Here’s a YouTube video of some of Matz Sels top saves from last season when he was voted Belgium’s Goalkeeper of the Season.
Matz Sels – taking medical at Newcastle
Here they are … and about three minutes in he saves from Anderlecht’s Aleksandar Mitrovic and Chancel Mbemba can be seen in the box too.
Early last season?
26 comments so far
G
Jun 28, 2016 at 1:00 PM
Comment #1Looks decent, hopefully a good signing for us?
martoon
Jun 28, 2016 at 1:11 PM
Comment #2To be fair I could look good in a Youtube compilation video but he must be decent to be voted the best keeper in Belgium – I’m sure Rafa has done his homework. I certainly didn’t see this one coming – I wonder how many more surprises Rafa has up his sleeve?
jayphoto
Jun 28, 2016 at 1:11 PM
Comment #3first thoughts of this video is he should really catch about 50% of these saves. Reminds me of Mignolet, very fast reflexes! Looks like hes got a long reach on him for a relatively short (6″2) keeper.
These videos are nice to watch, but a more informative video whilst less entertaining would be watching him deal with crosses, watching his distribution and how he organises his defence!
All in all the scout reports about him look great though and he did well against good opposition in the champions league this year! I know a lot disagree but I feel we needed to strengthen the keeper position, it wasn’t a huge problem but I felt we could have better than we have had
BandB
Jun 28, 2016 at 1:11 PM
Comment #4Not exactly tipping it round the post, is he?
martoon
Jun 28, 2016 at 1:12 PM
Comment #5Incidentally isn’t Matz Sels another name for unleavened bread? 😀
jayphoto
Jun 28, 2016 at 1:17 PM
Comment #6also, for someone who is 24, he looks about 40… Perhaps he drank the same water in belgium that Mbemba drank?….
Scouting reports look promising, Rafa likes a keeper that can sweep and distribute and this guy looks like he can do that, he’s known for his calmness and composure. Positive that hes not another bloody #10 or far too lightweight wide player…
Ron Knee
Jun 28, 2016 at 1:31 PM
Comment #7Gomis to SAFC? They deserve each other!
Jib
Jun 28, 2016 at 1:35 PM
Comment #8Marilyn Monroe said to Arthur Miller’s parents.
“Don’t they eat any other part of the Matzo”
U.S Magpie
Jun 28, 2016 at 1:40 PM
Comment #9Here’s what I like about this signing, its not the fact that he looks good on the You Tube Vid but the fact that we are all surprised about it. Newcastle have always let it slip who they are going after and then we have lost players to other clubs as some of the player are only on there radar when Newcastle show interest. But with Rafa no on knew and that’s why we may get players we are actually after and not lose to another club. Hopefully all the other reports about players we are after are Red herrings and Rafa is tricking everyone, like a magician with slight of hand. Well Ladies and Gents only five more weeks and we start our campaign to get back. I hope we get a few things ironed out over the next few weeks, players in and players out so we can start building.
jayphoto
Jun 28, 2016 at 1:48 PM
Comment #10in my opinion we need a goalkeeper, a CB , a LB, a RB and a Striker. A goalkeeper is in, thats 1 down, 4 to go. Lewis Dunk in next would be nice but the fact we’ve taken another Belgian suggests we’re not quite done with the leagues like Belgium and Holland. Theres actually been a few reports in Holland that we’re still looking at Veltman. The fact that sels has joined us from a champions league team, and has turned down PL teams to do so changes my thoughts on what players may be obtainable.
Ron Knee
Jun 28, 2016 at 1:50 PM
Comment #11mark Douglas:
“Interestingly I hear NUFC are hoping to have two more in this week. No guarantees but several deals are at an advanced stage, as Rafa Benitez said last week. No names for you as yet but one is a centre-back, I hear.”
Jib
Jun 28, 2016 at 1:52 PM
Comment #12Liverpool had Jerzy Dudek and Chris Kirkland when Rafa arrived.
Most fans thought they were OK
He got Reina in fairly quickly and Liverpools goals conceded fell dramatically.
Jib
Jun 28, 2016 at 1:55 PM
Comment #13Sels has signed a 5 year contract.
davetoon
Jun 28, 2016 at 1:56 PM
Comment #14We always seem to buy in the position we need least
cjtoon
Jun 28, 2016 at 2:00 PM
Comment #15Obviously a lot of the transfer activity will be determined by who leaves,
I’m possibly more excited by possible departures (unless its players I don’t want to leave :-p )
I agree with Jay though – Love TK but he has a terrible injury record and he’s not been at his best for a long time
estechco
Jun 28, 2016 at 2:01 PM
Comment #16BandB @4 – Were you being ironic? He seems to struggle to hold onto any/all saves, albeit in a spectacular fashion. I suspect he may give away several corners or spoon the ball back into the path of eager strikers? Hope I am just being unnecessarily pessimistic
Shot Bru
Jun 28, 2016 at 2:04 PM
Comment #17Davetoon
We have badly needed a keeper who is confident with the ball at his feet and with distribution. It will give the back 4 more confidence and improve our build up play, possession and counter attacking.
Good to hear Rafa is building from the back, if as reported we are in for a CB next.
Jib
Jun 28, 2016 at 2:09 PM
Comment #18That’s a Belgian keeper and a Belgian Congolese centre half.
With M’bemba playing the last 9 of our games last season.
I can see a pattern
Mister Tuff
Jun 28, 2016 at 2:18 PM
Comment #19Jack Root – stop your blog mischief and trickery – or should I now say Jeremy Root – you are not listening.
Your continual masquerading is insulting and to be truthful very sad. Give it a rest for the sake of the blog.
EllaGuru
Jun 28, 2016 at 2:23 PM
Comment #20That’s Tim Krul on his way then? Or Rob Elliot and we are signing this lad as back-up?
Jack Root
Jun 28, 2016 at 2:24 PM
Comment #21jayphoto
I read Jamie Carragher’s autobiography Carra. He mentioned that when Benitez replaced Houllier in 2004 he was faced with a number of poor, overpaid players but that he really didn’t do a lot better than his predecessor in the transfer market. Robbie Keane was a costly mistake and this was confirmed by Virgin Trains newspaper advert saying a Liverpool to London return faster than Robbie Keane. Carragher felt that for all the heavy spending during the Houllier, Benitez time the best players were homegrown and he sings the praises of Rafa.
After summer of 2009- Benitez’s last transfer window at Liverpool the Sunday Times said that his 6 years at Liverpool he had spent £125 million ( net) that is more more than he had received in fees. In the same period Fergie’s net spend at ManU was £27 million. During a time when ManU had won three PL titles to L’Pool’s none. From 2005- 2009 Benitez had overspent Chelsea on transfers. Carra concludes that spending a lot of money doesn’t guarantee success. It’s said that Rafa has worked out some of the secrets of the transfer market and learnt from the experience of operating at Anfield.
What many pool fans saw as the failure of Benitez was something else again that night in 2005 in Istanbul.
Back Door Man
Jun 28, 2016 at 2:29 PM
Comment #22Earlier somebody here asked why on earth would anybody take on the “shit sandwich” England job … well, Woy did it for 3.5 million reasons.
As the cameras panned along the England players before the game began, I experienced a powerful feeling of revulsion at who they were and what they represented. Unattractive personalities, vain, entitled and often steeped in shameful and disgusting behaviour. I wished them ill. Their weak kneed, yellow-bellied performance during the match just reinforced my impressions.
I found myself rooting for Iceland.
Jail for Ashley
Jun 28, 2016 at 2:31 PM
Comment #23Shot Bru,
I think a change was needed. Four, Five and Six goal hidings are meant to be painful and embarrassing. Tim Krul along with Collocini was getting far to used to them. We need a keeper who’ll lose the plot with his defence if they put him in a position to concede that many.
Jack Root
Jun 28, 2016 at 2:31 PM
Comment #24Tuff
You’ll not drive me off the blog like you have so many.
martoon
Jun 28, 2016 at 2:33 PM
Comment #25Jib – To be fair Belgium are producing a lot of good footballers at the moment (not exactly sure why) so you can see the logic.
YouCouldn'tMakeItUp
Jun 28, 2016 at 2:35 PM
Comment #26Back door
Well, if that is indeed the ONLY reason woy took the job, then that is another thing that needs to change. However, I doubt it was the only reason. He probably thought he could make a go of it, like all before him, and then realised no matter what he did, right or wrong, he would always be shot down from somewhere by some self important pr1ck on some radio station, and that would spread to the beying neanderthal hordes that pass for social media england fans these days.