Mignolet and the Reina myth

THERE is a myth around goalkeeping at Liverpool Football Club and that myth revolves around the former custodian of the goal Pepe Reina.

Since he was replaced and farmed out on loan his history at the club has been shaped into one which is neither true nor helpful. Some might have you believe that he was one of the best keepers of all time. This is a fallacy.

That is not to suggest that he was insignificant. Reina was a special talent and a pretty unique player. There have been many goalkeepers that have been labeled ‘eccentric’ simply because they came out to add an extra line of defence or to help contribute by actually playing the ball intelligently. Fabien Barthez was a great example – he would make decisions that were risky like taking on opponents or looking to play out from the back.

Reina has never been considered an eccentric goalkeeper and the reason is because he was much better at making those decisions and was a much superior footballing talent. Reina is perhaps the best distributor from the goal that there has ever been.

His awareness of other players was exceptional and his ability to throw or kick a ball directly to his intended target was magnificent. Reina had the vision of a great midfielder but he was positioned in the most defensive role in the game. What it created, was the most attacking goalkeeper there has probably ever been. His direct contribution to goals is undoubtedly much higher than other men in his position (although a special mention goes to Chilavert with his incredible set piece ability).

His ability to read a game also ensured that he almost always made the right decision to come out of the net and win the ball. As a sweeper keeper, he was again right at the very top of his profession.

These unique attributes made him a perfect player for Rafa Benitez’s Liverpool team. Rafa built a defensively sound team which looked to stifle opposition and use pace and power to finish the opposition. Benitez’s side was built to try to win 2-0. Get the first, hold the opposition off and then get the punishing goal. It was a primarily defensive side but one which was built meticulously with some players of great talent.

Reina was the ideal goalkeeper for that team. He could retrieve the ball and then begin an attack very quickly. Teams are at their most exposed when an attack has broken down and with the pace of Torres and the passing ability of Gerrard and Alonso, Reina would simply release the ball as quickly as possible to the best option available who would then try to feed either the creators or Torres directly. It was an excellent way of starting a counter attack, if not the most effective way.

However, Pepe Reina was not an excellent shot stopper. He profited from the fact that Benitez often played with two deep lying midfielders to prevent the opposition from penetrating the back line. Reina’s clean sheets were built by the design of the team rather than the ability of the goalkeeper to keep the opposition out.

Reina was a wonderful talent. He played like no goalkeeper had played at Anfield since Bruce Grobbelaar. But while he may well have had the exact qualities to fit Rafa’s team, he is by no means the definitive.

He had flaws and they were exposed once Benitez departed Anfield. Under Hodgson, Dalglish and Rodgers, Reina struggled to impact games the way he had previously and while the departure of his favourite coach didn’t help, it was not the sole reason Reina floundered. He was exposed without two holding midfielders and when Liverpool needed him to perform those logic defying saves which forge goalkeeping reputations, Reina was found wanting every time.

Despite his errors against Man City and Chelsea, Simon Mignolet has proved he is an excellent glove man. While Liverpool have not been racking up clean sheets since he took charge between the posts, they have kept the points tally rising very consistently. He has made the biggest impression on the team out of all the new arrivals and there is no coincidence that the team is performing better than last season with him in it.

Under Brendan Rodgers, Liverpool are a far more attacking side than the one the Benitez created or the one ‘unleashed’ by Hodgson. What that means is that we are more vulnerable to counter-attacking moves when we lose the ball and there are more one-on-one situations for the keeper to deal with. It is therefore in Liverpool’s interest to have a keeper who is adept at dealing with these battles and who will produce match winning saves.

Equally, because the team is set up to be more attacking and create more opportunities with the 10 outfield players there is a much lesser onus on the goalkeeper to be the man who begins attacks.

Reina was the ideal man for Benitez’s system of play. He was shielded by a defensive minded line-up and a cautious way of playing while being given the freedom to use his footballing talent to unlock the opposition. However, he was far from ideal for the way Liverpool now look to play and it showed last season where there were a number of soft goals conceded by the Spaniard.

By contrast Mignolet has been a more natural match for the style and system used by Brendan Rodgers and although any keeper will make the occasional mistake, Mignolet will undoubtedly be worth more points to the team than if Reina remained custodian.

We should remember Reina for his record breaking feats and his incredible throwing and kicking attributes but we should not let it cloud our judgment of current and future Liverpool goalkeepers.