carl_spackler wrote:
It's the command of the box which I thought about with the all-round comment, in the same way I'd apply it to Given as his achilles heel. And the ironic thing about it is, they're probably in the league that most demands that attribute. The reason I think Friedel and Van Der Sar are better all-round keepers is because they don't have such a glaring weakness IMO. They are a little behind Reina in some things, like the athleticism and speed off the line, but none to the extent that he is behind them in commanding his area. The distribution point I can agree with whilst not particularly valuing it in a keeper. It's an added bonus if a goalkeeper can pick out long passes, but so long as they are comfortable putting their laces through the ball with either foot and can throw with decent accuracy within their own half, that's enough.
But he isn't a poor handler, he has just never been required to do it, as our marking system under Benitez was zonal, where players would line up in front of him and he wasn't required to come and catch the ball, instead the requirement is to punch the ball to start faster counter-attacks. It's a very 'continental' style, but I think his general handing in play would allow him to command the box more now we have a man marking system instead of zonal. I don't think you can claim 'command' as a weakness if he's never been required to do it, though. He's easily the best goalkeeper in the league, IMO, to the point where I'd deem him the only world class goalkeeper in the league, or at least the only goalkeeper on the level of Cesar, Casillas, Buffon and Frey.
