But is it really time to drop a goalkeeper that's helped us through many a tight squeeze. Who'll forget his magnificent saves against Chelsea at Anfield last year, his penalty save at Derby. I could drone on for hours and hours about stunning saves, yet his mistakes can be counted on just the one hand. It'd be extremely fickle to drop, or rest as Houllier might claim, Dudek after just three mistakes.
Most of us witnessed Dudek's suspect form in the World Cup for Poland, and that leads me to the conclusion that Dudek's form really does depend on the quality and understanding of the players in front of him. When Dudek has played behind a settled backline he's seldom made a mistake that I can recall. The Polish offence was absolute abysmal in that tournament, and Jerzy took an absolute battering in the Polish media after one or two suspect performances.
This season he's had to cope with a shaky defence at the start of the campaign as Houllier looked to find a happy medium between defence and attack, and more recently a back line shuffled more often than a deck of playing cards on the Las Vegas strip. We've had Stephane Henchoz's injury, the return of Babbel, the introduction of Traore, the moving of Carragher between left and rigt back, and Riise's changing from left back to left midfield on a gamely basis. In short we've not had anything like a settled back line and Dudek is the man in the firing line. When he's allowed to concentrate solely on his game and not the players in front of him then there's no better player in his position in the world.
Frustrating as it is to have two of THE best goalkeepers in the land after our problems in that position of the last decade, I'm sure it's a problem that manager's would invariably like to have. As the saying goes, goalkeepers are like Buses. You wait all day for one to turn up and then two come along at once.
I don't expect Chris Kirkland to start in Holland, especially since Liverpool will go there without a first choice back four. As big a revelation as Djimi Traore has been he's not of the standard Stephane Henchoz sets. Although Kirkland performed admirably in the Ali Sami Yen stadium against Galatasaray last year I just don't envisage Gerard Houllier opting for an inexperienced goalkeeper in a hugely important UEFA Cup match. After the comic performance of the back four in Basel will Houllier actually want to take experience out of the side?
On the other side of the coin Chris Kirkland must believe he has a chance of claiming the number one jersey at Anfield if he's to remain happy. It was unorthodox to say the least to see two goalkeepers arrive at Anfield on the same day. And so it must be extremely difficult for a quality goalkeeper such as Kirkland, who by the signs of it is more talented than any other English goalkeeper at this point in time, to be playing in the Reserves knowing that he's got no chance of breaking into the first eleven. I don't have the details to hand, but I'm sure Dudek's contract runs to around 2007, by which time Kirkland will have lost out on a significant portion of what could be an absolutely fantastic career.
The point I'm making is that if Kirkland we're to be ignored during Dudek's difficult time it could send out a message that no matter how hard the lad tries he'll not get his chance. Up until know Gerard has played things right. Kirkland's chances in the Worthington Cup we're sadly cut short when a thirty yard screamer from one Phil Jevons bulged the net last season, but the signs are that he'll get a decent cup run this time around. If Liverpool were to adopt the same approach as Arsenal last year and play Kirkland in the FA Cup as they did with Richard Wright, as well as in the Worthy Cup, then I'm sure Chris will be only too happy to bide his time. Dudek wouldn't be happy with that scenario in reverse.
Whether or not Dudek is ousted out as the first team goalkeeper has greater consequences though. I'm sure Liverpool's Board of Directors would be less than happy to see a player that had recently signed a new, big money contract warming the bench. That'll hardly satisfy the moneymen upstairs that recently sanctioned the bumper pay offer, which by the way has been greatly exaggerated by the media according to the player himself.
And so as I say I hope, and expect, Dudek to continue in the Liverpool goal against Vitesse. He's earnt the right to loyalty this past year, don't you think?