Five Favourite Wins Against - Newcastle away

Continuing the series where I look back at my five favourite wins the Liverpool’s next opponents.  This weekend Liverpool travel to St. James’ Park to meet Newcastle United and here are my five favourite wins from past encounters.

20^th September 1987

NEWCASTLE   (0)   1   (McDonald pen 60)

LIVERPOOL   (2)   4   (Nicol 20, 47, 70, Aldridge 37)

NEWCASTLE: Kelly; Anderson, Roeder, P. Jackson, McDonald; Hodges (D. Jackson), McCreery, Stephenson, Wharton; Goddard, Mirandinha

LIVERPOOL: Grobbelaar; Gillespie (Spackman), Lawrenson, Hansen, Venison , Nicol; McMahon, Whelan; Beardsley, Aldridge, Barnes

Liverpool had won all but one of their first 5 matches, drawing the other, at the start of the 1987-88 season.  In contrast, Newcastle had just one win losing 3 others.  In the Newcastle line-up was the first Brazilian player to play in the First Division, Mirandinha.  He had replaced Peter Beardsley who’d moved to Liverpool.  It was Beardsley’s first return to St. James’ Park, and the country was beginning to get a glimpse of what was to become the best Liverpool side I’ve ever seen.

20 minutes in and Barnes picked up the play just inside his own half on the left.  He beat two players and then laid the ball off to Beardsley who was hugging the touchline.  Barnes continued his run and Beardsley played the ball neatly into Barnes’ path and now Newcastle were stretched.  Barnes ball into the area was dealt with poorly by Anderson and Steve Nicol was first to the ball to slot it past Kelly for the opening goal.  Nicol then had a goal disallowed with Aldridge offside before Aldridge himself added a second when Beardsley found Nicol free on the right, he played it back to Venison, who joined the attack, and the former Sunderland defender’s curling cross was headed back into the 6-yard box by Barnes at the far post and there was Aldridge to finish for his 6^th of the season as he maintained his record of scoring in every game he’d started for Liverpool.  Within minutes of the second half the lead was 3 goals, Lawrenson took advantage of the home defence pushing up and played a long ball to set Beardsley free on the left of the area.  As he settled himself it was Nicol who was furthest forward and Beardsley just waited for the right time and then squared the ball for Nicol to tap in from close range.

Newcastle had lost both their home matches so far this season and were now staring at the possibility of a rout but on the hour, Goddard linked with Mirandinha who was then brought down by Gillespie in the box.  McDonald converted the spot-kick for what was no more than a consolation.  10 minutes later and Liverpool restored their 3-goal advantage with the best goal of the afternoon.  Aldridge came deep to collect the ball, turned and saw Nicol running into the space he’d created.  Nicol was away and clear of any defender and as he reached the area he waited for Kelly to advance off his line and without checking his stride, calmly chipped the ball over the desperate keeper for a finish of pure impudence and the completion of his hat-trick.  Liverpool were comfortable winners and, as they did so many times that season, just made the whole process seem so effortless.

Liverpool won the League at a canter, finishing 9pts ahead of Man Utd in 2^nd and 17pts ahead of Nottingham Forest in 3^rd.  Newcastle eventually recovered from their poor start to the season to finish 8^th.

30^th August 1998

NEWCASTLE   (1)   1   (Guivarc’h 28)

LIVERPOOL   (4)   4   (Owen 17, 18, 32, Berger 45)

NEWCASTLE: Given; Serrant (Barton), Charvet, Watson (Dabizas), Pearce; Lee, Hamann (Glass), Albert, Speed; Guivarc’h, Shearer

LIVERPOOL: Friedel; Heggem, Carragher, Babb, Staunton; McManaman (Thompson), Redknapp (McAteer), Ince, Berger; Owen, Riedle

This game was all about Michael Owen.  The 18-year old had just become an international sensation during the World Cup in the summer and he was in rich goalscoring form.  Ruud Gullit had recently replaced Kenny Dalglish as Newcastle manager and he promised to bring ‘sexy football’ to Tyneside.  But for some, Owen’s performance was better than sex.  Liverpool were under the uncomfortable partnership of Roy Evans and Gerard Houllier and there was less confusion over their selection than for the home side as Gullit decided to watch from the comfort of the directors box.

The early exchanges were fierce as tackles flew in and Newcastle looked more adventurous than their opponents.  Liverpool had tried to put Owen through a couple of times and then in the 17^th minute Newcastle failed to properly clear a free-kick.  The ball came out to Paul Ince who fired a shot from 30 yards which Given could only parry and Owen was first to react and his shot was too strong for Given to keep out at his near post and Liverpool were in front.  Newcastle were shaken and struggled to avoid giving the ball away as Liverpool started to pass the ball around with confidence.  McManaman began to exert his influence and picked the ball up in the centre-circle, waited for Owen to make his run and threaded a lovely ball through for the youngster to run onto and he coolly slipped it through Given’s legs for his 2^nd goal in a minute. 

10 minutes later and Newcastle were still struggling to find any rhythm when Babb was dispossessed deep in his own half by Lee and as the Newcastle midfielder surged forward Liverpool were outnumbered in defence and he squared the ball for Guivarc’h to score his first goal for his new club.  Newcastle still didn’t seem to be in the game but at least they were in touching distance, until 4 minutes later when Owen put the game beyond them with the best goal of the day.  The move started with a clearance from Friedel which fell to Charvet in his own half on the centre-circle.  He dwelt too long on the ball and Riedle nipped in to rob him, finding Owen who was now free to run at the defence.  Owen beat the first challenge, then skipped past Albert and then as Given came out Owen knocked the ball past him with the outside of his right foot for a stunning first half hat-trick.  Owen was in the sublime form and few defences could handle him.

As the first half moved into stoppage time Friedel cleared the ball downfield and Berger was quick to steal it as he too skipped past a challenge and then on the edge of the area he fired a left-foot shot past Given and Liverpool were now 4-1 up after just 45 minutes.  In contrast to a scintillating first period the second half was a bit of an anti-climax as the home side made little progress and Liverpool were comfortable winners.  They ended the season in a disappointing 7^th with Newcastle back in 13^th.

24^th November 2007

NEWCASTLE   (0)   0  

LIVERPOOL   (1)   3   (Gerrard 27, Kuyt 46, Babel 66)

NEWCASTLE: Given; Beye, Rozehnal, Enrique (Carr), Emre (Barton); N’Zogbia (Milner), Geremi, Butt, Smith; Martins, Viduka

LIVERPOOL: Reina; Arbeloa, Hyypia, Carragher, Finnan; Gerrard (Crouch), Sissoko, Lucas, Kewell (Babel); Kuyt (Riise), Torres

When Liverpool arrived at St. James’ Park in November 2007 they were unbeaten and sitting in 5^th.  Newcastle were a little less settled as Sam Allardyce had taken over the reins from Glenn Roeder and they were down in 11^th, thanks largely to their home form.

Allardyce and Benitez have never seen eye-to-eye and the Liverpool manager seemed to enjoy the perils his opposite number was enduring, as the Geordie crowd appeared increasingly exasperated with proceedings.  Liverpool were by far the more settled side as some of the Newcastle players seemed unsure of where they were supposed to be playing.  Steven Gerrard opened the scoring with a sublime free-kick at the halfway stage of the first half and that proved to be the difference between the two sides at the break.

Early in the second half a Gerrard corner was poorly dealt with and Sami Hyypia’s backheel fell to an unmarked Kuyt who saw the ball fly off his shin and into the net for the 2^nd goal.  Torres then had several chances to increase the lead yet seemed to suffer from a surprising fit of profligacy and then just after the hour Gerrard’s surging run from midfield saw him exchange passes with Babel before he gave the Dutch substitute the opportunity to confirm the 3pts as he made it 3-0 to the visitors.

A black cloud hung above Newcastle around this time and goalkeeper Shay Given declared it had been one of his worst afternoons on Tyneside, adding “I’ve been here 10 years but that performance was right down there with the worst of them.  Confidence is a bit low, we are all a bit shell-shocked.”

Allardyce didn’t last the season on Tyneside as Newcastle finished in 12^th.  Liverpool secured Champions League football by finishing 4^th.

28^th December 2008

NEWCASTLE   (0)   1   (Edgar 45)

LIVERPOOL   (2)   5   (Gerrard 31, 66, Hyypia 36, Babel 50, Alonso pen 76)

NEWCASTLE: Given; Edgar, Taylor, Coloccini, Gutierrez; N’Zogbia, Guthrie, Butt (Geremi), Enrique (Ameobi); Duff, Owen (Lua Lua)

LIVERPOOL: Reina; Agger, Hyypiam Carragher, Insua; Benayoun (Alonso), Gerrard (N’Gog), Mascherano, Lucas; Kuyt (Skrtel), Babel

The Christmas period 2008 and Liverpool were top of the league 2pts ahead of Chelsea and had lost just once all season and were unbeaten in their last 8.  Newcastle had recovered from a poor start of losing 4 of their first 6 matches and were unbeaten in 6 games at home.  Liverpool were playing some of their best football during this period and were in confident mood.  There was a fluidity and rhythm to their passing and movement.

They took the lead after half an hour during one such move.  Carragher started it on the right wing, playing the ball inside for Mascherano.  This was the cue for Benayoun to make his run, taking him into the area where Mascherano found him with a perfectly weighted pass.  Three Newcastle defenders ran to the 6-yard box to anticipate a square pass, instead Benayoun pulled it back where Gerrard was unmarked on the penalty spot and he finished beautifully into the top right hand corner.  The move was incisive and simple in its construction yet the home side seemed powerless to stop it.

It was Gerrard’s 7^th of the season and the mood in the ground was dampened further when Hyypia doubled the lead 6 minutes later.  Liverpool had been dominant in the half thus far and Shay Given had been called upon to make many good saves to keep the home side within touching distance, but he could do little about the poor protection his defenders were giving him.  Gerrard’s corner was met perfectly by Hyypia’s head in a move more in keeping with the training ground than a competition Premier League encounter.  Then as the first half moved into stoppage time, suddenly there was something for the Toon to cheer as David Edgar rose to get his head first to a corner and make it 1-2.

But if the home fans were hoping that goal would see a rejuvenated side in the second half, their hopes were dashed from another set-piece.  Gerrard again took a corner on the right and Hyypia moved to the near post to meet it but let it go, where it hit Lucas on the shoulder and bounced towards the goal.  Several Newcastle defenders stopped rather than wait for the whistle, and Babel with his back to the goal, was given far too much time to turn and stab the ball into the net despite being surrounded by three defenders and the keeper.  Liverpool had restored their 2-goal advantage and then gradually played the home team out of the game.  Midway through the second half Liverpool knocked the ball around in their own half inviting Newcastle to push up, played it back to Reina where his ball forward was nodded on by Lucas to Gerrard on the halfway line.  Gerrard played it back to Lucas and turned and ran whereupon Lucas found him with an inch-perfect pass beyond the defender and Gerrard’s pace took him clear.  As Given came out Gerrard deftly chipped the ball over the keeper’s left shoulder for his 2^nd and Liverpool’s 4^th of the game.  Liverpool’s ability to manipulate the home side around the pitch was proving the crucial difference.

Newcastle were managed by Joe Kinnear and there was a dismal feeling around St. James’ Park, and their misery was complete when Edgar tripped N’Gog in the box and Xabi Alonso converted the spot-kick for a 5-1 win.  Liverpool came close to winning their 19^th league title when pipped at the post by Manchester United.  For Newcastle this game was synonymous with the rest of their season as they ended up relegated to the Championship.

27^th April 2013

NEWCASTLE   (0)   0  

LIVERPOOL   (2)   6  (Agger 3, Henderson 17, 76, Sturridge 54, 60, Borini 74)

NEWCASTLE: Elliot; Debuchy, Taylor, Mapou, Haidara; Sissoko, Tiote (Anita), Cabaye, Perch (Ben Arfa); Gutierrez (Gouffran), Cisse

LIVERPOOL: Reina; Johnson, Carragher, Agger, Enrique; Gerrard (Borini), Lucas; Downing, Henderson, Coutinho (Suso); Sturridge (Shelvey)

The build-up to this game was all about one man who wouldn’t be playing.  The week before was the Luis Suarez biting incident and the press had been full of how long his ban was going to be.  By the end of the week it was confirmed he wouldn’t be playing in the next 10 games for Liverpool and speculation was rife as to how they would, or could, do without him.

Liverpool sat in 7^th still 5pts behind the team above them, Everton.  Newcastle were perilously close to the drop zone, having impressed many the season before.  Liverpool had only won 1 of their last 5 in the league yet they were clearly determined from the off.  Liverpool were pressing and had won successive corners which the home side struggled to defend against.  Downing had played a ball in to try and find Agger, but it had been headed away back to him, when he floated it back the whole defence pushed up leaving Agger with a free header and he put the visitors in front.  17 minutes in and a clearance from Reina found Sturridge just inside the Newcastle half, who laid it off to Coutinho and both he and Henderson bombed forward.  Coutinho played a beautiful little pass with the outside of his right foot to Sturridge who’d sprinted ahead of his marker.  As Elliot came out Sturridge eased the ball to his left where Henderson was free to pass the ball into the empty net for a 2-0 lead.

Liverpool were rampant as Sturridge seemed to revel in his main striker role.  Newcastle should’ve got a goal back just before half-time when James Perch somehow headed wide of the target when it was harder to miss.  There was a certain symmetry for the man who’d got Pepe Reina sent off during Liverpool’s last visit.  2-1 to the visitors at half-time but things just got worse for Newcastle in the second period.

When Liverpool signed Philippe Coutinho from Inter there were concerns over whether he’d be able to handle himself in the hustle and bustle of Premier League football.  Any doubts were completely blown away as he eased Ben Arfa off the ball on the halfway line and then jinked his way forward, twisting, turning and waiting for the right moment to find Sturridge, who’d once again lost his marker.  Sturridge took one touch and fired the ball into the roof of the net for a 3-0 lead.  The pass from Coutinho was worth the entrance fee alone.  Liverpool were beginning to find this all too easy and were able to win the ball back as if it was their right.  After one particular instance, Steven Gerrard had enough time to pick his moment and place the ball over the defence for Henderson to run clear and then return the favour for Sturridge to pass the ball into the empty net.  Still a third of the game left and Liverpool were now 4-0 up.

Into the last quarter of an hour and Rodgers brought Borini on for Gerrard, who was substituted for the first time in the season, and Liverpool attacked again with Coutinho and Henderson both influential.  Downing twisted the full-back on the right wing before pulling it back where Borini greeted the game with his first touch which ended up in the back of the net.  Two minutes later Coutinho was chopped down on the left wing, and it was Henderson who took the kick and curled it past everyone into the far corner to complete the rout.  Many of the home fans had started leaving after the 4^th goal and there was a complete feeling of surrender around St. James’ Park, but for Liverpool they had answered the Suarez question emphatically with a thumping win.  Neither club changed the positions from the final three matches of the season.

HEAD TO HEAD at St. James’ Park

Matches: 78

Liverpool win: 24

Newcastle win: 31

Draws: 23

Liverpool goals: 99

Newcastle goals: 113

1973 - The Legend, The Myth

17 October 1973

ENGLAND   (0)   1   (Clarke, pen 63)

POLAND   (0)   1   (Domarski 55)

ENGLAND: Shilton (Leicester); Madeley (Leeds), Hunter (Leeds), McFarland (Derby), Hughes (Liverpool); Bell (Man City), Currie (Sheffield Utd), Peters (Tottenham); Channon (Southampton), Clarke (Leeds), Chivers (Tottenham) [Hector (Derby)]

POLAND: Tomaszewski; Szymanowski, Bulzacki, Musial, Gorgon; Kasperczak, Cmikiewicz, Deyna, Gadocha; Lato, Domarski

This is where the myth began.  If you just read the constant references to this game you’d be forgiven for thinking England lost the match, but in a sense they did.  Hosts in 1966, holders for 1970 this was the first time they had, had to qualify for the World Cup since 1962.  England was still very proud of their World Cup win in 1966 and still felt unlucky to be knocked out by the West Germans in Mexico four years later.  But the players who replaced the heroes of ’66 were not as talented and certainly not as together.  By this stage there were also rumours of misgivings within The FA about the man who masterminded the rise to World Champions, Alf Ramsey. 

In those days there were only 32 nations competing in the qualifying campaign, and England had been drawn in a group of three with Poland and Wales.  After winning in Cardiff, England were held at home in the return fixture.  Wales then went onto beat Poland before England suffered defeat themselves in Chorzow.  A 3-0 win for the Poles over Wales left them only needing a draw at Wembley.  England were favourites yet wary of their opponents who’d surprised them when they had met in June.

The defeat in Poland signalled a kind of watershed for England.  The second Polish goal came as a result of Bobby Moore being dispossessed inside his own half, and as he was the last man, the tormentor, Lubanski, went onto beat Shilton at his near post.  It virtually ended Moore’s international career as by the end of the year he would make his last appearance in the England shirt he wore with such pride and dignity.  While there were mutterings about the 32-year old Moore, there were also concerns over the midas touch of Alf Ramsey.  Never one to have had a positive relationship with the media, Ramsey now found them sensing a wounded animal and certainly keen to focus on any chinks in the armour.  After the defeat in Poland they were also beaten in Turin where both manager and captain received further criticism. 

England went into the game buoyed by a 7-0 win over Austria the month before and the country weren’t prepared to contemplate anything other than a victory as they had never  failed to qualify for the World Cup since deciding the participate from 1950.  The game was ultimately about the Polish goalkeeper, Jan Tomaszewski.  In the build-up to the game ITV had Brian Clough on their summariser panel and he was scathing about the keeper’s ability referring to him as ‘a clown’.  He would live to regret this statement. 

Early in the game Tomaszewski was a little reckless in rolling the ball in his area almost letting Alan Clarke in, and was injured in his subsequent save leaving the visitors uncertain as to whether he could carry on.  As he received treatment he appeared to be in agony but eventually summoned the strength to continue.  Within minutes England had a free-kick centrally about 30 yards out.  Skipper Martin Peters floated it to the far post where Roy McFarland knocked it across goal and amidst the scramble Mick Channon hit the post only to find the Poles clear the danger.  Soon after England were on the attack again with Channon crossed from the right to the back post where Peters got up and nodded the ball down to Chivers.  The Tottenham striker controlled the ball and volleyed it left-footed, but Gorgon blocked it.  As the ball rolled to the edge of the area Tony Currie managed to dispossess a Polish defender to find Channon try to take the ball on.  Another block saw the ball fall to Colin Bell on the edge of the area and his shot through a crowd of players was brilliantly turned round the post by Tomaszewski.  It was exciting stuff and still only the first half.

England then had a free-kick on the left wing played back to Emlyn Hughes who couldn’t get a shot in.  Roy McFarland eventually lobbed the ball into the area and as the Polish defence came out, Clarke found himself unmarked and he tried to direct his header to Tomaszewski’s left-hand post but the keeper was equal to it to pull off another desperate save.  As half-time approached Peters played it wide to Clarke on the right-hand edge of the area, he turned back onto his left foot and crossed to Channon at the far post.  The Southampton man timed his jump too soon and consequently could only loop his header but it still required ‘the clown’ to tip the ball over the bar.

A goalless first half lead to a growing sense of uncertainty amongst the home fans.  45 minutes were left to book their place on the plane to West Germany.  Early in the second period Hughes charged forward down the left, then played the ball inside where Tony Currie hit a long range effort which Tomaszewski parried the ball away.  It fell to Channon who met it first time on the volley but it hit the side netting.  55 minutes in and Norman Hunter made a mistake similar to Bobby Moore’s in Chorzow and Lato was clear.  As he surged towards the England goal Gadocha made a run ahead of him which drew Hughes, leaving Domarski free on the right.  Lato’s ball was met first time by Domarski but his shot along the ground looked to be straight at Shilton, but inexplicably the normally dependable Leicester keeper let the ball through his hands and Poland were in front.  One could almost hear the collective sharply drawn breath now hanging like a pall around the country. 

The fragility of England’s position was now very evident as the visitors only needed one mistake from their hosts and they gained the advantage.  England would now need to score twice.  The remaining 35 minutes became a siege on the Polish goal as the home side, and fans, became increasingly desperate.  Surely a country which had only competed in one World Cup Finals tournament before, back in 1938, would not be able to repel such pressure?  A long throw on the right by Chivers was flicked on by Peters where Clarke laid the ball off for Channon to put the ball into the back of the net.  But the referee was already blowing his whistle for a foul by Peters.  Almost immediately, on another attack Chivers took a quick free-kick to Peters on the right of the area and as he went past Musial the Polish defender knocked him to the ground.  After hesitation the referee finally pointed to the spot.  Allan Clarke was given the responsibility of taking the kick and he sent the keeper the wrong way for his 6^th goal of the year, his 10^th for his country and his 4^th successful spot-kick in an England shirt.  1-1

The 100,000 strong crowd fully expected England to push on and Currie down the right crossed into the area but the ball appeared to be going in under the bar before Tomaszewski just got a hand to it in time.  Peters and Channon then combined on the edge of the area to put Chivers in on the right of the area and his ball into the 6-yard box was strangely kicked in the air by the keeper.  As Channon steadied himself for the header, Tomaszewski came out and punched again and then got himself in the way of Clarke’s shot.  It was desperate stuff but Poland knew they were going to be under the cosh.  The rewards were too great and too close for them to give up easily.  Hunter burst forward combining well with Peters and his shot from outside the area was again parried by the keeper.  Channon again forced his way down the right wing to cross into the area where Clarke got up first only to head just over the bar.  Emlyn Hughes was increasingly operating as a left-winger as England piled on the pressure and during one move he cut inside to find Currie on the edge of the area and his first time shot was saved yet again.

The attacks were relentless as the Poles just seemed content to soak it all up.  Currie found Peters wide on the left and he in turn found Hughes, who’d made a good run into the area.  Hughes left foot cross to the far post hit Gorgon in the face as Channon looked to have been pushed over.  The ball fell to Clarke who took a touch to set up a right foot shot.  He met it perfectly from 7 yards out yet unbelievably Tomaszewski again threw himself into the save to push it round the post.  Increasingly there were England players with hands on hips or head in hands but all this pushing forward left them vulnerable to a counter attack and on one occasion Lato was clear and cynically pulled back by McFarland, who was happy to take a yellow card rather than see the Poles score again.  Within minutes Lato was put through again despite the offside calls and was one-on-one with Shilton.  He took the ball round him but his touch took him too wide which allowed England to get back and defend. 

Then as the game moved towards a conclusion England had a corner on the left, taken by Currie into the 6-yard box where Tomaszewski seemed to punch the ball back to his own goal only for Szymanowski to block it and before they could properly clear the ball Channon came in but put his shot wide.  A ball from the left by Peters high into the area saw the Polish keeper come and punch again but only to Colin Bell just outside the area, who controlled the ball and then hit a low shot which cannoned off Tomaszewski for Gorgon to save on the line and away for a throw-in.  The crowd were losing their voices and so were the commentators as few could believe England weren’t in front.  The final whistle blew and the Poles were in raptures as they’d pulled off an amazing result to qualify for the World Cup Finals.  Tomaszewski was easily the hero although his defence deserved significant credit for their resilience.

Inevitably Hunter was blamed for his mistake which lead to the goal although Shilton could still have saved the shot.  To be fair to Hunter he admits his mistake calling it his ‘worst moment on a football pitch’.  The country was in disbelief at what they had just witnessed.  Emlyn Hughes recalled it as the ‘most one-sided game he had ever been involved in’.  The ultimate fall-guy would be Ramsey who managed just two more internationals, neither of which England scored in and by April 1974 the reign of England’s greatest ever manager came to a rather inauspicious end.  It was to become the catalyst for one of the bleakest periods in English football as they failed to qualify for the 1976 European Championships and the 1978 World Cup too as Don Revie systematically turned England into a very unconfident and disjointed side.  For Poland they went onto enjoy their outing in West Germany eventually finishing third with Lato scoring the only goal of the game against Brazil.  This was to prove a golden period for Polish football as they also finished third in 1982.

For the next 40 years English journalists and doom-mongers have referred back to this game as something to fear and there have been other crucial matches between the two which have decided qualification.  For the English the game seemed to epitomise what it was to be an English sports fan.  They love a plucky challenger who just gets pipped at the post.  The English are rarely comfortable as winners, always reflecting on how easy a fall from grace can emerge, and often revelling in seeing a guy who has lead the whole race get beaten on the line, or a brave tennis player reach Semi-Final after Semi-Final only to keep coming up against one of the best players to have ever played the game.

Even though I believe this game bears no resemblance to the match on Tuesday there are disturbing similarities.  With Ukraine playing San Marino the same night, it is very likely a draw is not good enough for England.  They will hope the Polish goalkeeper this time is less blessed.

The Lesser Spotted English Goalkeeper

England has a rich history of quality goalkeepers and some have even been considered as the best in the world.  Gordon Banks, Peter Shilton, Ray Clemence, David Seaman have all graced football pitches around the world and been lauded and admired from afar.  But there is a crisis in the position where English football has traditionally had a wealth of options.

In any football team there are four positions which are crucial to its success and they are generally regarded as the spine of the team, goalkeeper, central defence, central midfield and striker.  As I discussed in my article ‘Why International Football Matters’, the prevalence of foreign players in the Premier League is reducing the choice available to the England manager, but what is even more alarming is Premier League clubs desire to choose foreign players in these key positions.  None is more evident or more pronounced than in goal.  There is only room for 1 per side, so the national manager will only have a maximum 20 to choose from of players playing top level football.  Football is particularly unusual in this regard in that it’s unlikely another player within the first 11 will swap places with the goalkeeper, meaning you can’t just train a player into a new position like you can for other parts of the pitch.

This dearth of English goalkeeping talent has been steadily getting worse over the past 25 years.  Back in 1986-87 of the 22 first choice keepers only 4 were unavailable for the England team.  Bruce Grobbelaar (Zimbabwe), Neville Southall (Wales), Martin Thomas (Wales), Bryan Gunn (Scotland).  When the Premier League began there were 7 first team goalkeepers who were unavailable for the national side.  Southall (Wales), Gunn (Scotland), Neil Sullivan (Scotland), Mark Crossley (Wales), Tony Roberts (Wales), Alan Kelly (Ireland) and Peter Schmeichel (Denmark). Fast forward to this season and of the Premier League club’s first choice goalkeeper so far, just 3 are qualified to play for England. 

The furore surrounding Joe Hart’s performance in the recent Champions League defeat for Manchester City has even seen calls from some quarters for him to be replaced at the club.  If that was the case this would leave us with just John Ruddy at Norwich and David Stockdale at Fulham.  With all respect to both clubs they are unlikely to be competing in Europe next season and may even find a decent cup run beyond their reach, which begs the question of the quality of competition these two promising keepers are experiencing.  There is also the fact that of those two only Ruddy has seen any on-field action for the national side when he came on to replace JackButland in a friendly against Italy in August 2012.

When you think back to 1986 and 1992 and consider the competition which Peter Shilton had to fight in staying England’s number 1 you get an impression of how little there is for Hart to worry about in being England’s main choice for many years to come.  In 1986 Shilton was up against Nigel Spink, who won a European Cup winners medal with Aston Villa, Phil Parkes, who won the FA Cup with West Ham and was one of the best keepers QPR have ever had, John Lukic (Arsenal), Tony Godden (Chelsea and formerly West Brom), Chris Turner (Man Utd, formerly Sunderland), Tony Coton (Watford and Birmingham), Steve Ogrizovic (Coventry).  These were all fine goalkeepers and you could argue if Shilton or Clemence hadn’t been around they would’ve had more opportunities at international level than they got.  Add to that list the names of Martin Hodge (Sheffield Wednesday), Dave Beasant (Wimbledon), Bob Bolder (Charlton) and David Seaman (QPR), you realise the talent pool for English goalkeepers was pretty full.

When we look at 1992, Spink and Ogrizovic are still there for the same clubs and Lukic (Leeds), Seaman (Arsenal), Beasant (Chelsea) and Coton (Man City) are still playing but with different clubs in the top division.  But these names were then joined by players such as Ian Walker (Tottenham), Kevin Pressman (Sheffield Wednesday), Tim Flowers (Southampton), David James (Liverpool), Nigel Martyn (Crystal Palace).  Only Pressman out of that list never made it to the full national team although he won an U21 cap and England ‘B’ honours.

Now it is not uncommon for other countries to choose their goalkeepers from a list of players who play in other leagues.  However, with so few English players playing outside their own country this is not something England can easily boast.  Celtic’s Fraser Forster would seem to be the only option currently playing outside the English league, but at least he is getting Champions League experience and his performance against Barcelona last November would suggest he should give Hart a decent run for his money.  Outside of Hart, Ruddy and Forster you are now looking at the likes of Jack Butland who has played at every level for his country and was signed by Stoke City in January but has yet to play for the club and is currently playing Championship football on loan at Barnsley.  Robert Green, who may always be remembered for his mistake during the fateful World Cup campaign in 2010, is also currently saving Championship strikers’ shots with QPR after a move to the club which has probably put paid to his international career.

Of the other candidates for the job, Scott Carson is playing for Wigan in the Championship and Ben Foster is struggling to get into the first team at West Brom.  Now don’t misunderstand me I am not saying that playing Championship level football should preclude you from representing your country but there cannot be many countries who have reached the latter stages of a world competition with their first choice goalkeeper not playing top division football anywhere in the world.  As the goalkeeping position is considered to be so crucial, can you risk such an inexperienced player, where you may be able to dispense such a player elsewhere on the pitch?

Is it time to give Ruddy and Stockdale more of a run in the national side?  What if Manchester City decide they need to upgrade Hart in order to win the trophies they desire?  Where else would he go?  It would be a further nail in the coffin of the remarkable English goalkeeping heritage if the first choice for the national side was playing reserve team football, and surely English football would’ve reached a new low if their number one choice played in front of more people in places such as Moldova, Albania and Bosnia than he did at club level.

In many other sports, teams have often been guilty of hanging onto stars too long and neglecting the importance of planning for their eventual retirement, but in English football can this accusation really be labelled at its treatment of the goalkeeper?  After Clemence retired in 1984 Peter Shilton was the number one choice, almost unopposed, up to his own retirement after Italia ’90.  His replacement was Chris Woods, who first came to prominence when as an 18-year old he was Man of the Match in the 1978 League Cup Final standing in for Shilton at Nottingham Forest.  By 1990 he was winning trophies with Rangers.  Soon he was under pressure from David Seaman although it was Nigel Martyn who got the reserve goalkeeper place at Euro ’92.  By 1996 Seaman was England’s first choice and remained so up to World Cup 2002.  But he was accompanied by players such as Martyn, David James, Ian Walker, Richard Wright and Tim Flowers.  Seaman played his last game for England in 2002 and then it was the turn of David James, who himself had waited 10 years for his time in the spotlight.  James was then succeeded by Paul Robinson who was now at Tottenham after making an impact at Leeds United.  It was at this point things started to unravel for the English keeper.

At the time the cupboard seemed just as well stocked as before with emerging talents such as Chris Kirkland and Scott Carson coming to the fore.  It was Carson who replaced Kirkland at Liverpool in January 2005 but the arrival of Pepe Reina in July 2005 signalled the end for him at Anfield.  This is where English keepers needed to negotiate loan deals to try and maintain first team football and still be in the reckoning for England selection.  During the fateful Euro 2008 qualifying campaign England’s keepers made the headlines for howlers during crucial matches against Croatia, Paul Robinson in Maksimir and Carson at Wembley.  By the time Fabio Capello took over he reverted to David James with Robert Green emerging as a possible successor.  Green’s own mistake in the opening game of World Cup 2010 lead to Capello losing confidence in him and James was again called upon.  Hart has taken over ever since and looks as accomplished as many keepers down the years but mistakes for goalkeepers these days tend to be focussed on like never before.  Ben Foster emerged as another good candidate but he has taken ‘indefinite leave’ of being available for selection by his country and as he is struggling to force a first team spot at West Brom, would seem unwilling to fulfil his international potential.

As I have just said, mistakes by goalkeepers seem to be highlighted so much more these days.  The recent focus on Hart ignores mistakes made by other players on the pitch.  In stark contrast to the riches bestowed upon strikers, goalkeepers only need to make one mistake for their whole presence to come under scrutiny.  If performance-related pay was the norm for footballers there seems little doubt goalkeepers could be amongst the highest earners in the team.  What gets forgotten when a keeper doesn’t quite save a shot in the way the beer-swilling, pie-eating, armchair fan thinks he should, is that further back during the move a defender was out of position or a midfielder pulled out of a challenge he should’ve made.  But it is the keeper who gets it in the neck.  Go back through the archives and you’ll find mistakes made by Clemence, Shilton and Seaman, but I guess that was back in a time when the pursuit of perfection in football was less prevalent.

So where are the opportunities for English goalkeepers?  In the most recent Euro U21 tournament, Jack Butland was joined in the squad by Declan Rudd (Preston) and Jason Steele (Middlesbro’).  Whether any of these go on to become the number one for their country remains to be seen, but one thing seems certain is both Rudd and Steele may need to up the standard of the football they’re playing.  Norwich would seem to hold the key to the England keeper as Ruddy is pushing to replace Hart at international level and Declan Rudd is on contract at Norwich, but currently loaned out at Preston.  Ironically, Rudd’s first appearance for Norwich came when he replaced Fraser Forster, who himself was on loan at the club, in 2009.  But that could have something to do with the fact the Norwich manager at the time was Bryan Gunn, who was Norwich’s first choice keeper in both 1986 and 1992.