25 | Gianluigi Donnarumma - 2025/26

That one he got in the face, other goalies could have been killed or at least gone down and bought a tactical time out, but Donna just rubbed his cheek and got on with it .
 
Sheikh rattle and roll said:
I’m a big Ederson but I think Donnarumma is a very good buy considering the price and age
However I disagree entirely with your post - sorry.
The first save although pushed back into the area was very good from close range and the second sensational
The Bowen chance he came realised he wasn’t getting there so took his hands away to prevent a penalty but in doing so he forced Bowen wide
His weakness are crosses hopefully he comes for more and catches them rather than punches
Kicking is acceptable
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I posted that after the match without seeing any replays, having since seen replays, i got 2 things wrong in what I thought i saw.

The one he pushed out wasn't as simple as i thought, I'm still of the opinion I want my keeper taking that in or pushing it out wide tbh but it wasn't anywhere close to being as easy as I assumed and doesnt warrant any criticism, remains a fantastic second block.

The other one i got wrong was the one that smacked him in the face, I knew it looked odd at the time being right behind it but didnt occur to me he saved it with his face, thought he got an arm up, still a very important save however you stop it but perhaps not the praiseworthy save i thought it was initially. I think the fact he didn't even react to getting a ball square in the face stopped me from realizing it hit him there, most keepers would have milked that, he didn't even flinch.

The Bowen chance I did say he did really well to not foul him having recognised his initial error in coming out.
 
Here in France, there's doubt about PSG's ability to win the Champions League again because of Donnarumma's departure, and his replacement, Lucas Chevalier, bought for 55 million euros, suffers in comparison to the Italian. He's less imposing; before, goals looked small, and now they look huge.

For me, and I'll say it again and again, a goalkeeper's primary job is to stop shots, a striker's primary job is to score goals, a defender's primary job is to defend... That was true a century ago, it's still true today, and it will be true in 100 years. In my eyes, it will never change.

For me, the two best goalkeepers of the last decade are Nuer and Courtois. The latter isn't very good with his feet, but their primary quality, which won trophies for their teams, is their excellence on the line, preventing goals from being conceded.
 
The fuck was he doing at the end? Doesn't come off his line when we would like him to but then mysteriously decided to put himself in no mans land at the death, feared another Arsenal for a moment until the ball in proved to be overhit. Had visions of Dias looping it over a stranded keeper for a disastrous own goal.
 
He's grown a lot on me, but he has to come out and sweep a bit better. I'm not asking for Ederson's level of sweeping, but one moment in the first half, the ball was damn near at his six-yard box, and Gvardiol just had to concede a corner because he was so tentative.
 
Some really important saves today. Most were quite simple, especially for him but the one down to his left from a sharp shot from inside the box was a very good save, much harder than it looked and preserved a point.

Only remember them sticking one cross in and he lost the flight of the ball on it, lucky it didnt cause any problems.

He is also a big reason why we couldn't get up the pitch first half though. Somebody mentioned it a few weeks ago and I hadn't noticed until then but the distance he gets on his kicking is woeful, he can barely reach the halfway line even with the help of a rolling ball. we cant even lump it up to haaland because it doesnt even reach him.

That's got to be worked on, with enough repetition and strengthening, any professional keeper can smash a goal kick well into the opposition half. They generally learn this in youth football though or in their early professional career, I dont understand how hes been an elite professional keeper for a decade and has seemingly gotten away with not doing basic goal kick training at any point.

Good sweeping at the end too, that situation could have been a problem but he cut it out at source.
 
He's definitely made us less vulnerable. For the last 2 years, we looked like we would concede from the oppositions first shot on target. And often promptly did!!

That has changed markedly since his arrival. Every keeper has strength and weaknesses. He'll never be Ederson with the ball at his feet, who would? And he needs to improve his decision making on crosses. However, for the price at his age it's been a great signing already for us!! Just what we needed!!
 
wolfie1988 said:
Great at the saves.

Not so great at the feet. I think it's a real problem in games last night when the press is intense.

Fine balancing act.
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Different story when you've got someone like Rodri to play into

No disrespect to Nico, as hes done excellent, but he is also part of that problem, which is why you see Bernardo dropping in to take the ball off Donnarumma
 
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