Pads are also a lot wider than they used to be. Goalie's in the past couldn't have made the butterfly work because the pads were too thin, and thus couldn't cover the bottom of the net adequately to make it worthwhile. Butterfly also requires a lot more fitness and flexibility which I doubt older goalies could have pulled off.
David de Gea | 2011-14 Performances
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Pads are also a lot wider than they used to be. Goalie's in the past couldn't have made the butterfly work because the pads were too thin, and thus couldn't cover the bottom of the net adequately to make it worthwhile. Butterfly also requires a lot more fitness and flexibility which I doubt older goalies could have pulled off.
Hmm... On the WhoScored.com ratings: they're very interesting, but have to be seen in the right context of course. Goalkeeper is probably hard to define in terms of statistical weighting, IMO there's a huge "bias" towards shot-stopping. Watching their performances is a more important indicator *duh*. Let's see.
#1 Gorka Iraizoz (Athletic), 7.09 (from 24 league apps)
#2 Toño (Granada), 7.02 (from 21 league apps)
#3 Dani Hernández (Valladolid), 7.01 (from 20 league apps)
#4 René Adler (Bayer Leverkusen), 7.01 (from 24 league apps)
#5 Ron-Robert Zieler (Hannover), 7.00 (from 25 league apps)
#6 David De Gea (Man Utd), 6.99 (from 20 league apps)
#7 Marc-André ter Stegen (Mönchengladbach), 6.99 (from 25 league apps)
#8 Fabian Giefer (Fortuna Düsseldorf), 6.98 (from 25 league apps)
#9 Mariano Andújar (Catania), 6.98 (from 28 league apps)
#10 Willy Caballero (Málaga), 6.97 (from 27 league apps)
Iraizoz at #1 is bizarre by all counts; not only have Athletic been having a horrible season (conceding 50+ league goals already), he's been guilty of making mistakes to such an extent that 18-year old Raúl Fernández has been preferred in the past few weeks. I imagine it's because he faces so many shots per game, that it actually has the effect of boosting his WhoScored rating.
Toño is an excellent shot-stopper and having a good season (personal opinion though), Adler, Zieler and ter Stegen are rated highly in the Kicker ratings I believe (although they have a very big bias towards keepers). One notable name that's missing for me is Thibaut Courtois, who recently broke Abel Resino's club record of minutes without conceding. Willy of Málaga has been the stand-out performer for me though, looking good to win the Zamora (Courtois is also in contention) and been spectacular domestically and in Europe.
My personal ranking of keepers this season;
#1 Caballero
#2 De Gea
#3 Buffon
#4 Courtois
#5 Lloris
Buffon and Lloris not mentioned before, but both impressive every time I've seen them; assured, composed, comfortable keeping for the most part, interspersed with magnificent saves and accurate decision-making. Usual suspects like Casillas and Valdés having very mediocre (not poor per se) seasons; Neuer unimpressive, Hart great in flashes, sloppy rest of the time; Diego López (Real Madrid) has been decent but too early to tell. Abbiati has been incredible most of the time I've seen him so would probably have him at #6 (mostly based on CL games though). Mignolet (Sunderland) has been brilliant at times, perhaps deserves a spot in a seasonal top 10? Am least knowledgeable about Ligue 1, but L'Équipe have rated Rémy Vercoutre (Lyon) as the best keeper, based on their match ratings, but he's been appaling in the Europa League, making so many mistakes in every game I've seen.
Well, that escalated quickly.
You seem to really know your keepers Skorenzy. Nice insight.
I don't see too much La Liga but it is pretty bizarre to have Iraizoz as number one. I can't fathom what that rating system is actually based off because it isn't reality.
I don't see too much La Liga but it is pretty bizarre to have Iraizoz as number one. I can't fathom what that rating system is actually based off because it isn't reality.
The Spain squad is announced tomorrow, and it's very likely he'll be in it going be recent quotes from del Bosque.
Well, I can only comment on the ones that I've seen this season. To be fair to the rating system, it has to be understood for what it is: it's all a matter of which aspects are given a bigger weighting in the eventual value they come up with, for keepers I suspect the amount of shots they face will play a huge role, and of course the % of which they keep out (errors leading to goals as well, so maybe I'm exaggerating Iraizoz's culpability or the WhoScored.com analysts simply differ in their interpretation from me).
The stats for keepers are not very comprehensive from what I can find (or you have to go through each match report seperately), but in general I do think it portrays a decent picture of outfield players' performances. It is of course biased to goals and assists, but no system is perfect.
Who are they playing?
He's in for the Finland and France games
De Gea, Valdés, Reina, Azpilicueta, Sergio Ramos, Piqué, Albiol, Monreal, Arbeloa, Xavi, Iniesta, Xabi, Busquets, Silva, Navas, Mata, Negredo, Villa, Javi García, Inesta, Isco, Cazorla, Pedro , Cesc.
Will he start though?
He should, but I think del Bosque will still opt for Valdes probably. At least it would be good to see him on the bench.
No Torres at all?
No Torres at all?
Iker's injury certainly facilitated this callup but it's fully deserved obviously and was always going to happen eventually. Only question will be, can he do enough over the course of the next year to break into the top 3 for WC14? Because it's unlikely Del Bosque will take more than 3 keepers and unless Reina, Iker or Valdes suffer an injury, not sure he will make it
The omission of Torres & Javi are telling, to be certain
The omission of Torres & Javi are telling, to be certain
He has saved us more with his legs this season than his hands. The little movement he made towards Mata before throwing his leg at the shot was vital. The boy is going to rule the world.
Well deserved call up to the national team he's been brilliant this season.
Hope he gets a chance to show the NT what he is made of, i certainly think once he is picked he wont lose his spot.
Good to see him getting called up
Chuffed for the lad, well deserved. Would love it if he got a game.
Strange decision this. The best team in the world are picking a shit referee who can't still deal with crosses.
It won't be long now before he replaces Casillas. He's still a top keeper, but he isn't at the level he was IMO.
You what now?
I guess he meant "shit goalkeeper", and it was meant to be an ironic post in the sense that the English media hound him for being inconsistent or error prone but is yet good enough to earn a call up for the best team in the world.
Am I right Revan?
Am I right Revan?
Yes. Talking about referees in other threads, I made a lapsus here. Anyway, it is so strange that English shit media cannot yet realize what amateurs of Caf have realized for a long time.
Javi Garcia shouldn't be making these Spain squads surely? Where's Martinez
Thats hell of a lot of midfielders for just two games.
So, guess this means... We've a Spanish international in our team! Get the feck in! 
We should play him in midfield
Tiki-fecking-taka, hey?
He's probably a better passer of the ball than Jones.
I think Willy has clearly been the best keeper this season from what I've seen. That's mostly basing it on watching him a lot. Haven't seen any Italian domestic games. Willy has been brilliant. Thoroughly impressed. Don't think he'll get the credit he deserves. It will probably be someone obvious like Buffon.
These whoscored ratings are pretty rubbish. According to them Andy Carroll is the 10th best performer in the PL.
Javi Garcia is a terrible inclusion but he isn't likely to play anyway - Victor Perez, Mario Suarez, Illarramendi and Camacho made more sense...Beñat had his chance and failed to impress last International break
Not sure why people keep including him in talks about the top goalkeepers in the world. De Gea is comfortably better than him at this point and if Del Bosque goes on merit, De Gea should be starting the next few internationals to see what he can do while Casillas is still recovering.
Agreed. Reina is nowhere near a world top 10 keeper list. It would be a stretch now to include Reina in top 10 in the English prem.
Based on form over the last two seasons, that is. Once upon a time Reina was pretty decent. He's now a clusterfeck.
Reina's not as bad as some let on here, he makes some mistakes but on his day he's top quality. Still, if Valdes doesn't start, which I suspect he will, it's a no-brainer to play de Gea. He'll be there numero uno for years to come.
The best NT in the world continues to call him up and he's been a fixture there for years. Del Bosque likes continuity, the reason De Gea is up now is precisely because of Iker's injury and that he's earned it. Still, it'll take a big change with one of the keepers ahead of De Gea to make the WC roster, IMO.
When was the last time one of Casillas, Valdes, and Reina weren't in the Spanish squad and not because of injury? They've been a fixture, I agree it'll be very hard for Dave to break into the squad permanently, for now. Luckily he has time on his massive hands.
Why has Iniesta been selected twice?
Guzan is top quality on his day too.
Guzan's a decent 'keeper.
Surely Martinez would have made more sense than Javi fecking Garcia 
I never said he isn't. But no one sees him as top keeper, but lot of people still see Reina as one of the world's best, and for example Guzan(who is just decent) is probably having better season than him.
De Gea is only 22, he'll be 23 with years ahead of him at the NT should he miss the WC
Thiago's time will come as well but he hasn't played enough to warrant selection either
The NT for Spain will change a lot after the WC
Thiago's time will come as well but he hasn't played enough to warrant selection either
The NT for Spain will change a lot after the WC
Why? Their core is still relatively young.
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