Matt Pyzdrowski, a former goalkeeper and coach who has played in both the United States of America and Sweden, is now a coach. He is a goalkeeping analyst at The Athletic.
Here, he analyses Gareth Southgate’s goalkeeping options to be Jordan Pickford’s deputy for the World Cup.
Jordan Pickford is established as England’s No 1The September internationals will be held in London, but Everton’s goalkeeper is ruled out of the competition after sustaining a strained thigh muscle in the Merseyside draw with Liverpool.
The goalkeeper slot should have been one of the easier parts of the squad to pick for Qatar, but Pickford’s injury throws a spanner in Gareth Southgate’s plans.
Aaron Ramsdale, Nick Pope and Dean Henderson, who have amassed just 12 caps between them compared to the Everton keeper’s 45, have got the nod for the Nations League fixtures.
Southgate will likely rotate them in the away match against Italy at San Siro on 23 September, and at home against Germany three days later. This will help determine who his second and third choices for the World Cup.
So how does this compare to Pickford’s?
No English goalkeeper’s stock has risen faster in the past 12 months than Arsenal’s Ramsdale. Initially, there were questions from some over why Mikel Arteta paid £30million ($34.3m) to sign him in the summer of 2021 from Sheffield United, considering they had a proven goalkeeper in Bernd Leno.
Ramsdale was finally given a shot by Arteta after their worst start for 67 years. it didn’t take long to see why he was so confident investing all that money.
Arsenal looked lost and lacking in confidence. This led to uninspired performances, including a 5-0 defeat to Manchester City. The addition of Ramsdale brought about a new sense of trust and reliability that was lacking, his energy suddenly becoming infectious.
Ramsdale is now the Arsenal No.1 spot. (Photo: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images).
His team-mates, and defenders especially, were no longer unsure of themselves. They were clearing, passing, and shooting with much greater energy and purpose. Ramsdale’s presence played his part, and that reliability was a huge reason Arsenal were able to go on a 10-match unbeaten run and climb to fifth in the table before losing 4-0 to Liverpool at the end of November.
He was seen as a one-dimensional shot stopper and needed to improve his game before he joined Arsenal.
He was young, inexperienced, and not yet proven at the top. His ability to move the ball was also questionable. It didn’t take long before Ramsdale silenced those doubters, proving that he not only had that technique but left us wondering if his footwork and distribution were His greatest assets. People were suddenly curious if he was the greatest passer in the nation. England setup. Ramsdale’s performance against Leicester City in Oct. was a great example of what makes Ramsdale so unique.
✋All the stops
🎯All distributionsKeep an eye out @AaronRamsdale98Here is the MOTM performance of’s again👇 pic.twitter.com/9RNh5cAF0M
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) October 31, 2021
In Southgate’s system, it is not enough for the goalkeeper to be good with their hands. He must also be able to contribute to his team’s build-up play with a specific technical and tactical passing ability. In particular, Southgate’s goalkeeper needs to be comfortable with the ball, able to distribute to his team-mates in different areas and distances across the pitch, and must be able to serve as his team-mates’ outlet pass when they are under pressure.
Last season, Ramsdale played and completed more short passes than Pickford (181 vs 63), completed more passes under pressure (88 vs 84) and launched the ball more than 30 yards only 21.4 per cent of the time compared to Pickford’s 78 per cent.
Pickford is unable to match his performance in this area. However, Arsenal and Everton’s systems are uniquely different. Arteta expects that his goalkeepers only play the ball for short and medium distances. Frank Lampard expects that his goalkeepers will play the ball longer and hit crossfield balls frequently to change the play and catch his opponents off guard.
Pickford has demonstrated his ability to execute long diagonal crossfield passes. Those arrowed passes have become useful weapons for Everton to keep their patterns of play unpredictable — in 2021-22, he completed 56 cross-field balls of more than 40 yards compared to Ramsdale’s 35.
Pickford has been excellent when going long, completing 60 passes into the opposition’s final third from open play, a significant number more than any other English goalkeeper last season (Pope was the second most with 45, Ramsdale just 28).
As the season progressed, it became apparent Ramsdale’s decision-making when playing out from the back, in particular when to play the ball short versus long(er), was one area he needed to improve on.
Ramsdale can be as quick with the ball as his feet but has a tendency, under pressure, to hold on to the ball for a bit too long, which has lead him into making mistakes.
His performances against Crystal Palace last month and against Manchester United at the end of April last season come to mind — the latter of which required a goal-saving intervention from Gabriel after he passed the ball straight to Bruno Fernandes.
It would be wrong to demand Ramsdale to just hoof it long while under pressure, as there needs to be a purpose with every ball that is played out of the back in Arsenal’s system, but he does need to have a better understanding of when it is best to continue to wait for the passing lanes to open up versus electing to break the lines by passing to a team-mate further up the field.
Ramsdale is still the English best goalkeeper, other than Pickford. However, there has been some questioning over the last few months about his shot-stopping abilities. To measure this, we can use the “goals prevented” metric, which calculates how many goals a keeper concedes compared to how many the expected goals (xG) model would anticipate them letting in.
Ramsdale was last Christmas Third in the Premier League For goals not achievedKeep out two more goals The average goalkeeper of top-flight soccer would not be expected to save more goals than he does. But as Arsenal’s play became more erratic and inconsistent after the New Year, so did Ramsdale’s, conceding several goals that he normally would be expected to save.
Ramsdale finished the season tied 20th of 23 goalkeepers in the Premier League, conceding -4.6 more goals than an average goalkeeper would have been expected to — only Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez (-5.2) and Leeds United’s Illan Meslier (-7.8) gave up more.
It shouldn’t surprise that a 24-year old in an environment where age and inexperience are more prominent than any other, showed naivety last season.
Overall, Ramsdale has been fantastic for Arsenal and is likely to be rewarded with a start (or two) in England’s upcoming fixtures. Like Pickford, the entirety of his skill set and the way he can distribute the ball well fits almost perfectly into Southgate’s style of play, giving him a distinct advantage over both Pope and Henderson.
Even though Burnleywould be relegated to the Premier LeagueIt was not the fault of the outstanding Pope, who Nearly entirely single-handedThey kept them going. Burnley would have fallen if it wasn’t for his performance in the second half last season.
Pope prevented the third most goals last season (+4.4) — only Manchester United’s David De Gea (+6.7) and Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Jose Sa (+9.2) prevented more. When you look at where his numbers were back in December of last year — he was 21st of 22 goalkeepers in the league, conceding -6.6 more goals than an average goalkeeper would have been expected — the second half of last season becomes all the more impressive.
⛔ Brilliant, @Popey1992! #TogetherWeCanUTC pic.twitter.com/12HVa2Q3SR
— Burnley FC (@BurnleyOfficial) May 20, 2022
Pope had several suitors in the summer, but Newcastle United paid Burnley £11million for his services and immediately made him the No 1 in place of Martin Dubravka.
This decision appears to have been a smart one, as the England international has continued where he left off. Despite the small sample (six games), it is still significant. Pope has prevented the second most goals in 2022-23 (+2.8) — only Pickford has prevented more (+3.4).
Pope is tall and an excellent goalkeeper in the traditional sense — or as we in the goalkeeper community like to say, “in the fundamentals of the position”.
His body shape and set positions are outstanding and provide the foundation for all his other skills. His positional awareness and technical efficiency — mainly in regards to his hand placement and footwork — means he does not need to make any wild movements or technical adjustments as he traverses his goalmouth in preparation for each shot on target. He is already in the best position to save the ball and is well-positioned.
He is able to keep his movements and adjustments simple while still taking the fastest and easiest route to save. It’s a big reason he is able to make saves look so routine.
Pope is tremendous at dealing with high balls in his area from open-play crosses or set pieces — an area in which he holds an advantage over the other goalkeepers in the England setup.
Pope made an instant impression in Newcastle (Photo: Stu forster/Getty Images).
His timing and long reach are what allow him to extend his reach to the farthest corners of his box. He is able meet the ball at its highest point, catching more balls than he punches, and this is because of his timing and his timing. His 36 high-cross claims, the second most in the Premier League last season (only Brighton & Hove Albion’s Robert Sanchez claimed more with 37), allows his team to retain possession.
His 63 defense actions outside of the box were joint-most in the Premier League last season along with Liverpool’s Alisson — a significant number more than Ramsdale (35) and Pickford (26) — helping him dominate the area between him and his back line. Pope’s ability to sense danger from balls that are played in behind his central defenders could be essential given England’s style of play and Southgate’s desire to press the opposition high.
Pope has been used to playing direct and simple, so when he’s come into the England setup he has needed to adjust his game to fit Southgate’s system, which is incredibly difficult — even more so when you are asking someone to add a skill to their game that they are not used to doing consistently.
Pope is conscious of the criticisms he has received about his abilities with the ball in his hands and since arriving at Newcastle, He is motivated to prove them wrong. He’s been challenged by Eddie Howe to add this to his repertoire and Pope appears to be adapting how he passes.
According to FBref, Pope’s average length of pass last season was 52.8 yards, second only to Pickford. It’s now at 44.1 yards. The percentage of passes he “launches” — those of more than 40 yards, not including goal kicks — has reduced from 73.4 per cent to 56 per cent.
Newcastle’s centre-backs and midfielders regularly come short to Pope, with Howe keen to build from the back. He has had his ups and downs. He can misplace kicks when he’s rushed.
Though there are purists of the position who would prefer to have the goalkeeper who is the best at keeping the ball out of the net, the reality is, in Southgate’s eyes, football is a total sum game and Pickford’s attributes (cross management, organisation of the defence, shot-stopping and building out of the back) in total add up to just a bit more than Pope.
To put the pressure on those ahead of him, Pope will have to show Southgate that he’s comfortable with the ball at his feet and able to contribute to the game plan. If he does, he won’t just be one of Southgate’s three goalkeepers at this winter’s major tournament, but a legitimate challenger to the No 1 spot.
It’s not too long ago that we were talking about Henderson being England and Manchester United’s No 1, but after a “lost year” at Old Trafford, it is now Henderson who finds himself on the outside looking in and having to prove himself to Southgate that he deserves another opportunity.
Henderson broke into United’s first team in 2020-21, having made 26 appearances for the club and received a call-up to England’s European Championship squad in June, but it didn’t play out as planned.
Henderson was the first to be forced from the England squad due to a hip injury. After a hip injury, he was diagnosed with COVID-19 and suffered from fatigue for several weeks.
While Henderson was away from the squad, David de Gea made the starting goalkeeper spot his own and regained the form that at one point had him regarded as one of the Premier League’s best goalkeepers, while Pickford only further cemented his place as Southgate’s No 1 and Ramsdale and Pope leapfrogged him in the pecking order.
Recognizing that he needed to make an important move to help him get back into England’s setup, Henderson made the decision to join Premier League newcomers Nottingham Forest. It’s looked to be a smart move for both club and player.
The 25-year-old has been impressive, saving a penalty from Declan Rice and keeping a clean sheet in a 1–0 win against West Ham United as Forest won the first Premier League game played at the City Ground in 23 years.
Though Forest have had a comedown in recent weeks after a solid start, it wouldn’t be fair to put the blame on Henderson. Henderson has been a shining light for his teammates and they can trust him. They will need Henderson to be at their best throughout the season if they want to stay on top.
At his best, Henderson’s ability to contort his body in and out of the most unorthodox positions to make saves are his greatest strengths. This is evident in his stunning performances against West Ham and Everton, as well as Tottenham Hotspur’s. That agility, in combination with his diving technique and power step, has led to some extraordinary saves, even in moments when his positioning isn’t always perfect. His power step has enabled him to excel in one-on-one situations, in open play or penalty.
But Henderson isn’t blameless. Henderson’s decision-making skills and his composure are clearly areas that need to be improved. Although he is still searching for the consistency required of the world’s elite goalkeepers, when you are an England starter, you are expected to perform. Some goalkeepers are naturally able to teeter on the edge of recklessness and still be in control of their emotions — Manchester United great Peter Schmeichel comes to mind — but for many, it’s not so easy.
Sometimes keepers are too critical of themselves and their play can become destructive. The best goalkeepers can recognize, accept and move on from those feelings. This will be Henderson’s greatest challenge this year in a team scrapping for survival.
The other area Henderson must improve is his footwork. Henderson isn’t poor with his feet, but he doesn’t have the repertoire or arsenal that Pickford or Ramsdale have in that area.
Henderson has been busy since he moved to Forest on a seasonlong loan from Manchester United. (Photo: Jon Hobley/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images).
Without first-team football last season, we have to look at Henderson’s season from 2020-21 for raw data. We can predict his performance compared to other goalkeepers in England by multiplying his stats with three.
While Henderson’s 174 completed short and medium passes would average out to roughly similar numbers to Ramsdale’s last season(522 vs. 537), there is a marked difference in their ability and willingness to make cross-field passes that are longer. Henderson’s five passes in 2020-21 if stretched out over an entire season would have only been 15, Ramsdale’s total was 35, Pickford’s 56.
The ability to play long balls accurately is an underrated trait we often don’t talk about that much with goalkeepers. While it is more common to hear about the ability to pass in tight spaces, it is often not the same thing as the ability to play long balls accurately. It’s an important part of Southgate’s system.
Henderson was mainly the pivot at the defense’s base that moves the ball around for his team. He also keeps it on the ground. Ramsdale, Pickford and Pickford can take those passes one or more steps further. It’s not to downplay Henderson’s role and skill set, but there’s a difference between the ability to play short passes to your centre-backs and the ability to spray passes at varying distances all over the field of play to jumpstart attacks.
Henderson sometimes acts out and puts his kicks in vulnerable areas, rather than giving the safe outlet pass to a teammate. Against Manchester City this season, it was an errant pass with his left foot that went directly to Bernardo Silva, setting up City’s second goal in a 6-0 win.
Though you cannot judge Henderson by one play, having watched him over the past couple of seasons, it is having the ball at his feet — particularly in tight areas and when under pressure — remains an area he will have to improve on.
Though Henderson deservedly earned a place for these Nations League games, it’s hard to imagine him having enough time to change Southgate’s mind before the World Cup that he deserves to be in the squad.
As good a shot-stopper he is (particularly in one-v-one and penalty-kick situations), he’s not quite up to the level of Pope as a box defender and Ramsdale as a distributor.
Most likely, he will miss his second major tournament within 18 months. This is a sad and depressing realization for Henderson who, just a few short years ago, looked like he might be a serious challenger to Pickford.
(Main image) Henderson, Pope and Ramsdale are included in the squad for the Nations League matches. Photos courtesy of Getty Images
