MOTD: Top 10 PL Goalkeepers

[anant]

How the feck is Dave not in top 5 in their lists. He has to be above ederson and Alison at the very least, and I would even argue that he should even be above VdS! Arguably the greatest shot stopper in the league since its inception, he single handedly kept united in the European places in the LVG and Mou years!

 

[Cutch]

1. Peter Schmeichel
2. Petr Čech
3. David de Gea
4. David Seaman
5. Edwin van der Sar

Id go with that top 5 aswell. Schmeichel and Cech definately the 2 best.

 

[AltiUn]

How the feck is Dave not in top 5 in their lists. He has to be above ederson and Alison at the very least, and I would even argue that he should even be above VdS! Arguably the greatest shot stopper in the league since its inception, he single handedly kept united in the European places in the LVG and Mou years!

Probably because he's not been that good since the WC, they've let that affect their judgement. It's really no contest if we're talking about him at his prime.

 

[Fortitude]

1. Schmeichel
2. Cech
3. Seaman
4. Van der Sar
5. De Gea
6. Given
7. Alisson
8. Ederson
9. Lehmann
10. James


De Gea has slid down the ranks, unfortunately and his cross collection and command of his area was never a match for those around him, so he really needed to remain the reflexive monster he was to enter the top bracket.

Cudicini should be in this list, a few others could be argued for, also.

 

[Inter Yer Nan]

Schmeichel, De Gea and Cech are so far ahead for me. Probably that order too.

 

[Gio]

De Gea’s peak over a 3-5 year period is the best I’ve seen in the league. I think he falls short of the greats who have proven themselves internationally (such as Schmeichel) and have the continental trophy cabinet to back it up. But his domestic performances were demonstrative of the most consistent match-winner the league has seen, as shown by his 5 PFA Team of the Year spots (nearest in Premiership era are on 3, while big Pete has 1).

 

[Harry190]

How the frigg are Nigel Martyn and quite a few others from the 90s not in there? Disrespect.

 

[youngrell]

It’s crazy how these guys played the majority of their careers in the 90s yet still manage so much recency bias.

And David James was around for a very long time and almost always found at least one other GK ahead of him for the England spot, so how he manages to get in I’m not sure.

 

[sullydnl]

1. Schmeichel
2. Cech
3. Seaman
4. Van der Sar
5. De Gea
6. Given
7. Alisson
8. Ederson
9. Lehmann
10. James


De Gea has slid down the ranks, unfortunately and his cross collection and command of his area was never a match for those around him, so he really needed to remain the reflexive monster he was to enter the top bracket.

Cudicini should be in this list, a few others could be argued for, also.

Really it's the completely unforced errors that have seen him drop down the list rather than a problem with his reflexes.

 

[Fortitude]

Really it's the completely unforced errors that have seen him drop down the list rather than a problem with his reflexes.

It's a bunch of things, for me. He had the reflexive form of a Titan for a period of time and was up there with pre-injury Cech and Schmeichel, but he's started making errors, is not as superhuman reflexively and he was never good in the air or on crosses or catching, and if we're going to factor other aspects: his distribution isn't great and he is nowhere near those two in terms of commanding his box, so he needed to remain a Titan to match the bar, for me.

He has time on his side, though, and could very well alter his game a bit even if his primary inlet into the top tier never gets back to the superhuman level it once was.

Keepers aren't only judged by their peaks, but also their troughs, so we're going to see whether De Gea's worst has come and gone or whether what he dipped to is the best of him now and then draw a mean value. If we're going for absolute peak form, pre-injury Cech and Schmeichel are still keepers I'd take over him for one-off or vital games.

 

[Amar__]

Alisson and Ederson, they have been here for what, two seasons? I bet they didn't make 100 saves total, how the feck can they even put them on the list?

Also Given is just laughable, probably James too, obvious English bias.

 

[Fortitude]

Been thinking about this question. If we were to be consumate about this, what else would be need to be added:


Shot-Stopping
Positioning
Command of penalty box
Defensive organisation
Crosses (high and low)
Catching
Set plays (corners and free kicks)
Distribution (hands and/or feet)
1 on 1 (meeting an attacker)
Chain saves (1, 2 and even 3 in succession)
Presence/intimidation
Errors/mistakes
Concentration
Sweeping
Penalties?

Quite a gulf opens up if you score each keeper out of 10 in those categories with Cech and Schmeichel miles ahead of everyone else as anything below an 8 is rare, if featured at all, whilst other keepers listed have obvious spikes as well as weaknesses, or simply weren't superhuman in the first place to be able to hit 10's and 9's despite being rock solidly consistent and safe.

​

 

[FlawlessThaw]

Also Given is just laughable, probably James too, obvious English bias.

Definitely.

 

[Web of Bissaka]

Goalkeepers so at their respective peak-est forms..

1. Schmeichel
2. Cech
3. De Gea
4. Van der Sar
5. Courtois
6. Alisson
7. Seaman
8. Lehmann
9. Given

 

[FootballHQ]

Bosnich was really good for us for 4-5 seasons and won two league cups in that period. Was about to type more than David James but he won FA cup at Portsmouth right at end of his career.

Shows what a mess he made of his career after leaving us, disaster second spell at Man. United and then failed the drugs test at Chelsea when he was still only 30 in 2001.

 

[RooneyLegend]

1 Big Pete
2 DDG
3 Cech
4 VDS
5 Seaman
6 Reina
7 Courtois
8 Begovic
9 Lloris
10 Hart

 

[FootballHQ]

Brad Friedel should be on the list considering he looked pretty poor at Liverpool yet bounced back at Blackburn with many consistant seasons over a near 10 year period.

Wasn't quite as good for us and Spurs but still solid and he was nearly 40 at that point.

 

[Dannic]

I found myself a bit torn between greatest when you consider their entire career, or greatest as in if you just took them at their peak, what would be the order. Important because I don't understand how Allisson can currently be in a career list, but if you look at a short term basis, looks great.
.
Still, either way, Schmeichel, DDG, Cech

I think the rest mixes around a bit more for me when I look at them in different ways.

 

[Adnan]

1.Schmeichel
2.Van der Sar
3.Cech

The rest for me can be put in any order. The top 3 above were good shot stoppers and were also very good at commanding their box. Also all three were extremely brave.

 

[Edgar Allan Pillow]

1. Schmeichel
2. Van Der Sar
3. Seaman
4. Cech
..
nobody cares

 

[Djemba-Djemba]

Brad Friedel should be on the list considering he looked pretty poor at Liverpool yet bounced back at Blackburn with many consistant seasons over a near 10 year period.

Wasn't quite as good for us and Spurs but still solid and he was nearly 40 at that point.

If Brad Friedel played against everyone else the way he always fecking played against Utd he'd be one of the greatest keepers of all time. Every single year it felt like he played out of his skin twice a season against us.

I agree though, he should be on the top 10. He's better than James for a start I'd say.

 

[Sandikan]

De gea was well on his way to topping this list, but the last 18months or so have blown it.

Similar with Cech until that injury.

 

[Pow]

Cech after his injury was still world class. But pre injury was different class.

 

[RobinLFC]

Didn't watch the show, but is it an "overall ranking" which includes longevity or just ranking keepers at their absolute peak? Probably the former since they did that with strikers as well?

If so it's weird to include Alisson and Ederson. Omitting Courtois is weird as well.

Schmeichel, Seaman, De Gea, Cech and Van der Sar is an obvious overall top 5, I think there'd be more debate if we're going off individual seasons.

 

[Rossa]

Seaman was never that good. In the mid nineties, Schmeichel and Thorstvedt was the two best PL goalies. I wonder when Scandinavia will ever boast that recore again. Thorstvedt had a shorter time at his peak and a terrible stsrt at Tottenham, but he was a brilliant goalie that made very few mistakes, bar that start. Had he been English he would be playing for England over Seaman.

Allisson above ddg is a disgrace. When someone shoots him in the face, it’s labelled the best save in PL history.

 

[Rossa]

He's in the top five players for most Premier League appearances, and he's made more appearances than any other goalkeeper in the league's history (536 games)

For that reason, he's definitely a 'great' - perhaps not in terms of ability, but in terms of longevity and experience.

Then Barry is one of the greatest ever PL players?

 

[Sassy Colin]

De Gea was in the PL team of the year when we won the title in 12-13 and his form didn't become an issue again until the 18-19 season. That's six seasons as the best goalkeeper in the league during which he won the PL, made the PL team of the year five times and won our POTY award four times.

Meanwhile Alison has been in the league for less than two seasons, has yet to win the league, wasn't the best GK in the league during his one full season and has already missed nine full PL games in his second.

I know this list comes at an inopportune time for DDG given both Shearer and Wright said he would have featured higher 12 months ago but even still, come on.

If it's supposed to be the best PL keeper EVER then how can they mark down De Gea because his incredibly high standard has dropped in the past 12 months?

On that basis, Schmeichel, Seaman, Van Der Sar etc shouldn't be anywhere near the top 5. They've done nothing whatsoever for years and Cech was shite at Arse in his last few seasons.

 

[Yagami]

Top 5 definitely consist of our three with Cech and Seaman.

 

[montpelier]

Seaman was very reliable until the last half dozen years.

 

[Infordin]

I'm amazed how many lists are missing the likes of Lloris and Courtois.

Is David James seriously rated above them?

 

[iHicksy]

I'm amazed how many lists are missing the likes of Lloris and Courtois.

Is David James seriously rated above them?

Lloris no way in hell makes a greatest premier league keepers of all time list. The guy always has a mistake in him (altho so does De Gea these last 2 seasons). There's a reason no big club has come in for him since he joined Spurs.

Personally I thought Shay Given was absolutely outstanding for Newcastle for a long long time. He's got more of a claim to be on this list than Lloris, James, Allison or Ederson.

 

[JPB]

One Schmeichel should be at the top of the list and another at the bottom.

 

[AKDevil]

I get Ederson and Alisson. Part of the new breed of goalkeepers. Ederson especially, when the history of goalkeepers is charted his type, with his ability with his feet and composure, will be one of the points when the position changed. If you’re a game changer in the evolution of a position you’re in the discussion.

 

[AKDevil]

He's in the top five players for most Premier League appearances, and he's made more appearances than any other goalkeeper in the league's history (536 games)

For that reason, he's definitely a 'great' - perhaps not in terms of ability, but in terms of longevity and experience.

Agree. Also in the conversation.

 

[Scriblerus]

Anyone else enjoy Wrighty's gloss on his amusing attempt to break Schmeichel's leg?

 

[Grande]

I get Ederson and Alisson. Part of the new breed of goalkeepers. Ederson especially, when the history of goalkeepers is charted his type, with his ability with his feet and composure, will be one of the points when the position changed. If you’re a game changer in the evolution of a position you’re in the discussion.

Schmeichel, Valdez, Neuer, there have been many attacking goalkeepers before these two. Can’t see what they are pioneering.
As for Wright, Shearer and De Gea ... someone probably warned them about recency bias, but daft as they are they thought it was a criterion.

 

[Based Adnan]

Maybe just me but I feel like Van Der Sar is being massively underrated here

He'd be straight at the top for me with Schmeichel a very close second

 

[MikeeMike]

I don’t normally get into these “best ever” lists as they seem to have no comparable attributes, for example, Schmikes star fish save. However, maybe I am biased but no idea how Alisson is in top 5 best Premier League keepers. He’s only played in 58 games. Surely, proven consistency is a factor..

 

[RyRy11]

1) Schmeichel
2) Cech
3) VDS
4) Seaman
5) De Gea

Any other list without those as a top 5 doesn’t warrant listening to imo. Schmeichel is pretty much nailed on 1st but you could have the other 4 in any order really. In the long term I can see Allison getting in that top 5 but it’s laughable for him or Ederson to be included in there any time soon.

 

[alexthelion]

1. VDS
2. Schmeichel
3. Cech

Others.