Reina's kicking.

[Lurtz]

Pepe's kicking is class. He puts a really low trajectory on the ball which doesn't leave it hanging in the air for defenders to get into position. I'd hate to be in a back four at the other end of the pitch trying to defend one of his long, low kicks.

 

He's going to be absolute quality for us in years to come. I really hope we can keep hold of the bloke.

[ReddOrDedd]

Spot on. Everything I've read about the Euros harps on about how great Casillas is (which I've no problem with: he is) and how much of an error-strewn goon Pepe is before profiling the rest of the Spanish squad.

 

Now, I'm not saying Pepe's never made a mistake in his life. I could have punched him after the Andy Johnson goal. But that darling of the press Petr Cech has looked decidedly average for a while now. When he dropped that clanger against Turkey, the commentators all mentioned how surprising it was that Cech had made a mistake. Yet I can think of numerous occasions this season when he's looked dodgy on crosses, without mentioning his howler against us (Babel's 30 yarder).

 

I'm not knocking Cech for this, it's part and parcel of the goalkeeper's life (and all the other clichés) but it greatly irritates me to see some goalkeeper's reputations remain untouchable no matter what they do (eg Cech), and yet others are refused a reputation regardless of their consistency or achievements (like Reina and his annual Golden Gloves award).

 

 

Good points. As you say, all goalies make errors, but thankfully Pepe's are few and far between. Some of my Liverpool-hating mates accuse him of being a 'Dracula' (can't deal with crosses - boom-boom), but personally I think that is a bag of shite. He fucks up occasionally, just like the rest.

 

Cech, for me, is actually a more interesting case. I really, really don't think he's been the same since the head injury. I'm not saying he lacks bravery or thinks twice about potential injury, I just don't think he's doing it between the sticks in the the same 'Superman' way he was before. (Still a good keeper, mind...)