Goalkeeping: Playing against a quick forward

It is fair to say that playing against a forward who loves to run in on goal is a huge challenge.

The key thing as a goalkeeper is to anticipate the through ball, as you can watch the clever forwards working their way across your back four, just waiting for the opportunity to pounce.

Long balls aren’t necessarily a big problem as defenders should be able to adjust and re-group accordingly. As long as your starting position is positive then the threat of these is instantly minimised, however a good weighted through ball can cause all sorts of problems.




Danny Naisbitt shows the value of a Sweeper Keeper for Cambridge United



One of the first things you need your team to be aware of is the space in front of you and how you can minimise the opportunities the opposition may create. If you are playing against a fluid passing team, or even if the opposition has a creative midfielder, then you really need your midfield and forwards to create the first barrier when you are not in possession. You can call this from your position on the pitch quite easily – remember the immediate threat is the ball, so therefore you need to call for the first defender (player nearest the ball) to address their possession. From there, it is time to organise your subsequent defenders.

The striker will almost always try to play between your centre back and full back, and will look to get them turned at every opportunity so make sure that:

a)      You are in a strong starting position and also on your front foot and

b)      Your full back knows to take the shortest route to goal if he gets turned

If you can encourage the players in front of you to always be all over the oppositions first touch, and subsequently try to force the play backwards then you are starving their main threat and will expose them to playing long balls forwards. High, lofted balls forward pose a whole different threat than the clever threaded pass. In dealing with a quick forward it is all about what the team can do, as opposed to how you deal with him personally.

In the rare (hopefully) occasion that you do get involved in a one on one situation, remember that your primary aim is to delay the play, and to hold him up for as long as possible. This puts the pressure immediately onto him whereas if you rush in and sell yourself, it is incredibly easy to side step you on have a clear route to goal. Only go to ground when you are 100% certain of winning the ball.

Effective communication, positive starting point and awareness of space are all key to mastering this situation.