Got something to say or just want fewer pesky ads? Join us... 😊

[Football] Best PL goalkeeper ever?







Harry Wilson's tackle

Harry Wilson's Tackle
NSC Patron
Oct 8, 2003
55,718
Faversham


Poojah

Well-known member
Nov 19, 2010
1,881
Leeds
Martyn's relative lack of international recognition should be a clue that he might not be as good as he looked in those games.

Peter Schmeichel for me

Whilst there's no question in my mind that Nigel Martyn wasn't fit to velcro Schmeichel's gloves (I saw Schmeichel play in the flesh a number of times, and he just had such an incredible presence), it is striking how few caps a number of top English players won during that era:

Tim Flowers - 11
Steve Bruce - 0
Gary Pallister - 22
Nigel Winterburn - 2
Lee Dixon - 22
Matt Le Tissier - 8
Les Ferdinand - 17
Andy Cole - 15
Stan Collymore - 3

It certainly seems easier in more recent times to get a cap, particularly when you consider that Ashley Cole has more to himself than those nine combined.
 


Johnny RoastBeef

These aren't the players you're looking for.
Jan 11, 2016
3,465
Had a long chat with a friend last night about goalkeepers. He says Peter Schmeichel. Personally I went with Nigel Martyn, as he was brilliant beyond belief in every single Everton game I watched back then as well as in plenty of games I've watched from the 90s.

Who would be your choice?

You won't find much love for any Ex Palace players, other than Murray, on here.

Schmeichel and Seaman for me.
 








The Optimist

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Apr 6, 2008
2,757
Lewisham
Whilst there's no question in my mind that Nigel Martyn wasn't fit to velcro Schmeichel's gloves (I saw Schmeichel play in the flesh a number of times, and he just had such an incredible presence), it is striking how few caps a number of top English players won during that era:

Tim Flowers - 11
Steve Bruce - 0
Gary Pallister - 22
Nigel Winterburn - 2
Lee Dixon - 22
Matt Le Tissier - 8
Les Ferdinand - 17
Andy Cole - 15
Stan Collymore - 3

It certainly seems easier in more recent times to get a cap, particularly when you consider that Ashley Cole has more to himself than those nine combined.

Ashley Cole was one of the best left backs in the world at the time. He seems an odd pick for your comparison.

I guess in the era of the players listed above most of the players in the top division were English, giving a huge pool to pick from. Now the percentage of English players must be much lower, hence if you’re English and playing in the Premier League you have a decent chance of getting a cap.
 


Pavilionaire

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2003
31,208
Peter Schmeichel.
 








Poojah

Well-known member
Nov 19, 2010
1,881
Leeds
Ashley Cole was one of the best left backs in the world at the time. He seems an odd pick for your comparison.

I guess in the era of the players listed above most of the players in the top division were English, giving a huge pool to pick from. Now the percentage of English players must be much lower, hence if you’re English and playing in the Premier League you have a decent chance of getting a cap.

No, you are right, I did wrestle with the Ashley Cole example a bit. He just happened to be an example of someone who had a lot of caps but wouldn’t necessarily go down as an all-time England great. To illustrate that point, he’s sandwiched in the England all-time caps list by Bobby Moore and Bobby Charlton.

Of course, that in itself is a suggestion that he wasn’t a bad player, and I didn’t for a moment breve to suggest that he was.
 






Yoda

English & European
Can't believe no one's mentioned Mark Beeney yet.

On a more serious note, I would say either Schmeichel or Seaman followed by Cech & van der Saar with honourable mentions to the usually underrated Martyn and Jääskeläinen.
 


Swansman

Pro-peace
May 13, 2019
22,320
Sweden
Can't believe no one's mentioned Mark Beeney yet.

On a more serious note, I would say either Schmeichel or Seaman followed by Cech & van der Saar with honourable mentions to the usually underrated Martyn and Jääskeläinen.

Jääskeläinen is another good call. Also came to think of Shay Given, perhaps not the same level but excellent in Newcastle.

I wonder if its just nostalgia but generally it feels like the goalkeeper standard was higher about twenty years ago. Perhaps because they were all about shot stopping rather than participating in the game in other ways.
 






ac gull

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2003
1,981
midlands
in terms of performance in GK role and impact this had on rest of team over sustained period of time has got to be Schmeichel
 


albionalbino

Well-known member
Nov 1, 2009
1,352
West Sussex
Jääskeläinen is another good call. Also came to think of Shay Given, perhaps not the same level but excellent in Newcastle.

I wonder if its just nostalgia but generally it feels like the goalkeeper standard was higher about twenty years ago. Perhaps because they were all about shot stopping rather than participating in the game in other ways.

Probably add Mark Schwarzer to that list too.
 


peterward

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Nov 11, 2009
12,201
Peter Schmeichel, but second who imho was better than Martyn, Seaman, Van Der Sar is big Neville Southall. An unbelievable keeper in the early PL years who made saves that defied logic.
 




Stat Brother

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
73,888
West west west Sussex
For me the best Manchester United keeper in the PL era was Massimo Taibi, so I guess, by default, that makes him the best PL goalkeeper.



It's a funny old world.
 
Last edited:


blockhseagull

Well-known member
Jan 30, 2006
7,364
Southampton
Ashley Cole was one of the best left backs in the world at the time. He seems an odd pick for your comparison.

I guess in the era of the players listed above most of the players in the top division were English, giving a huge pool to pick from. Now the percentage of English players must be much lower, hence if you’re English and playing in the Premier League you have a decent chance of getting a cap.

Unless I’m reading it wrong it says

Andy Cole
 


Albion and Premier League latest from Sky Sports


Top
Link Here