Beef Bagel

“I just parried it and maybe didn’t get enough on it. I was unlucky not to get the second shot.”

These aren’t the words of a confident keeper. If this were an incident alone, there would be no “maybe” about it. Did you get enough on it Paul or didn’t you? I don’t really know the answer either but then, I’m not supposed to. The goalkeeper is probably the most mysterious position on the field. For a start, what kind of people want a job where it’s so easy to do something wrong but so hard to get it right and even when you do, it’s generally just considered giving an adequate performance? But also, what do we really know about what a keeper should and shouldn’t do ouselves?

In Robbo’s situation or that second goal on Wednesday night, the balls coming low, fairly hard and definitely on target. Do you go to catch the ball and risk or slipping through your hands or do you parry and risk an unlucky rebound? Perhaps a Robbo on form would go for the catch or perhaps that’s rule number 1 in the keeper’s manual, safety first (obviously studied well by Michael Dawson). All who know him have confidence in Paulo’s ability but how much does he really have in himself right now? We can all see that he’s a shadow of the keeper he was in his first two seasons at the Lane, which makes it all the crazier that he’s had such a long run of dubious form. Have our standards just gone up since he showed us what he can do? Think back to the Kasey Keller days, the half panic in your heart when he was put under pressure. Robbo’s still a world away from that. The problem is that it’s all starting to wear a little thin - not our faith in his skill but our patience with his form. Even MJ’s reaching the end of his tether, with the press, if not the keeper himself. He replied to a question from a journalist:

“When Paul plays for England he always does well.”

“They must be satisfied with him or else he wouldn’t be No 1 because at international level you can pick from five, six or seven keepers.”

“Jermain Defoe was also with England but no one wants to talk about him. I don’t want to talk about Paul and England, I want to focus on Spurs, they are my priority.”

“If they are fine for me, I am a happy man.”

“I am also a realistic man and people can come up with all their criticism of Paul - it’s not my business.”

“Paul has said he was grateful for my support, but we’re always grateful and humble to be in this business.”

And what does that last comment mean? Is MJ saying that he’s had enough Robbo’s gratitude and that he just wants results? Possibly, or perhaps it’s something directed back at the press.

One comment that has been fired straight back at our Number 1, is from acting captain and supposed team protector, Steven Gerrard. He said:

“Paul will feel disappointed with the second goal. It’s unthinkable to have a European Championship finals without England, and as players we have to take responsibility.”

Oh, is that so Steven. So how about taking a little responsibility for that sitter you missed? Surely just as vital as an unlucky parry given when there was only one goal in it.

However we and England fans feel about Poor Paul, and however confident he feels in himself, he’ll be out of action for a while with a calf strain and finally Radek Cerny will get that chance he’s been waiting so long for. I wonder how we’ll feel about Robbo then?

The Bagel.

  

This entry was posted on Friday, October 19th, 2007 at 2:30 pm and is filed under Bagel News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.