´óÏó´«Ã½

Roy Carroll, United v Spurs, 2004-2005 season.

Good enough .. ?

:)

The embedded video is so grainy I could hardly make out anything. If you paid for this footage I'd complain, as from the looks of the texture it could very easily have been ripped from someone's YouTube video.

LOL, a perfect advert for Goal line tech, something Spurs seem to specialise in!

I think the 3rd clip with Jaasklienen making a double save against Man U is probably the best IMHO, any goalkeeper can make a spectacular looking save but to then recover that quickly and make another one a second later really is special IMHO.

Carlo Cudicini's saves from Redknapp free kick against Spurs and Van Nistelrooy's header against Man Utd should have made the shortlist.

I voted for Jaasklienen's double save.

@jack there is decent footage on the premier league site

There are some great saves there but there are also some "being hit with the ball" rather than reacting. Also to leave Seaman out of the blog is somewhat criminal.

Video not available in my area, ridiculous.

Is this really the best shortlist that could be put together out of twenty years' footage? Half of the clips show something closer to stick-out-a-limb luck than judgement. Then there's the fact that the researchers seem to have run out of patience after only getting as far back as the turn of the century. It doesn't even feel like we have the candidates' best saves here, let alone a list of the best Premier League saves.

"Is this really the best shortlist that could be put together out of twenty years' footage?"


Lets be honest, that apply s to pretty much every category.


I loved every minute of the 8-2 game this season with Arsenal and Manchester United, was it one of the greatest games of the past 20 years, hardly.

8. At 08:00 18th Apr 2012, cloggysaint wrote:
Video not available in my area, ridiculous.
=====================================
Click the link at the bottom of the article:


..... and they don't care where you are - ´óÏó´«Ã½ still too little britainish

Nothing from Big Nev?

10. At 08:10 18th Apr 2012, Jesus the Teddy Bear wrote:
"Is this really the best shortlist that could be put together out of twenty years' footage?"
=================================

Best matches shortlist features only games with 5 or more goals - so we now know what the main criteria is for a great match.

As Hansen would put it, "terrible defending"

8.
At 08:00 18th Apr 2012, cloggysaint wrote:

Video not available in my area, ridiculous.
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I used to get that message on my computer at work, I've not been out of the UK for two years and i'm pretty sure when I was sat at my desk it was in Yorkshire and stayed there. Disabling my proxy settings helped but the powers that be didn't like that so if thats the case wih you make sure you turn them back on!

Very biased view of this one but i'll be voting for Jaaskelainen

A United fan saying this says it all.

How David Seaman isn't in this list is laughable..... credibility lost.

12.
At 08:14 18th Apr 2012, gregkelly1985 wrote:

Nothing from Big Nev?
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Great keeper but the shortlist is pretty poor, how can they justify two places to Kuzszack yet no mention for Southall, Seaman, Cech and please please tell me why Shaka Hislop hasn't made this list?!

what about the one where Joe Hart runs from Manchester Uniteds penalty area and get back to his own net just in time u make a save? I thought that was phenonemal, why is it not on the best saves? What other keeper ran the full length of the pitch and make a save?

For me it has to be the save by Schmeichel against Newcastle going the wrong way then twisting his body to scoop the ball out for a corner. Best save I have seen since Gordon Bank's save in the WC fom Pele.

Has anyone looked at the choices for the fantasy team, is it me or is there a distinct lack of good right backs? Glen Johnson, Warren Barton, Rob Jones e.t.c doesn't really say much for last 20 years.

All this user's posts have been removed.Why?

Alan Blayney saving point blank from Alan Shearer Gorden Banks style or Antii Niemi's triple verses Arsenal (twice from Henry and once from Viera).

Big Pete against Newcastle for me - although the Gordon save is quality too. Special mention should go to Steven Taylor though - the one where he appeared to get shot straight afterwards :)

I went for Craig Gordon, it was 100% concentration and instinct. Can't ask anything more form a keeper.

I like Barthez' save vs LIverpool:

Everyone in the stadium and at the pub I was at thought it was in. Except Barthez

Most of the nominations are the sorts of saves a good keeper would hope to make - full length dive and palm the ball round the post are bread and butter keeping, although these are all good examples of this type of save.
The three that stand out as saves that the keeper shouldn't have made are:
Jaaskelainen's double save, because of the speed of recovery
Kuszcak's save at the near post after the ball was deflected off the full back
Gordon's close range save.

Of those three, I think Gordon's is the best, as he just didn't have any right to even get a touch on the ball, never mind a strong enough hand to deflect it away.

Way too many great saves to filter through, seaman should have been included as should shay given, hes made some really great saves

Not Premier League but the best performance ever by a goalkeeper was Jerzy Dudek in Istanbul 2005. His double save from Shevchenko and then performance in the shootout won the Champions League for Liverpool.

To all those complaining about Seaman being not in the list, i'm assuming its the save vs Sheffield Utd... which was in the FA Cup - this is a list of PREMIER LEAGUE saves.

Which panel of so called 'experts' made this list? Seems, as always, very Manchester United themed.

No David Seaman, no Neville Southall, to name but two prem greats with loads of great saves to choose from. I'd even put forward some of the brilliant saves Ali Al-Habsi has made this season. These lists are always about who or what's most popular at the time, never a true reflection.

Again not premier league but Almunia for Arsenal against Barcelona in the champions league last year I think, the first 20 minutes he was phenomenal.

There's always going to be missing saves as a lot of people voting won't be able to remember 20 years ago. As I understand it the votes came through some national newspapers and as we know they did a cracking job at sports personality.

You mean "Who *has* made the best save in Premier League History?"
Just "Who made..." carries the nuance that Premier League history is over, finished, and there will be no more Premier League. Or at least it does in British English. And you're British aren't you, Mr McNulty? Stop the ´óÏó´«Ã½'s slide into American English!

My personal favorite was Schmeichel v Newcastle from the list. As a United fan a couple of saves stick in my mind that haven't made the list. Schmeichel v Newcastle in the 1-0 game that won the title in 96'. Ferdinand closing in on goal unleashed a wicked strike which Schmeichel kept out with his forearm before catching on 2nd attempt.

The 2nd is Van Der Sar from Crouch at Anfield in 07. Scholes just sent off, cross comes in, Crouch takes it on his chest, hits it with his right across goal somehow Van Der Sar reacts and pushes it out, United go up the other end and O'Shea puts the ball in the Scouser net!! What a day, the day United as a club believed they could regain their title after 3 seasons of watching London clubs take their trophy!!!

Some great saves there. Craig Gordon's was pretty good but where is Petr Cech, before his injury he was simply the best out there.

Have we chosen best manager of the past 20 years yet?

Which panel of so called 'experts' made this list? Seems, as always, very Manchester United themed.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Almost as if United have been the dominant team in the Premier League era or something....

Of that list, and obviously i'm biased, Schmeichel's save against Newcastle is the one for me. Not just for that save but his performance in that game was THE best i've ever seen from a goalkeeper.

First, the best Premier league game in history and now the best save in Premier league history. Will you follow it up with best ever own goal, worst ever refereeing decison etc?

This obsession you are propogating about "best ever whatever " in the premier league only serves to fuel the myth propogated by SKY that football was invented in 1992 and nothing that ever happened before either counts or matters.

Well thankfully football's history is much richer than the "as seen on TV" bit of the last 20 years.

To prove my point I suggest two saves that will put anything from the Premier league era in the shade.
1) Gordon Banks from Pele in the 1970 World Cup
2) Jim Montgomery's double sdave for Sunderland in the FA Cup Final against Leeds in 1973.

What about szczesny with his double save against liverpool this season when he saves the penalty quickly gets up and saves another shot 3 yards away from the goal and knocks it out, brilliant goalkeeping, it's only a thought.

35. Think you may be mixing up the matches!!!

Schmeichel best performance was against Newcastle in 95/96 season not the game he made the save in above can always tell by his kit. He the light lime green top in his best performance. In the save above he was wearing a darker green top

Craig Gordon for me, pure instinct! Shame he's had his issues with injuries as he's got the potential to be world class.

Kind of away from the point of the article but my top Keeper of the past 20 years in the Premier League has got to be Schmeichel. A lot of people mentioned the Newcastle v Man Utd game in 96 in the best games blog, purely because of his performance. Man Utd should have got humped that night but he was on fire. Other than that though his distribution was great and man could he throw that ball for miles!

Of course there are a number of great keepers who don't feature in the list - its not a list of the greatest keepers the league has had - its the best saves. It doesn't matter if one of the keepers on here shipped 5 goals every other week or has a list of howlers as long as his arm. Its asking you to vote for the one milisecond of a keepers career it takes to make a great save.

As a non-league keeper (and biased Scot) I'd have to vote for Gordon, with an honourable second for Jaaskelainen's double save. Gordon had no right to make that save - in fact its very similar to Seaman's against Peschosolido in the FA Cup thats referred to above.

Kieran Westwoods save for Sunderland this season, can't remember against who but it was one of the best saves I've seen. Also Joe Hart made a couple of sensational saves against Liverpool this season which are better than a lot of saves on the list.

"Has anyone looked at the choices for the fantasy team"

Oh god yeah, its a nightmare.

All due respect but what is Glen Johnson doing in there! being around for an age does not make you great,

The comments are all two recent. I think Sam Bartram the year Charlton won the F.A. Cup. Also Malcolm Finlayson aged 17 at the time produced a save (after the previous goalie had 13 put past him in the last 2 games).

#38
Possibly, but that performance should win an award for itself. Ridiculous!

These things are always very silly...
Small goalkeepers tend to save low shots better and can move their centre of gravity a lot easier, making them far more effective when disorganised defences leave them with a lot to do.
Large goalkeepers can dominate set piece plays easier, which is what an organised defence wants.

Further to this, in the Latin countries goalkeepers can claim fouls basically for being smaller than big guys, which makes giant goalkeepers less useful in Spain, Italy etc. This is why most goalkeepers who have huge reputations in these countries get shown up when they come to the English Premiership, being useless when players are allowed to compete with them for the ball.

To those of you saying that a full length diving save is 'bread n butter' or expected of any goalkeeper, you are wrong. To you, I assume you think that because the ball is further out from goal, they have more time to save it, so it's easy. It's not, I'm a goalkeeper and goalkeeper coach, and what you're missing is the footwork and reactions that are required to get you in position to THEN make a full length save and only then can tall, flexible and agile keepers with a big leap make the save. Watch the hart or given saves but this time look at their feet, and the total distance covered Every single day keepers do hours of footwork drills through cones, poles, ladders and hurdled plus hours of gym work to improve their ability to make those saves. They are not easy.

What's more, to the 'hit the body' saves, these are an example of a goalkeeper closing down the angle, showing bravery that has to be instinctive rather than a conscious decision, and improvisation, the sign of the best keepers because it can't be taught.

Please don't clog the blog with outfielder opinions of a goalkeeper, you might as well have said Gordon 'flapped at it' - you sound that ignorant.

Big4r_a_bore not to make you feel silly but Phil's article is about Best save in the Premier League and Best Premier League game because to celebrate 20 years of the Premier League the Premier League themselves are having these awards and people can vote on their favourites!
There is no obsession by Phil about the Premier league, its a topical article so perhaps you should get off your high horse and stop making a fool of yourself.
Yes we are all well aware there was football before 1992 and well done for posting some saves that have nothing to do with the Premier league but perhaps you should complain to the premier League for daring to be around for 20 years and wanting to celebrate it by having awards for best of which has prompted this article by Phil!

"35. Almost as if United have been the dominant team in the Premier League era or something...."

--------------

Thats completely irrelevant, the list should be on individual saves, regardless of significance. The keepers in the top sides, by their very nature, will often have very few saves to make, where I've seen 10 world class saves in a bottom of the table match.

Looking at this from a neutrals perspective I can't see beyond Schmeichel's save against Newcastle winning it. Top drawer that one!

@ 46 nice contribution :) Agree with everything (not that I have your expertise but it's very sensible).

48.At 09:52 18th Apr 2012, Tommyb65 wrote:
"35. Almost as if United have been the dominant team in the Premier League era or something...."

--------------

Thats completely irrelevant, the list should be on individual saves, regardless of significance. The keepers in the top sides, by their very nature, will often have very few saves to make, where I've seen 10 world class saves in a bottom of the table match.

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I think he was responding to the question as to why Man Utd 'seem to be dominating most of the categories'.

Unfair criticism of Kuszszak in my opinion. This list is the top 10 saves, not the top 10 best keepers. With individual saves, Kuszszak was presumably chosen on merit, not because he plays for a certain club- although he is not highly rated as a keeper and didn't become Man Utd's No1, he does have great reactions and is a very good shot-stopper (only one aspect of a goalkeeper's attributes) One of those saves is from when he played for West Brom!

So he is not on the list for his name, he is on the list for his individual saves. That's why Cech and Van der Sar, more decorated keepers, don't have two picks like he does.

The general concensus is Schmeichel is the best keeper of the premiership era so it's not really a surprise he features in this list of greatest saves. Maybe,because he was so good..Utd were so successful.
It was maybe an illusion,but I'm certain I saw many a player visibly wilt as they approached him with ball at feet.
Best save? Against Liverpool...the ball was only feet away and struck with venom.Superb reflections.

Got to be Kuszczak's against Wigan when he played for West Bromwich

@ 52, Schmeichel was far and away the best keeper, not just in the Premiership but in Europe/the world, something that maybe a lot of people didn't grasp fully at the time. He was the Messi of goalkeeping in his era. I thought that only Oliver Kahn and maybe Chilavert at his peak even came close to him.

Other outstanding Premiership keepers like Seaman and Van der Sar were adept, very consistent and made few mistakes, but Schmeichel is one of the goalkeeping greats along with Yashin, Banks, Zoff. His agility for such a large man was incredible, he was physically imposing, completely dominated his penalty area and organised his defence, and could launch counter-attacks with a massive throw, a decent enough kicker too.

@52.At 10:09 18th Apr 2012, 1878onwards wrote:
"Best save? Against Liverpool...the ball was only feet away and struck with venom.Superb reflections."
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And excellent reflexes too!

Depressingly, anything like this that is decided by the "great" British public desends in to a popularity contest rather than a true vote about quality. I'm as bad as anyone and would vote for our Jussi's save (as a Bolton fan) rather than maybe Gordon's save (how did Zat miss that!!).

TBH, by the balance of probabilities, the award should be more likely to go to a keeper from a lower team because they have to make more saves. However, I suspect if De Gea ever caught a ball he'd win the award for that from the fans of the most popular club in the country.....

What about Lehmann's save from Solksjaer in 2006?

44. No doubt he won the title for United that night on his own. Many always remember the goal that Cantona scored but if it was not for Schmeichel that goal would have meant nothing!! Steve Bruce that night looked slow and ill equipped to deal with the top class strikers. May have prompted his retirment at the end of that season??

56.At 10:19 18th Apr 2012, RememberScarborough wrote:
TBH, by the balance of probabilities, the award should be more likely to go to a keeper from a lower team because they have to make more saves
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But that also ignores the fact that keepers in top clubs have to make saves too, sometimes very important ones. It seems a bit of a mixed up logic there to me. Games of Man Utd v Liverpool or Chelsea v Arsenal, do you imagine that the keepers in each team never have to make a save?

Have to agree that I was surprised that the Solksjaer save wasnt in the list? I remembering watching that game Adebayor had just scored a couple of minutes later the shot looked destined for the corner somehow Lehmann kept it out

Whilst doing the best of the last 20yrs. How about top ten penalites 'not given' against or top ten 'best dives' (sorry simulation or , "he went down very easily") think we all know which team currently in Speedo Red would feature ....

Paul Jones makes a miracle double save about 1.15 into this vid:



It's one of the best in my opinion but Man Utd scored from a cross seconds later so puts a dampner on it.

(Incidentally, well worth a watch on the same vid is Pahars nutmegging yes nutmegging Jaap Stam for the first goal, and of course the infamous Taibi moment...

#7 Little Pea

You should be a marketing agent for the Premier League.
Or Phil McNulty's mouthpiece :-))

Paul Scholes against Fulham in 2009:

#64
That was a brilliant save, is there anything the ginger prince can't do?

I reckon the premier league should have analysed every season then put a compilation of 50 saves up rather than 20,there seems to be none taken from 2002 to 2007,from this season I would put the Mata save from De Gea in the list and Szchezny against Cattermole

I have a few candidates for the worst ''saves'' in EPL history, and sadly they all emanate from one source: that blonde-haired chap in Manchester City's goal (who I think must be Mancini's son-in-law, as that's the only rational explanation for his continual selection).

Pick from about a dozen of his near post clangers, spilling tame shots into the path of onrushing attackers and his trademark ''Nelson's Column'' impersonations.

65.At 10:43 18th Apr 2012, We all follow United wrote:

That was a brilliant save, is there anything the ginger prince can't do?
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Play for his country after 2004? :strokeschinthoughtfully:

Nope I believe if he wanted to he could do that.

#68
Well, they begged him too. Even last World Cup, how they begged him....

You would think Schmeichel has to come out on top because of the sheer weight of numbers of exceptional saves.

What about Phil Jagielka's saves for Sheffield United v Arsenal. He made 2 good saves!!!

O'Shea v Tottenham great last man defending from the stand in goalkeeper to deny fellow countryman Robbie Keane!!!

Talking of great saves outside of the premiership, what about Schmeichel's from Zamorano Quarter Final 99' v Inter Milan!!!

Szchezney seems to be progressing well today.

Shouldn't be surprised to see criticism of United here, but I assure you most fans of any club are sensible and fair. I am probably one of many who voted for Gordon even if I thought Schmeichel was our best keeper, and probably the best of his generation.

We're at such at interesting and critical stage of the season, and this is what the Chief Football Writer is concerning himself with?

*rollseyes*

Big4r_a_bore just pointing out an obvious fact, sorry it upset you.

The self titled football expect dog patch got it wrong last night

His so called expect prediction Bayern 1 Madrid 2

December 2002 Liverpool v Man Utd - Fabien Barthez from Dieter Hamann at 2-1 UTD.

In fairness, a lot of these saves aren't anything special. Even ''butterfingers Barry'' can pull off the occasional top save when he's playing for ''The Frog and Ferret'' on a Sunday morning.

You see far better saves - from technically superior custodians - most weeks in La Liga.

@ 75 what could you be referring to? The battle for 4th is a case of who is poorer. Riveting stuff. Or maybe the upcoming Barcelona - Chelsea CL semi - bundles of intrigue there.

69.At 10:48 18th Apr 2012, Jesus the Teddy Bear wrote:

Nope I believe if he wanted to he could do that.
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I believe it's got nothing to with whether he wanted to do or not, and everything to do with a succesion of English managers not wanting him in the team.

Still, if Old 'arry wants a player who can reel off a string of 2-yard crab-like passes to a team-mate, then perhaps he'll ask whether the Trafford Trundler will deign to represent his country again.

Thats why one of the most decorated managers in the game begged him to come out of his self-imposed retirement in the summer then.

Thomas Kuszczak for putting his neck on the line making that incredible diving save

"Still, if Old 'arry wants a player who can reel off a string of 2-yard crab-like passes to a team-mate,"

I didnt know Xavi and Iniesta were eligible to play for England.

Soil Patch you utter bore!!

Barthez save was quality, shame he couldn't make a few more of them in his Old Trafford time!!

#80 Russeljones

Tonight's game will be very interesting indeed.

But, if all else fails, maybe the author could busy himself with what is wrong with football in this country, maybe ask us fans what we think is wrong, what about solutions to problems etc etc

He could then use his position to present a summary to the powers that be.

Or he could do as he is and sit around doing some PR for the 'Barclays Premier League' and their partners.

The great goalkeepers in the Premiership have been quite a few, so far.
The best save I've ever seen though belongs to Gordon Banks. The ball was destined for top corner but he didn't just stop it but caught the ball "with one hand".

"But, if all else fails, maybe the author could busy himself with what is wrong with football in this country, maybe ask us fans what we think is wrong, what about solutions to problems etc etc"


I bet we get blog justifying Glen Johnson in the Greatest Right back in 20 years category.

@68

I see you are having a go at Paul Scholes again so here is what one of your sporting hero's has to say about him:-

Out of everyone at Manchester United, I would pick out Scholes – he is the best midfielder of his generation. I would have loved to have played alongside him.
Pep Guardiola

@81

Here is what another of your sporting hero's has got to say about him:-

In the last 15 to 20 years the best central midfielder that I have seen — the most complete — is Scholes. I have spoken with Xabi Alonso about this many times. Scholes is a spectacular player who has everything. He can play the final pass, he can score, he is strong, he never gets knocked off the ball and he doesn’t give possession away. If he had been Spanish then maybe he would have been valued more.
Xavi

Hey Dog Patch of the Spanish Plodder have you got an expect prediction tonight.

His prediction.

Barca 201 Chelsea -15

David Beckham on course for London 2012 football team
/sport/0/football/17753784




Does any real football fan think Beckham should be anywhere near this team ?

82.At 11:10 18th Apr 2012, Jesus the Teddy Bear wrote:

Thats why one of the most decorated managers in the game begged him to come out of his self-imposed retirement in the summer then.
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I'm interested in cold, hard facts - not spurious tabloid tittle-tattle.

I doubt Capello would have been interested in such a limited player as Scholes, when he had Gareth Barry and a number of other central midfielders at his disposal.

I'm bored :(

WHy is everyone turning this to a Scholes debate. Let Soil Patch have his say just move on and ignore him!!

This is about great saves in the premier league era!!

let's hear more from the people here about saves they have seen!!!

Would Suarez's save be there as one of the best in the world in a world survey??

@93

of course he should not be

91.At 11:20 18th Apr 2012, Robbie wrote:
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Chelsea 0 FC Barcelona 2

FC Barcelona 5 Chelsea 1

(FC Barcelona win 7-1 on aggregate)

#88 Jesus the Teddy Bear

I bet we get blog justifying Glen Johnson in the Greatest Right back in 20 years category.
------------------------------------------------------------
Which would be absurd when you have Bosingwa to choose........ ;-)

'Franco Baldini spoke with him in the evening and he said yes. In the morning he said no, because he preferred to stay at home.

"He said he is too old to play more games and in more competitions. He prefers to be okay for Manchester United."

Glad you behaving in a slightly better way than making jokes about rape now though patchy.