These choices, that may have been slightly more protracted in seasons past, are being made all the more hastily to ensure that teams are settled and in place for the heavily scrutinised pre-season friendlies. Such a player is ex-Liverpool Goalkeeper David James.
James never really made it to 'Anfield hero' status for me, but he has always come across as a man who sets very high standards for himself and this can work as both a catalyst to great performances and as a rod for your own back. This season however, James finds himself in a vary rare position as a First Division footballer who has received assurances that he will be England's first choice goalkeeper. Since the enforced international retirement of David Seaman Sven Goran Eriksson has made it clear that James is going to be allowed to make his own mistakes on the pathway to becoming the 'Keeper Sven is sure he can be. Having received the 'vote of confidence' that would be the kiss of death for a football manager, James seems more than happy to stay with the Hammers in Division One with the confidence that he will be given the England Number 1 Jersey. This could very well be the biggest mistake James has made so far in his career for one good reason.....Chris Kirkland is back.
When he arrived at Anfield, Kirkland was tagged as the great new hope for the England goal. His arrival was shared with that of Jerzy Dudek and some suggested that Houllier had originally only wanted one or the other of them. The press took it further by saying that Liverpool had bid for Dudek while he was on international duty and as they had heard nothing from him, they had pursued a deal for Kirkland which Coventry had accepted. Once Dudek heard that Liverpool were in for him, having already missed out on going to Arsenal, he begged the Polish FA to allow him to negotiate a deal and this put Houllier in a difficult position; The upshot being he took both 'keepers and showed Westerveld the door; a gutsy move considering the performance of the Dutchman throughout the previous season. Westerveld had been an integral part of the Treble winning team, proving himself as a world class stopper. Question marks arose over his performance against Bolton early in the following season and Houllier must have seen something in Westerveld that he didn't like.
My guess is that despite some poor games, Sander's ego was perhaps growing more rapidly than his talent. His undoubted contribution to the rise and rise of Houllier's young Reds was never in doubt, but the success came quickly for all concerned and we have seen players self-belief go in the opposite direction since (Steven Gerrard and Emile Heskey to name two). After his departure to Real Sociedad, Westerveld was quick to criticise Houllier and the fact that he felt he had been badly treated by Liverpool. I personally cannot imagine someone as careful and calculating as Houllier making a rash decision like this without there being an underlying reason that he was not willing to reveal. How ever much I would like him to be at times, Houllier is not a risk-taker and this situation was well planned, you can count on that.
So Kirkland arrived at Liverpool as the second choice to Jerzy Dudek, with the understanding that Dudek's experience meant that the youngster would need to bide his time and learn his trade. It was not long before the whispers started to circulate about the Englishman's abilities. I had a call from a friend who had it on good authority that Kirkland kept goal like he was from Krypton. The boy could almost fly into the top corners and would soon be pushing not only Dudek out of the Liverpool goal, but Seaman from between the England posts. It became a little like the rumours over another young Merseyside prospect called Rooney. only on a lesser scale. Among Liverpool fans at least, the talk was getting louder and many were just waiting for the chance to see the lad in action for the first team.
Kirkland's chance came after Dudek suffered his own crisis of form. The Pole was steadily looking off the pace. Liverpool's centre backs do not venture far from the 18 yard line as a rule and with their 'Keeper suffering from the jitters, the lack of confidence began to creep through the back four. Watching him play started to echo the old days of 'Calamity' James; there was an expectant hush whenever the ball was played into the last third of the Liverpool half, a worried silence proceeded by the hiss of thousands of individuals drawing in a deep breath. After suffering through this with the rest of us, Houllier decided that this could not go on and for Dudek's own sanity and for the preservation of the team, he withdrew the Polish international from the starting line up.
Kirkland took his chance and began to revive the confidence of the team through some excellent displays. His form was superb and his character unquestionable. It looked like Dudek would not get another chance to be anything other than a bit-part player; But, as we all know, his reign was short-lived. As he was taken from the field with a long term injury, he lost his chance at a full international cap and allowed Dudek to resume his place in the Liverpool goal.
Even with such little first team exposure, Kirkland's natural talent and ability to inspire the players in front of him is something that surely would have made for a different story this summer; and perhaps a different decision from David James on where his future lies. We haven't heard anything concrete from Eriksson on whether James is now the owner of the Number 1 shirt or whether he is keeping an open mind. James himself has stated that Eriksson has given him some assurances. However, with Tord Grip known to be a huge fan of Kirkland's and rumoured to have urged Houllier to put him in the first team at the expense of Dudek; you would hope that if Kirkland is given his chance once again, the better man will get the nod for England, despite any former promises or pacts that have been struck. I would imagine that Eriksson has done what any manager would do in telling James that he will get the same chances he has always had, despite dropping down a division. In doing this, he has boosted his current first choice keepers confidence and you cannot blame him for that.
I do believe that consistency is the key when you're talking about the tricky world of keeping goal, but if you're going to put someone in and stick with them through thick and thin, they have to be the right man with a long future. I am not saying that James is the wrong man; at some point Kirkland will go through the same black spot that dogged his peers and will perhaps be displaced by the latest young gun at the time; But it's all about how you come through the storm that counts. It has taken James a long time to gain some much desired respect and to a certain extent, some people think he is still to prove himself on the big stage. This goes for Kirkland also, but if he does start the season for Liverpool, he will be pitting his skills against the richest club in the world with Duff and Co desperate to impress in front of the Anfield faithful; James will be up against Ricardo Fuller away to Preston.....you make up your mind which one of those qualifies as The Big Stage.
First published in the August issue of LFC Monthly