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Joe Hart: Best Keeper In The World? Erm . . . No, Wayne, He Isn't

by David Preece
5 October 2012 22 Comments

Joe Hart's performance against Dortmund stole a point for his team in the Champions League but does that make him the best? David Preece doesn't think so . . .

 

 

The words “Joe Hart” and “world’s best goalkeeper” have been matched together by many people over the last few days in honour of the Manchester City keeper’s display against Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday. A bit reactionary if you ask me but since the goalkeeping sage that is Wayne Rooney saw fit to back this up with his own opinion, placing Hart at the top of the shot-stopping pops, there’s no diputing it, is there?. Well, actually there is. There’s something missing from those superlative-laden eulogies: it’s the word “not”. Simply put, Joe Hart is NOT the best keeper in the world.

After all, if we’re being hyper-critical about it, and obviously I am, Manchester city didn’t actually win the game and Hart would probably admit himself that he’d saved shots earlier in the game which were more difficult than the one he conceded. Harsh, perhaps, but margins of success and failure at that level are minuscule.

He is, however, a very good goalkeeper who in time has the potential to become the world’s number one, number one. In ability and mental attitude he is strong in every department. Attempt to look for his weaknesses and you’ll end up using a magnifying glass to identify the cracks but possessing talent isn’t the full qualifying criteria for being the best there is. What he is missing is the years of experience, medals and most importantly, the influence over his teammates that the likes of Buffon and Casillas have to orchestrate the fortunes of his team.

 

It’s not my meaning to detract from what was a brilliant performance, because that’s exactly what it was, but all the talk of world’s best can easily be undermined by his lack of experience and silverware at the very top of the game. The world’s best have dragged their team over the finishing line and not just contributed to it. This is the most persuasive arguments against Messi being the best player there’s every been because it includes the fact he has never single-handedl won the World Cup as Maradona did in ’86. Until that happens, no matter how many La Liga and Champions League titles he collects, it will always be the reason Don Diego will have the upper-hand against him.

 

 

Hart is still just a kid, of course, but if you’re weighing these things up, you can’t take that into account. You have to compare on parity and age should be disregarded. Taking all things into consideration, you can’t even begin to look past Gianluigi Buffon as the man you’d throw the gloves to in a world eleven. Despite being the grandfather of today’s goalkeepers he is still the best. The years may have blunted the sharpness  but they haven’t stunted his effectiveness. He is the model of calm consistency. He’s so cool his gloves have to thermally insulated so he doesn’t give himself frostbite. Very rarely do you see him making flashy, acrobatic saves because his positioning is GPS perfect. You will rarely see him make a rash decision or gambling by launching himself, “starfishing” Schmeichel style. That sort of assuredness only comes with at least a decade at the top and a clutch of medals around your neck, of which Buffon has so many it’s probably what brought on the back surgery he had to undergo in 2010.

 

If he really wants to go right to the top and stand with the Yashins, Banks’ and Schmeichels of this world, he’ll eventually need to leave Man City

 

Iker Casillas is world class but he’s far from the perfect goalkeeper. He’s seen as the ultimate example of the modern day goalkeeper with his speed around the goalmouth, explosive reactions and ability to be as comfortable with his feet as he is with his hands but this last quality is a myth where Casillas is concerned. His distribution with the ball at his feet isn’t half as good as his compatriots, Valdes, Reina or even De Gea.

 

Other pretenders such as Nueur, Handanovic, Lloris, Akinfeev and even Reina when he gets his form back, can forget about being world’s best until they are winning the major honours and they’re the reason why those trophies were won in the first place.

As for Hart, if he really wants to go right to the top and stand with the Yashins, Banks’ and Schmeichels of this world, he’ll eventually need to leave Man City. Whatever Manchester City achieve with their millions, Hart will be an old man by the time they can be spoken in the same breath as clubs such as AC Milan, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and their Manchester rivals United. And of all the keepers England has produced over the last 30 years, Joe is the only one who has the technical and mental ability to play for the footballing royalty of Europe and make by making an assault on Buffon’s crown as the undisputed king of the keeper world.

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image descriptionCOMMENTS

scott 5:21 pm, 5-Oct-2012

BITTER BITTER BITTER

ashton 5:25 pm, 5-Oct-2012

What a load of bull to be honest.

CiTyBlUe 6:51 pm, 5-Oct-2012

And like what the feck do you know chump.

Gibbo 7:35 pm, 5-Oct-2012

What a cock you are

Tony 8:09 pm, 5-Oct-2012

Maybe you should listen to what Pat Jennings thinks of Joe. Bit more of a goalkeeping sage than David Preece, wouldn't you say? You say Joe should leave City to be one of the greats, I presume he should join Stoke or Leicester as they were the only clubs Gordon Banks played for.

anon 10:29 pm, 5-Oct-2012

What a jealous rag, or more likely an Arsenal moron

Feed The Goat 10:49 pm, 5-Oct-2012

When did Schmeichel drag his team to a trophy? Why on earth would he have to leave City? You say that Messi will never be the worlds greatest until he drags his country to World Cup glory not matter how many La Liga's or Champs Leagues he wins, so please explain. Joe Hart cannot change countries but can help or "drag" England to a victory. This would not mean he has to leave City, Try Again!!!!!

mancunian mike 10:49 pm, 5-Oct-2012

A strange analysis with an unnerving conclusion that Hart must leave Man City to be classed as good as great keepers (Yashin and Banks) who made their names playing mostly for club sides (Dynamo Moscow and Leicester City) with less pedigree than Man City. Further, the comparison with the 'undisputed king' Buffon, and the claim he is the best in the world is open to abuse; Buffon plays in Italy and always has; Serie A has fallen away in the past 10 years to now be described as the 4th best league in Europe (behind the EPL, Primera League and the Bundesliga), but more importantly its goals to games ratio is lower than that of rival leagues. Although this could signify fantastic goalkeeping, it more likely represents the slower more tactical Italian game with less shots on goal and less attacking forays. It could be suggested that Buffon has always played in a less demanding league than Hart, as such can you really count Buffon's domestic career as testament to him being a better keeper than Hart...nor has Hart been involved in a match fixing scandal...nor has his non 'football royalty' club been demoted to a lower league and stripped of league titles. Essentially in terms of his career Buffon's is ahead of Hart on his international medals only, and being English is not something Hart can ever change, regardless of what club side he plays for. I would suggest the only way to compare Hart and Buffon and Casillas is to have them play in the same league. Would Hart make it in Italy or Spain? Would Buffon or Casillas cut it in the EPL? Hart is still young and time will tell how good he is, but to suggest he needs to leave City to proove he is as good as a player who has never left Italy is misguided.

Greg Morgan 10:58 pm, 5-Oct-2012

Minuscule: schoolboy error... but then again you're not a journalist are you? Never have been and never will be.

Bill Glas 12:25 am, 6-Oct-2012

Well, look, be fair chaps. Buffon does wear a rather nice alice band. Joe needs to follow suit, and then he'll be the best.

Mikie 1:45 am, 6-Oct-2012

You are loco

Mike 1:47 am, 6-Oct-2012

Jealous rag. Aguerooooooooooooooooooooooo hahahahahahaha

bernabia 4:34 am, 6-Oct-2012

Yeah, join AC Milan, Joe! About 11th place in Serie A having sold their best players. Your old team-mate and City fringe player Nigel De Jong is one of the biggest names there. What a move that would be! An absolutely farcical article, I just hope these writers aren't paid for this.

kev 5:27 am, 6-Oct-2012

so you have to play for one of the clubs real madrid etc or italy to be considered as the the best in the world, so PELE was italian and played for all the top european teams did he??????????????

Julian Tomlinson 9:13 am, 6-Oct-2012

I have never read such rubbish in my life. Joe Hart may or may not be the best goalkeeper in the world, a title like that will always be open to debate, but the reasons you give against and the comparisons you make in this article are nothing short of contemptuous.

It's Grim Oop North 10:00 am, 6-Oct-2012

Oh Dear, you could have questioned Joe's distribution, or some other vital aspect of his game, and compared his overall skills compared to other keepers, but you went with this pile of poo. You come across as a bit of a twat in this article mate.

Citeh Stevo 12:07 pm, 6-Oct-2012

What a pathetic excuse for journalism. Just because you've got a computer and seen a bit of football on the telly doesn't make you an expert David. Its clear to read between the lines here that you just hate City....boring...move on dullard.

Salford Blue 5:05 pm, 6-Oct-2012

"Manchester rivals"...oh the irony, eh!?!

Lee Freer 1:14 am, 7-Oct-2012

What a terrible set of opinions on this subject you truly have David.

David 3:53 pm, 18-Oct-2012

Thanks for your input guys.

Aoibhil 11:46 am, 1-Nov-2012

JOE HART ISN'T THE BEST AND NEVER WILL BE. NEUER IS ALSO YOUNGER THEN HART AND HE'S WAY BETTER. HART IS ABOUT 15TH BEST GOALKEEPER IN THE WORLD.

Goatboy 11:01 pm, 14-Nov-2012

David Preece is a profit. Joe Hart proved his 'quality' tonight against Sweden, or against Zlatan should I say. Every word in this article rings true....never heard of this site!! Just typed 'Joe Hart is s**t and this article came up!! I like this wbsit

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