Given - Premiership's best keeper

[SeanieBoy]

I was going to post a thread yesterday complaining that Given has never been given the correct praise for his goalkeeping until I read this on Skysports:

http://home.skysports.com/list.aspx?hlid=441846&CPID=8&clid=4&lid=2&title=Roeder:+Given's+number+one&channel=football_home&&tydna=1

I think he is the best keeper in the Premiership & it's about time he was recognised for it.

[finlma]

I think he is the best keeper in the Premiership & it's about time he was recognised for it.

I was expecting some survey of football fans all over the world to prove this recognition. But no - it's the word of his club manager. Sure every manager comes out and says that about their goalkeeper.

[SeanieBoy]

There is a poll at the bottom of the mail if that helps you.

Now I know why I stopped posting on this forum!!

[FarBeag]

Well I suppose Roder would say that but i agree and so do 81% on the sky sport vote plus the majority of the posters on here i am sure.

[eirebhoy]

I believe the reason nobody is willing to take him from Newcastle is his cost. As far as I know the record transfer for a keeper in England is still Bartez at £7-8m. Newcastle would probably want twice that.

[Soper]

Given is probably the best.I agree with your post eirebhoy, basically.I also think the Premiership has a shortage of top class keepers which is why he's so valued, and why probably not many Italian or Spanish clubs have come in for him.

[republicofwhite]

Don't Agree, The Premiership is full of top drawer keepers, even if their eccentric or make the odd blunder, there still keepers with immense ability and talent. The only keepers who I wouldn't really rate are the likes of Kenny and Hahnemann. Lads like Schwarzer, Sorenson and Foster are excellent keepers, and then of course there's Van Der Sar, Jaaskelainen, James, Cech, Friedel, Niemi, Lehmann to name but a few. And Given supersedes all of them. Premiership keepers are much better than La Liga and Serie A to boot, so thats not bad going by Shay.

[Soper]

Well, a few years ago, it used to be that any aul keeper could come from Italy (Sereni) or other countries and be first choice.Then when they are found out, go back home and be 3rd choice for their teams.

[republicofwhite]

Doesn't that back up my point? Sereni was actually pretty highly rated when he moved, and he cost 5 million! And he was a disaster in Premiership? Why? Wasn't up to the standard of the Premiership. And yep, that was a few years ago, things have changed. Apart from that young fella Liverpool signed, keepers aren't coming from Spain and Italy, unless your Rafa Benitez who stipulates that every signing must be Spanish.

[eirebhoy]

Doesn't that back up my point? Sereni was actually pretty highly rated when he moved, and he cost 5 million! And he was a disaster in Premiership? Why? Wasn't up to the standard of the Premiership.
I don't agree with that. Why would standards of football make it any different for a keeper?

[bellavistaman]

given, without doubt the best in england

[irishfan86]

unless your Rafa Benitez who stipulates that every signing must be Spanish.

We've got an Irish version in Sunderland right now so I wouldn't be making remarks like that. :eek:

[kingdom hoop]

I don't agree with that. Why would standards of football make it any different for a keeper?

I'd say it was standards of goalkeeping that he meant.

which leads me nicely on to paul robinson who i think is having a very poor season, with ledley king out injured spurs are relying more on robinson to marshal the defence and give the two young centre halves confidence, he has failed, and has not been good in his own general play..kicks the ball way too far, shot stopping and command of the area also well back on previous years when i thought he was excellent. so shay is definitely ahead of englands no.1, but what about his predecessor? david james has had a phenomenal season, not including his hair style of course, but IMO the most impressive in the league this year. like shay at newcastle james is tested more often than van der saar or cech so they get a better chance to display their skills, going on this season, it would be a very difficult choice between calamity and our man shay, who i dont think has had one of his better seasons. granted given has been injured but he has made the odd, instead of none, mistake..leading me to controversially pick james in my team if the match was tomorrow but overall shay is still the best

[jbyrne]

The only keepers who I wouldn't really rate are the likes of Kenny and Hahnemann

bit harsh on kenny. he's been in mostly great form for a poor sheff utd team. his good performances have seen him get into many teams of the week in many papers, websites etc. this season

[republicofwhite]

eirebhoy, I did indeed mean standards of goalkeeping, apologies for not making it clearer. Poorly articulated. As a goalkeeper myself, I tend to get overexcited when our trade is brought up. :D As for Kenny, I don't actually think he's sh*te or anything, in actual fact he has incredible reflexes and is a great shotstopper, but my overall point is that considering the standard of keepers is so high in the Premiership(IMO) that even someone like Kenny, who is excellent in certain aspects of his game, would still fare down the table a bit in terms of how he is rated among his fellow keepers.

[geysir]

Well I suppose Roder would say that but i agree and so do 81% on the sky sport vote plus the majority of the posters on here i am sure.
Roeders comments could be read like that but I'm guessing that you did not see Sunday's post match interview with a very proud Roeder. They were sincerly expressed with such conviction and without the slightest hint of platitude or cliche. I think that's why the Given debate was stirred up.
Ferguson should have regrets about not getting him years ago, you'd know that Clough in the same position would have mortaged the club to get Given.

[gustavo]

I think he is one of the best in that league but would dosagree that he is "without doubt the best in england"

[NY Hoop]

Given is one of the best in the world but IMO showed a complete lack of ambition by staying at Newcastle. They'll never win anything so cant understand why he hasnt tried to test himself elsewhere.

Robinson is a joke. What happened in Croatia summed him up. Kenny is very average.

KOH

[eirebhoy]

Given is one of the best in the world but IMO showed a complete lack of ambition by staying at Newcastle. They'll never win anything so cant understand why he hasnt tried to test himself elsewhere.

I'd say he has too much respect for Newcastle and the fans to leave on a bosman or request a transfer.

[DmanDmythDledge]

IMO Cech is the best keeper in the league. Given would be in my top 3 keepers.

[Dr. Ogba]

I'd say he has too much respect for Newcastle and the fans to leave on a bosman or request a transfer.

:confused: Hasn't he handed in transfer requests at several times over his Newcastle career??

[citizenerased]

no not that i can remember anyway,,,the fans worship him up there

[irishfan86]

:confused: Hasn't he handed in transfer requests at several times over his Newcastle career??

He loves Newcastle, and the fans love him.

The only way he's going to go is if he gets fed up with mid-table mediocrity, but he has been loyal so far.

Perhaps you're making reference to some of the comments he makes regarding the quality of the side at times. He's not one to hold back when it comes to criticizing the team or results.

Instead of asking to leave, he asks whoever the manager is to bring in players to improve the situation.

[Irish_Praha]

:confused: Hasn't he handed in transfer requests at several times over his Newcastle career??

Yes in the 2000-2001 season because Harper took over the No1 spot for a few games. They refused his request, Harper got injured and the rest is history.

[geysir]

Given is one of the best in the world but IMO showed a complete lack of ambition by staying at Newcastle. They'll never win anything so cant understand why he hasnt tried to test himself elsewhere.

KOH
Given strikes me as having the highest professional ambition to be the best at what he does. Hard to be "one of the best in the world" without that ambition in abundance in all aspects of his game.
Could be no big club came with a big enough offer, could be that many top club managers have underrated him and couple that with his club loyalty.

[citizenerased]

yeah unless a successful club come in for him, like Man U, Arsenal, or a big European team, is there really any point in moving!!

[gustavo]

yeah unless a successful club come in for him, like Man U, Arsenal, or a big European team, is there really any point in moving!!

Surely Manchester United and Arsenal would be considered big European teams?

[citizenerased]

yes of course, but you use the term "european clubs" in relation to football, implies that the club is outside of Britain, whilst in europe

[gustavo]

Oh right so we are European but the British arent?

[NY Hoop]

Surely it makes sense that he moves on and betters himself after last nights fiasco. Yet another season gone without a sniff of a trophy.

All top players have agents and these agents are constantly looking to inflate their wallet through engineering bigger moves for their clients. Either Shay has no agent or his agent is as about as competent as the last Rovers board.

Very hard to believe than no top European side is not constantly on the lookout for great goalkeepers.

WAKE UP SHAY.

KOH

[eirebhoy]

Shay is with SFX Sports afaik. The same agents as Gerrard, Beckham, Owen, Keane, A.Reid and a load more.

[co. down green]

Went off injured during today's game with West Ham.

Might be a doubt for San Marino

Roader said " He will have a scan on Monday morning, its hard to find the words to discribe somebody who hardly ever missed a game in five seasons but suffered a shocking injury, ironically, at West Ham that required an operation, and now he has damaged his groin"

[livehead1]

Given is confirmed injured and out for a month here:

http://home.skysports.com/list.aspx?hlid=443210&CPID=8&clid=4&lid=2&title=Month+out+for+Given

[Ceirtlis]

Given is a good keeper but i think Van der Saar and Cech are better than him in the premiership. The finnish fella in goal for Bolton and possibly Ben Foster wouldnt be far off his level. You have to wonder why he has not moved or why any of the big clubs have not made a better effort to sign him especially man utd and arsenal who were short in that department a couple of years ago. He is man of the match alot for Newcastle but he is prone to a few errors when playing with them. He is always class for Ireland though.

[eirebhoy]

Strange how van der Sar's reputation has gone up so much since his move to Man Utd. :) I can remember Given making one error in the last few years and that was a fumble against Bolton over a year ago. His kicking is dodgy but that's about it.

As for him not being signed by a big club. I mentioned that Barthez is the record British transfer for a keeper at £7-8m. Given would cost double that and it's just not worth it when there's plenty of top keepers about now.