You Can't Take Carlisle From the Boy

It's become a regular moan that English goalkeepers aren't up to their previous standards. In fact, anyone familiar with England in the post David Seaman days, is probably sick of hearing how good we used to be. How we had such an embarrassment of talent that Peter Bonetti hardly got a look in and Peter Shilton and Ray Clemence had to rotate the jersey. It sure as hell isn't like that now.

Sod's law suggests that some Premier League manager will change his favoured goalie but - as of this writing - 7 top flight teams turn out with an Englishman as the first choice between the posts. Of those, the majority, are fighting to stay in the Premier League and may give way to Championship teams fielding non-English keepers. Manuel Almunia's decision this year on whether he becomes 'English' will doubtless ratchet up the debate on this issue but we are short of good keepers in England, FACT!

David James recently pointed out the puzzlement he feels at this situation. All the top flight clubs have goalkeeping coaches, most of these coaches are charged with overseeing the keepers at all levels of the club, in effect, trying to develop the young talent up to first team standard. James himself has identified one problem. As he started training for his coaching badges he noticed how far into the printed manuals he had to go to find specific mentions of goalkeeping.

I'll second that, having been involved at the very grassroots of the game, ferrying my youngest to keep goal for the last decade or so, I'm aware that the coaching at all levels largely ignores goalkeeping. Thom, my keeper son, has worked with goalkeeping coaches at soccer schools and - very occasionally - before games, but not often. He hasn't seen specialist coach this season, and when he did in the past, the sessions often took place as his team mates trained away from him.

The 'coaching' for Thom and his fellow keepers revolved around agility, positioning and reaction drills. The best goalie coaching also involves drills with the defence, building understanding and plans to respond to problems. Teams drilled this way defend well, confident in their keeper and themselves. Oddly, the best coached keepers are often those who get their hands on the ball the least. You see the results of the coaching in the way the defence responds to the goalie's shouted commands and works as a solid unit.

Keiren Westwood had that kind of understanding with our defence and - for those of us who've been around a few years - Tony Elliott was one Carlisle keeper who could be heard at the halfway line over a loud crowd. I remember watching him in a reserve match from C stand, and hearing most of what he was saying. His mouth was in full working order even when the play was at the other end. It didn't surprise me that Tony Elliott went into goalkeeper coaching, and - by all accounts - he was pretty good at it.

The problems, I think, are that goalie coaching is one of the first casualties when clubs look for economies and is too often misused. The notion that the goalie coach looks after the keepers at all levels is a good one. The notion that he works in isolation with the keepers most of the time, is a terrible one. David James' opinion is that football may simply have become lazy in its attitude to coaching goalkeepers. From a totally different - grassroots - perspective, I'd say the marginalisation of the whole craft reflects a lack of understanding, and will.

The problem has been partially hidden for two reasons. Firstly, the very best English clubs can buy in talent from all over the world, and their performance in Europe suggests this strategy is useful. Secondly, the lack of truly great English keepers has - sadly - been masked by the inconsistent performances by the national team. England's last World Cup exit owed something to bad luck, injuries, some tactical mistakes and some very good opponents.

The last European Championship exit was blamed largely on Steve McClaren. I'm on record has having said he was the wrong man for the job even before he was appointed, and I'll stick by that. I doubt Gordon Banks at his best could have saved McLaren's team. But things are different now, and the next World Cup campaign will have to survive on keeping talent that has played out many games in relegation battles or out on loan, not the situation for most of the world's most competitive teams. Our best hope lies with a Spaniard, who might just choose to become 'English.'

It doesn't have to be this way.

Neil Nixon is editing a book of stories written by supporters of Carlisle United, all profits will go to the Football in the Community scheme at Carlisle United. Your contribution is welcome. For details of how to get involved go to www.neilnixon.com and click on the books page.