TECHNICAL
AFC
Bournemouth goalkeepers need to be confident handling the ball with both their
feet and hands. Our goalkeepers have a big responsibility to be able to keep
possession whenever they have to restart a match. Because of our reputation as
a footballing team our opposition work hard to try to stop us playing,
attempting to cut out all of our options to play short, and in doing so trying
to force us into long clearances.
Therefore,
our goalkeepers have to be confident in every technique of kick and throw, and
be able to produce these distribution types quickly, under pressure and
consistently. This is only possible with a high volume of repetition during the
weekly training programme. Consistency of weight and type of pass are only
achieved by the confidence in your knowledge that you have practiced every type
of pass almost on a daily basis. Outfield players are only confident in their
ball control and passing because they do it every day, and we as goalkeepers
cannot be any different.
All
professional and potential professional goalkeepers are highly proficient in
making difficult saves appear easy, being able to make saves look effortless,
and this is what sets us apart from standard goalkeepers. As with distribution,
this can only be accomplished with hours of practice on the training ground. A
keeper should have the knowledge and confidence to be able to deal with the
same type of shot in the exact same way every time it occurs during training
and match play; this is the only way to be consistent as a shot-stopper.
Positioning
and set positions need to be the same every game. It is easy, especially for a
younger keeper to vary his positioning depending on how he feels that day. It
is imperative for consistency over a season that a goalkeeper grounds in where
his position is in relation to the ball so he knows with certainty if a shot is
going wide, over or on target. He cannot do this if his positioning changes
from day to day or match to match.
A
goalkeepers cross taking technique is more to do with spring, power and
footwork. In my opinion, too much time is taken up by talking about which leg
you jump off or other details that are not that important. With spring, agility
and speed a goalkeeper has the tools he needs to dominate his goal area.
The most
important aspects to think about are height and timing. With height, you get
above opponents and timing allows you to claim the ball at your optimum speed
making inevitable collisions less likely to end up in a fumble.
Height is
achieved with good plyometric ability. Specific training to improve standing
jumps and being able to spring on the move needs to be a big part of the
professional goalkeepers training week. Good footwork is of paramount
importance. With this ability, you can avoid players in a crowded goalmouth,
correct pathways to the ball when a misjudgement of ball flight has occurred
and most importantly come and gather crosses out of reach of slower
goalkeepers.
All aspects
of goalkeeping technique are improved and maintained with hard work and
consistent good coaching practices.
TACTICALLY
Long gone
are the days when goalkeepers are just there to keep the ball out of the net.
As mentioned
AFC Bournemouth utilise their keepers to kick start counter attacks, slow down
or speed up a match depending on the stage of the game or score line, play the
correct pass to counteract the oppositions formations and strategies and always
attempt to keep possession whenever he distributes the ball.
He can only
do this by having in-depth knowledge of how we as a club set our teams up
positionally, how we play against varying opposition tactics and being able to
adapt quickly to any changes during match play.
Continuous
work off the training pitch is needed. Pre and post-game analysis of every time
the keeper has possession of the ball. Evaluation of options and decisions made
need to be scrutinised so the goalkeeper has the ability to visualise what the
pitch looks like from above so his options become clearer than the often
two-dimension view he has during matches. Being able to see space and distance
from a straight on, pitch level vantage point is difficult so the tool of
visualisation is one needed to be able to consistently find the right passes.
PSYCOLOGICAL
Confidence,
control, thick skin and an ability to be a leader are all attributes needed to
be a top goalkeeper.
We will face
criticism, some unfairly, on a regular basis. It will appear to a young
goalkeeper that they are often the scapegoat whenever a team plays badly or
loses. We have to understand that the difficulties of playing in goal can only
be recognised by those that have experienced it, or those that have shown an
interest in learning about the position, therefore the criticisms we receive
are sometimes misguided. However, even in the most inaccurate evaluation of a
match or training session there may be some good advice, so you have to be
strong enough to accept people’s opinions humbly whilst filtering out the good
advice from the bad.
A goalkeeper
has to be even tempered. He must maintain a consistent demeanour from day to
day. He cannot be all hyperactive one day and dead on his feet the next. In
order to achieve this, his lifestyle has to be suited to giving him the best
chance of feeling a hundred percent every time he dons his gloves.
A manager
needs to trust his goalkeeper; he needs to know he can be relied on to perform
to his best every time he plays. A bad goalkeeping performance, more than any
other position will have the most adverse effect on the team’s chances for a
positive result.
Strength of
character is easy to talk about but hard to achieve. Confidence comes from an
inner belief, a feeling that he is ready for any situation and is worthy of his
place in the team. Self-doubt is easily spotted and preyed upon by the
opposition, supporters and even team mates, a goalkeeper has to project
confidence at all times. He is the last line of defence and the first line of
attack; he has the most responsibility out of any player. In my opinion only
with the knowledge that I have done all I can to be the best I can be can I
truly hold my head high in any situation.
Recovering
from mistakes during and after a match is the biggest test of a goalkeeper’s
psychology. Being able to perform with constant crowd abuse and intimidation
from opponents is often difficult. Goalkeepers need to have a healthy hatred of
conceding goals, they cannot be afraid to make a mistake, that just leads to
nervousness but they cannot just dismiss it either. A philosophical reaction is
needed, an ability to be subjective and learn from errors. This is achieved by
never getting carried away when you play well and not beating yourself up after
a bad day, remembering we learn the most about ourselves during the difficult
times. We need to face the problem head on, discuss it with a coach, learn from
it and move on.
SOCIAL
A goalkeeper
needs to be trusted by his teammates. They have to have faith in his decisions
and have no fear in making the right choice when playing back passes. A nervy
looking goalkeeper has a negative effect on all those around him, reliable
defenders start making bad decisions in order to protect the goalkeeper, the
entire team play deeper because they aren’t being directed from behind, players
don’t take proper positions from restarts because the goalkeeper has lost
confidence to make tough decisions when trying to play out.
A goalkeeper
is the foundation of the team; he is the driving force that pushes his team on.
He should dish out encouragement and instruction continually during a game.
In order to
achieve the above, goalkeeper’s teammates need to respect him as a person and
as a player. He can be a joker in the changing room and enjoy all the banter
that comes with being in football, but he must know where to draw the line. If
he is to be trusted on the pitch, he must be trustworthy off it. His team mates
need to see that he does all he can in preparation for the match ahead, he
should be beyond reproach.
This writing
has mentioned consistency more than any other attribute. This is achieved with
consistency in all aspects of life. You cannot train or play consistently if
you have poor or differing preparation leading up to training or match days.
Reliability
is key, a manager or coach likes nothing more than having players they can rely
on for every facet of working life.
SUMMARY
Dedication
is required for any goalkeeper that wants to play for AFC Bournemouth.
We have to
work longer and harder than anybody else because we have more work to do. We
need to be goalkeepers and outfield players, we have to be more agile, quicker
and stronger, more durable and most of all more consistent than our outfield
teammates.
We only
achieve this by being relentless in our pursuit of excellence.
NEIL MOSS