*** 2012-2013 EPL Season Thread *** - Where taking 25 shots and losing is a brummer.

Ranking the EPL's top keepers

Spoiler

AP Photo/Jon SuperJoe Hart helped lead Manchester City to its first EPL title in 2011-12.
Goalkeepers, much like quarterbacks in the NFL, are the leaders of their team's organization defensively (offensively in the quarterback's case). On set pieces, they are the ones making the calls, setting up the wall and ultimately taking responsibility for the positioning of their teammates.
However, like kickers or punters in the NFL, goalkeepers have a different skill set than their teammates. Besides the physical differences like the use of their hands, goalkeepers require a different mental makeup. Most have a well-earned reputation for being a bit off their rocker. As Arsenal's Wojciech Szczesny told Arsenal TV Online in 2010, "You need to be crazy [to become a goalkeeper]."
Here are the top five EPL goalies for 2012-13:
1. Joe Hart, Manchester City
City's No. 1 had arguably his best season to date in 2011-12. While leading City to its first Premier League title, Hart established himself as England's top goalkeeper, both by reputation and performance.
Swansea's Michel Vorm had the best save percentage on shots from 12 yards and in, but if you filter that down to only shots where the score differential was within one -- that is, the goalkeeper's team up by one goal, down by goal or tied -- then Hart is the clear crunch-time choice.
Not including penalty shots, he saved 70.4 percent such shots for City, nearly 4 percentage points higher than any other keeper. (The league average was 56 percent.) This shot chart shows just how active Hart had to be in tight quarters.
ESPN Stats & InformationShot chart for Joe Hart on shots from 12 yards and in during the 2011-12 EPL season. Red targets represent misses, while soccer balls represent goals.
Going into this season, Man City will need Hart to play at an equally high level if it wishes to retain its league trophy -- and perhaps add a European one as well.
2. Michel Vorm, Swansea
Much of Swansea's success last season was credited to former manager Brendan Rodgers' short-passing game. While this might be true, the goalkeeping prowess of Vorm cannot be overlooked in Swansea's success story. Vorm was voted Swansea's player of the year by both supporters and teammates in his first year in Wales.
The Dutchman is generally known as a penalty stopper -- hence his nickname the Penalty Killer -- but his play on opponent crosses is what differentiated him last season. Vorm successfully caught or punched away 86 of the 87 crosses he made a play on, the best rate for any goalkeeper that played at least 15 games last season.
Vorm was also extraordinary at stopping close-range shots. On on-target attempts from 12 yards and in, he stopped 50 of 79 shots. That 63.3 save percentage is the best for any qualified goalkeeper (minimum 15 games played).
The Penalty Killer lived up his name in his first season in England, saving two of the three penalty shots he faced.
Vorm may not be a big name yet -- he has not received significant minutes internationally with the Netherlands -- but if he can continue to handle crosses the way he did last season, the bigger clubs will soon come calling.
3. Wojciech Szczesny, Arsenal
Szczesny's craziness gets him on the list at No. 3.
Actually, it's his audacious runs off the line that got him here. In 53 games over the past two EPL seasons, the Polish international came off his line to clear 79 balls from danger, the most in the league. He has cleared the ball 1.4 times per 90 minutes on the pitch, tied for the highest rate in the top five European domestic leagues.
In the opening of match of Euro 2012, Szczesny attempted one of these daring clearances and ended up getting himself a red card. But in club play, this bravery has helped make him one of the best up-and-coming goalkeepers in the world.
4. Petr Cech, Chelsea
Cech moved to Chelsea before the 2004-05 season and has been one of the best keepers in the world ever since. His outstanding save against Andy Carroll in the FA Cup showed his height and reach is still a physical skill set unmatched by most.
Often criticized for his handling of crosses, but in 94 league and European games over the past two seasons, Cech has misplayed only four crosses, well below the league average.
With advanced goalkeeping stats and analysis a relatively new -- and still evolving -- science for club teams, Cech will no longer be able to get by on name alone. He will need to continue to play at a high level this season, as Chelsea has proved it has the resources to go out and find a replacement quickly.
5. Ali Al Habsi, Wigan
Perennial relegation target Wigan has been struggling to stay in the Premier League seemingly every season since it was promoted in 2005. One reason the team hasn't been sent down in the past two campaigns has been the play of Al Habsi, the Oman international.
Al Habsi's biggest strength is stopping penalties. As shown on his shot chart below for all penalties he has faced in the past two EPL seasons, Al Habsi has saved five of the 13 shots on target. His save percentage of 38.5 percent is the best among the 18 goalkeepers who have faced at least five penalty shots.
ESPN Stats & InformationShot chart for Ali Al Habsi on penalty shots he has faced in the past two EPL seasons.
Overall, 81 percent of penalty shots on target are goals, so with Al Habsi's save percentage Wigan has saved itself about three goals compared to what would be expected with an average goalkeeper. For a club like Wigan, three fewer goals against can be the difference between the Premier League and Championship.
With the bookmakers again putting Wigan as one of the favorites to be relegated, the team will need Al Habsi to continue his strong play if it wants to defy the odds one more time.

 

if victor moses gets sold, i dont see how wigan stays up

also qpr

 

FIFY

 

you're right and i don't understand it

but seriously man, that would have to do it for them

 

No where to go but down for WBA. They're not finishing top 10 again any time soon. Hodgson was a fucking wizard. They've replaced him with sheer inexperience.

 

Fishing for likes from the Arsenal contingent I see . Your CL picks earns one from me, however.

 

And here... we... go

 

God speed, everyone. We'll see you in a decade. On our way down to League One at the moment.

 

Exciting, in the central time zone for a wedding and I kept thinking I had another hour till match time

 

What was the score of the Leeds match?

 

1-0 Leeds. Just dreadful.

 

1. City
2. United
3. Arsenal
4. Tottenham
5. Chelsea
6. Liverpool
7. Newcastle
8. Everton
9. Stoke City
10. Fulham
11. Sunderland
12. Aston Villa
13. Swansea
14. Norwich City
15. West Ham
16. West Brom
17. Southampton
18. Wigan
19. QPR
20. Reading

Hate putting Arsenal above us, but they have had a good summer despite losing van Persie IMO. I think losing Drogba will be a problem for Chelsea, he scored so many of their clutch goals. Depending on the signings we make before the window closes we could finish anywhere between 3rd and 6th I would say. Hopefully we don't drop too many points before making the striker signing we desperately need.

 

Lichaj not starting

 

Upon further review, I may have had Liverpool a little high at 6th in the table.

 

Liverpool for relegation.

 

Full Time
Arsenal 0 Sunderland 0
Fulham 5 Norwich 0
Swansea 5 QPR 0
West Brom 3 Liverpool 0
Reading 1 Stoke 1
West Ham 1 Aston Villa 0

 

He scored 5 league goals last year

 

Yeah so Drogba scores in FA Cup semi, FA Cup final, and CL final and you win. Drogba scores 5 times in the league and Chelsea finished 6th. That's the point.

 

We are talking about the league arent we?

 

I know he didn't score a ton in the league for you last year, but he has been an integral part to your success forever. If you get a great season out of Fernando you could obviously get by, but that is a big if IMO. That and I couldn't pick you and Arsenal to finish above us, I just wouldn't be able to look myself in the mirror.

I'm surprised you guys shipped out Lukaku for the season tbh. He looked really good today and could have replaced that physical presence you will be lacking up front without Drogba.

 

Im apprehensive on our season and we will miss Drogba, but his goal scoring wont be the reason why we dont finish high this season.

Im more worried about chemistry on the pitch as well as moving to a different style altogether and it working with Torres and whoever else Roman decides to buy before the window closes

 

You expect to bring in another forward then? That would make sense.

 

I expect a forward and a RB and probably Moses too

 

Well that is gay

 

I'd like Moses. Tomorrow will be telling. If he's in Wigan's lineup, then I don't think he's coming and vice versa.

 

West Ham wins and we get this from the Big Sam.
notBigSam ‏@TheBig_Sam
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

notBigSam ‏@TheBig_Sam
And so you should be afraid, you fucking tarts, for Big Sam is back. Back. To. Fuck. Shit. Up.

 

Demba Ba, not bad my friend

 

I don't know that tomorrow makes any difference, I could definitely see him starting for Wigan and still moving to Chelsea before the window closes. I think Wigan's just trying to play hardball with us to get closer to his full value. They already have brought in players to cover him and they'd be foolish to let him walk on a free next summer than to actually get most of his value. It's not like they're a club rolling in cash.

It'll probably go down to the last day the window is open but I think we'll see Moses move to Chelsea.

 

If you want to watch Match of the Day at 5:20pm eastern and have issues with streams

Download Expat Shield from http://www.expatshield.com/
Go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/tv/bbc_one_london/watchlive
Enjoy a stream that is not choppy.

 

Good stuff, NK. Got it working on my parallel.

 

They all suck

 

Horrific PK calls in the Liverpool game. What the hell was the ref thinking?

 

Not sure. Try it out and see.

 

There's similar programs if you dig for them. I torrented Parallels for Mac the other day so I just ran my Windows partition to download Expat on my Mac.

 

ex-pat app didn't work for me on mac :/