FM23: What Makes a Good Sweeper Keeper?
In the modern era of football, there’s an increasing expectation for Goalkeepers to have “outfield” attributes in their repertoire. In some cases, goalkeepers are encouraged to push higher up the pitch to take on the role of another defender and to assist the outfield build-up play. This is what has become known as the ‘Sweeper Keeper’.
In this post, we will look at what makes a good Sweeper Keeper on Football Manager.
Definition
Simply put, a Sweeper Keeper is a goalkeeper that becomes an extra defender at points in a game, acting as an eleventh outfield player.
A Sweeper Keeper regularly pushes high up the pitch in order to control the space behind their defence. This involves being in closer proximity to teammates than a ‘typical’ goalkeeper, taking on a more active role in assisting the team with attacks and maintaining possession.
Sweeper Keeper – Definition on Football Manager
The Tactical Side of Sweeper Keeper
Johan Cruyff’s and his student Pep Guardiola’s idea of the game is to score by breaking through various lines of pressure. In this type of progressive play, the sweeper keeper becomes an important part of the team. The defending team always tries to press and win the ball in the final third, thus reducing the distance to the goal and having a much direct chance at finding the back of the net.
The main characteristics of a sweeper keeper are that he should be confident enough to not use his hands and have composure on the ball with his feet. He is usually good at passing and has able distribution skills.
A sweeper keeper should have awareness about whether to attack the ball or not, be fast and have good interception skills. Presence of mind is also an important quality for sweeper keepers.
A sweeper keeper helps in improving smaller things but many would prefer to be on the safer side. After all, keepers are more likely to be blamed when conceding due to their presence up the pitch, rather than in a 1v1 situation in their own penalty area.
Recommended Sweeper Keepers
| Name | Position | Club | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manuel Neuer | GK | FC Bayern | GER |
| Thibaut Courtois | GK | Real Madrid | BEL |
| Ederson | GK | Man City | BRA |
| Alisson | GK | Liverpool | BRA |
| Jan Oblak | GK | Atlético | SVN |
| Édouard Mendy | GK | Chelsea | SEN |
| Marc-André ter Stegen | GK | Barcelona | GER |
| Keylor Navas | GK | PSG | CRC |
| Wojciech Szczęsny | GK | Juventus | POL |
| Hugo Lloris | GK | Tottenham | FRA |
| Unai Simón | GK | Athletic | ESP |
| Samir Handanovič | GK | Inter | SVN |
| Neto | GK | Bournemouth | BRA |
| Dominik Livaković | GK | Dinamo | CRO |
| Yann Sommer | GK | Borussia M’gladbach | SUI |
| Emiliano Martínez | GK | Aston Villa | ARG |
| Kepa Arrizabalaga | GK | Chelsea | ESP |
| Bernd Leno | GK | Fulham | GER |
| Diogo Costa | GK | FC Porto | POR |
| Illan Meslier | GK | Leeds | FRA |
| Gavin Bazunu | GK | Southampton | IRL |
| Robert Popa | GK | FC U Craiova | ROU |
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