Keeper’s ball! Wigan stopper Chris Kirkland won’t know whether to call for it or avoid as Tottenham come a-knocking at the DW Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The England fringe keeper was beaten nine times when these sides met at White Hart Lane earlier in the season, and while he’ll be fearing an unlikely repeat performance from a Spurs side who have stalled somewhat away from home in league action of late, he may take some encouragement from his Wigan troops who’ll most likely be gunning for revenge.
Heurelho Gomes certainly didn’t have much to do in the November 22 clash between these sides, and as a keeper he has well and truly exorcised the demons that haunted so many of his early performances for the club.
Keepers are often overlooked in terms of their football boot choices… after all, they are the least used of any player on the pitch. But that’s not to say their boot selections aren’t important. Our last line of defence are very often relying on their cleats to match their own laser-sharp reactions, and a piece of football that doesn’t respond to the split-second demands of arguably the most pressured position in the game, isn’t worth its salt… or studs… whatever you prefer.
Gomes has been plying his trade in a pair of , Nike CTR360 Maestri, a boot designed for optimum support and precision passing. True, it’s a midfielder’s piece of footwear, but doubtless the Spurs keeper is utilising the cleat’s strong outer shell to ensure that he gets as much purchase on the ball as possible. The other big plus for this boot is the sheer density of its chassis. Keepers may not be pounding the centre circle for 90 minutes but their range of sudden movements (often upright) combined with the impact of the boot on the turf when reaching for high balls means that protection to the foot is paramount, and the Nike CTR360 Maestri certainly offers that.
Of course, if Wigan are to gain revenge for that hammering earlier on in the campaign, much will dependon Roberto Martinez’s side’s ability to keep the ball down the Spurs end of the pitch!
Marcelo Moreno, the Bolivian striker brought in right at the end of the transfer window, has been asked to do primarily what Jason Scotland couldn’t… score goals, and as you would expect of a floppy-haired top-techniqued South American, he’s turning out in a pair of Nike Mercurial Vapor Superflys.
This may be the boot’s final showing of the campaign, and already riding high in the Boot Wars table in 4th place (behind the Nike CTR360 Maestri, Umbro Speciali and Adidas Predator Powerswerve), it will be relying on Moreno to do the business. Of course, we know all about this one… lightweight beyond belief, sleek, sharp, and fast, but it’s a summer boot first and foremost, and on a boggy Lancashire pitch surrounded by a tough-tackling Tottenham midfield that’s likely to feature such hard-hitters as Jermaine Jenas and Tom Huddlestone, it’ll be interesting to see how Moreno (and his Superflys) get on. And when he comes head-to-head with Gomes, we’ll really see this Boot Wars play out.
Ransacker Verdict: Neither boot is nailed-on perfect for the wearer, so this should be a fascinating match-up and probably too close to call.
Other Recommended Reading
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About the author
James is an experienced football journalist who edits two leading Premier League club mags. He has worked for Sky Sports and is endlessly complaining about shin splints. And Mark Lawrenson. His favourite boot is the Adidas Predator Powerswerve. Although it's rumored that he once owned a pair of Nicks boots!
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Gomes is a donkey! He’s an insult to the CTR360s. Nike should only let decent footballers where them.
The CTR’s are great looking boots, and have obviously been performing well, but I don’t think they’ll make much of an influence because Spurs we’ll be dominating Wigan all game, and Gomes won’t have much to do.Looking foward to seeing an update on the Superfly’s soon!