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No 1 problem! England need better coaches to solve goalkeeping problem, says Cech
By Matt Barlow
Last updated at 10:54 PM on 3rd July 2011
Petr Cech fears for the future of English goalkeeping if the nation fails to address its shortage of top-class talent.
Chelsea keeper Cech is rated among the world's best, having maintained an incredible level of consistency in seven seasons at Stamford Bridge.
But he looks around the Barclays Premier League and sees a serious shortage of home-grown talent between the posts. Cech said: 'Someone should ask the question why almost all the No 1 goalkeepers in the Premier League are foreign. Why is that? I'm not sure. Is it because of the way the goalkeepers are schooled here? Is it a completely different approach to the Czech or the French?
'Maybe someone should take a look at this and ask whether change is needed. At the moment, some of the other nations are ahead. If you are always doing the same thing, someone should find a different way of coaching and developing English goalkeepers.'
Joe Hart is firmly established as England's No 1. Paul Robinson is a Premier League regular but has retired from international football.
Ben Foster, relegated last season with Birmingham, has also retired from the England scene and Robert Green, relegated with West Ham, had to be talked out of retirement last month by Fabio Capello. Scott Carson has left West Bromwich Albion for Turkey.
Cech said: 'Not too long ago, everybody was looking at the future of English goalkeeping and saying, "We have Hart, Foster, Robinson and Green". Maybe Chris Kirkland was in that group, too. All of them were relatively young.
'From that group of goalkeepers it's now really down to Hart and Green. Look behind them and try to tell me someone else who is playing regularly in the Premier League. There is nobody.'
One man who could force his way into England contention this season is Cech's deputy at Chelsea Ross Turnbull, according to the club's goalkeeping coach Christophe Lollichon, who said: 'When Ross arrived at Chelsea he was all about reaction, not anticipation. Now he plays with his head. He could play first choice for a lot of Premier League clubs and is one of the possibilities for England.'
Over the last two weeks, Lollichon and Cech have been coaching 160 children at Cech's football academy in Prague's Strahov Stadium, a crumbling concrete bowl once capable of holding 220,000.
Strahov was opened between the wars and later famed as a parade ground during the Czech Republic's years under Communist rule. It is once again the stage for young sporting talent. Sparta Prague have built eight pitches and training facilities for their youth teams. 'Coaching is something that definitely interests me,' said Cech. 'The only question is that I have been playing professionally since I was 19 and will I still want to do all the travel? But coaching I love. It is a great feeling when you show a player how to practise and for nine times they cannot do it and the 10th time they get it right.'
When Chelsea confirmed Andre Villas-Boas as their new coaching maestro last month, Cech was in Spain. 'I was on the beach and my wife was reading the internet on her phone,' he says. 'She was the first to tell me and it was positive news. He is young, he knows the club, he knows the Premier League and he brings a lot of ambition. His career as a manager is short but he has already had success.'
The Czech No 1 has great respect for the young Portuguese coach, who impressed Chelsea's players as a scout on Jose Mourinho's staff, producing detailed dossiers on opponents.
'I found the files really useful,' said Cech. 'My experience before had always been to have a team meeting, where everything was said, and if you wanted more, you had to ask. It was the first time I had worked with someone who gave a file to every player, with everything all in one package.
'It was up to you whether you read it or not. I always read it. I still do. They were short, clear and very precise, so you could spend 20 minutes with it. Andre already had his coaching badges back then but you couldn't tell if he was going to coach. He was doing what he was doing, part of a big happy group.'
THE MANY BOSSES OF PETR CECH...
Villas-Boas will be Cech's seventh manager in as many years at the club. He didn't play for Claudio Ranieri, the man who signed him, but none has felt the need to consider searching for a different No 1. Last term, as Carlo Ancelotti's team slipped from the heights scaled in his Double-winning debut season, the 29-year-old keeper performed better than ever. He was reliable and consistent behind a team which was uncharacteristically erratic.
'It was one of my best seasons,' said Cech when persuaded to shelve his modesty, but Lollichon's assessment glowed. 'He was very mature,' said the French coach. 'Lots of people, journalists, judge a keeper when he saves strong shots but, for me, the most important thing is knowing what to do before the save, before the dive.
'English football is the most difficult in the world for a goalkeeper. The most important qualities for a goalkeeper are size, explosiveness, speed and intelligence. He has them all.'
Cech will watch with interest to see how Manchester United's new goalkeeper David de Gea adjusts to English football. 'He is a good goalkeeper but he has a big task ahead,' said Cech. 'United found it was not easy to replace Peter Schmeichel and it will not be easy to replace Edwin van der Sar.'
De Gea is only 20, two years younger than Cech when he moved to Chelsea, and his success at Old Trafford could have a significant impact on next season's title race. Villas-Boas will be out to reclaim the Premier League but Chelsea are hungrier than ever for their first Champions League victory.
Cech said: 'To win four trophies would be fantastic, three trophies great, two trophies is good and, if you win one trophy, you still have a trophy to show for your efforts.
'The Champions League is the one we are missing but we know how difficult it is. You do not choose the trophy, the trophy chooses you.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...better-goalkeeping-coaches.html#ixzz1R8L1oSNo
By Matt Barlow
Last updated at 10:54 PM on 3rd July 2011
Petr Cech fears for the future of English goalkeeping if the nation fails to address its shortage of top-class talent.
Chelsea keeper Cech is rated among the world's best, having maintained an incredible level of consistency in seven seasons at Stamford Bridge.
But he looks around the Barclays Premier League and sees a serious shortage of home-grown talent between the posts. Cech said: 'Someone should ask the question why almost all the No 1 goalkeepers in the Premier League are foreign. Why is that? I'm not sure. Is it because of the way the goalkeepers are schooled here? Is it a completely different approach to the Czech or the French?
'Maybe someone should take a look at this and ask whether change is needed. At the moment, some of the other nations are ahead. If you are always doing the same thing, someone should find a different way of coaching and developing English goalkeepers.'
Joe Hart is firmly established as England's No 1. Paul Robinson is a Premier League regular but has retired from international football.
Ben Foster, relegated last season with Birmingham, has also retired from the England scene and Robert Green, relegated with West Ham, had to be talked out of retirement last month by Fabio Capello. Scott Carson has left West Bromwich Albion for Turkey.
Cech said: 'Not too long ago, everybody was looking at the future of English goalkeeping and saying, "We have Hart, Foster, Robinson and Green". Maybe Chris Kirkland was in that group, too. All of them were relatively young.
'From that group of goalkeepers it's now really down to Hart and Green. Look behind them and try to tell me someone else who is playing regularly in the Premier League. There is nobody.'
One man who could force his way into England contention this season is Cech's deputy at Chelsea Ross Turnbull, according to the club's goalkeeping coach Christophe Lollichon, who said: 'When Ross arrived at Chelsea he was all about reaction, not anticipation. Now he plays with his head. He could play first choice for a lot of Premier League clubs and is one of the possibilities for England.'
Over the last two weeks, Lollichon and Cech have been coaching 160 children at Cech's football academy in Prague's Strahov Stadium, a crumbling concrete bowl once capable of holding 220,000.
Strahov was opened between the wars and later famed as a parade ground during the Czech Republic's years under Communist rule. It is once again the stage for young sporting talent. Sparta Prague have built eight pitches and training facilities for their youth teams. 'Coaching is something that definitely interests me,' said Cech. 'The only question is that I have been playing professionally since I was 19 and will I still want to do all the travel? But coaching I love. It is a great feeling when you show a player how to practise and for nine times they cannot do it and the 10th time they get it right.'
When Chelsea confirmed Andre Villas-Boas as their new coaching maestro last month, Cech was in Spain. 'I was on the beach and my wife was reading the internet on her phone,' he says. 'She was the first to tell me and it was positive news. He is young, he knows the club, he knows the Premier League and he brings a lot of ambition. His career as a manager is short but he has already had success.'
The Czech No 1 has great respect for the young Portuguese coach, who impressed Chelsea's players as a scout on Jose Mourinho's staff, producing detailed dossiers on opponents.
'I found the files really useful,' said Cech. 'My experience before had always been to have a team meeting, where everything was said, and if you wanted more, you had to ask. It was the first time I had worked with someone who gave a file to every player, with everything all in one package.
'It was up to you whether you read it or not. I always read it. I still do. They were short, clear and very precise, so you could spend 20 minutes with it. Andre already had his coaching badges back then but you couldn't tell if he was going to coach. He was doing what he was doing, part of a big happy group.'
THE MANY BOSSES OF PETR CECH...
Claudio Ranieri (It)
September 2000 - May 2004
Jose Mourinho (Por)
June 2004 - September 2007
Avram Grant (Isr)
September 2007 - May 2008
Luiz Felipe Scolari (Brz)
July 2008 - February 2009
Guus Hiddink (Hol)
February 2009 - May 2009
Carlo Ancelotti (It)
June 2009 - May 2011
Andre Villas-Boas (Por)
June 2011 -
September 2000 - May 2004
Jose Mourinho (Por)
June 2004 - September 2007
Avram Grant (Isr)
September 2007 - May 2008
Luiz Felipe Scolari (Brz)
July 2008 - February 2009
Guus Hiddink (Hol)
February 2009 - May 2009
Carlo Ancelotti (It)
June 2009 - May 2011
Andre Villas-Boas (Por)
June 2011 -
Villas-Boas will be Cech's seventh manager in as many years at the club. He didn't play for Claudio Ranieri, the man who signed him, but none has felt the need to consider searching for a different No 1. Last term, as Carlo Ancelotti's team slipped from the heights scaled in his Double-winning debut season, the 29-year-old keeper performed better than ever. He was reliable and consistent behind a team which was uncharacteristically erratic.
'It was one of my best seasons,' said Cech when persuaded to shelve his modesty, but Lollichon's assessment glowed. 'He was very mature,' said the French coach. 'Lots of people, journalists, judge a keeper when he saves strong shots but, for me, the most important thing is knowing what to do before the save, before the dive.
'English football is the most difficult in the world for a goalkeeper. The most important qualities for a goalkeeper are size, explosiveness, speed and intelligence. He has them all.'
Cech will watch with interest to see how Manchester United's new goalkeeper David de Gea adjusts to English football. 'He is a good goalkeeper but he has a big task ahead,' said Cech. 'United found it was not easy to replace Peter Schmeichel and it will not be easy to replace Edwin van der Sar.'
De Gea is only 20, two years younger than Cech when he moved to Chelsea, and his success at Old Trafford could have a significant impact on next season's title race. Villas-Boas will be out to reclaim the Premier League but Chelsea are hungrier than ever for their first Champions League victory.
Cech said: 'To win four trophies would be fantastic, three trophies great, two trophies is good and, if you win one trophy, you still have a trophy to show for your efforts.
'The Champions League is the one we are missing but we know how difficult it is. You do not choose the trophy, the trophy chooses you.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...better-goalkeeping-coaches.html#ixzz1R8L1oSNo
