Some teams at the top have been questioned over their defence this season: Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea, surprisingly. However, this campaign has seen a high volume of goals conceded and in fact, they’ve been flying in at a rate higher than any campaign since Manchester City last won the top division in 1967/68. They’ve conceded fewer than 17 of the other Premier Leagues teams and sit top. They’ve also scored the most.
With goals coming thick and fast since August, not only does it highlight some lacklustre defending that we’ve been gifted from the likes of Bolton and Blackburn, but it has given a platform for the men behind them; the often described “loneliest players on the pitch”, the last line of defence and the point winners (Michel Vorm) or the point losers (Bartosz Bialkowski.) As is the nature of the role, they’re either lauded by their team mates after making a terrific save and earning their team victory, or they’ve just suffered the pains of the most unforgiving role in football.
But in between the sticks – who has been the best and worst this season?
Paul Robinson – the worst?
At the beginning of last season the former-England ‘keeper may not have been former anymore; when Fabio Capello called him up for the first set of friendlies post-World Cup melancholy, it was the Blackburn ‘keeper that was the deciding factor in him not featuring in the games – he pulled the plug on his international career, retiring at the ‘keeping young age of 31. He, unlike the F.A, told Capello “no more” having been mucked around enough by the meddling Italian.
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15 months later and I for one am grateful that Paul Robinson didn’t seize the opportunity to step between the sticks for England once more. While Hart enjoys an unbeaten spell for England of 16 games and sits at the top of the Premier League, having conceded only 15 in 15 games, with Manchester City, Paul Robinson is second to bottom in the league with Blackburn Rovers, having conceded the most goals in the league. Quickfire critics will shout the obvious “Joe Hart’s got Richards, Lescott, Kompany and Clichy in front of him,” and I’ll give you that; well done, good knowledge. However, Paul Robinson’s not just behind the 2nd worst defence: he’s got the lowest saves-to-shots ratio of any regular Premier League goalkeeper this season at 52%, he’s only 14th in the leader board for most saves, despite facing 69 shots, and he’s the ‘keeper that’s seen the most points lost from leading.
Michel Vorm – the best?
When the Nederlands World Cup second-choice goalkeeper was signed for little over £1m from FC Utrect, by Premier League new boys Swansea City FC, predicting such success would’ve been hasty. However, the international shot-stopper, who’s been capped by his country 8 times, has arguably been the best Premier League goalkeeper so far this campaign.
His penalty save against Clint Dempsey in the dying stages of his club’s weekend 2-0 home win against Fulham, was his second penalty save of the season, making him the #1 in that category along with Howard, Hennessey and Al-Habsi, and his 59th save of the season. Only David de Gea, Hennessey and Brad Friedel have made more saves, but what they can’t brag is a home record that stands at only two goals conceded.