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<p>For me, there is only one English goalkeeper that can be England’s number one for South Africa next summer and that man is Paul Robinson. After being so badly treated at Tottenham under Juande Ramos and unfairly blamed for giving away a soft goal for England against Croatia, Robinson has finally got back to his best. He was hung out to dry by Steve Mclaren after Gary Neville’s wayward back pass bobbled over his foot.</p>
<p>Everyone conveniently forgot the string of saves Robinson had made to keep England in a game they were a poor second best in that night. Right now, he is playing better than any of his counterparts, with probably the exception of Steve Harper at Newcastle United and Joe Hart at Birmingham City. Forget the Robert Green argument, he’s nowhere near good enough.</p>
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<p>Of the goalkeepers available to Capello, Robinson is head and shoulders above all others and has been for the best part of a year. David James is injured and playing for a team in free-fall, both on and off the pitch. Robert Green is bang out of form and consistently makes mistake after mistake. He also has a tendency to try and deliberately foul players whenever possible.For all his bravado and wearing “England’s number 6” on his gloves, he’s not good enough. He’s always been poor coming off his line and his aerial ability is not the best.</p>
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<p>Poor old Ben Foster has suffered from some rather unnecessary criticism but still can’t shift the dreadful Thomas Kuszczak from between the sticks at Old Trafford.There is no doubt that the lad can go a long way in the game, but he’s suffering from a crisis in confidence at the moment, but he’s still a better goalkeeper than Kuszczak.</p>
<p>Scott Carson still suffers from a lack of concentration at West Bromwich Albion and still seems to bear the scars from the defeat to Croatia in November 2007 at Wembley. For all his shot stopping ability, Carson can still make some all mighty howlers from out of nowhere and seems to have fallen away from anywhere near the England team.</p>
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<p>Poor old Chris Kirkland simply can’t keep fit, whenever he gets on a great run of form, his long standing back injury seems to flare up and take out of the side. Despite the 9 goal mauling Wigan Athletic suffered at White Hart Lane, it’s no exaggeration to say it could have been twenty if it wasn’t for Kirkland. He showed such promise at Coventry but injuries blighted his time at Anfield and he’s never been able to shake the tag of being injury prone.</p>
<p>Other than Robinson and Hart, the other stand out candidate for the three places in South Africa for me is Steve Harper at Newcastle. He’s now getting the opportunity to show just how good a goalkeeper he actually is week in week out after Shay Given left last January for Manchester City. Whilst most people would have been itching for a move, Harper has shown incredible loyalty to Newcastle over the years.</p>
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<p>After 16 years service, with 12 of those as Given’s back up, he’s incredibly only played 151 games for Newcastle, with 86 of those appearances coming in the last four seasons. He has constantly served the club with pride and is now in the form of his life. Whilst others may have viewed Given’s depature as a real blow, having a player of the ability of Harper would certainly soften the blow.</p>
<p>Whilst some people seem to point out that you need a great goalkeeper to win the World Cup, with the exception of Buffon in 2006, you have to go all the way back to 1982 to find a team with a world class goalkeeper that won the World Cup. Every other winner since then has had good, and in some cases distinctly average custodians between the sticks. Paul Robinson is far better than average and Capello would do well to welcome him back into the fold.&nbsp; With Harper and Hart, that would be a dependable and quality set of goalkeepers to choose from.</p>

Time For Capello To Restore Paul Robinson As Englands No.1

Time For Capello To Restore Paul Robinson As Englands No.1 - World Soccer Talk

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<p>So what makes a great goal? I know it seems a easy question but honestly, what makes a goal truly great? Is it the goal that keeps a side up or a lob from the half way line? The goal that drags a side back in to a game when they’re 2-0 or a last minute winner in injury time? Everyone has a different variation on what they judge to be a great goal or what the ingredients are that makes some goals stand out above all others.</p>
<p>Well, I’m going to give you my ten goals of the decade, which you may agree with, but probably won’t. Yet that’s one of the great things about football, we all have different opinions and views of the same incident. Hopefully you can view these goals without blinkers of your favourite team and simply judge them on the goal itself. OK, ready? Then we’ll begin.</p>
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<p><strong>Goal Number Ten: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUXKtf1rdaY&amp;feature=PlayList&amp;p=4804DC0EC4C58613&amp;playnext=1&amp;playnext_from=PL&amp;index=10" target="_blank">Thierry Henry v Spurs </a>November 2002</strong></p>
<p>Another North London derby, another Arsenal win but this for me is one of the best goals that this decade saw in the continuing battle between Arsenal and Tottenham. A wonderful solo run and finish saw Henry begin to show the form that was to torment defenders the length and breadth of Europe for the remainder of the decade. A truly great individual goal.</p>
<p><strong>Goal Number Nine: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CqXlNpesnk" target="_blank">Dietmar Hamann v Portsmouth</a> March 2004</strong></p>
<p>There looked nothing on when Michael Owen swung the ball back in from the left wing but Didi Hamann was running in to hit this strike beautifully from the edge of the box. One of those wonderful volleys that occur every now and again, I doubt Hamann has ever scored a goal better than this in his life.</p>
<p><strong>Goal Number Eight: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPTm0vrX-LU" target="_blank">Shaun Bartlett v Leicester</a> April 2001</strong></p>
<p>What a strike this was for Charlton Athletic. A wonderful cross field pass from Graeme Stuart that the South African Shaun Bartlett hit first time to fire it past the goalkeeper and into the bottom corner. A fabulous hit, set up by a fantastic pass.</p>
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<p><strong>Goal Number Seven: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DNfgibZO5o" target="_blank">Dennis Bergkamp v Newcastle</a> March 2002</strong></p>
<p>What a wonderful piece of skill this is. From Pires’ crossfield pass, Bergkamp flicks the ball one way and rolls around the defender the other and then slides it past Shay Given. A delightful bit of skill from the Dutch master.</p>
<p><strong>Goal Number Six: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJeVaV2o-3k" target="_blank">Xabi Alonso v Newcastle November 2006</a></strong></p>
<p>Alonso seemed to be one of those players that could try and score from inside his own half more than most. This strike against Newcastle left Steve Harper scrambling to get back, but to no avail. Perhaps more impressive than the similar goal he scored against Luton Town in the F.A. Cup, it will live long in the memory for its precision from distance.</p>
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<p><strong>Goal Number Five: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23-rL8jObqM&amp;translated=1" target="_blank">David Bentley v Arsenal</a> October 2008</strong></p>
<p>Probably Bentley’s high point during his difficult spell at Tottenham, this wonderful hit saw him control the ball on his chest and volley the ball in to the Arsenal net from 50 yards out. A sublime strike that shows the quality he has, but he simply hasn’t delivered at White Hart Lane. The only benefit to Spurs would seem to be the consistent quality that Aaron Lennon now shows week in, week out since Bentley joined.</p>
<p><strong>Goal Number Four: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UH2Szm9Ert0" target="_blank">Wayne Rooney v Newcastle</a> April 2005</strong></p>
<p>Everyone knows the power of Wayne Rooney but this goal shows it for me like no other. Like something from a video game, Rooney spanked the ball in midair at what seems 100mph. The only thing that surprised me was that it didn’t burst the net. A wonder goal from a player that on his day is unplayable.</p>
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<p><strong>Goal Number Three: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IACkXEs0d9s" target="_blank">Glen Johnson v Hull City October 2008</a></strong></p>
<p>Well, it is always special when a full back scores a screamer, Stuart Pearce built a career on smashing the ball in the back of the net, but this was a fantastic strike from Johnson. It impressed me, because he runs on to the ball, controls it with two defenders closing in and smashes it home with his left foot. An outstanding goal.</p>
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<p><strong>Goal Number Two: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUh-NcHi5ug" target="_blank">Paolo Di Canio v Wimbledon April 2000</a></strong></p>
<p>Now this goal summed up the genius of Di Canio in one swift moment. A flying volley that saw him use his left leg to propel him upward for a smashing volley with the right foot past Neil Sullivan, it was a divine finish from one of the Premiership’s most enigmatic players. A truly great goal.</p>
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<p><strong>Goal Number One: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3HcdvHbtN4" target="_blank">Robin van Persie v Charlton September 2007</a></strong></p>
<p>This for me, is one of the best goals I’ve ever seen. A simply breathtaking goal that showed fantastic technique, athleticism and an eye for goal that Marco Van Basten would have been proud of. Everyone knows the qualities that van Persie offers the Gunners, but niggly injuries have held him back from showing the Arsenal faithful his full potency.</p>
<p>So there you have it, my favourite ten goals from the last decade of Premiership football. Leave me some comments, or memories of your favourite goals over the last ten years.</p>

The 10 Best Premiership Goals Of The Noughties

The 10 Best Premiership Goals Of The Noughties - World Soccer Talk

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Time For Capello To Restore Paul Robinson As Englands No.1

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The 10 Best Premiership Goals Of The Noughties