Showing posts with label Southgate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Southgate. Show all posts

Sunday, 6 March 2016

Baker getting starts for Southgate

Another goalkeeper deputising for a national league starter, and being given playing time (moreso than Dowse), is Chris Baker at Southgate. With more clubs taking their chances with young goalkeeping talent, as mentioned previously, depth grows and competition should push along advancement as players fight more for the starting role game in and game out (as you would expect more commonly for outfield players).

Whilst the team in front of the goalkeeper chosen to play has to grow accumstomed to their playstyle and technical approaches and adapting to the switch for the next game, the bonuses make up for this in the growing competition pushing along the higher level of play (as mentioned, as they fight for spots) and the psychological edge of game motivation to play to your complete best, greatly benefiting the team in the results and table standings (currently standing first in their division).

Baker gained important game experience in the Premier League playing for Wimbledon in the 2014/15 season, deputising in place of Tom Millington when he was out injured with back problems, before joining Southgate. And Baker has gone from strength to strength in his inclusion in the first team from training to games, with encouraging performances.

When Allan signed from Holcombe, management said they were looking for a deputy to split starts and push for game time and with Baker being started in league games, rings true for the club and management, with Baker being given the room to push for starts and earn his keepsake.

This approach is a very forward and progressive one and one I think many clubs should be looking at to learn from; offering young talent can only better those in question and English hockey's goalkeepers as a whole (games are where true experience comes from and without it, young goalkeepers cannot be expected to become fully fledged starters off the bench).

With the current state of goalkeeping depth not as well constructed as other nations (like Germany, Australia or Holland for example) from the top down, this is a great step in the right direction and is paying off for both Southgate and Baker.






Saturday, 22 March 2014

Hibbert retiring: Southgate going to need a new goalkeeper?!

Going by the info via England Hockey, it looks like Southgate's Chris Hibbert is calling it a day after this season and will be "hanging up the pads" after tomorrow's game (although theoretically, as although it's down to the wire, Southgate will probably be playing in the promotion playoffs again next month!). The 37 year old has been coaching the first XI of the North London side and the ex-South African international and Olympian (playing at Beijing etc.) for some time now but has been a stalwart at the back for them. Providing confidence and a strong, calm mentality at the back, with buckets of experience, helping the side in their yo-yo-ing between Prem and Conference East. Andy Thomas, with experience of Regional Prem at Oxford University and England U21's squad training, along with 1st XI friendlies, is the second choice, but given Southgate could be back in the Prem next season, they might need to think about bringing in an experienced goalkeeper to prop them up over the course of the season.



Wednesday, 5 March 2014

Hibbert sticking with Mercian LHP

Interestingly enough on closer inspection, it looks like Chris Hibbert whilst moving back to Obo leg guards and kickers, already favouring the Obo hi rebound rhp for its blocking abilities, has stuck with the Mercian LHP for now. As Millington did when he was still using Obo at Exeter but moved LHP's to the Mercian design.

Whereas the Obo left hand gloves are purposefully designed to control the rebound down with more control, in order to then get near to the rebound and kick clear, the flat face glove popular with Grays, Gryphon, Mazon, Mercian, Monarch and TK and Brabo (pretty much every other kit producer to be fair!) offers different properties. With a flat face, the rebound is not going down, but away in the same direction as the shot, as controlled by the goalkeeper, offering greater rebound and distance on the clearance. With a goalkeeper of an elite standard able to control shots better with refined technique, a glove like this actually works well for getting the rebound as far away as possible, especially with companies now using D3O to improve rebound in save making clearances.

As usual, I can't seem to embed the clip (which is getting rather annoying tbh!), so you can see for yourself using the link below!



Hibbert back in Obo

Going back the action photos of this weekend's game between Southgate and Holcombe, Chris Hibbert has made the switch back to Obo. The game itself, which could be the all-deciding game of the season now that the clock is going to run down until the climax of the national league run down to the close season, given that both are pushing each other for the title, was a close run affair. And even though Holcombe keep opening up the purse strings, rather than the press's endorsed 'Pellegrini approach' and yet Southgate with their Premier league experience, veteran players and calm heads, seem to be outdoing the pricey talents of some high scoring players and internationals.

Goalkeeping wise though and equipment specifically, the former South African international has gone back to Obo. Not sure if it was kept at the club (would assume so!), but it's exactly the same colours as when he was using the set-up a couple of seasons back in the Premier league. Interesting why he has made the switch halfway through the season, after trying out the Merican foam for more than a season, but he is obviously more comfortable in it and therefore going to put in more productive performances as a result.



Wednesday, 27 November 2013

Rix: South Africa's goalie export growing

With South African goalkeeping representation in the form of Southgate's ex-Olympian Chris Hibbert and Isca's Richard Hancocks in the (men's) NOW Pension's hockey league, the English national league format, it's interesting to make note of Marriete Rix being another "import" goalie playing in the women's game. Rix who plies her trade playing at Ipswich, has been at the club for a while, whilst representing her country in international fixtures. With Jacques le Roux having got playing experience in Holland and Rassie Pieterse potentially off to the professional Indian hockey league, South Africa is doing well with a crop of talented goalkeeping exports!