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Just watching some UCL highlights and seen Manuel Neuer in goal for Bayern. Got me thinking, where does he rank in terms of goalkeeping history?

I can't do a top three, it's simply too difficult a decision. I suppose, if I was pressed, I'd single out: Yashin, Shilton, Banks, P. Schmeichel and Neuer. Casillas and Buffon come top of the peloton.

What do we think?

Matt.

Neuer is with out shadow of doubt the best keeper in today's football on every aspect of goalkeeping there isn't another playing football today who can match him, where does he rank all time, that's difficult to say. You have to remember today's keeper benefits from so much technology, their gloves have built wrist supports/shock absorbers, the latex on the front of the gloves is shaped to aid catching, many gloves have adjustable bones , some keepers don't like them, others can move them to suit his own needs, these help prevent broken fingers, they have shorts and 3/4 length trousers designed to help help prevent injury that keepers even 30 years ago never had.

Today's keeper benefits from advanced training technique's largely developed by keepers of yesterday, like Bob Wilson with the "w" catching technique, I would add Pat Jennings to your list and Dino Zoff, but the daddy of them all, because so many keepers use techniques invented/ developed by is Peter Schmeichel a keeper worth 15 pts a season.

Neuer is streets ahead of the competition, he really has it all, has been impressive for a number of years now. I would have to agree with our learned friend though that its all because of Schmeichel's influence. You look at how Neuer imposes himself, how big he makes himself, how brave he is to 'go through' forwards, its pure Peter Boleslaw Schmeichel.

Similarly, you look at the best goalkeeper we've had in recent years, Bobby O, who does his physicality and technique remind you of? Schmeichel.

Shot-stopping is the basic staple of a goalkeeper's armoury, and there are plenty of good ones about, Vorm, Marshall, De Gea etc, but what you need is an intimidating presence who dominates, neigh rules, his 18 yard box, catches every cross, smothers every through-ball, leaves his defence in no confused state of mind that the keeper is going to get to the ball and make it his. Schmeichel was the first to perfect all of that, he was faultless.

Bear in mind that years ago, keepers could pick up back-passes, now they have to be good with their feet too. Having played a limited amount of football in goal myself I am keen to watch goalkeepers very closely. There are far too many bad habits creeping in nowadays, needless punching being by far the worst. Van Der Sar, Seaman, Given and Southall (in the British game) have all come close in my opinion in terms of consistency and reliability, Neuer is the best now, but Schmeichel is the best of all time. Casillas and Buffon, for their longevity at the highest level, are not far behind but just do not possess the same aura that the two 'big guys' have.

Gordon Banks is the best of all time. He was streets ahead of other quality keepers of his generation and Schmeichel was the best of the last generation but nowhere near as good as Banks.

Banks
Shilton
Schmeichel

Kenny Veysey

I would agree with what has been said re Neuer and Schmeichel but would also add Buffon in to the list. One of the calmest goalkeepers you'll see, never seems to get flustered but his main thing is the concentraion - always I think a sign of a good keeper.
We see lots of keepers look good playing for bottom end Premiership teams because they are involved for most of the game. The season Juventus got relegated to Serie B Buffon spent most of his time standing around watching play from afar but on the rare occasion he was called in to action he was always alert and ready to deal with the situation. I was impressed with Hart for the same reason against Denmark, which was lucky as the defenders in front of him had, as usual, zero concentration.

Neville Southall !!!

One of the best I've seen was Liverpools yes Scotish international Tommy Younger this was in 1957 these keepers did not have the gloves that they have today. These keepers had to catch the ball it was a sin to punch. All the ones mentioned were good in their own time. Mat what a good Subject by you!

It has to be Klaus Lindenberger and his amazing technicolour Italia 90 jersey too. What a guy.

Martin Rice

Big nev,
banks

What a disgrace. The lot of you.

10 comments and no mention at all of him...

Simon Rayner.

To be fair I always thought Raynor was one of our better keepers. I obviously know feck all though as he is now 30 years old playing in the Isthmian League Division One South!

PhilGull wrote:To be fair I always thought Raynor was one of our better keepers. I obviously know feck all though as he is now 30 years old playing in the Isthmian League Division One South!

To be completely honest I agree with you. The worst goalkeeper I thought I saw at Plainmoor was Reading loanee Mikkel Andersen but he is still playing professional football at a much higher level than our beloved gulls...

STUART JONES