Reading FC Academy Manager Eamonn Dolan takes you through some goalkeeping drills.

Click here to see the full video

Â

 

Bolton goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi is wanted by Lancashire rivals Blackburn Rovers, it has emerged today.

 

Al Habsi is currently second choice at the Reebok, behind Jussi Jasskelainen, and has been linked with a move away from Gary Megson’s side over the summer.

 

And it now appears Mark Hughes is keen on the Omani stopper, according to the player’s agent.

 

Peter Harrison told Sky Sports News: “I understand an offer has been made, but neither club has as yet confirmed that or spoken with me,”

 

“It is now up to Bolton, but we would hope that they would allow Ali the chance to move on.”

 

Hughes has already brought in former Tottenham stopper Paul Robinson in the close reason, but wants Al-Habsi to compete for the Rovers number-one jersey with the former England man.

 

The 26-year-old has impressed during his time at Bolton, making 16 first team appearances since his arrival in 2006.

It’s been a busy few weeks down here at the great-save.com HQ on the sunny Isle of Wight.

After months of hard work the great-save magazine has been landing on your doorsteps, if you do not have a copy why not order your copy today.

This year’s magazine includes: Exclusive interview with the new Wales Number 1. The Perfect pre match warm up with James Hollman. The Wright Stuff (Extend feature and chat with Richard Wright) Danny Does Donny (Our Danny Wright goes pro for the day) The Steele Works (a look back at Luke Steele FA Cup season) The new great-save Coaching Directory. The Worlds largest collection of specialist goalkeeping product in the world.

It’s also that time of year when great-save.com hit the road and visit goalkeeper coaching camps around the UK.

Wednesday 20th Aug was a very special day, not only were we off to a Between the Sticks goalkeepers coaching day, we were to also get the chance to meet ex England Legend Peter Shilton who was going to be there!

 Ferry from the Isle of Wight

After an early morning start and a ferry across the Solent (a stretch of water between Southampton and the Isle of Wight (small island of the south coast of England) it was destination Bournemouth for the great-save.com team.

 The Isle of Wight just off the south coast of England

Today’s goalkeepers coaching day has been put on by Between the Sticks. Between the Sticks offer specialist goalkeeping coaching for children and adults at all ages and experience levels. They run sessions in Poole and Bournemouth area as well as providing tailor made group courses and sessions across the UK.

Between the Sticks has been set up by Robbie Yates and ex keeper Neil Moss.

Robbie is an experienced goalkeeping coach, he started Between the Sticks after a long playing career (since 1979), at which he played semi-pro football. He has been with AFC Bournemouth since January 2003 - Present working with the Centre of Excellence as Goalkeeping Coach P/T under 8 - under 16 and also works with AFC Bournemouth first team keepers. Robbie also coaches goalkeepers at the Dorset FA Centre of Excellence for girls.

Neil Moss was a professional Goalkeeper since 1992 he is now at AFC Bournemouth Centre of Excellence as a coach.

During a fine Pro career Neil trained with & has been coached by David Coles, Paul Jones, Anti Niemi, Alan Knight, Daryl Flahavan, Dave Beasent, Chris Woods, Bruce Grobbelar, Vince Bartram, Ian Andrews, Stuart Murdoch, Gerry Peyton, Maik Taylor & more.

Over 50 keepers made their way to Canford School in Bournemouth to be coach by Robbie and his team but also to get a masterclass coaching session from ex England Legend Shilton.

The Coaching day was packed full coaching drills and exercises for keepers of all ages.

The great-save.com were more than impressed with the set up Between the Sticks had, and the expertises of the coaches was 1^st class, the enthusiasm showed by Robbie Yates was a credit to himself and his company. Robbie is a goalkeeping fanatic and grew up with the likes of Shilton and Pat Jennings as his heroes.

From left to right Peter Shilton, Robbie Yates, Neil Moss.

For Robbie to have his boyhood hero coach at his Goalkeeping day was a dream come true, Robbie told great-save.com “Today for me was a dream come true, all the hard work seemed all worth while. The day was fantastic everyone enjoyed the day every aspect went like clockwork the kids loved it, to have Peter Shilton with us for a day was wonderful, I have had to keep pinching myself all day”

If you live in the south coast area and are looking for professional goalkeeper coaching why not contact Between the Sticks Contact E-mail: E-mail info@betweenthesticks.co.uk Contact Telephone: 07776 252414 / 07956 115651

Shilton giving his master class.

Great-save.com would like to thank Robbie Neil and the Between the Stick team for a wonderful day; it was a real pleasure to be a part of such a great day, to meet Peter Shilton was great.

Are you a goalkeeper coach running keeper coaching schools and would like great-save.com to visit why not contact us at orders@great-save.com

The EX England legend signs for great-save.com.

Arsenal goalkeeper Manuel Almunia has reiterated to Sky Sports News that he would consider representing England at international level.

The 31-year-old, who signed for the Gunners from Celta in 2004, was born in Spain but would qualify for UK citizenship next year.

Almunia, who emerged as Arsenal’s first-choice keeper last season, is aware that he is unlikely to feature for Spain and would therefore contemplate playing for England.

“Playing for England could be my only chance for international football,” he told Sky Sports News.

“Spain have very, very good goalkeepers, therefore I have to take the chances I have to play in the best level.

“If playing for England is the only way to play in international matches then I will make my decision to have it or not.”

Manuel Almunia was speaking at University College Hospital in London, where Arsenal announced their nomination of the Teenage Cancer Trust as their dedicated charity this season

 

Thank goodness for that. Premier League football is back, and the old beast made its return with some aplomb in an action packed weekend. The ‘Get on With The Game’ plan made its debut, and a refreshing lack of abuse directed at the officials could be witnessed up and down the country. It didn’t stop David Moyes having a good whinge after the match though, but more of that later.

 

In the division’s opening match, Arsenal defeated West Brom 1-0 at the Emirates thanks to Samir Nasri’s debut goal.  Not exactly a classic by any means, but Wenger’s young guns will be pleased to have picked up the points in their hopeful title quest. For the Baggies, there were plenty of positives to be taken from a game where a cricket score was on the cards.

 

West Brom’s fellow new-boys Hull City faired somewhat better, making history in a 2-1 win over Fulham, the club’s first ever in their 104-year history. Caleb Folan’s late goal nearly lifted the roof off the KC Stadium as the crowd erupted, but things looked bleak for The Tigers when Seol Ki-Hyeon headed in after six minutes for the visitor’s. New-signing Geovanni was on hand to equalise with a stunning curler though, and Folan did the rest late in the day from close range.

 

Stoke City didn’t enjoy such luck however, going down 3-1 at Bolton. Ricardo Fuller nodded a late consolation but The Potters were 3-0 at half-time; Gretar Steinsson’s cross-shot deceived Thomas Sorensen for the first, then Kevin Davies glanced in a second. Big-money summer signing John Elmander then finished the game off with a fine header off his own. 

 

Champions Manchester United were held to a frustrating 1-1 draw at home to Newcastle, who had to rely on a Darren Fletcher goal to salvage a point. Obefami Martins had earlier put the Magpies in dreamland, but it wasn’t to be. Rivals Chelsea made a somewhat more convincing start, thrashing Portsmouth 4-0 at Stamford Bridge.

 

Joe Cole got the ball rolling, with Nicolas Anelka and Frank Lampard adding further goals. New-signing Deco capped off an impressive display with the fourth goal, beating David James from 30-yards in a game that the England man would rather forget.

 

Fernando Torres lifted the eternal gloom surround Liverpool as he bagged the winner in a 1-0 success over Sunderland, meanwhile Paul Ince’s managerial career got off to a dramatic start in Blackburn’s last-gasp 3-2 win over a thread-bare Everton. Moyes wasn’t too made up for his opposite number though, the Scot bemoaning Ryan Nelsen’s offside role in Andre Ooijer’s winner.

 

Gareth Southgate’s Middlesborough sprung the surprise of the weekend by beating much-fancied Tottenham, second-half goals from David Wheater and Mido sealing a 2-1 win. Dean Ashton notched two goals in front of England manager Fabio Capello in West Ham’s 2-1 win over Wigan, and Aston Villa sealed a miserable week for Mark Hughes Manchester City, Gabby Agbonlahor scoring the first hat-trick of the season in a 4-2 win.

The top stopper saved a spot-kick as the Reds held on for a goalless draw in the first leg of their qualifier with Standard Liege.

But Liverpool now face a nervy return match at Anfield as they attempt to reach the group stages.

And Reina admits his side were well below par in Belgium last night.

The Spanish ace said: “We played really bad and it’s clear we have to improve for the game at Anfield.

“The positive thing is we got a result, we kept a clean sheet and it’s still in our hands. But we didn’t play well.

“Penalty saves are always difficult but at least we got the result on the night. But we have to improve.”

Benitez said: ‘It is clear we did not play well, and we are lucky not to have conceded. We were poor, but at least the result was good.

‘It really was a very bad performance, and it surprised me, because we have been playing well in the pre-season games and with a lot of confidence. We have been talking about it in the dressing room, but you don’t always have to say too much after something like that.

‘We knew they would be aggressive. I warned the players about that, but we still couldn’t keep the ball. We were second best to too many first and second balls, and when we did get possession, our control was poor and so was our passing. 

‘When that happens, it is only normally that you come under a bit of pressure. I’m just glad Pepe Reina was the one player who performed and that we kept a clean sheet. There has to be a massive difference in how we play in the return game.’

 

Sunderland goalkeeper Craig Gordon says his side are relishing the start of the new season.

The Black Cats take on Liverpool at the Stadium of Light on Saturday, and the stopper is looking forward to the visit of Rafa Benetiz’s big name forwards.

Liverpool have added £20m summer signing Robbie Keane to their already formidable strike force, although Gordon insists his side won’t be deterred.

He told BBC Radio Newcastle: “We all know who we’re up against. It is definitely a difficult one, but one we’ll look to do well in.”

Roy Keane’s men finished 15th last season - three points above the drop zone - and that is something Gordon is confident the Wearsiders will improve upon.

“We’ve added good quality to the squad and I’m sure the competition for places is a lot stronger now than it was at the start of last season,”

“From that point of view we’ve moved on but we need to do that with results now, start climbing up the table and improve on what we did last season,” he added.

By Danny Wright

Tottenham have completed the signing of Real Zaragoza goalkeeper Caser Sanchez.

The 36-year-old arrives on White Hart Lane after he was released by Zaragoza following their relegation from La Liga.

Manager Jaunde Ramos has hoped to bring in Derby’s Stephen Bywater, but a move fell through.

 

Premier League new boys Hull City have added to their squad by recruiting Rotherham United goalkeeper Mark Oxley.

The 18-year-old didn’t make an appearance for the Millers but is hotly tipped as one for the future.

Oxley becomes the second goalkeeper to arrive on Humberside in the close season after Tony Warner’s arrival from Fulham.

Hull manager Phil Brown also has Boaz Myhill and Matt Duke at his disposal, but it is unclear who will wear the number one jersey for The Tigers’ opener against Fulham next Saturday.

Rotherham are set to receive an initial £150,000 fee for Oxley, which is set to rise depending on appearances.

United manager Mark Robins says the move was a good deal for the club.

He told Sky Sports News: “”We have looked at the offer and we feel that it is a very good deal for the club,”

“We are getting a large percentage of the fee up front and if Mark continues to progress then it will benefit us further on in the future.”

Fulham manager Roy Hodgson recruited his third goalkeeper of the summer after agreeing terms with Pascal Zuberbuhler.

The Swiss stopper, 37, joins the Premier League club on a one-year deal.

Hodgson has already brought in Mark Schwarzer and David Stockdale from Middlesborough and Darlington respectively, but has added the former West Brom man to his squad.

Zuberbuhler - who has 51 international caps to his name - is delighted to have seal the moved.

He told the club’s official website: “I’m very happy to sign for Fulham,”

“I know the club had a very hard season last year, but I’m confident that this season it will be much better. I’m coming here to be successful.”

The stopper recognises the challenge ahead, but has vowed to give his all to The Cottagers cause.

He added: “”I know also the situation here with the goalkeepers. I’ve known Mark Schwarzer for a long time and played against him in the past,”

“I know he’s the No.1, but I’m here to give my best so that, in the end, the team is successful. That’s my mentality.

Fulham have already brought in eight new faces in a bid to improve on last year’s 17th place finish, with Zuberbuhler becoming the ninth after his arrival from Neuchatel Xamax.