[lfc-news] Reina looks ready to make his mark - Echo

Liverpool Echo,15 July 2005
Reina looks ready to make his mark
By Chris Bascombe, Liverpool Echo

HAVING spent around £20m on goalkeepers in the last six years, Liverpool
will hope their latest investment between the posts offers some elusive
stability.

Not since Bruce Grobbelaar's ten-year reign has an Anfield number one
made the role his own.

David James, Sander Westerveld and Jerzy Dudek all squandered promising
openings before losing the faith of their manager. Chris Kirkland's bid
to claim the position was lost on the treatment table.

At 22, Pepe Reina has the potential to offer a long-term solution to an
enigmatic problem.

His Anfield debut against TNS was too one-sided for any judgement to be
made on his abilities, but the Spanish keeper clearly has too much
respect for the man he's replaced to suggest he's been bought to end a
keeper crisis.

"I don't want to be considered some kind of salvation who's coming here
to provide solutions to a goalkeeping problem," said Reina.

"I don't believe Liverpool have a big problem in this position. It's
just in football, perhaps there are certain occasions when a player in
any position doesn't play to the best of his ability and the manager
tries to strengthen his options.

"It's my job to do my best, work hard and perform to a top level every week.

"I don't believe in focusing on one position when there are difficulties
because I believe it's the job of the whole group and whole team to make
sure the side is successful.

"If we're not, there is collective responsibility."

After his heroics in Istanbul, there will be sympathy for Dudek,
especially as he wasn't even risked as a substitute in midweek. Rafa
Benitez clearly didn't want to risk leaving the Pole cup-tied.

That said, there were few protests when it emerged Benitez was signing a
new number one.

There was always a sense Dudek's European triumph signalled a fond
farewell rather than a fresh start.

Reina knows Dudek, like Grobbelaar, has assured his place in Anfield
folklore because of his penalty shootout antics.

And he's hoping the strength of his performances over the coming months
will help him form an equally good relationship with supporters.

"I'm very grateful to have been given an opportunity to play in front of
the Kop. This is the kind of opportunity few goalkeepers have within
their grasp," said Reina.

"I feel it is an honour for me. Liverpool has a great history and
reputation. Now I have to produce on the field.

"Yes, it's difficult to take the place of Jerzy Dudek. I know what
happened in Istanbul, but this is why I've joined Liverpool."

It remains to be seen if the latest Spanish import copes with the
physical demands and exocets of the Premiership.

Reina will be well briefed before August of the peculiarities of the
English league which prompted Benitez to claim 'some clubs play by
different rules' not so long ago.

Reina, it seems, is already well researched.

"The Spanish community here is good for me," he said. "I know Xabi
Alonso very well and asked him a lot of questions . Everything he told
me was positive and now I've experienced first hand what he was talking
about."

Reds' keeper dilemma

David James (1992-99)
Cost £1m from Watford. Played 278 games, but soon earned the nickname
'Calamity' due to his erratic form. Was sold when Gerard Houllier
brought out his guillotine in 1999.

Sander Westerveld (1999-2001)
Signed for £4.5m from Vitesse Arnhem and was dubbed 'Mr Reliable' after
an impressive start. A series of mistakes, the most high profile against
Bolton in 2001, brought his career to a swift end just short of his
100th appearance for the club.

Jerzy Dudek (2001-)
Liverpool beat Arsenal to Dudek's signature in a £5m deal from Feyenoord
and he was a triumphant purchase until the 2002
World Cup. He returned lacking confidence, since when he's been prone to
errors. Made amends in Istanbul, but too late to prevent Benitez looking
elsewhere.

Chris Kirkland (2001-)
Tipped to be the next England number one after a transfer from Coventry
which could have risen to £7m. Kirkland's ambitions have been thwarted
by injuries and he's played less than 50 games in four years.

Now on loan at West Brom, he faces a long road back if he's ever to
feature for Liverpool again.

Scott Carson (2005-)
Replaced Kirkland as Dudek's deputy last season in a £750,000 deal from
Leeds. Already called up to Sven Goran Eriksson's international squad,
he's the most likely threat to Reina in the seasons to come.

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