English Goalkeeping Crisis: Carson Doesn't Prove Capable Either

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I can't ever remember having said or heard this before, but goalkeeping is the culprit for England's international demise. England has failed to qualify for Euro 2008 at the hands, or lack thereof, of Scott Carson and his predecessor Paul Robinson.

After being under fire for lack of form for months now, Robinson was hastily relieved of his role as England's #1 after a reportedly dismal showing in training leading up to their do or die match against Croatia. Unfortunately his replacement proved to be as ineffective, if not worse, at being the safe hands which England has been accustomed to for half a century.

Senior international rookie Scott Carson managed to edge out Robinson for his first competitive start only to show how much more he has to learn. The scoring opened 8 minutes in when Carson failed to save a 25-yard dipping shot from Niko Kranjcar that should have been routinely caught. The shot left Carson victimized by his technique, for which Robinson has also been criticized, as from his knees a portion of his left hand was all he managed to get behind the shot. Goalkeeping put England down 1-0.

The score then surprisingly went to 2-0 when Ivica Olic beat an offside trap in the 14th minute and managed to round Carson for the goal. The 2nd was not the fault of Carson, but nonetheless left Wembley stunned yet again. England did managed to get two back with a Frank Lampard penalty in the 56th and a Peter Crouch finish in the 65th to knot the score at 2-2. However, what followed next was once again unexpected and so uncharacteristically below the standard of English goalkeepers. Carson was beaten for the second time in the match from outside of 20 yards.

Substitute Mladen Petric managed to beat Carson for the third time in the 77th minute with a 20+ yard shot from an angle to the right of the goal. Another shot that should have been at least saved turned into the final goal and final whistle of England's Euro 2008 qualifying quest. Goalkeeping put England down 3-2 and out of Euro 2008.

Of course England manager Steve McClaren will be questioned for several tactical decisions and most certainly lose his job as a result of this match. However, what continually spins around in my mind at the moment is not what McClaren did or didn't do, but another question. What has happened to English goalkeeping? Where are the Gordon Banks and Peter Shiltons today?

Paul Robinson was at one point the future of English goalkeeping. He claimed the #1 shirt following David Seaman, represented his country in the 2006 World Cup, but has failed to mature and grow as a goalkeeper. Robinson's form in domestic and Euro 2008 qualifying competitions, mixed with a terrifying training display, so loudly set off alarms to McClaren that his shirt was given to 22 year-old Scott Carson to make his first competitive appearance in the most important match of the Euro 2008 qualifying campaign. Basically, before the clash with Croatia England's best goalkeeping option was a rookie rather than a World Cup vet. I call that evidence of decline.

Exactly how fragile is the faith in English goalkeeping that a 22 year-old goalkeeper makes his competitive debut in a do or die Euro qualifying match? The video above proves that Carson's game is nowhere near par for international competitions, yet his start against Croatia means he managed to beat out 2 experienced goalkeepers in Robinson and David James who had gained and then lost consideration for the #1 shirt recently. Was Carson really the best England had to offer against Croatia? After his performance I'm sure that every English fan hopes not.

All of the sudden the buzz about Robert Green and pleading in newspaper print to Steve McClaren to include him seems with almost certainty the right call. Unfortunately, its too late. Could Green be the answer to the currently obvious English goalkeeping crisis? Maybe. I don't don't see how he could perform worse, and don't think he could possibly be denied his shot now that England has lost confidence in James, Robinson and Carson. After Green it seems that there is currently only one more hopeful for English goalkeeping: Ben Foster. Perhaps after recovery he can prove himself worthy of a chance to represent his country, too.

Sadly, though, because of the recent consistency of failure from English goalkeepers, we will have to wait to see if the likes of Green, Foster or anyone else can resurrect the valuable, powerful and refined art of English goalkeeping. In the meantime, it seems that crisis has struck the hands that guard the hopes of English football.