Say it ain't so, Joe
Too confident? Not confident enough? Issues with long-range shots or poor decision making? There are lots of theories behind Joe Hart's struggles. Adam Bate looks at the statistics to find out more...
Wednesday 30 October 2013 06:15, UK
Joe Hart is at the crossroads as his form continues to deteriorate, writes Adam Bate.
In the summer of last year, Joe Hart was untouchable. Named in the Premier League team of the year for a second time, a title winner with Manchester City and firmly established as England's No.1, many were confidently proclaiming him as a world-class goalkeeper. "It's nice for people to say that but I know from the inside how quickly things can change in football," he told the Daily Mail. "I'm only where I am because someone else lost his place, so I'm fully aware that I need to play well to keep mine. Nothing is a given." And so it has proved. By his own admission, Hart's form dipped as City relinquished the title last season with the errors racking up. A couple of mistakes against Southampton in February sparked criticism from then boss Roberto Mancini. "It's not strange because he did two or three mistakes this year and this is not good for us," he told the Guardian. "Joe is a good keeper but a goalkeeper can't do a mistake like this. If Joe continues to make mistakes, he goes on the bench." The warning was not heeded. An Andy Carroll shot squirmed past him in April and the current season has begun in similar vein with a mistake for England against Scotland before further errors against Cardiff, Aston Villa and Bayern Munich proved costly. But the last-minute rush from his line that led to Chelsea's winner at Stamford Bridge on Sunday was perhaps a new low. Now it's Manuel Pellegrini deciding against publicly backing his goalkeeper. "Of course I'm worried about the mistakes," said the City manager. Cock-ups in games between the two title favourites live on Super Sunday are bound to increase the pressure on Hart but it raises a key issue - Is his form really so bad or are the problems simply being highlighted more than those of others? After all, Fraser Forster can make low-key errors in the Scottish Premier League but still win himself a fan club with a handful of high-profile performances in the Champions League.| Errors leading to PL goals - Since 2012/13 | ||
| Goalkeeper | Club | Errors |
| Joe Hart | Man City | 8 |
| Ali Al-Habsi | Wigan | 7 |
| Adam Federici | Reading | 5 |
| Michel Vorm | Swansea | 5 |
| Tim Krul | Newcastle | 5 |
