What is better: A keeper that comes and flaps or a keeper that is glued to the line?

[pete 2,499]

As someone who played keeper with not a lot of height, I always tried to get my fingers to a corner or cross. My reasoning was that a striker/airforce couldn't get their head to the ball, and we could fight for the second ball. I preferred McCrorie having a couple of flappers that were cleared, rather than a McGregor stuck to his line. I am not sure if McCrorie is good enough for our first keeper, but I prefer a keeper that comes for a ball.

[Bluedell 5,342]

Good to see you back, mate. 

 

Both cause issues. Come off your line and don't get it then it's more difficult to save if the ball falls to the opposition.

 

Hopefully we'll bring in a keeper who can confidently deal with high balls into the box. 

 

Agreed that based on yesterday, McCrorie doesn't look like he's ready to be our number one. 

[Rousseau 9,382]

4 hours ago, pete said:

As someone who played keeper with not a lot of height, I always tried to get my fingers to a corner or cross. My reasoning was that a striker/airforce couldn't get their head to the ball, and we could fight for the second ball. I preferred McCrorie having a couple of flappers that were cleared, rather than a McGregor stuck to his line. I am not sure if McCrorie is good enough for our first keeper, but I prefer a keeper that comes for a ball.

 

Pete! Welcome back!

[Rousseau 9,382]

Just put him through some punching drills over the summer. 

 

I much prefer him to come. At least we have a chance, then. 

 

Like I said on the match thread, I thought McCrorie learned: He tried to catch the first couple of corners, which is difficult and he couldn't catch them, and then he started to flap at them, which is better than failing to catch it.

 

Get him punching. 

[Scott7 5,179]

Very interesting question. I don’t know enough goalkeeping science to answer properly but my instinct would be to go for the ball, catch it with luck, otherwise get it away from anywhere within ten yards or so of the goal line.

A top ‘keeper will know by instinct or by experience when to come and when to stay put.

 

I wonder if McGregor’s attitude was ‘have the ball if you like, I’ll still stop you.’ It worked fine until last season.

[Rousseau 9,382]

If it's a floated ball, he should be catching; if it's a whipped ball, he should be punching. 

[Gonzo79 13,660]

I'm definitely of the opinion that a keeper should be in full control of the six yard box.  Probably mostly in control of the entire penalty box too.

[onevision 1,447]

4 minutes ago, Scott7 said:

A top ‘keeper will know by instinct or by experience when to come and when to stay put.

 

You answered the question.

To become a top goalkeeper McCrorie needs to learn to pick best time to either come catching or punching or leave to his defenders to deal with.

Something even the best keepers sometimes get wrong.

[Frankie 8,151]

Coming for crosses is one of the hardest things a goalkeeper can do and not many 'keepers are consistently good at it. It requires a reading of various factors; weather, flight of the ball, positioning, communication and negotiating a path to the ball. This calculation has to be done in milli-seconds so it's not a surprise to see mistakes happen. It's also something driven by confidence - an on-form 'keeper will seem to claim everything, whilst an off-form one will hold back.

 

Saving shots is more instinctive and arguably easier in the grand scheme of things. As is commanding your box - which is different from claiming crosses. I'd suggest McCrorie still commanded his box fairly well yesterday which allowed our defence to play farther up the park once again. He did drop one fairly easy cross ball early on which was perhaps down to the greasy conditions and I thought he should have stayed on his line when Nisbet headed just wide early in the 2nd half. But he claimed several balls at the edge of his box and swept up one outside his box as well which McGregor often struggled with in the last season or two.

 

Other than that McCrorie was fine. Remember we also had another, younger centre-half playing yesterday so that would have affected communication a wee bit; perhaps making everyone slightly more anxious. 

 

Good to see you back on the forum, Pete - hope you're well!

[onevision 1,447]

And good to see how disappointed he was losing that late goal.