First Team Squad
270
·
1.9K
·
almost 17 years
First Team Squad
270
·
1.9K
·
almost 17 years
Question. How come in modern football, 'keepers will spend up to 60 quid on a pair of gloves that might last 5 games if they are lucky. These gloves are good for wet and dry condition, are light, don't hold the sweat or any water, and most importantly have the very latest in high-tech grip technology.
So how come, dear keepers, the art of holding the ball when saving has completely disappeared from the game? The modern goalkeeper has become more like an icehockey goal tender than a traditional football goalkeeper, deflecting the ball left, right and centre but never even trying to  hold onto the thing safely. Never before have they been better equipped to hold the ball, but never before have they been so reluctant to actually do this.
Why?
Legend
2.3K
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17K
·
about 17 years
I always try catch it whenever possible. Maybe it's just a safety thing for many.
Starting XI
37
·
2.1K
·
almost 17 years
Are you or have you ever been a goalkeeper TheJam?
First Team Squad
270
·
1.9K
·
almost 17 years
No, I'm too fat and inagile (unagile? disagile? dunno).
I was a central midfielder in my later career, renowned for not leaving the centre cirle. And for filling the centre circle.
Starting XI
37
·
2.1K
·
almost 17 years
I saw an example of this today with Van der Sar against France. Ball came at him and he kind of haymaker-ed it away.
WeeNix
27
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500
·
almost 17 years
personally i try to hold the ball whenever possible but with the ballls we play with and the ground conditions, especially in wellington, it becomes rather difficult
Legend
2.3K
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17K
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about 17 years
DKP22 wrote:
I saw an example of this today with Van der Sar against France. Ball came at him and he kind of haymaker-ed it away.


Haha i loved that save.
Appiah without the pace
6.5K
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19K
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over 16 years
I guess they would rather parry the ball away from any other player.  Instead of trying to hold a shot with the risk of dropping it a strikers feet.  I think the increase of it is probably due to ne boot/ball technology.  Seems to me that shots are swerving a lot more these days so it is a safer option to parry.  Either that or they are sh*te keepers who can't catch a cold.
First Team Squad
270
·
1.9K
·
almost 17 years
I've been wondering if it's the gloves. I mean, take a look at them. They are huge, cumbersome looking things that give the appearance of being an impairment to catching the ball. Twenty years ago, they were a lot less common.
Given that every 'keeper wears them now, I wonder if it's all to do with sponsorship and cash. The top level keepers get theirs supplied gratis so that the amateurs and semi-pros - who buy their own - see them, think "if he's wearing them they've got to be good" and go out and purchase the "best" available.
Cynical? Me?
Starting XI
170
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4.7K
·
almost 17 years
find out what Peter Cech uses, they seem to be good gloves
Legend
8.2K
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15K
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over 16 years
I always try to catch it, altlthough oftern a parry is the easier safer option, especially if their opposition striker is challenging for the ball.
Starting XI
1.3K
·
2.8K
·
almost 9 years

The Jam wrote:
I've been wondering if it's the gloves. I mean, take a look at them. They are huge, cumbersome looking things that give the appearance of being an impairment to catching the ball. Twenty years ago, they were a lot less common.

Given that every 'keeper wears them now, I wonder if it's all to do with sponsorship and cash. The top level keepers get theirs supplied gratis so that the amateurs and semi-pros - who buy their own - see them, think "if he's wearing them they've got to be good" and go out and purchase the "best" available.

Cynical? Me?

Showing your age there The Jam :-) 

Twenty years ago was 2000, but I remember the gloves in the 90s when I played in goal and they were massive. I'd say its actually the advancement in balls, back in the 90s if a ball was hit straight at you from 20 meters out you'd most likely catch it (unless you weren't paying attention or were hungover and saw two balls and had to pick one - this was a common problem for me!) but these days the ball can move a hell of a lot in the air so many keepers are more likely to take the safety first approach and get rid of the ball by parring \ palming it away   

BTW Cynical? You? of course!!!

One in a million
4.1K
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9.5K
·
about 17 years

The Jam wrote:
I've been wondering if it's the gloves. I mean, take a look at them. They are huge, cumbersome looking things that give the appearance of being an impairment to catching the ball. Twenty years ago, they were a lot less common.

Given that every 'keeper wears them now, I wonder if it's all to do with sponsorship and cash. The top level keepers get theirs supplied gratis so that the amateurs and semi-pros - who buy their own - see them, think "if he's wearing them they've got to be good" and go out and purchase the "best" available.

Cynical? Me?

Showing your age there The Jam :-) 

Twenty years ago was 2000, but I remember the gloves in the 90s when I played in goal and they were massive. I'd say its actually the advancement in balls, back in the 90s if a ball was hit straight at you from 20 meters out you'd most likely catch it (unless you weren't paying attention or were hungover and saw two balls and had to pick one - this was a common problem for me!) but these days the ball can move a hell of a lot in the air so many keepers are more likely to take the safety first approach and get rid of the ball by parring \ palming it away   

BTW Cynical? You? of course!!!


He wrote that 12 years ago!!!
Starting XI
1.3K
·
2.8K
·
almost 9 years

oh he did too - see that issue I mentioned about seeing - that may have had something to do with my response!

Starting XI
850
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2.7K
·
almost 10 years

I've played in goal for years and have loved the way gloves have changed - gone are the days of broken fingers and palms that turned to biscuit crumbs if you looked at them the wrong way.

  • As the balls have gotten smoother with less panels, it's often been safer, even with extreme grip gloves to parry or punch clear and as someone mentioned above, with the balls swerving a lot more these days and out-field players more than ever focusing on how to curl or manipulate the path of a ball, I certainly found myself doing this more often. 
  • I'm not sure if anyone else agrees but as a keeper, I have found that in the last 15 years or so, there is more pressure than ever put on the keeper by opposing strikers or during a corner so one simple mistake of dropping the ball can be disastrous. For all the grip in the world, you still need a solid catching and collecting technique but you'll catch the same shot 99 times out of 100 but the 100th is when the striker is right on you.
  • The gloves are huge but they are very flexible and provide a ton of grip. Recently, there is more of a move back to slimmer fitting gloves, a good example of these are the Reusche Pure Contact gloves which for me, are probably the best gloves I have ever worn in my life. 
Opinion Privileges revoked
4.6K
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9.8K
·
over 14 years

Can I ask my fellow custodians/portieri how much I would expect to pay for gloves which last more than one season, or does that just not happen?

Woof Woof
2.7K
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19K
·
almost 17 years

Doloras wrote:

Can I ask my fellow custodians/portieri how much I would expect to pay for gloves which last more than one season, or does that just not happen?

Are you using the same pair of gloves for training and games? Do you play many games or train on artificial turfs?

Appiah without the pace
6.5K
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19K
·
over 16 years

I haven't bought gloves for a good few years now, but when I did they would only last a season (using for games only). We're talking $120-150 price range. 

If anything, cheapers ones are more likely to last longer, but then the quality of the grip would drop.

Woof Woof
2.7K
·
19K
·
almost 17 years

If durability is important, you can look at the kind of cut the glove is (the ones with external stitching can wear down more quickly) and also what kind of surface the glove is designed for - the ones designed for artificials provide decent durability for palms but at the expense of grip. 

In general, what Dale said is right - the most expensive gloves are designed for performance and not durability, so the cheaper ones are more likely to last longer. I'd guess that gloves that have a reasonable balance between performance and durability could be found in the $80-$120 range.

Trialist
110
·
63
·
over 4 years

The ball is too fast in high-level. Last thing you wanna do is try to catch and deflect into path of a striker

Starting XI
850
·
2.7K
·
almost 10 years

el grapadura wrote:

If durability is important, you can look at the kind of cut the glove is (the ones with external stitching can wear down more quickly) and also what kind of surface the glove is designed for - the ones designed for artificials provide decent durability for palms but at the expense of grip. 

In general, what Dale said is right - the most expensive gloves are designed for performance and not durability, so the cheaper ones are more likely to last longer. I'd guess that gloves that have a reasonable balance between performance and durability could be found in the $80-$120 range.

I had 3 pairs which usually meant they lasted 2 seasons if you look after them properly - i.e. wash them after each game, don't spit on them, don't store them palm to palm.

1. Regular pair I used for most games

2. Wet weather pair for extra grip when the Wellington weather really kicked in

3. Training pair - but as things went along I got old, slow, started playing Masters and stopped training haha.

Invest in a glove bag, glove wash and to give them a bit more life, I'd usually start using GloveGlu into the second season with them. They're kind of like cricket bats - the more expensive they are, the softer they are and the higher the performance but it does mean they are prone to deterioration (or breaking when it comes to cricket bats)

Woof Woof
2.7K
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19K
·
almost 17 years

LeighboNZ wrote:

el grapadura wrote:

If durability is important, you can look at the kind of cut the glove is (the ones with external stitching can wear down more quickly) and also what kind of surface the glove is designed for - the ones designed for artificials provide decent durability for palms but at the expense of grip. 

In general, what Dale said is right - the most expensive gloves are designed for performance and not durability, so the cheaper ones are more likely to last longer. I'd guess that gloves that have a reasonable balance between performance and durability could be found in the $80-$120 range.

2. Wet weather pair for extra grip when the Wellington weather really kicked in

For anyone serious about their keeping, I'd definitely recommend investing in a pair of those, they make a huge difference on a wet day.

Marquee
1.2K
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8.2K
·
almost 17 years

Serious about your keeping are you?

Woof Woof
2.7K
·
19K
·
almost 17 years

Oska wrote:

Serious about your keeping are you?

At my age and skill level, any small advantage counts big.

Marquee
1.2K
·
8.2K
·
almost 17 years

And you do look great in your gears ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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