He has done more than OK but he has a couple of glaring weaknesses which means I don't think he's an improvement on Gomes. Namely - he is too static on his line so we're very vulnerable to crosses inside the six-yard area and too many shots bounce off him. On the former I think we've lost about four goals so far that a really top class keeper would have stopped. On the latter - he seems to have got away with it so far. If Gomes had made the error for the Swansea goal we'd never have heard the last of it on here. Friedel seems still to be in a honeymoon period as he hasn't attarcted any criticism at all.
I agree with the standing on the line part,cost us at Stoke.The Swansea one was hard as it got a wicked deflection off benny and two defenders both came at the ball at about the same time he did. The thing is the defence has more faith in him than Gomes.This alone is worth its weight in gold.
May be - but Gomes never had the chance to play behind Walker/Kaboul/King/BAE with Parker covering. If Gomes had been in goal against Swansea everyone would have said he confused the defenders by coming and missing it.
I don't think Cudicini should be excluded from goalkeeper discussions, I think all three are basically on a par with their relative strengths and weaknesses. I think we should be looking to bring in a new keeper in the summer though, someone like Vorm or Krul (although the Geordies will not let him go for cheap). Then we would be in a position to lose 2 of our current 3. Personally I would have preferred we signed Given to Friedel last summer.
Gomes is not suited to the PL, as said he instills fear and panic into ANY backline, he is also for the size of him not brave at all, a right girls blouse looking for ref protection all the time, you'll get it in European leagues, not so much here. Van Der Sar still dropped the odd clanger for United last season...no-one wanted Kuszcack in goal instead! Can't wait for him to be sold to put an end to these articles, sorry.
The difference between the two is that Friedel communcates with and inspires confidence in, his back four. Also setbacks are rapidly put into a little mental box and stored away for later, unlike Gomes who looks like he has been hit around the head with a cricket bat, when he makes an error. As for his static approach, well at least the back four know where he will be and play accordingly, rather than having to cover for a goalkeeper windmilling his way into the next postcode and completely missing the ball. Friedel is a solid, experienced pro and along with the other solid, experienced pro we have signed this season has made a huge difference to our challenge. If he was English, he would be in the squad for the Euros on current form.
Unfortunately I was brought up on Pat Jennings so my expectations are a little higher. As other posters will have worked out by now I prefer to stick with players with higher skill levels and expect the coaching team to work with them to iron out mistakes etc. IMO Gomes has more natural goalkeeping skill than anyone else we are likely to be able to sign: he was in goal when we got top four and played a huge part. I just don't get why we have to go for relative mediocrity instead even if Brad is 'Consistent, experienced, organised, reliable, never injured'
If you are, in any way, likening the lamentable Gomes to one of the greatest goalkeepers we have ever seen, then I have REALLY missed something. He may have a high skill level (shotstopper) but he is not mentally strong enough to do the job. That can be coached to a degree, (what are they doing with him on the training ground?) but too many times he has looked like a fish out of water. The goalkeeper is the leader of the back 5. He sees the bigger picture better than anybody else. Do you honestly get the feeling that Gomes does, let alone give his defenders instructions? As for our finishing fourth, I think it was more a case of doing so in spite of Gomes, not because of him.
Your OP was clearly aimed at a comparison between Friedel and Gomes and that is how others have responded. Friedel has been a good signing for us as he has provided a solidity that was previously lacking. Pat Jennings he is not, but there aren't too many better keepers currently available - either in the PL or around Europe. Gomes has a number of qualities as a shot-stopper, but he was leaving the defence nervous wrecks...... I would opt for Cudicini as No 2 at the moment for that same reason. Future planning requires a young successor to be identified in the next couple of windows, but for now I think Brad is doing just fine.
These comparisons between Gomes and Brad are just non sensical. Brad knows the PL inside out, its players, the refs that are more lenient with keepers, etc, etc. Gomes knows fuk all about this, just goes gung ho into every game. I keep saying it, he is not brave, he'd rather jump into a crowd of players and fall to the floor looking for a free kick than claim the thing taking all in his path. This is what defenders expect, not indecision. It accounted for many moments of mayhem and conceded goals last season. Sorry Power, there's more to goalkeeping in the PL than shotstopping, Gomes has had a number of seasons to adjust and hasn't. All keepers stop shots...its there job!, I'm afraid its the rest of it that makes them a good or average keeper.
Friedel has been a much needed change. Goalkeeper is a problem that needs to be addressed in the summer because as well as Friedel has not infallable and has made mistakes. I just wish De Gea wasn't so bad and we might've stood a chance of knicking him in the summer. Stockdale always impresses me too. Halfway through the season and he's had arguably one or two bad games, VDV has had more but we'd never drop him would we?
