How good is he as a coach? Should the club think about replacing him? Dare I say it, the best keeper I've seen in my life time is Peter Schmeichel, I know he played for them but I am sure he has a lot he can teach.
John Achterberg
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Ditch him.. Should have gone with Rodgers..
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It's true that none of the keepers have flourished or progressed under his coaching so there's certainly doubts there. But I don't see much point in fans discussing the merits of backroom staff. We have next to no insight about what happens on the training ground so it's all just speculative, dreary shite.
I think he does a better job that we - or at least I - have given him credit for. I used to regard him as a waste of space, but the more I hear the more I feel that he does pretty much what you'd want him to do. He does identify the weaknesses and he does work on them with each keeper. It makes me more inclined to doubt what any coach can do if the keeper is a bit thick and/or unable to change their instincts. What could another coach add? Motivation, I guess - the ability to inspire so-so keepers to excel themselves. Greater discipline and precision - doing what Achterberg does but better than he does it. But I'm getting increasingly sceptical about how much you can improve keepers - you either find a really good one, who is self-motivating and barely in need of coaching as such, or you don't, and you have to try to limit the damage.
As for top keepers becoming top coaches, I don't think there's any real connection. Clemence was England keeper coach and the cock-ups continued. I think only Bob Wilson had a long career as a specialist coach in this country and again he looked good when Seaman was keeper and not good when the other keepers played.
As for top keepers becoming top coaches, I don't think there's any real connection. Clemence was England keeper coach and the cock-ups continued. I think only Bob Wilson had a long career as a specialist coach in this country and again he looked good when Seaman was keeper and not good when the other keepers played.
Interesting, thanks for that. It would chime in with Klopp's positive references to him a while ago.
At the same time I can't help thinking of the view one's heard from successful coaches in other sports (Sir Clive Woodward, Evertonian though he is, and Sir Dave Brailsford) that small changes can make big differences when the crunch comes. Just as our history of misfiring keepers can't all be down to Achterberg, surely it's equally implausible to suppose that none of it is. Even if Achterberg isn't a total dud, aren't there grounds for thinking we could do better?
Oh yes, it's just that I certainly can't think of what it is! When it comes to goalkeeping coaches it seems really hard to judge. Yes, as outsiders and non-specialists, we can identify obvious weaknesses that should be treated, but beyond that, I, certainly, couldn't say what else should be done, or how what is currently being done should be done better.
Maybe it's not how Achterberg is coaching that should be analysed but the result of that coaching and I haven't seen any improvement in any of the goalkeepers he's coached at Liverpool.
Reina went backwards , Mignolet went backwards almost as soon as we signed him and Karius looks out of his depth at the moment. Bogdan was pretty much a disaster but I'm not sure how much of that is down to Achterberg as I thought he was rubbish before we signed him.
Our defence is far from secure but plenty of other keepers play behind shite defences and still perform well.
Klopp praised Achterberg last year for being one of the hardest working people he'd ever met but he also praised Mignolet before replacing him.
Reina went backwards , Mignolet went backwards almost as soon as we signed him and Karius looks out of his depth at the moment. Bogdan was pretty much a disaster but I'm not sure how much of that is down to Achterberg as I thought he was rubbish before we signed him.
Our defence is far from secure but plenty of other keepers play behind shite defences and still perform well.
Klopp praised Achterberg last year for being one of the hardest working people he'd ever met but he also praised Mignolet before replacing him.
It's hard to gauge it from outside. Reina I think had been declining physically and in terms of attitude for a while, and he must have been a hassle to coach at that time. Mignolet did actually improve on some of his weaknesses after his first season, but not well enough. Bogdan was a bloody disaster. But with Karius, Achterberg seems to be doing precisely what you'd expect in terms of conditioning him and working on his flaws - the problem is this should have been happening BEFORE he was made number one.
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