Episoder
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As the curtain comes down on the domestic campaign, so too does this season's bout of Between the Sticks shenanigans.
Stefan Ortega and Andre Onana both had moments in the FA Cup Final. We touch on each before a look at the Scottish Cup Final and Championship Play-Off Final, won respectively by Celtic and Southampton.
Attention is then turned to the season as a whole. Rich rates his Goalkeepers of the Season from the Premier League to League Two with a few stats thrown in for good measure.
Thank you for all your support yet again this term. The pod is nothing without loyal listeners and the GKU has stood strong once more. -
As the final weekend of the Premier League season cemented Man City's fourth successive title, we ask the question, "Was it all down to Stefan Ortega?"
The German pulled off a masterclass in "No2ing" in the midweek victory over Tottenham and capped off another impressive campaign since joining the club as a relative unknown on these shores.
Elsewhere, Nick Pope returned to action for Newcastle, James Shea made his Premier League bow for Luton, Dean Henderson finished on a high at Crystal Palace and David Raya showed just how good his hands are in Arsenal's defeat of Everton.
A quick nod is given to Corey Addai and Jamie Cumming for their play-off triumphs at Crawley and Oxford respectively, while Joe Hart is now just one game away from goalkeeping retirement. -
Manglende episoder?
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Following his retirement from professional football in 2018, Adam Bartlett's ascent in the world of goalkeeper coaching has been rather rapid.
Since officially taking the reins as Head of Goalkeeping at Newcastle United at the beginning of the 2022-23 season, he's overseen the arrival of Nick Pope, managed an unexpected scenario of having to play No3 Loris Karius - a man who hadn't started a competitive fixture for 20 months - in the EFL Cup Final with Manchester United, and contributed to his hometown club returning to the Champions League.
Over a spot of premium grub at Darsley Park, he talks us through how he grasped an opportunity and continued to evolve a department he hopes will soon be close to unrivalled in the Premier League. -
Player of the Season is where we begin this week.
How many goalkeepers, if any, were handed awards at EFL end-of-campaign shindigs this term?
In the Premier League (where awards are yet to be handed out) decisions were made in favour of David Raya and Dean Henderson, but against Mark Travers. We discuss whether or not each one was correct.
The Championship's final day saw clean sheets and subsequent survival for Mike Cooper, James Beadle and Aynsley Pears at Plymouth, Sheffield Wednesday and Blackburn respectively, while Grant Smith leaps into League Two with promoted Bromley.
A word on Tim Howard, too, who this week gained entry into the US National Soccer Hall of Fame. -
This week's pod comes unexpectedly live from the home of Coventry City (it'll all make sense inside the opening five minutes).
In the Premier League, much has been discussed about Tottenham's need for a defensive set-piece coach. Richard Lee, however, isn't so sure. Neither was he convinced Cody Gakpo should have been allowed to tap into an empty after confusion reigned between Alphonse Areola and referee Anthony Taylor in West Ham's draw with Liverpool.
Elsewhere, Seny Dieng is finishing a disruptive campaign strongly at Middlesbrough, Russell Martin's decision to play Alex McCarthy over Joe Lumley at Southampton is discussed and, as tends to be standard practice on the final day of the league season, a number of understudies were given some much-needed minutes - and thus a mention on this very podcast.
More importantly, the Clean Sheet Club King of 2023-24 is revealed. -
It is 200 up for GKU and Between the Sticks. A double century. One more game than Richard Lee managed in his career.
To celebrate, we've simply produced a standard episode you've grown accustomed to listening to over the past few years.
In it, we discuss Aro Muric's performance in Burnley's romp of Sheffield United, while also running the rule over his opposite number in that clash, Ivo Grbic. An analysis of the "Ic's", if you will.
Jordan Pickford continues to keep us all entertained with his on-field antics in a huge win for Everton over Nottingham Forest, while Andre Onana and Brad Collins shared saves in a whopper of an FA Cup Semi Final between Manchester United and Coventry.
Elsewhere, Keeper Capers goes into overdrive: Dean Henderson, Freddie Woodman, Aynsley Pears and Vicente Reyes all blessed with the jingle this weekend.
The Goalkeeper Assist klaxon, meanwhile, is sounded for Jackson Smith of Walsall. -
Following a mini-break during the international and Easter interludes, GKU is back as per to cover all the key action as Storm Kathleen wreaked havoc with goalkeeping conditions over the weekend.
Jose Sa was caught out direct from a James Ward-Prowse corner, Franco Ravizzoli saw a cross float over his head in the dying embers of the EFL Trophy Final and Thimothee Lo-Tutala launched airmail for Doncaster's opener in a comprehensive win at Morecambe.
Elsewhere, we mark Lukasz Fabianski's 18th substitute involvement, Stefan Ortega's silky skills at Selhurst Park and Performance of the Weekend contenders from Max O'Leary, Luca Ashby-Hammond and Jackson Smith of Bristol City, Notts County and Walsall respectively. -
Very rarely can a subject of interviews on this podcast boast a career involving anything else other than "goalkeeper" or "goalkeeper coach".
For Ian Feuer, however, vocations such as actor, stuntman, DJ and even part-time cook come into the mix.
There's also the fact he was introduced to goalkeeping via the nephew of a notorious Vegas mobster, he's son to a musical maestro who worked closely with Elvis Presley and sister to the one-time wife of Hollywood star Mickey Rourke.
At 6ft 7in, he's the tallest goalkeeper to have featured in MLS and back in 1994 became the first US stopper to journey into the Premier League. Two years prior to that, he was involved in the first-ever competitive fixture to implement the backpass rule.
This is the story of goalkeeping's Forrest Gump. -
Across the four FA Quarter Final ties this weekend, five No2 goalkeepers were utilised.
Considering the negative narrative surrounding Robert Sanchez on BBC's coverage of the Chelsea v Leicester clash, we look at the implications of such decisions.
In the Premier League James Trafford was dropped for the first time this term, making way for Ara Muric to step in and help Burnley to a rare victory over relegation rivals Brentford. It means five ever-present goalkeepers remain in the top-flight for 2023-24 - can you name them quicker than Rich?
Joe Wildsmith takes centre stage in the EFL with an incredible Save of the Weekend contender in Derby's huge win at home to Bolton. And as a keen listener of the show, he provides us with a full breakdown of the stop via Text Talk. -
It's been a while, but the Ramsdale/Raya debate returns following the former's display in Arsenal's win over Brentford on Saturday evening.
Much to be said, and therefore much is discussed.
Ederson's season looks to be hanging in the balance with an injury picked up in the draw between Liverpool and Man City. Basic error or poor goalkeeping to give away the penalty for that foul on Darwen Nunez?
Commentary Corner is back as Gary Neville tentatively released a call for a regular goalkeeping pundit, Jordan Pickford celebrated his 30th birthday with smiles at Old Trafford and Matz Sels comes under the spotlight for the first time since his January arrival at Nottingham Forest.
In the EFL, James Beadle and Dan Grimshaw took plaudits in the Championship and League One respectively, while League Two produced a series of sensational displays in the form of Jack Bycroft, Vicente Reyes and Nick Townsend.
Save of the Weekend (and possibly the season) contender comes from Kevin Dabrowski of Raith Rovers. -
Save of the Weekend contender kicks off the show this week.
And that save was made by Bournemouth's Neto, who flew across his goal to brilliantly fling out a paw and pat away Jacob Bruun Larsson's free-kick in a 2-0 win over Burnley.
Alphonse Areola bagged another MOM display as West Ham won at Everton, Emi Martinez put in a superbly solid performance for a triumphant Aston Villa against lowly Luton, and Andre Onana secured a season's first with his eight successful high claims in the defeat to Man City being more than any goalkeeper has managed in a Premier League match this term.
In the EFL, Jed Ward continues to receive rave reviews at Bristol Rovers, Steve Arnold has stepped in admirably for a struggling Sutton and in Grimsby's 1-0 win over Forest Green Rovers, the game saw one shot on target and no saves made. Quite the spectacle. -
It's all about Caoimhin Kelleher this week.
For the second Carabao Cup Final in three years, he pretty much single-handedly dragged Liverpool to the trophy at the expense of Chelsea.
Huge saves from Cole Palmer and Conor Gallagher had Jurgen Klopp and Virgil Van Dijk singing his praises and forming a narrative which could prompt The Reds into a big decision this summer. Does the Irishman stay or go?
Elsewhere, Loris Karius made his first Premier League start since May 2018, Viktor Johansson continued to rack up his save count in yet another defeat for Rotherham and debut podcast mentions were awarded to Jack Bycroft and Steve Arnold of Swindon and Sutton respectively.
Lastly, a quick word is offered on Joe Hart following the 36-year-old's announcement that he'll be hanging up his gloves at the end of this season. -
A select band of names seem to be synonymous with goalkeeper coaching.
Andy Quy is one of them.
Following more than a decade at Stoke City - a period which saw them climb into, consolidate their status and then drop back out of the Premier League - he enjoyed short stints with Brentford and Burton before being tasked with assisting the creation of an entirely new MLS franchise in Charlotte FC.
Now back in England and reflecting on next steps, he talks to GKU about his ultimate goalkeeping department, how taking time out can aid progression and facing countless free-kicks from Gazza at Wembley.
NB: This podcast was recorded two weeks prior to Andy taking on his current role at Huddersfield Town. -
Just like Richard Lee the goalkeeper, we are short and sharp this week.
Packed inside half-an-hour of goalkeeping goodness comes multiple Save of the Weekend contenders. Guglielmo Vicario and Jose Sa staked their claims in Wolves' win at Tottenham, while Gavin Bazunu, Viljami Sinisalo, Liam Roberts and James Belshaw fly the EFL flag for Southampton, Exeter, Barnsley and Harrogate respectively.
Stat of the Week arrives courtesy of Brighton, who broke a Premier League record by making a 15th starting goalkeeper change in the victory at Sheffield United. Bart Verbruggen's inclusion eclipsed the 14 racked up by Manchester United in 2000-01 - and we still have more than ten games to play. -
He may have been on the losing side, but Mark Flekken broke Premier League records for Brentford in their clash with Man City on Monday night.
We briefly discuss his start to life in England, in addition to some familiarly rough treatment dished out to Guglielmo Vicario in Tottenham's draw at Everton.
A day of deflections, own goals and rebounds occurred in the EFL, where Bristol Rovers youngster Jed Ward excelled in claiming his first clean sheet in professional football. Welcome to the Club, Jed.
Lastly, GKs On Their Way has its final hurrah before the summer. -
Lucas Covolan, take a bow.
A man-of-the-match performance from Maidstone's No1 helped The Stones defeat Ipswich and in turn become the first club from outside the top five tiers of the English football pyramid to make the FA Cup fifth round since Blythe Spartans in 1978.
The Brazilian takes centre stage this week, along with the rest of the fourth round action where, yet again, "Foul or No Foul?" rears its head following Man City's winner at Tottenham.
Altay's possibly one and only appearance for Manchester United this season is touched upon, as is Martin Dubravka's likely challenge as Newcastle's main man for the remainder of the campaign, plus a spot of GKs On Their Way with the January window reaching its conclusion. -
Is it feasible for a professional goalkeeper to genuinely consider a career as a kicker in the NFL?
That is a question we’ve posed on the podcast many times before. Indeed, Kasper Schmeichel - as you’ll be reminded of in this episode - provided a very frank response when comparing the two disciplines a couple of years ago.
Now, we have an answer.
For Josh Lambo did just that. Following a short career in MLS - a short career, no less, which still encompassed starring for the USA at various youth international tournaments and very nearly bagging a move to Everton - he made the brave and ultimately successful decision to switch sports at the age of 22.
The result: A fruitful decade of breaking records and cementing his name as the most accurate kicker in Jacksonville Jaguars history.
Here, Josh outlines the similarities between goalkeeping and placekicking, why and how he chose one over the other, and the meeting with NBA great Kobe Bryant that he believes reshaped his mindset.
Visit joshlambo.com to find out more about the man on a mission to help people change the way they think. -
Gamesmanship? Cheating? Poor goalkeeping? Anything other than taking accountability?
Those are the questions posed when pondering Ivan Toney's much-talked about opener in Brentford's win over Nottingham Forest at the weekend. From a goalkeeping perspective, we look at whether his ball-tampering tactics should have been flagged earlier by Forest - and whether Matt Turner's wall wasn't positioned properly.
"Foul or no foul?" rears its head for a second week running following incidents involving Dean Henderson and Alphonse Areola in a defeat and draw for Crystal Palace and West Ham respectively - and Jason Steele exhibited another distribution masterclass as Brighton were held at home to Wolves.
In the EFL, Carl Rushworth continues to impress on loan at Swansea from Brighton, Vaclav Hladky was named Sky's MOM in the top of the table clash between Leicester and Ipswich, Jack Stevens of Cambridge threw his name in the ring for Save of the Weekend, and Dan Connor - Goalkeeper Coach at Forest Green Rovers - stepped up to a caretaker role following the dismissal of Troy Deeney. -
Slightly different approach this week.
Colin Barnes is a man with skin in the goalkeeping game. After 25 years in the coaching arena, he's contributed to the development of more than 40 professional stoppers over the course of his career (he may have also been Richard Lee's first-ever goalkeeping coach).
Now, as Head of Emerging Talent at Crystal Palace, he's scouring South London to find the next generation of Eagles as part of the club's burgeoning academy setup.
Not many people within professional and non-league goalkeeping don't know who this man is, so we sat back and let him offer his thoughts on the position, how it's evolved over the years and what the future holds. -
Foul or no foul?
That was the question on, well, some people's lips following Luton's last-minute equaliser at Burnley over the weekend. With James Trafford appearing to be impeded by Elijah Adebayo, a goal was given and the Twittersphere was split.
We look at that incident, as well as Andre Onana's AFCON involvement which could pave the way for Altay Bayindir's long-awaited first piece of action as a Manchester United goalkeeper.
Ben Hamer nabbed Performance of the Weekend in the EFL with a stunning display to see Watford leave QPR with three points, while Josh Vickers remains Derby No1 despite Joe Wildsmith hitting double figures for clean sheets prior to being dropped.
All that, plus Clean Sheet Club and more GKs On Their Way. - Vis mere
