For a keeper saving a penalty is a bit of a lottery (unless you're Paul Cooper!) as, theoretically, professionaly players should never miss.
But they do. Sometimes that's briilaince on the keepers part, sometimes it's just pure luck. I don't think you can "expect" a keeper to save pens in the same way you should be expecting the taker to be putting them away.
But some keepers do seem to have a better record at saving pens than others, even if they might not be as good overall. It seems to me that it is at least partly a matter of confidence. Some just look like they expect to get to it and give it a good go. Hamer looks well beaten even before the ball is kicked. Don't get me wrong, I'm not having a pop at him and I am very glad he's our keeper, I just think he could do better on pens. He's a big lad, agile, with a long reach, so he has the physical attributes. Does he have the right mental approach? I wonder.
Mate of mine always blames Shilton for us not winning Mexico 86 (reckons he should have got there before Mardonna and cleaned him out) and Italia 90 (not getting to the deflected free kick and not saving any penalties) - and he was the best keeper in England of his generation.
He usually puts forward a fairly passionate case about it, and then we argue about it, and then the rest of us call him a fool. Doesn't stop him bringing it up again the next time though!
The odds are always always in the favour of a penalty taker, the keeper can only go in one direction and the taker has five or six different options (top corner either side, bottom corner either side, right down the middle, etc etc). Not to mention how hard and fast a penalty gets struck, sometimes however quick you may be the ball is just too fast.
Yes brilliant save that one, he also saved one the same season at home to Derby.
Am I right in remembering that Deano committed the foul, got injured in the process, but stayed on to save the penalty before being substituted? Amazing keeper.
I remember in the 70`s we had a few pens saved by a keeper called Eric McManus who played for Notts County. In one season he saved one at the Valley in a league game and then another when we played them at home in the FA Cup 3rd round the same season.
The pont is, shouldn't Ben Hamer do better at stopping penalty kicks? I think he is becoming a good keeper but he didn't look remotely like stopping that one yesterday. I thought the guy telegraphed that it was going to Hamer's right, it wasn't right in the corner and it wasn't hit very hard - some lesser keepers might have got it IMO.
I paused it on sky plus when the kicker was a pace from the ball, just as I had done for Jacko's and the result was 2 very different techniques to goalkeeping/penalty taking.
Jackson had his head down, looking at the ball right up until the moment after he had hit it. The keeper was bolt upright when I paused it.
Clayton had his head up, looking ahead at the goalkeeper right up until the moment after he had hit it. When he was a pace from the ball, Hamer's body shape was already verging on diagonal towards his left. Knowing that, Clayton knew that anything away from the centre to the right of Hamer was a certain goal provided it was inside the post. Absolutely fantastic penalty technique, but Hamer made it happen by making a big move too early - I think he needs to have a look at the video. It might work in League One and below to go bold and go early assuming that the taker is staring at the ball, but when you get up here and in the Premier League you have confident, intelligent penalty takers who are prepared to wait right until the last pace to make up their mind. Just look at how Berbatov does it.
Good detail ISLS, thanks. I do think that with Hamer's height, reach and agility he could afford to wait until the ball was kicked before committing. It would then have to be very accurate and quite hard to beat him. Sure, he would probably still let most in but it would give him a chance - and at present he seems to me to think he has no chance.
On the flip side of it Jackson has missed 3 this season, hasn't been costly overall in terms of points, but perhaps switch our pen taker to Ricardo Fuller? We want who is supposed to be our main threat of a striker hitting the back of the net.
Seem to remember reading that Fuller is on pens now and if he's not on the pitch Solly.
On the flip side of it Jackson has missed 3 this season, hasn't been costly overall in terms of points, but perhaps switch our pen taker to Ricardo Fuller? We want who is supposed to be our main threat of a striker hitting the back of the net.
Seem to remember reading that Fuller is on pens now and if he's not on the pitch Solly.
Read the same according to the NWK Addicks thread.
A lot depends on the quality of the penalty really - thought Saturday's was a good one. My 11 year old son saved 6 out of six in competitive games (School & Sunday side) but unfortunately let one one in a couple of weeks ago so back to square one!
1988/89 Bolder against Wimbledon. We had to win to have a chance of avoiding relegation. Leaburn had given us the lead and a penalty was harshly awarded for handball against Walsh. I think Dennis Wise took it and Bob saved ensuring a 1-0 win. We beat Derby 3-0 the following midweek and we escaped relegation.
Comments
For a keeper saving a penalty is a bit of a lottery (unless you're Paul Cooper!) as, theoretically, professionaly players should never miss.
But they do. Sometimes that's briilaince on the keepers part, sometimes it's just pure luck. I don't think you can "expect" a keeper to save pens in the same way you should be expecting the taker to be putting them away.
I blame the current board.
He usually puts forward a fairly passionate case about it, and then we argue about it, and then the rest of us call him a fool. Doesn't stop him bringing it up again the next time though!
Jackson had his head down, looking at the ball right up until the moment after he had hit it. The keeper was bolt upright when I paused it.
Clayton had his head up, looking ahead at the goalkeeper right up until the moment after he had hit it. When he was a pace from the ball, Hamer's body shape was already verging on diagonal towards his left. Knowing that, Clayton knew that anything away from the centre to the right of Hamer was a certain goal provided it was inside the post. Absolutely fantastic penalty technique, but Hamer made it happen by making a big move too early - I think he needs to have a look at the video. It might work in League One and below to go bold and go early assuming that the taker is staring at the ball, but when you get up here and in the Premier League you have confident, intelligent penalty takers who are prepared to wait right until the last pace to make up their mind. Just look at how Berbatov does it.