Tottenham goalkeeper Brad Friedel made just 31 appearances for Liverpool between 1997 and 2000 before being dumped by Gerard Houllier in favour of Sander Westerveld. The American went on to become one of the most consistently reliable goalkeepers in the Premier League, and he's been in excellent form as Spurs have stormed up the league table this season. Friedel could've returned to Liverpool last summer but decided against a move to Anfield, and in a recent interview, he explained why.
Speaking to the Mail on Sunday, Friedel - who is still going strong at the age of 40 - explained:
"I had four offers in the summer. I didn't choose the one with the highest financial reward, I chose what I thought was the best squad and the best opportunity."
"Kenny [Dalglish] was very much above board, said that he could offer me the world, offer me a lot of things, but he couldn't offer me first-team football enough.
"I had a tough decision but after I had met the [Tottenham] chairman, after I had met the gaffer, and you really see the squad and infrastructure at the club...it was clear that the ambition was to get bigger, better.
"I never signed a contract in my career to be a No 2. I felt that if I had chosen Liverpool, I was sort of signing for my retirement"
I think that's fair enough. We've seen this season that Friedel is still more than good enough to be a first-choice goalkeeper, and as Doni has discovered at Anfield, Pepe Reina very rarely has a day off for Liverpool!
If Friedel had returned, he would've regressed back to late-90s bench-warmer status again, and it's totally understandable that he wouldn't want to do that.
The strength of Spurs' squad was an important factor in Friedel's decision, and it's telling that he seems to suggest that Spurs have a better squad than Liverpool.
At the time the club tried to re-sign him, Dalglish was in the midst of his ill-fated summer spending spree, and the addition of Charlie Adam, Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson clearly did not impress him enough to consider moving to Anfield.
Did Liverpool let Friedel go too quickly in 2000? He developed into a great keeper, but at the time, he'd conceded 39 goals in 31 starts, so perhaps it was the right decision?
Jaimie Kanwar
Speaking to the Mail on Sunday, Friedel - who is still going strong at the age of 40 - explained:
"I had four offers in the summer. I didn't choose the one with the highest financial reward, I chose what I thought was the best squad and the best opportunity."
"Kenny [Dalglish] was very much above board, said that he could offer me the world, offer me a lot of things, but he couldn't offer me first-team football enough.
"I had a tough decision but after I had met the [Tottenham] chairman, after I had met the gaffer, and you really see the squad and infrastructure at the club...it was clear that the ambition was to get bigger, better.
"I never signed a contract in my career to be a No 2. I felt that if I had chosen Liverpool, I was sort of signing for my retirement"
I think that's fair enough. We've seen this season that Friedel is still more than good enough to be a first-choice goalkeeper, and as Doni has discovered at Anfield, Pepe Reina very rarely has a day off for Liverpool!
If Friedel had returned, he would've regressed back to late-90s bench-warmer status again, and it's totally understandable that he wouldn't want to do that.
The strength of Spurs' squad was an important factor in Friedel's decision, and it's telling that he seems to suggest that Spurs have a better squad than Liverpool.
At the time the club tried to re-sign him, Dalglish was in the midst of his ill-fated summer spending spree, and the addition of Charlie Adam, Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson clearly did not impress him enough to consider moving to Anfield.
Did Liverpool let Friedel go too quickly in 2000? He developed into a great keeper, but at the time, he'd conceded 39 goals in 31 starts, so perhaps it was the right decision?
Jaimie Kanwar
Friedel is a decent keeper but to dislodge Pepe Reina as LFC No 1 you would need to be an exceptional keeper. That said Pepe has not been as secure this season. I thought he could have done better a few times, look at RVP on Saturday for Arsenal surely he could have moved quicker. Ithink he made the goal look better than it was.
ReplyDeleteA lesson to be learnt about in Friedel not giving him a real chance to proof himself only about 10 league games each season bit like wanting to sell the new signings after 1 season?
ReplyDeleteDon't think training with Flapper/Calamity James did Friedel any good! Pretty certain I remember Friedel making the same mistakes if my memory is right.
Friedel is a very consistent goalkeeper but not world class and he would have never dislodged Reina as first choice, so joining Spurs has been a good move for his career and now he will almost definitely play in champions league next season with Spurs.
ReplyDeletePepe has made quite a few errors this season such as the games against Fulham, City, Norwich, etc but has gone under radar, in terms of attention from the media because of past great exploits. Our defensive record is solid, just goes to show its a team effort as well as 'generally', a solid back four, which compensates for the occasional calamitous error.
ReplyDeleteFriedel has been in very good form this season and he is 40, yikes! Solid keeper and would have been wonderful to have had as a no.2 keeper this season. In relation to his time at Liverpool, right decision at the time to let him go. I think most keepers need stability and regular first team games to find good form and he suffered from not having played many games. If he really thinks Spurs squad is better than Liverpool squad, than I would agree and I would rather have Spurs first XI over ours. That quartet they have in midfield is possibly the best midfield in the league.
If Glen Johnson had made the amount of costly mistakes that Reina has made this season, I'm loathe to think of the amount of stick that he would've received.
ReplyDeleteFor him to make as many direct errors as Reina has made would've been unforgivable. But then again, it's unforgivable for him to just be on the pitch at the same time as a goal is conceded. Matter of fact, thos goals on Saturday can probably be attributed to Glen Johnson in some way too!
Reina is more and more faulty as the season progresses. It's wake up time folks!
ReplyDeleteYes, totally agree with you there. johnson gets the blame for most of the goals we concede but his incredibly good attacking play is ignored and the rest of the defence is ignored when we concede. He's probably one of our 3 or 4 most potent attacking weapons but that's nowhere near good enough for most supporters.
ReplyDeleteThink Reina has been slightly 'off' for some time now but he seems to be immune to criticism and i think he definitely could be faulted for the winning goal against Arsenal.
Why Friedel would come to be the number 2 keeper, i do not know. He would have been a good stop gap for a season or two. Of course, Reina is a good keeper, but I would rather have Hart, Scezsney or Cech, to be honest. And, at the price, Friedel. I think that if Barcelona want to pay 20 million for Reina, we could find a good enough replacement for half the price. I think a lot of our squad is like that, to be honest, we could move a few on and get in players for less who would do just as well if not better. Enrique, Agger, Gerrard. Outside of those three, I honestly think that everyone in our team has their price, probably overpriced, and we could bring someone else in for cheaper without losing any quality. There are players in the lower echelons of the Premier League who i think could easily improve our team. Hoillet would definitely be one, Wigan have a few, McCarthy is going to be a good player, I'd see Al Habsi in at a third of the price of Reina as well. N'Zogbia has had a nightmare start with Villa but has come to life lately and scored more goals for them than Downing has for us. He cost half the price of Downing.
ReplyDeleteEnrique was at fault for the first goal on Saturday he has been slow at closing down crosses on a number of occasions this season but it doesn't really get highlighted but if Johnson is caught out he gets slaughtered.
ReplyDeleteWhat Johnson offers going forward he his a must in our team.
Bench warming goalkeepers is a role for younger players or ones at the end of their careers usually. I would have been surprised if Friedel had wanted to become the latter. He still has plenty to offer.
ReplyDeleteWe have a program when King Kenny came in in Jan 2011.
-Program 1;- Fourth spot is our goal which we MUST achieve
this season
-Program 2;- Next season we will be fighting for the title
of which 2nd spot is the ultimatum.
Whether we get the first program(4th spot) or not in May,
that does NOT mean program 2 will be rescheduled or re-programmed.Next season
2012/2013 we should be fighting for the title whether we achieve program 1 or
not.That is our goals.
Now with the calibre of players we hbought last summer,I am
still in doubt if program 2 will be achieve if KK still plays the likes of
Hendersen,Downing and neither replaces of add to Carrol.I think everyone will
agree with me that if we finally get the 4th spot comes May,players like
Hendersen,Downing and maybe Carrol are not worth the Champions League
status.Adams can play the CL IMO but I still doubt the former trio.That wise we
still need to buy a striker and some midfielder(s).
As of now I wont join those calling for King Kenny's head
for i believe he will soon(est) come to his senses and reason that we cant
detrimentally be building Hendersen and forgo the CL spot as Rafa did with
Lucas.
In conclusion if I were KK with my limited brain I will
return with those we had when he came in in Jan 2011 till May 2012 for IMO the
summer signings including Carrol have changed our tactics likewise scoring
chances.
Thank You
Why bring Johnson into it the article was about Friedal which is why I used Reina as a comparison. Johnson isnt the best defender and does make mistakes. he does however offer a real attacking threat when he is on his game
ReplyDeleteCan't believe some of the negativity towards Pepe, some people even suggesting we off load him ?? IMO Pepe is, behind Hart, the best keeper in the PL. And I wouldn't swap
ReplyDeletehim for anybody, and that includes Hart. Has sticked around, nailed his
colours to the mast, believed in the club and its plans and wants to
be a part of the future.. unlike others I don't care to mention.
Shows great Leadership on and off the pitch and I for one think he's a
Legend. Pepe has been at fault for a few goals this season, maybe a few more than his usually outstanding best, so what get over it.. we all being human and all that.
I don't think he's immune from criticism.. He certainly could have done better for RVPs winner on Saturday, don't think anyone could deny that. But some people are entitled to a break if they sometimes deviate from their usual excellent high standars.. I think after years of outstanding service and performances Pepe certainly falls into that category.
Some fans are as shallow as a garden pond and have the memory of a goldfish you might find simming in it.
Great keepers don't grow on
trees, just ask Fergie and whoever signed all those cheques in search of one over the years. And like a fine wine mature with age .. Fridel
being case in point.
So when you have one you hold onto him.. and Pepe is certainly a keeper .. if you'll pardon the pun !!
If you think we will be fighting for a title next season you are just as deluded as the people who thought we had any chance at 4th this season. We NEVER had a shot at 4th bcuz Dalglish brought in nothing but mediocre crap. He has almost no eye for the talent we need to have in order to compete, he has proven that time and again with his pathetic signings. He has had his time to prove he has what it takes.. he has proven without a doubt he has lost it.. time for him to go... FIRE DALGLISH NOW!
ReplyDeleteGlen Johnson didn't play on Saturday. It was Martin Kelly at RB. How can you blame Johnson when he didn't even play?
ReplyDeleteReina's looked shaky a few times this season, some have cost goals, some haven't. I just think that we could pick up keepers who were just as reliable, and younger, for half the price. Any player who would command double what a similar replacement would cost, in any team, is a viable player to be sold.
ReplyDeleteGreat leadership off the pitch? Is this the same Reina that we are talking about?
You seem to be under the impression that replacing a top keeper with a younger keeper for half the price is easy peasy lemon squeazy.
ReplyDeleteMay I remind you we 'picked up' supposedly the BEST young goalkeepers in England in Kirkland and Carson. Both flopped. You underestimate the value of a great keeper and the ability to find one at your peril.
Pepe is a great keeper. And while not having his best season at Anfield, he will provide Liverpool with many more years of top class service. Anybody suggesting we sell him really needs a reality check and needs to use their long term memory a little bit more rather than their short term memory.
And I'm not sure what your comment to his leadership off the pitch is alluding to ??????
Just so that you can see that i can post stuff on two threads as well, but it still doesn't make someone right.
ReplyDeleteKeep saying it, but, considering what we have paid for players, you should be able to see with your own eyes that price does not guarantee quality. So, pull your neck in and accept that someone else has a different opinion. Considering the thread is about our ex keeper BRAD FRIEDEL, I'm not sure what it is that you don't understand, if Barcelona were offering 15 million plus for Reina, then, in my opinion, but clearly not yours, Friedel for free or Given for 5 million would do me as a replacement. Even Robinson, when Blackburn go down, would do me if he was 5 million or less. Reina's performances haven't been that great and I don't think these other guys, with a much smaller transfer fee and probably less wages would mean a drop in our level. Carson and Kirlkland have nothing to do with it so I'm not sure why you bother bringing them up.
Johnson is brought into it because it is about the idea of some players errors being ignored, Reina has been forgiven for many errors and is over rated by our supporters in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteIf Reina is over rated by supporters gabweb enlighten me as to who you would replace him with
ReplyDeleteIf we were to be offered between 15 million - 20 million for Reina, it wouldn't hurt me, at all, to have seen us bring in Friedel on a free transfer or Given or Robinson, when Blackburn get relegated, for 5 million, or, even, Al Habsi, when Wigan go down, for 5 million. Obviously, Szczesny from Arsenal would never be available, but Krul, from Newcastle might be available for a bit less. With the saving in transfer fee and wages, we could strengthen another part of the team. Another 10 million to put towards another outfied player. Any of those 4 keepers, not counting Szczesny, could do as good a job as Reina has done this year and an extra quality player would make us more points than we would lose from moving our keeper on for a cheaper one.
ReplyDeleteAfter another season or so, if he keeps it up, you could look at the Swansea keeper as well. So that is only about 6 keepers that, at the price, I think could give us equal value for money. And that is before looking at the keepers that would cost too much or that our rivals would never sell us, Cech, Hart, Lindegaard, or the keepers from other countries that might do a job, like Stelkenburg, not so sure about Lloris, though. There's plenty of keepers as an alternative, however.
ReplyDeleteErm, no?
ReplyDelete10 games vs one season?
And why would training with James do Friedel any harm? Do you think that James chose the training?
Totally agree, Gab. Reina is definitely overrated, and just like with all fan-favourites, he can get away with murder time and time again. Reina has made mistake after mistake this season, and I believe he was at fault for both Arsenal goals last Saturday:
ReplyDelete* Poor communication with Carra led to Van Persie finding space for the header
* Failed to cover the near post, even though it was obvious what Van Persie was going to do. Reina had plenty of time to see Son'g pass, and see the ball drop to RVP, and despite only being a meter away from the post, he wasn't quick enough to stop the shot.
once again just so i get it right you are advocating that we sell Reina and sign either a 42 year old, a 37 year old or a 33 year old to replace him. Amazing. With the exception of Joe Hart and Peter Chek, reina would would dislodge every other keeper in the PL including at Man Utd and Arsenal who tried to sign him for 18 million in the summer. The bid was rejected. I started my post by saying that he was not as secure as last season but all players suffer loss of form just remember class is permanent.
ReplyDeletethere is no way anybody imo can describe reina as overrated. He has like most players suffered a loss of form this season but he will get back to his best. Against Arsenal He definately could have done better with RVPs second goal I agree. The other was purely down to Carragher.
ReplyDeleteThe tread is indeed about Fridel, but my comment was directed at the negativity directed towards Pepe. It's not really possible to dicuss players coming into the club without discussing the ones that are already presently playing in that position.
ReplyDeleteYour the one that mentioned picking up younger keepers .. Mentioning Carson and Kirkland has everything to do with it. Both young keepers who flopped at our club despite paying big money for them.. which was MY point that price does not guarantee success, your obviously not capable of following someones post.
You seriously suggesting Robinson could replace Pepe.. Do ya know what, its not worth continuing with this line of conversation if your as unknowledgeable as your statements suggest.
We'll agree to disagree..
But your obviously playing fantasy football too much..