Why Liverpool will always be in “Safe Hands”

Over the years Liverpool has been blessed with great goalkeepers – Elisha Scott, Ray Clemence, Bruce Grobbelaar. We also have employed others that didn’t maybe live up to expectation – David James, Brad Friedel, Mike Hooper and Chris Kirkland to name but a few.

Clemy’s record of 324 clean sheets in 667 games tells its own story.  Bruce runs him close, and his exploits will always mean he is close to the hearts of many Red’s.

Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten Shevchenko’s nemesis Mr Dudek – his performance in THAT final in 2005 will mean that others against the likes of Diego Forlan will be excused. He also conceded less that one goal per game and kept 77 clean sheets in his time at Anfield.

Ok, so Reina is a certainty,even after the Arsenal game, I think most Red’s fans would be in total agreement that our number 25 is our number 1!  With 125 clean sheets to his name, the Spaniard is much loved by his team-mates & supporters alike and looks set to break many records at the club – his shut-out against Blackburn in April 2007 was his 28th in his first 50 league games – three more than Kop legend Ray Clemence.  At the end of season 07/08 Pepe won the Golden Gloves award for most clean sheets in the Premier League for the third successive year.

Pre -Season did little to convert the supporter’s or the boss on the merits of Diego Cavalieri.  The Big Brazillian doesn’t fill you with confidence when called into action, be that coming for a cross, his handling of shots or talking to the defenders in front of him.

Currently next in line is young Hungarian Peter Gulacsi.  It may be that this emerging talent may need another loan spell at a championship or league one club to help him develop further.  Getting much needed game time will undoubtedly benefit the keeper who was part of the treble winning reserve side while on loan at Anfield before his move became permanent.

Gulacsi’s biggest threat to a future at the club would appear to be talented Aussie Dean Bouzanis.  The young shot-stopper was part of the youth team that reached the 08/09 FA Youth Cup Final.  His Distribution and ability to command his area for one so tender in years was very impressive.  Like his Hungarian counterpart, another loan spell may beckon, his time spent at Accrington Stanley in 2009-10 will have done him no harm at all.

Another young keeper who has now made the step up to John McMahon’s reserve team is Burton born Deale Chamberlain, viewers of LFC TV will be familar with his displays last season.  The former Aston Villa man will be aiming to impress the reserve’s gaffer and apply pressure to his other young adversaries for the future.

The potential arrival of Bouzanis’s fellow countryman Brad Jones from Middlesbrough will most likely see at least two of the current keepers leave Anfield, Cavalieri on a permanent basis, and one of the younger three on loan.  This we can expect to happen before the end of August.

Following the failure of last season, one of the few shinning lights was Reina’s own performances which in turn earned him our Player of the Season award for 2009-10.  Having recently signed a new six-year contact to remain at Anfield,  opposition striker’s will once again find one José Manuel ‘Pepe’ Reina resolutely standing in their way with his very own commandment – Thou Shalt Not Score!

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