This week, Developing Goalkeeping UK speaks to Met Police keeper Berti Schotterl.
TAKING CROSSES FOR A GOALKEEPER IS KEY
How does Non-League football compare to German football?
Berti Schotterl: It is a lot more physical for sure. I think that suits me, but you certainly have to adapt your game. It is a lot more honest as well. What I mean by that is that fans and managers / coaches appreciate hard work and good attitude.
Of course you need technical/tactical and physical ability in order to perform well but people in general are much more appreciative for the little things like a great save or a great tackle.
After playing for Dartford, Woking and now Met Police, how did you find a way to adapt to football here in the UK?
BS: I think you have to make sure that your kicking game is on point. It has always been a very strong part of my game.
Still I think it is important to work on it as English weather and the number of kicks during a game could make it a challenge sometimes. Also, you adapt in terms of being more solid and playing to the conditions.
If you had to choose one topic of goalkeeping to work on what would you say it would be?
BS: That would definitely be crossing. It is such an underrated part of training nowadays as it is hard to put on a session where you just load the box and make it uncomfortable for the keeper, I guess.
However, that’s exactly what you face every week and can’t be trained often enough. I like to come for balls and be confident with it, but in order to do so you have to get in as many repetitions as possible. Timing is a big part of the game and that comes with training. Experiencing uncomfortable situations every week makes you aware of how important it is to get your timing right.
Goalkeeping tip of the week from Develop Goalkeeping UK’s Martin Brennan:
Crossing does play a massive part of goalkeeping and I would also agree with Berti that we don’t work enough on it.
Crossing is such a decision based topic as in do you go, do you stay, do you punch, do you catch?
I believe that in trying to keep things simple and work on catching and punching when dealing with crosses. Catching is really when you have a little time and space around you to try and catch a cross. Punching is when you have a lot more bodies in the way and maybe under a lot more pressure so you can revert to a punch.
I think the key for goalkeepers all over the age of around 11 is to work on crossing with bodies in the way. I see quite a lot of crossing sessions with no one putting pressure on the goalie and it can become quite predictable and also a little boring.
Challenge your self to deal with crosses when times are hard around you and don’t wait for the sun to come out and the wind to die down just to work on crosses.
As long as you are effecting the cross in some kind of positive way the you will also make a move up the goalkeeping ladder.
- KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE BALL
- DECISION TO GO OR STAY (‘KEEPERS” OR “AWAY”)
- CATCH (IF TIME AND SPACE) OR PUNCH (IF REACHING OVER SOMEONE OR LOTS PF PRESSURE ON YOU)
- DRIVE UP WITH ONE LEG TO HELP PROTECT YOURSELF AND ALSO KEEP THE PLAYER AWAY FROM YOU.
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DGUK is a goalkeeper academy owned by Martin Brennan, a former first team goalkeeper coach at Fulham, Wycombe Wanderers and Leyton Orient, that offers professional and semi-professional goalkeepers the chance to prepare for the new season with pre pre-season training camps.
There are also camps for college and university goalkeepers who are trying to reach the Non-League game and weekly group sessions and 2-to-1 sessions throughout the week.
