da bet7： It’s a widely acknowledged fact this season that Manchester City had the second best, if not the best defence in the Premier League. Behind every great defence is a great goalkeeper. Manchester United had theirs in Edwin Van der Sar, so why doesn’t City’s Joe Hart get the respect he deserves?
da bet7k： In a recent discussion of goalkeepers, I claimed that Joe Hart had had a better season than Liverpool’s Pepe Reina. In response I was told that Joe Hart doesn’t cut it with the top goalkeepers in the Premier League; that he’s too ‘error-prone’. I’ve never understood this label when it comes to Joe Hart. Tottenham’s Heurelho Gomes is error-prone. Arsenal’s Manuel Almunia is error-prone.
Joe Hart on the other hand made a couple of errors this season and bounced back stronger – that’s the sign of a real fighter. No goalkeeper can ever truly escape error. Pepe Reina made a horrendous mistake against Arsenal on the first day of the season and even the almighty Edwin Van der Sar has made the odd mistake during his time with Manchester United.
At only 24-years-old, Joe Hart can say that he claimed the most clean sheets in the Premier League last season. What’s more the Castrol Ranking system judges Hart to have been the best/most efficient goalkeeper in Europe over the course of the last year. So why don’t neutral fans afford him the respect he deserves? Surely he should included with Reina, Van der Sar and Cech in conversations concerning the goalkeeping stars of last season?
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As his detractors are keen to point out, Hart has made some mistakes along the way, but he’s always come back stronger. The young lad seems to have unquestionable mental strength and what Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has termed ‘bouncebackability’.
Other English keepers have recognised his quality and that he’s far and away the best goalkeeper England have at the moment. As a result Ben Foster has bailed out of the England running and there are rumours that West Ham’s Robert Green may well do the same.
Hart also has the benefit of age. Whilst Edwin Van der Sar’s on his way out and Cech and Reina seem like two fully-developed players, the 24-year-old is only going to continue to improve. There’s no telling just how important he’ll be to both England and Manchester City in a couple of years time. If he continues to develop at the same pace, he’s sure to end up as something of a City legend and to establish himself as one of England’s greatest goalkeepers.
Perhaps only then will he get the plaudits he richly deserves.
Read more of Harry’s articles at This Is Futbol
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