ........
Jeez that's boring, sorry, I'm off to bounce a ball against the garage wall until I get over it. We've now got keepers who can execute a Cruyff turn, but seem unsure where to stand at a corner.
Goalkeepers have very different gloves these days which are certainly intended to make catching easier. In my day a classy keeper wore green cotton gloves and in dry weather caught the ball in his bare hands. Current gloves are all weather.
In the days of the old-fashioned leather case ball, making it spin, curl, swerve or dip to order were pretty impossible. But the ball collected water, gained weight and could be like a piece of soap. Heading it, well ask Jeff Astle's family ....
As balls developed, at first things became a little easier for keepers, because the surface and weight of the ball became more manageable and catchable, but the pressure was similar, so movement in the air was still not radical.
Now with forwards wearing lighter boots capable I imagine of imparting more spin to the ball, the ball being lighter and resistant to water the ball does move about more. Equally these changes mean that keepers can kick the ball from the ground much further - just beyond the halfway line used to be decent - now keepers effortlessly put the ball down and hoof it way into an opponent's half if the defenders are lying deep.
The conclusion I would draw is that several things including the rules are more difficult for the modern goalie BUT goalies today should be feeling the benefit of constant coaching from ex-keepers that just didn't happen back in the day, pitches are miles better and more predictable, the weather is better, they are protected by referees and the change in the offside rule seems to have resulted in far fewer one on ones with keepers going down at the forwards' feet.
As a curmudgeonly old goalie I'd conclude that:-
goalkeeper coaching has had a surprisingly negative influence
goalkeeper prolonged warm-ups pre-match are purely for show and of ZERO benefit to the keeper
media influence has made goalkeeping a blocking exercise by putting forward that any kind of block with any part of the body is a good thing, when in fact use of the hands enables a block to be directed away from forwards and gives the keeper the chance of catching the ball, which stops an attack entirely
other countries are producing goalkeepers who can catch so changes in equipment and the rules cannot be responsible
goalkeepers have always made mistakes and dropped the ball occasionally, every error is now recorded whereas in the past they were certainly forgotten by the following game; that is very hard to live with mentally because goalkeeping is almost wholly negative anyway, a big part of goalkeeping is putting your mistakes behind you
if a goalie is worried he might not catch a cross he'll punch and the more pressure he thinks he is under the more likely that is to happen
BUT movement in the air, especially late swerve or dip has the same effect on goalies as it does for batsmen facing a fast bowler - late movement when you have already begun your save is like a deflection. Even catching a cross that suddenly dips means you have to very quickly readjust your hands ........
Jeez that's boring, sorry, I'm off to bounce a ball against the garage wall until I get over it. We've now got keepers who can execute a Cruyff turn, but seem unsure where to stand at a corner.