Fuck me mate - is it really not clear what I mean? Are you just looking for argument? I’ll spell it out for you are you if I can.
Ali = World Class
Cech = World Class
Neuer = World Class …You following me so far?
Possibly then the next group of keepers like Pickford, David Seaman in the same bracket as Kelleher for being solid and top level but not among the worlds absolute best.
Then Pepe is in the next group in my opinion - let’s call it ‘slightly above average, but not quite top class’ shall we?
Then it’s Mignolet etc - just a fairly average level prem level keeper.
Then Karius etc
I hope that’s clear to you now?
This is only my opinion - but is how I personally class them clear to you now?
Unfortunately I’ve only seen highlights of Bruce - just before my time. Reina had Rafa as manager and a solid defensive set up - which helped massively with his golden gloves in my view. Similar to what you describe with Bruce.
If Mama doesn’t cut it and we can’t get a ‘world class’ keeper when Ali goes then Kelleher would be a very safe and welcome transfer (provided he doesn’t fall off a cliff in the next few years)
I don’t think Kelleher is all that. He’s decent and better at pens than Ali but I’m underwhelmed by what he doesn’t save. I know he ‘doesn’t play the way we want with the ball’ but Donnarumma was the one keeper available recently that I think would really have raised our level there, especially as Mama also looks average with his distribution.
It’s interesting the different takes on Reina/Kelleher - makes for a good debate. Seems I am in a minority so far on which one is better. I have always paid close attention to keepers as I always wanted to be one when I was young (I would have been a great keeper if I wasn’t so shit!) I always remember Pepe flapping around at high balls and not commanding his area and at certain points any shot on target was basically a goal! All Keepers make mistakes, even the greatest of all time have chucked a few in the net, but I just never thought Pepe was as good as our fanbase seemed to claim (nor did fans of other teams - not that it counts for much generally speaking, they don’t rate Fowler that highly either at times). But looking back through the keepers in my time…James, Friedel (was shite for us, but obviously got much better), Westerveld, Kirkland, Carson, Dudek, Reina, Mignolet, Karius…fucking hell we have not exactly been blessed in that department, but Reina was the best of this lot by a long way. Still think Kelleher is better, but hey ho - it’s a game of opinions.
Writing this list makes me appreciate Ali even more than I did 45 seconds ago!
Yeah. Actually, while I understand the fee was less than Mama, I think Donnarumma’s wages would make him unaffordable. Shame as I think he absolutely could have replaced Ali who I think won’t probably be with us by summer 27.
It’s not even just financial, but I mean how do you make them happy, having both. Kelleher and Mamardashvili could or can accept being backup to Alisson for a while, while for someone of Donnarumma’s calibre you need to have a clear place in goal.
There is scope for Mamardashvili to go higher. He only just joined and obviously the team is struggling, so I’m keeping an open mind. To be fair there is also scope for Kelleher to go higher. He spent a fair few years as our number two, got a move, and is doing well so far. Both men have years left in their careers so let’s see what they do!
Yeah was fairly shocked by that, bruce won more league titles than any of them, although clemence won 5 and did more european cups…but ray wins it all on trophy count of major cups (although bruce wins it numerically as he won more league cups)
Clem was apparently awesome!! Like Grob though I have never watched a single 90 minute game, only seen highlights. Surprised you’d put Dudek and especially Friedel above Kelleher though? Friedel was dogshit for us is my recollection? It was a long time ago and I don’t think he was here very long, maybe I am mis-remembering? Was he better than Westerveld and Kelleher during his time for us? I mean he is a prem legend, but for us he was pretty poor as I recall.
For the eras they covered I put Clemence, Grobbelaar and Alisson equal top. Very different styles and characters however all the right goalies at the right time. Of course Grobbelaar had problems due to his character and exuberance at a time when perceptions on this were still very stuck up however for us young UN’s it was a breath of fresh air.
Incredible how being a thug was acceptable for an outfield player however a goalkeeper with character was scorned upon.
Clemence was brilliant. The first goalie I remember. He had the lot. Only Alisson surpasses him in my list. I think Alisson is the best in the world, though getting on a bit now, and muscle injuries mount up. But he is so good.
Dudek possibly benefits from a higher placing due to the Istanbul heroics. He was a decent goalie, but not a great.
I thought Brad Friedel was really good, but he barely played, and then went on to show he was a really good keeper after he left. We tended to give the nod to David James, who had games where he was world class, but overall lacked a bit of concentration and consistency to be top class. I think Friedel would have been better but it wasn’t to be at Liverpool for him.
I do think Kelleher is a good goalie, and while his career is unfolding there is lots of scope for him to move up my (very official) ranking.
Of the ones in my lifetime (since 2000) in an order: Alisson, Reina and then probably Dudek. There’s a clear drop from the first two to the rest in that time.
All time from what we know, I’d say Clemence is still our best ever, then Grobbelaar and Alisson, but maybe you can flip them two. People who have watched both know more.
I think you’re right with Brad. Had we kept him he (assuming he still hit the same levels he went on to hit) would have solved many of our goalkeeping over the following 10 - 15 years! I agree we missed a trick there, but I still for the life of me don’t remember him being any good while he was with us. To be fair I was an early teen then, so maybe you remember better than me. I just Googled it and between 1997 and 2000 he only played 31 matches for us. Kelleher played well over 60 and won us trophies (league cups) and contributed heavily (for a second choice) to league matches in 2 title winning seasons. Still don’t see how Friedel can possibly be higher or seen as better. If he was that good he would absolutely have displaced David James who was so erratic!! (through his whole career, not just for us) - As you rightly say he was capable of looking brilliant, but a bit like Ibou at CB now, he was never too far away from a massive fuck up that costs us dearly.
I’m rating Friedel over his career, not just the tiny bit we saw at Liverpool. In terms of what they did at Liverpool, I completely agree that Kelleher did more than Friedel. And with many years left on the clock, Kelleher has every chance to move up the rankings.
He was as good a number two that you could hope for, and when called upon, Kelleher did very well for us in goal. He was too good for a back up role and now we’ll see what he does. He has a decent mid ranking Prem team in Brentford, and it is a case of so far so good for him.
