Neville says Fabio Capello's belief that goals in the women's game are too big is not "damaging" and outlines why he believes the standard of goalkeeping has improved
Tuesday 18 February 2020 14:28, UK
England head coach Phil Neville says there are more pressing matters to be focused on than the debate over smaller goals in the women's game.
Former England manager Fabio Capello argued women players should use smaller goals and narrower pitches during a panel discussion at the Laureus Sports Awards on Sunday.
"I think the goal for the women is too big," Capello said.
"Also the pitch is too wide. Because, when you play basketball, it's not tall like the men's [the height of the hoop is 3.048m in both but the three-point line is closer in the women's game].
"When you play volleyball, it's not as tall nets like the men [as the men's nets are 2.43m high and women's are 2.24m]. Every time when you shoot at the goal, for the 'keeper it's really difficult."
Jill Ellis, who led USA to their second successive World Cup victory before stepping down last summer, said she "respectfully disagreed" with the former AC Milan, Real Madrid and Juventus head coach.
"You've got to understand that the men's game has been around for a hundred years," Ellis said.
"We are now seeing, for example, in Japan, taller athletes go into soccer."
Speaking to Sky Sports News after naming his squad for the SheBelieves Cup, Neville said the comments by Capello were not "damaging", but disagreed with the 73-year-old.
Neville said: "Do I agree with it? No, because I think you need to actually look and educate yourself on the standard of goalkeeping, which I think over the last 12-18 months with the introduction of specialist goalkeeping coaches at every professional level has seen a massive growth.
"Imagine what it is going to be like in two to three years' time, it will be even better."
Neville says the women's game continues to make "vast strides" and outlined why he believes the standard of goalkeeping has gone to a new level.
"If you talk about the size of the goals Emma Hayes [Chelsea Women manager] said just before the World Cup [about] making the goals smaller to help goalkeeping," Neville said.
"My view on that is I have seen goalkeeping in the women's game for the last 18 months.
"You look back to the World Cup [and] I thought some of the best players in the world Cup were the goalkeepers. You see some of the saves they make.
"Karen Bardsley [England goalkeeper] made one against Japan [in France last summer] which was unbelievable. Regardless the size of the goal that was a world class save.
"I think there are other areas of the women's game that we need to be focusing on rather than changing the size of the goals and the size of the pitch."
