Goalkeepers are now expected to be part of build-up play from the back. The days of simply
punting it long, like John Lukic did when Leeds won the first division in 1992, are largely gone.
Modern goalkeeping requires kicking ability, but also positional sense,
an awareness of how the team play out from the back, and all the while not neglecting
the fundamentals of the role – shot-stopping, collecting crosses, organising the defence.
Some of this change is encompassed in the term ‘sweeper-keeper’. But a sweeper-keeper’s
proactivity may be a fundamentally defensive move. A keeper who roams outside the box, intercepting
passes and making clearances, allows their team to play higher and compact the opposition space.
This does allow for easier transitions into attack, but a sweeper-keeper doesn’t
necessarily take part in build-up or act as an additional defender in possession.
Of course, some keepers do both, or they may be aggressive at coming out in possession,
but actually more reticent defensively. It’s interesting to note the disparity between
leagues in terms of keepers’ proactivity outside their area, and how that relates to passing.
The Bundesliga is again the most proactive at sweeping, and has a low percentage of long passes.
But Serie A, which actually sees keepers playing it short more often,
has the lowest number of sweeper keeper actions and the shortest distance from goal for them.
Italian goalkeepers have tended to be more traditional, staying closer to their line
and focussing on stopping shots, rather than leaving the line to prevent good
shooting options in the first place. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t very similar
to their more proactive Bundesliga colleagues in passing types and lengths. And La Liga and
Ligue 1, which see similar amounts of sweeping outside the box, differ significantly in how
often keepers play long passes rather than short ones to build from the back.
So what are the advantages of having a goalkeeper whose proactivity doesn’t just extend to defence?
There are two main benefits. The first is that numerical superiority in parts of the pitch
has become increasingly important as a tenet of positional play. It’s generally
a good thing to have as many passing options as possible, regardless of the system being used,
and a goalkeeper stepping up into the back line, or a goalkeeper mobile and technically
accomplished enough to offer good options around their area, can certainly help achieve this.
The other benefit is vision. A goalkeeper can see the whole of the pitch, and therefore is in
a better position than many players, especially forwards or attacking midfielders who may be
facing their own goal as the ball is played out, to make decisions. Keepers have improved
their technique to kick these sorts of passes, clipped into the wide areas rather than punted,
or kicked with the side volley technique, popularised by Brazilian great Claudio Taffarel.
This is one of Jordan Pickford’s strongest assets as a keeper,
while Alisson and Ederson excel at driven and clipped passes forwards.
And while Manuel Neuer is often thought of as the most natural passing keeper, Arminia Biefeld’s
Stefan Ortega is another fine example in the Bundesliga who can play all kinds of passes.
Keepers must, though, weigh up when to counter and not, and this requires awareness and understanding
of their team’s positioning. For example, while a longer pass forwards will get the ball closer
to the opponent’s goal, it’s not always the best option. An attacker may have issues holding the
ball up, or be isolated, especially if a keeper is clearing long quickly to begin a counter.
A ball in the channel could work if the attacker is quick and well supported by a wide player,
but if the defending team has quicker players at the back, possession is lost again.
A short pass, either to feet or rolled out, is less dynamic and less likely to
lead to a quick goal, but it can force the opposition to press and
potentially disrupt their defensive shape by luring them out of position.
Sometimes a short throw is a perfect start to a counter attack, though,
as Thibault Courtois showed against Japan in the World Cup quarter-finals,
rolling the ball short and centrally to Kevin De
Bruyne. This is an excellent example of how important awareness of opportunity can be.
Longer throws are trickier to execute, but can move the ball quickly into wide
areas or even centrally. Again, this will tend to be to initiate a counter-attack,
and there’s a reason why these moments are effective.
For the goalkeeper to have the ball to throw, he must have caught it, which usually occurs
from a shot or cross. This means the opposition have been attacking, and if the goalkeeper can
distribute and effect a transition before the opposition are in a defensive stance,
this can be very effective. And in some ways, it’s easier than launching a counter by winning
possession elsewhere on the pitch. There’s less likely to be other opposition players nearby,
the goalkeeper can distribute from hand without obstruction and they can see the whole pitch,
which gives them a distinct advantage over at least some of their opponents.
Modern football emphasises transitions, when defence becomes attack or vice versa,
and the goalkeeper taking possession is a transitional moment.
With the right keeper, this can be a very effective opportunity to attack.
The fundamentals will always matter, but as keepers become more adept with their feet
and play further out of the area, the attacking part of goalkeeping will be even more important.