Sweeper Keepers. Why are they so in demand?

Goalkeepers today are now being demanded to do more than just be a shot-keeper. They are required to play a part in a team’s build-up, have good ball control to release pressure and be a good distributor in finding their man or play a quick transition from defence to attack. This is the role of the ‘Sweeper Keeper. They have been a trend in how teams want to play especially within the past decade.

Pep Guardiola controversial removed Joe Hart when he came to Manchester City and signed two goalkeepers, Claudio Bravo and Ederson. Liverpool broke the transfer fee for a goalkeeper by signing Alisson from AS Roma as he suits Klopp’s style of play in making quick transitions before Chelsea broke that record in signing Kepa Arrizabalaga from Athletic Bilbao. Petr Cech, a veteran in the game, was demanded to play out from the back by Unai Emery in Arsenal’s 2-0 defeat to Manchester City which he received criticism. So sweeper keepers are the in-thing but what is its origins and why is it so high in demand?

Basically, the sweeper-keeper performs two roles on the pitch. Firstly, as a standard goalkeeper and secondly, as an outfield sweeper. Basically, a sweeper drops behind the defensive line sweeping through balls, covering space, blocking chances and starting attacks by picking up attackers and making quick plays. So sweeper keepers are like an 11th outfield player sweeping space behind his defensive play and aren’t afraid to rush out to stop a chance if the situation is called for. This requires high concentration, positioning, good decision-making and strong composure.

The first of its kind was Russian goalkeeper Lev Yashin. The only goalkeeper to have won the Ballon d’Or, he was renowned for revolutionizing the goalkeeper role as he came out of his line to intercept crosses and making quick throws to start counterattacks. Gyula Grosics, part of Hungary’s Golden Era of the 1950s, was also a dominant goalkeeper even challenging attackers by rushing out.

The role continued to revolve around the removal of the back-pass rule and Johan Cruyff with his brand of ‘Total Football’. Cruyff stated the importance of each player in their technical ability and in contributing to the team’s build-up. That also includes the goalkeeper. Cruyff made a statement about this saying, “In my teams, the goal-keeper is the first attacker and the centre-forward is the first defender.” This applies in both Ajax and Barcelona, where Cruyff’s ideas are implemented. Pep Guardiola, who was part of Cruyff’s Dream Team in Barcelona, continues to apply on his teams today. Goalkeepers under Guardiola are required to launch attacks and dictate play once they have possession. Victor Valdes is a prime example during his time at Barcelona.

Manuel Neuer is probably the biggest sweeper keeper over the past few years which was in large part to Guardiola. A dominant figure for Bayern Munich and the German National Team, the 32-year-old has been successful for club and country in this role. A great shot-stopper, Never normally performs more like an 11th outfield player. His long throws make quick transitions from defence to attack in an instant and with his ball control releases pressure removing the threat from the opposition. An example was at the 2014 World Cup for Germany particularly the Round of 16 tie against Algeria where his heat map showed he wasn’t a bystander but covered the whole 18-yard box and outside the area.

Now the sweeper keeper role has become so popular with a new breed of keepers who play this role well like Ederson, Alisson, Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Mattia Perin while the likes Wojciech Szczesny and Hugo Lloris have performed this role successfully for years. With a high emphasis on quick transitions or retaining possession, a long kick to an attacker is as important as making a big save. However, there has been criticism about this role. The number one criticism is that keepers aren’t required to do their number one role. Use their hands. This was garnered against Claudio Bravo when Manchester City beat Manchester United 2-1 in the 2016/17 EPL season. Bravo was quite error-prone in that game including missing a ball which led to United’s goal. Also, with the keeper rushing out or staying high up the pitch, they can be vulnerable to long shots or could miss a ball leaving free space for their opponents.

Sweeper Keepers aren’t likely to fade away anytime soon. However, not every team would want to use it and still have strong keepers like Atletico Madrid with Jan Oblak. The sweeper keeper adds a new dimension to the way teams play making the game more expansive and creating more risks. Now,  goalkeepers are like a 5th defender with the ball control of a midfielder.