Popular Post mwj Posted June 7, 2016 Popular Post Share Posted June 7, 2016 Someone posted this on twitter yesterday re: our new goalkeeping coach... thought it was a good insight: http://www.thenational.ae/sport/football/euro-2012-italian-influence-made-hart-grow-fonder#full Quote You will have seen him as the camera cuts to Manchester City's coaching staff. The tallest figure on Roberto Mancini's bench – even with Edin Dzeko in his customary substitute's berth. Flamboyant with his long grey locks, the most likely to break into a smile. And a foundation of England's defence at this European Championship. The English have long nurtured a superiority complex about goalkeepers; one oddly resistant to the errors of David Seaman, Paul Robinson, Scott Carson and Robert Green. That the nation has finally found a world-class No 1 in Joe Hart owes much to the efforts of a lanky Italian born to guide keepers. Massimo Battara is part of a dynasty of goalkeeping coaches. His father, Piero, is credited with inventing the discipline in a nation that values the last defender more than any rival. After finishing his own playing career in the mid-70s, Battara senior brought science to the selection and development of young stoppers for the Bologna academy where the younger Battara and Mancini, were teenage trainees. "My father took a young keeper with a very good physique and he put the techniques inside," Massimo says. "He worked with them for five years in the academy and after they were ready to play in Serie A. All the keepers he taught either played for Bologna's first team or went to play in the second division or another Serie A team." The last of Battara's Bologna graduates was the Italy international Gianluca Pagliuca, soon sought by Sampdoria as the foundation stone of a side that conquered Serie A and reached a European Cup final. Mancini was the team's creative force; the elder Battara signed in a package with Pagliuca who later completed a world-record transfer to Inter Milan. When Mancini moved into coaching himself he convinced the 65-year-old Piero to look after Fiorentina's goalkeepers. Upon taking over City in 2009, Piero had retired but Mancini still wanted a Battara. Enter Massimo, a coach applying and extending his father's methods after a career protecting the posts for Campania, Casertana, Salernitana, Lecce and Spal. Ask what the family's knowledge delivered to the English game and Battara's reply is modest. "I have not contributed to this country," he says. "I've contributed to my goalkeepers. I have lots of things to learn from this country, more than I have taught." His part in Hart's promotion argues otherwise. One of the great debates of the 2010/11 Premier League pre-season was whether Hart or Shay Given would start as City's No 1. Given, a master of the fast-reaction stop, had been expensively acquired from Newcastle 18 months before and for some commentators was the division's best. Hart, nine years the popular Ireland international's junior, had just completed an outstanding season on loan at Birmingham. Neither was interested in guarding City's bench. How would Mancini decide which one went in goal? Would he struggle to handle the resentment of the other? Would City's season be endangered by uncertainty in defence? For the two Italians there was no such debate; Mancini and Battara had long since made their mind up to promote Hart. "I'm very lucky because my manager understands keepers very well," says Battara. "He told me to go to Birmingham, watch Joe Hart and produce a report. I said: 'Boss, Joe Hart is a really good keeper'. "Roberto had the same situation in Inter Milan with [the Italy international Francesco] Toldo and Julio Cesar. He took Julio Cesar, who had been on loan at Chievo Verona and put him in to play. And now Julio Cesar is one of the strongest goalkeepers around. Toldo decided to stay at Inter Milan for many years, and won everything as the second keeper." Handing Hart City's shirt granted Battara the opportunity to improve the performances of a player who was about to be made the England keeper by Fabio Capello. The Battara method breaks goalkeeping down into three core components: "The high ball, the catch, going forward to the ball". He places a huge emphasis on cross handling (45-55 per cent of all training time) and advocates a technique where the goalkeeper always jumps off the leg closer to the flight of the ball. Launching off this one leg rather than two provides more power and better balance, while allowing the keeper to protect himself from opponents and rotate his body into a catching position. "Another key situation is when a player shoots," says Battara. "Sometimes Joe doesn't attack the ball. I want the keeper to attack the ball every time, to go forward into the space in front of him to close the ball. "Because sometimes the ball bounces a metre or so in front. If you stay back, your body is going back, you don't have a good control. But if you go forward you cut down the percentages. "In our training we want our keepers to go every time to catch the ball. This is the first concept that I do in training. I tell Joe, 'Go every time to catch the ball and if you decide to deflect it you will have the best situation with your body to do that'." Training is done at pace and with a variety that prevents automatic response. Battara has every session videoed so he and his keepers can analyse their development. He has opponents' set pieces and crosses observed and presented to them pre-game. In Hart's case his work is principally about fine details. "Joe already has very high physical and technical abilities," says Battara. "The focus with me is that his concentration, his attention is at its highest. "Imagine that you have a Ferrari, in Italy we say 'You can't drive a Ferrari like you drive a Fiat 500.' You understand this? Joe is a Ferrari and I want Joe to discover his full potential. I want to see how high he can go. His limits are high. He could really be a champion." 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sne Posted June 7, 2016 Share Posted June 7, 2016 (edited) Him being highly rated might be key in us being able to get a new quality keeper in. If he has a good reputation (as it seems he has) more keepers will see us as a potential destination. Edit: No I don't see Guzan remaining here as a good option. Very much has to go in the summer. Edited June 7, 2016 by sne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted June 7, 2016 Share Posted June 7, 2016 Bentley may very well be our goalkeeper next season Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted June 7, 2016 Share Posted June 7, 2016 1 minute ago, Richard said: Bentley may very well be our goalkeeper next season Isn't he on his way to Everton as part of their £600m squad revamp ? presumably he's happy to play second fiddle to Joe Hart 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meme Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 With him in charge, we need a young goalkeeper who already has Championship level quality and easily has Premier League potential. Boy, he'll attract some good goalkeepers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omariqy Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 Whos Bentley? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heretic Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 14 minutes ago, omariqy said: Whos Bentley? Daniel Bentley. I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccfcman Posted June 9, 2016 Share Posted June 9, 2016 Why if he is so good, did he stump for ourselves? I don't ask that in too self deprecating a manner. Leaving wages aside, is it solely the allure of B6 with RDM? The man seems over qualified for PL let alone the Championship. No complaints here though, I've even learned more about goalkeeping in that article alone than in my previous 31 years of life! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dn1982 Posted June 9, 2016 Share Posted June 9, 2016 2 hours ago, ccfcman said: Why if he is so good, did he stump for ourselves? I don't ask that in too self deprecating a manner. Leaving wages aside, is it solely the allure of B6 with RDM? The man seems over qualified for PL let alone the Championship. No complaints here though, I've even learned more about goalkeeping in that article alone than in my previous 31 years of life! To be fair to RDM I'm impressed by all of his backroom staff!! Clarke a top no2 to Marchesi who seems to be a pioneer in fitness to this bloke. You never normally hear of goalkeeping coaches but that article is quite eye opening. I think Guzan is knackered as he wants the keeper to always attack the ball when all he does is flap at it. I've no idea how we've managed to get him but we may get a number 1 who can become an icon like Rimmer and Spink. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPAngel Posted June 9, 2016 VT Supporter Share Posted June 9, 2016 That article was a fantastic read. I wasn't hugely fussed about Massimo until now! It's so refreshing to know that we've got such sound knowledge behind the scenes on a coaching level - it's importance could not possibly be overlooked, this season especially. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daweii Posted June 9, 2016 Share Posted June 9, 2016 4 hours ago, ccfcman said: Why if he is so good, did he stump for ourselves? I don't ask that in too self deprecating a manner. Leaving wages aside, is it solely the allure of B6 with RDM? The man seems over qualified for PL let alone the Championship. No complaints here though, I've even learned more about goalkeeping in that article alone than in my previous 31 years of life! Money. While Di Matteo may not be on world elite levels of money based on some news headlines a week or so back, we are likely paying the going rate for coaches of this quality. Battara and Marchesi won't have come cheap, but they will be worth it if in their short pre-season can turn players into a well trained unit. Discipline at the back and fitness were our core issues so RDM has brought in two of the worlds finest coaches to tackle both, it's almost as if RDM knows what he's doing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post sparrow1988 Posted June 9, 2016 Popular Post Share Posted June 9, 2016 Just now, Daweii said: Money. While Di Matteo may not be on world elite levels of money based on some news headlines a week or so back, we are likely paying the going rate for coaches of this quality. Battara and Marchesi won't have come cheap, but they will be worth it if in their short pre-season can turn players into a well trained unit. Discipline at the back and fitness were our core issues so RDM has brought in two of the worlds finest coaches to tackle both, it's almost as if RDM knows what he's doing. I can not and will not believe this! It's madness to suggest that a manager of Aston Villa knows what he is doing. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dont_do_it_doug. Posted June 9, 2016 Share Posted June 9, 2016 Impressive interview. You're hired! Very much sold on our coaching team right now, top to bottom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briny_ear Posted June 9, 2016 Share Posted June 9, 2016 (edited) Wonder what he will make of Guzan, Bunn and Steer? What model of car will he compare them with? (Are they Fiat 500 level?) Edited June 9, 2016 by briny_ear Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
srsmithusa Posted June 13, 2016 Share Posted June 13, 2016 On 6/9/2016 at 16:08, briny_ear said: Wonder what he will make of Guzan, Bunn and Steer? What model of car will he compare them with? (Are they Fiat 500 level?) I thought that was the question being answered above by the poster who mentioned a Bentley. I wondered why he didn't go for Edsell? Did ya'll ever experience the joy of the AMC Pacer? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest av1 Posted June 13, 2016 Share Posted June 13, 2016 Guzan is like a boy racers car, a Citroën Saxo that was taken the the local garage to have a super charger fitted. It worked for 12 months and increased the BHP significantly, predictably though, the super charger blew up, knackered the engine, and now the poor little Saxo is scrap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alreadyexists Posted June 13, 2016 VT Supporter Share Posted June 13, 2016 Really encouraging stuff, which is very refreshing. I wonder what he'll make of that young Goalkeeper we signed last summer, he was about 16 or something, I can't remember his name? If he can shape Joe Hart in to being quality, then perhaps he can do the same to our youngster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaJ100 Posted June 13, 2016 Share Posted June 13, 2016 Sarkic. Wiki says he's 18 now. Not seen him myself but others have positive reviews. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommo_b Posted June 13, 2016 Share Posted June 13, 2016 Surely this guy could recommend some young up coming superstar goalkeeper for us? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meme Posted June 14, 2016 Share Posted June 14, 2016 17 hours ago, Tommo_b said: Surely this guy could recommend some young up coming superstar goalkeeper for us? Jebadiah Steer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts