There were more than a few raised eyebrows when Mads Hermansen was handed the âbetween the sticksâ duties for West Ham last night.
After all, the Danish goalkeeper had conceded five goals against Liverpool just a few days earlier, with some suggesting Alphonse Areola might have done better at Anfield. Personally, I did not think Hermansen did too much wrong in the 5â2 defeat and have believed for some time that his distribution gets West Ham on the front foot far quicker than Areola.
Last night at Craven Cottage, the Hammersâ most expensive ever goalkeeper only had two real saves to make â but he dealt with both brilliantly.
RaĂșl JimĂ©nez produced a stinging effort just before half-time which Hermansen pushed away superbly, and Castagne fired in an equally vicious shot in the 87th minute which the Dane again kept out with an excellent stop.
Two Saves Worth Their Weight in Gold
Those were interventions that were as timely as they were important and proved just as crucial as Crysencio Summervilleâs goal at the other end.
Nuno EspĂrito Santo has made the right call at the right time with Hermansen. And considering the West Ham manager was himself a goalkeeper, it is fair to assume he knows what he is doing when it comes to selecting one.
A 1â0 win and yet another clean sheet show that the Hammersâ defence is very much a work in progress â but clearly heading in the right direction despite the setback at Anfield.
Long may it continue. âïž
Donât underestimate the amount Mads was involved in the play generally. He made his saves yes but he did much more and his positioning was much better.
What was also pleasing was how quick players were to celebrate a save with him which shows the team spirit and willing people to do well.
Massively unfair from some sections of our fanbase when the lad arrived so really pleased to see him winning people over as there is a top keeper in there.
Any way you want to cut it, thatâs now 4 clean sheets from 9 EPL games, compared with zero from 20 for Areola.
Yes, Hermansen had a good game and, maybe, that team talk he had with his central defenders after the Anfield first half disaster had something to do with tightening the defence. However please don’t forget that Areola has saved us on many occasions with his fantastic saves in the past. Unfortunately Alphonse’s abilty to take a high ball in a congested goal area is questionable, alongside his ball distribution. At the end of the day both keepers have their strengths and weaknesses.