*Official* English Football Season 2009-2010

[Uppercut]

Well, no, I don't tbh, because imo the difference between Lehmann and VDS is/was minimal and I don't for a minute think Arsenal would have done any better with VDS in goal than they would have done anyway, can you really think of many times over the last 3 years in which Arsenal have been cost anything of great significance by a goal keeping error?

That's such a facetious way of looking at it. Almunia's made plenty of errors that have cost the team points, but you can't look at them and say, "if it weren't for those, Arsenal would have won the title" because it doesn't work like that.

A solid keeper, if not even a top-class one, would have improved the team massively in that period, and a much-improved team would probably have been more successful. You wouldn't believe how much better your defence would look with a keeper they have faith in behind them.

 

[The Sean]

You wouldn't believe how much better your defence would look with a keeper they have faith in behind them.

Yeah, this - a 'keeper that commands and calms his defence is immensely valuable, moreso than being just a shotstopper. This is something Van Der Sar generally does particularly well and a major reason I rate him so highly.

 

[Uppercut]

Absolutely. Once you have the 'keeper role settled, the whole team can concentrate on improving other areas of their game without having to worry about it. I never understood why no big clubs ever made a move for proven solid players in that position like Schwarzer, Niemi, Sorensen, Friedel and Jaaskelainen. Wenger kept chopping and changing, bringing in nobodies (or enigmas like Lehmann), buying keepers then never playing them, going for complete unknowns. Benitez, by contrast, went for a player he knew well from Spain and he hasn't had to worry about the position since.

 

[duffer]

Jens was quality. He made the odd mistake coming out trying to be a sweeper but the fact that he had the balls to take responsibility for owning the area and helping the team who liked to play a high line was more than worth it. He saved us far more often than he cost us in his role. Made some incredible saves for us as well, his shot stopping ability was well underrated mainly because he was 90% of the time in perfect position to not have to make a superman save. Bloke single handedly won us an FA Cup final too.

Seeing someone as completely mediocre as Almunia replace him is ball breaking. He was brilliant for us, if not a little mad. Wag.

 

[Majin]

Love Jens so much, has been my hero ever since the Arse had a corner against Man U in the FA cup and all the players were down in Man U's penalty area apart from Jens and Ronaldo who for some reason was poncing around at Arsenal's corner flag, and Jens just went steaming over and shoved him onto the floor and then went casually back to his goal as he if wasn't in a stadium full of thousands of people and TV cameras, what a legend.

 

[roseboy64]

Oh yes, the quality of the likes of Veron, Forlan, Djemba Djemba, Kleberson, Dong, ...

Denis Irwin, Eric Cantona, Roy Keane, Teddy Sheringham, Cristiano Ronaldo, OGS, Peter Schmeichel, Wayne Rooney, Steve Bruce, Rio Ferdinand, Ruud van Nistelrooy, VDS, Patrice Evra, Nemanja Vidic, Paul Ince and Gary Pallister.

Dong actually had a lot of potential to be fair.

I've never said that TBH.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

You are ridiculously easy to troll, it's unbelieveable.

 

[aussie]

I'd agree with you if this was 1996.

Nah Sledge man, you roughing up VDS...although i'd agree he was never been at his peak during his United tenure to date. In Europe in recent years not many keepers have been better IMO.

 

[Ikki]

All personal taste I guess and I am clearly a bigger admirer of VDS than some around these parts, but for mine descriptions like "solid enough" and "no better than average" are massively underrating an outstanding 'keeper.

Yeah, I agree. A fairer statement would be "one of the best in the world". In the first of the 3 title season winnings VDS was massive.

 

[sledger]

That's such a facetious way of looking at it. Almunia's made plenty of errors that have cost the team points, but you can't look at them and say, "if it weren't for those, Arsenal would have won the title" because it doesn't work like that.

A solid keeper, if not even a top-class one, would have improved the team massively in that period, and a much-improved team would probably have been more successful. You wouldn't believe how much better your defence would look with a keeper they have faith in behind them.

Though what you say is correct, it is a fairly moot point, as there is no way of establishing how many goals were conceded through the defenders not having faith in the goal keeper behind them.

For mine Lehmann was at least as good as Van Der Sar, I thought he was an exceptional keeper, though obviously prone to the odd moment of madness, but that just make me like him more, the guy was an absolute legend in my eyes.

I don't really have a lot of time for Almunia, but would say that he has improved a hell of a lot over the last few years. Still not a great keeper by any means, but solid enough, and I have faith in him to do a decent enough job. I wouldn't mind seeing him replaced with someone better, but I honestly can't think of anyone available who would do as good a job or a significantly better job who could be purchased cheaply enough to make good financial sense.

 

[sledger]

Love Jens so much, has been my hero ever since the Arse had a corner against Man U in the FA cup and all the players were down in Man U's penalty area apart from Jens and Ronaldo who for some reason was poncing around at Arsenal's corner flag, and Jens just went steaming over and shoved him onto the floor and then went casually back to his goal as he if wasn't in a stadium full of thousands of people and TV cameras, what a legend.

Him putting his hands around Robbie Keane's neck and trying to throttle him and giving away a penalty in the process is up there as another one of his greatest/worst moments as well.

Him using his water bottle to squirt water over Kevin Philips was hilarious as well.

 

[duffer]

Arsene's 60 greatest quotes

Fmd, wag. Hope he never leaves.

 

[The Sean]

Arsene's 60 greatest quotes

Fmd, wag. Hope he never leaves.

Ha ha was reading those yesterday, there's some great stuff there. He's got tremendous wit - very funny in a dry, sophisticated way.

 

[Uppercut]

Though what you say is correct, it is a fairly moot point, as there is no way of establishing how many goals were conceded through the defenders not having faith in the goal keeper behind them.

For mine Lehmann was at least as good as Van Der Sar, I thought he was an exceptional keeper, though obviously prone to the odd moment of madness, but that just make me like him more, the guy was an absolute legend in my eyes.

I don't really have a lot of time for Almunia, but would say that he has improved a hell of a lot over the last few years. Still not a great keeper by any means, but solid enough, and I have faith in him to do a decent enough job. I wouldn't mind seeing him replaced with someone better, but I honestly can't think of anyone available who would do as good a job or a significantly better job who could be purchased cheaply enough to make good financial sense.

What about the United game earlier this season? You guys seriously had us by the balls before Almunia gifted us three points. When you remember Arsenal's start to the season, and how well they performed in that game up to that point, it could even be considered a season-defining moment.

I think there's tons of keepers around who could do a better job, and most of them wouldn't cost the world. But I'll restrict myself to the Premiership and only name ten- Brad Friedel, Thomas Sorensen, Mark Schwarzer, Shay Given, David James, Jussi Jaaskelainen, Brian Jensen, Robert Green, Carlo Cudicini and Chris Kirkland could all, IMO, do a better job than Almunia. Some of those guys are mediocre keepers you wouldn't particularly want in your side, but they're still better than Almunia.

 

[duffer]

IMO being the key word you used with that list. I think it's a bit of a joke tbh. I'd only take Given out of those candidates.

 

[Uppercut]

It's Almunia! He's crap.

I wouldn't say Given is the best in that list. Stays on his line all the time. I suspect he grew up as a Gaelic keeper.

Jaaskelainen and Friedel are the two best there for me.

 

[Matteh]

Is that the same Brad Friedel who let in Drogba's goal for some reason?

Most the keepers you named are capable of the odd huge game but are all too prone to being average. Jaaskalainen behind a good defence would be a quality acquisition.

 

[Majin]

Him putting his hands around Robbie Keane's neck and trying to throttle him and giving away a penalty in the process is up there as another one of his greatest/worst moments as well.

Him using his water bottle to squirt water over Kevin Philips was hilarious as well.

haha I remember the Robbie Keane one, was hilarious that he had his hands all over him and then when Keane turned around and pushed him off he started giving it some theatrics and complaining to the ref, genius.

on a random note his antics inspired me to make the best Smackdown CAW I ever made, he had his little curly hair and the proper Arsenal 'keeper kit on with the O2 sponsership and everything. Was so hilarious seeing the computer have him come storming out in Royal Rumbles, build up a load of finishers and then go around shoving everyone onto the floor with his "Big Push" finish or whatever the hell it was called. looked exactly like his dicking of Ronaldo though it was great

 

[Uppercut]

Is that the same Brad Friedel who let in Drogba's goal for some reason?

Most the keepers you named are capable of the odd huge game but are all too prone to being average. Jaaskalainen behind a good defence would be a quality acquisition.

Because Almunia NEVER makes mistakes.

Friedel's very solid. Friedel, Given, Jaaskelainen, James and Kirkland are comfortably better for me. The rest were all much better at one point but it's not clear how good they are now, with the exception of Jensen and Green who are much in the same class as Almunia (although I'd put them marginally ahead for their ability to turn in the occasional unspeakably good performance).

 

[The Sean]

Because Almunia NEVER makes mistakes.

Friedel's very solid. Friedel, Given, Jaaskelainen, James and Kirkland are comfortably better for me. The rest were all much better at one point but it's not clear how good they are now, with the exception of Jensen and Green who are much in the same class as Almunia (although I'd put them marginally ahead for their ability to turn in the occasional unspeakably good performance).

Of the list you mentioned earlier I reckon Schwarzer is still at least as good as most of those blokes, and definitely better than Jensen and Kirkland - though that could be the Aussie in me talking...