Fraser Forster

If we had him in Lennon's last season- the morale crash wouldn't happen, I guarantee that. His presence was worth points on its own. No coincidence we beat Lazio twice when he was back for one season.

The problem is- modern football has gone so much towards tiki-taka that managers just aren't happy with a pure shot stopper. Most managers, anyway.

 

Boruc at his peak was a better all round keeper for me than Forster but Forster was a world class shot stopper in his prime. He made saves most wouldn’t get close to or that he had no right too.

His handling wasn’t great at crossed though despite being a giant he often stayed on his line and he was brutal with the ball at his feet. However when it came to keeping the ball out the net he had performances where he just looked like it was impossible to get the ball past him. In many ways he was more like an old fashioned keeper, if you had stuck him in the O’Neill team/era he would have probably seen that team through to later stages of Champions League.

 

It does feel like that GK especially in todays game really does highlight the jack of all trades that's been adopted to the game.

 

Here's a question....out of both Boruc and Forster when they were at Celtic, what was the single best save produced by them. Which one wins it?

So tempted to say Boruc at Easter Road, but am going for Forster away to Lazio.

Some media whizz should do a compilation of both of them, would be in my * bank till the day I die.

 

Boruc v Seedorf at the San Siro. Had absolutely no right to save it.

You could argue Boruc v Saha for the penalty for the significance of it.

There was a save at Old Trafford as well he made against Man Utd. Think it was Mark Wilson’s head it came off and he completely changed direction to tip it round the post.

Forster made loads of solid saves but I’ve always felt Boruc made the more spectacular saves that no goalie had any right getting to.

 

The Seedorf one I can't remember, will need to look for that one. I agree he did make the more spectacular ones in general, but that one against Lazio was * out of this world last minute to send us through, just incredible.

Will also never forget Artur's performance against Spartak to get into the CL. Think he saved about 3 pens if I remember right. That wee shimmy he done when the player was running up, making him think he was going one way but dived the other. Never have I seen a better keeper at saving pens.

 

Boruc save with how he just mugged off Maldini was probably most Boruc save if ever there was one.

Maldini headers it and Boruc just catches in the most ridiculous casual fashion you'll ever see.

Thing with Forster is I feel he makes a host of saves in a game where he seems imperious and you'll be hard pressed in my eyes to find a more regular and consistent performer than Forster was in that respect.

 

The best save Boruc ever made for us was against Paul Telfer at Old Trafford. * incredible.

There was another one that season against Oscar Cardozo which was just * insane.

 

I’d absolutely love for him to come back

 

I think Forster in the game we beat Barca is the single best goalkeeping performance I’ve ever seen. The concentration levels he showed that night were insane, I’d be * bricking it as soon as I seen any one of Messi, Xavi or Iniesta within 100 yards of me with a ball.

 

Forster’s double against Di Natale was a good yin as well.

 

https://podfollow.com/off-the-shelf-2/episode/c1344d6e3fa580e1e1db80b7573b17332a86f75f/view




Fraser Forster has revealed how Lionel Messi’s compliments led to him gaining international recognition with England.

The English goalkeeper was playing for Celtic when they faced Barcelona in the Champions League group stage in 2012/13


After losing 2-1 at the Nou Camp, the Bhoys welcomed the Catalan giants to Parkhead just a couple of weeks later with Forster being the star of the show.

Forster spectacularly made 13 saves in a match that Celtic won 2-1, despite Barcelona boasting 89 per cent possession and having 23 attempts on goal.


Speaking about the match, Messi said: “The performance of Fraser Forster against us was talked about for a long time.

“There was one game in Scotland when he was not human, it was the best goalkeeping performance I have seen.

“When Victor Valdes said that he was leaving Barcelona we even talked about him playing here.”

Not many players attract those sorts of compliments from a player regarded as football’s GOAT, but Foster reacted in typically modest style, saying: “It’s nice, isn’t it?”


Speaking on Spursplay, Forster said: “It’s impossible to put into words.

“We’d played them away, I think, two weeks earlier and we lost 2-1 in the last minute and I’d made saves, but the performance we’d put in away from home really carried us into the home one because we knew we’d have the fans with us.


But yeah, it was just one of those nights where everything, you know.




You make a couple of saves early and you’re like, come on, bring it on.

“That team as well, if you don’t enjoy playing those games, do you know what I mean?

“But the noise that night as well – obviously we ended up going 2-0 up and they scored right at the end but it was just, kind of, unbelievable.

“It was just one of those days when you’re in the zone and everything goes your way. You’re seeing the ball like it’s a gym ball and it’s just amazing.




I think that after that night I didn’t sleep after the game, it was just amazing.

“I’m obviously fortunate to have played in those types of games and like I said before, half of my memories in that game are the atmosphere and the fans and lots of it is that rather than that save or this save.

“It was just – the occasion.




Forster added: “It’s always nice when it’s someone in the game as well, it carries a lot more weight.

“But like I say, as well, that period put me in the England squad and it was an amazing time that I’ll remember forever.”

 

As a shot stopper, he was just unbelievable. Definitely the best I've seen at Celtic (although Boruc was better overall). It wasn't only his first time either. There was a save he made towards the end against Lazio at home that had me staring in disbelief. I'm sure I remember that the first thing Broony did at the final whistle was run straight to Fraser Forster and scream at him.

I've said it before, if he'd played in the 80s and 90s, when all that goalies were expected to do was make saves, he would have been considered one of the best in the world.

 

Sheer class was the big Man fond Memories

 

He was just unreal man.

Give me big Forster over a ball playing keeper like Kepa or Onana anyday.

 

Any other keeper in goal and we'd have lost that by 5. That's the difference a big qaulity keeper makes. He even came back, and performed just as good to win us a cup! He would've been a legend if he stayed.

 

Aye big man was cracking on his Day mate