This season though we’ve seen the emergence of the striking keeper, or the False 1©, in the Premier League. The diagram below shows Ben Foster’s recent display against Fulham. The intent is clear, he had 27 attempts on goal but as Alex McLeish’s plan is in its infancy there are issues still with targetting and distance. Every single shot fell short.
This is due to the understandable reluctance of Foster to push forward, fearing he’ll be exposed, yet McLeish has spoken about how when his False 1© goes beyond the halfway line his team should fall back into a fluid 10-0-1 crowding the goal line to block any potential breaks.
