In the past month Alphonse Areola has won the Premier League Save of the Month, kept his first clean sheet of the season and been dropped from the first team. Well, in the immortal words of Meat Loaf – a man who could fill a goal but probably wouldn’t be first pick himself – two out of three ain’t bad. Back in January 2023, I wrote a piece for a rival publication titled ‘The Strange Case of Alphonse Areola’. The gist of it was, as good as the aging Łukasz Fabiański had been for us, wasn’t it time for France’s number two – reportedly on twice the wage his competition earnt – to step up? Given that we went on to win the Conference League with Areola playing “cup keeper”, it could easily be argued that David Moyes and his staff knew what they were doing. And Areola has since assumed the starting berth, although it’s interesting that he’s never taken the number one jersey, instead changing his squad number from unlucky 13 to 23.
A Career Playing Second Fiddle and Missed International Chances
Part of me has always wondered if Areola is motivated enough to be a number one. This is a player talented enough to have represented Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and the French national team, winning Ligue 1, La Liga and the World Cup along the way. However, he consistently played second fiddle in those trophy-winning teams and shone brighter on loans to Lens, Villarreal and Fulham. Indeed, he was named the relegated west Londoner’s Player of the Year in 2021, showcasing a shot-stopping ability that was enough to earn a move east. Since then, France’s long-term number one Hugo Lloris has retired but becoming West Ham’s first choice has not helped Areola’s international ambitions, his form clearly not impressing Didier Deschamps, who has instead dropped him for the likes of Mike Maignan, Lucas Chevalier and Brice Samba. Would it be unkind to suggest that Areola is about as good at grabbing his chances as he is at collecting crosses?
Elite Shot-Stopping Overshadowed by Basic Goalkeeping Flaws
The position of goalkeeper has always been a relatively thankless one, mistakes highlighted tenfold as the last line of defence. And it’s become even more onerous since Pep Guardiola made ball-playing keepers the fashion. Judged on shot-stopping alone, Areola is up there with the very best. His January Save of the Month – reacting quickly to direct a header over the bar with his left boot, which helped keep the scoreline against Wolves marginally less depressing – is just one of many eye-catching stops he’s produced. But it’s the nuts and bolts of goalkeeping that cause the problems. Eyebrows were raised when Areola was dropped against Burnley, but the decision was vindicated by three points and a first shut-out since Mads Hermansen kept Forest at bay on the last day of August. Twenty two games had elapsed since then, with Areola in goal for 20 of them. Now, Nuno Espírito Santo has made some questionable team selections in his short time at the helm, but it’s hoped he knows best when it comes to goalkeeping, being one of the very few managers to have worn gloves himself.
Mads Hermansen Brings Calmness to the West Ham Defence
Persisting with Areola was hardly a vote of confidence for Hermansen, who clearly suffered a crisis of confidence during his rocky start, but since he returned to the starting line-up there is a noticeable calmness that contrasts with the jitteriness Areola seems to exude, largely thanks to his tendency to punch everything – including, unfortunately, Morgan Gibbs-White – and to kick aimlessly into touch. The jury is definitely still out on Hermansen, who has the disadvantage of being three inches shorter than Areola, which can certainly make the difference when it comes to fingertip saves. The Dane’s return may also have been fortuitous in coinciding with the arrival of Axel Disasi; where our goalkeepers and centre-backs have mostly brought out the worst in each other all season, finally it looks as if there is a more commanding presence in the penalty area.
Why Premier League Survival Demands More Than Good Reflexes
Statistics never tell the full story but no clean sheet in more than 20 matches is a pretty damning one for Areola. When it did belatedly arrive, it was still a bit of a nervy affair against League One opponents Burton Albion, though credit’s due for seeing out an extra 30 minutes. Should he find himself relegated to back-up for the remainder of the season, perhaps this bodes well for our cup exploits. Premier League survival, however, calls for a calm head and someone who instils confidence, which sadly seems beyond the reach of our mercurial Frenchman. The demands of the modern game mean that top-level goalkeepers must be good with hands, feet and head. Unfortunately, in Areola’s case, one out of three just hasn’t been good enough.
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