Niemi - Best keeper in Premiership??

AdMMM

I've only really noticed Annti Niemi over the past few weeks, making terrific acrobatic saves left, right and centre!

While not being a Southampton fan, I think he's one of the best in the league, what do you think??

GuanYin

I'd rate Kiely above him. Kiely has never had a dodgy patch, never mind a bad season.

Big Ears

Id have Kiely only second to Niemi for best keeper . Given hasnt been bad this season either but still not as good as those too . Maik Taylor wasnt bad either .

NightStrike

Maik Taylor was the 'keeper who impressed me the most this season. Then again its really hard to tell with 'keepers. How good with Lehmann, Cudicini or Howard be if they were playing with Portsmouth or someone

Jivin Turkey

Despite Cudicinis cock up yesterday, I still rate him as the best keeper in the league.

AdMMM

How good with Lehmann, Cudicini or Howard be if they were playing with Portsmouth or someone

I reckon they'd still be brilliant keeps, albeit leaving in more goals due to a dodgey defense!

Sundy

Niemi is class alright how did he keep out barrys shot on saturday?
i think sorenson is also one of the best keepers in england has been a revelation for villa this year.

MrJoeSoap

As a completely unbiased Southampton fan I'd say - MOST DEFINITELY !!! Anyone who has seen the triple save he made from Patrick Vieira will know why. I dont think he has ever made a mistake for us either. Not a coincidence Saints have had the best defence outside the top 3 since he became our number 1. And he managed to push out Paul Jones who was almost like a god for us.

PHB

I think Shay Given is one of the best keepers in the premiership

StickyMcGinty

its wierd how the consistent keepers (given, niemi, keily, taylor) are NEVER linked with big money moves but exxcentric nutters like barthez, lehmann and the like always get the transfers....

given is the best in my opinion, never put a foot, or a hand, wrong this season

DapperGent

A really good consistent keeper almost never gets transferred because in top level football they're almost like pure gold. Given or Niemi would cost anyone an absolute fucking bundle (although I think Niemi might be getting short on his contract) for this reason and because normally they are continually retied to long term deals.

A keeper can safely be given a lucrative five year contract at 27 or 28 while a club would never dream of giving most outfield players the same type of deal. They're less susceptible to bad injuries and if they get one it's far less likely to impign badly on their game.

Buying a keeper is a completely different proposition to buying an outfield player because they last longer and don't come with the same sort of injury risk but there is the problem that if a keeper is off form it also certainly costs you goals. So we have the quite weird situation of keepers either going for effectively nothing like Taylor, Barthez and Lehman (to Arsenal) because they've been supplanted and it's unlikely that they'll be needed for cover or for absolutely silly money like The Buffoon, Toldo, Frey and Cech.

It's interesting that Cech is the only really big money goalkeeper transfer since the financials of the big clubs collectively went tits up. Nobody can afford a decent keeper anymore. Unless they're Chelsea.

Xterminator

Well I think the top prem keepers are

1. Anneti Niemi
2. Carlo Cudichini
3. Shay Given
4. Dean Kiely
5. Brad Friedel


My opinion is based on the last 2 seasons, as a fine run of form for a dozen games, does not = world class keeper! (EG Tim howard).

'Tis funny that only one of the above play for the big three eh? (For 'Pool fans, thats Arsenal, United and Chelsea, to everyone else its self evident).

X

cournioni

I have to say that Keily is the best. Taylor in second and Niemi in third.

Villain

I think Niemi is probably the best keeper at the moment, but over the last few seasons Kiely and Given have been the best.

As a Villa fan I have to mention Tommy Sorenson, he has been outstanding of late and one of the reasons why Villa have climbed so far in the table, at 2.5 million he was a great bargain.

Sundy

Originally posted by irish1
I think Niemi is probably the best keeper at the moment, but over the last few seasons Kiely and Given have been the best.

As a Villa fan I have to mention Tommy Sorenson, he has been outstanding of late and one of the reasons why Villa have climbed so far in the table, at 2.5 million he was a great bargain.

yeah i have to agree, it only our lack of coverage on the premiership that people dont see actually how good he is

uch

Dean Kiely has done it for the Past few seasons without exception so he's the man for me, pity he retired form international football though.

mr_angry

Niemi's pretty good, but he doesn't come under much scrutiny at Southampton, because nobody has particularly high expectations for them. When you're playing top-class Champions League football though, and every mistake is both costly, and picked up on by 10 different camera angles, its a different story.

The same was once said about Mark Bosnich, and look at him now! I'd be wary of calling him the best in the Premiership, or slating the excellent job that Cudicini, Howard, and Lehmann do.