Feyenoord goalkeeper Tjark Ernst under fire, Digi Mart USA News (Rotterdam, Netherlands): Feyenoord’s form has stalled, and German goalkeeper Tjark Ernst is once again facing heavy criticism. Coach Giovanni van Bronckhorst said Ernst “has to learn to deal with it,” noting that the keeper’s figures are also unfavorable.
Ernst received a cynical round of applause from his own supporters last Tuesday at De Kuip during Feyenoord’s hopeless 0-3 defeat to Internazionale. He was particularly blamed for the final Italian goal, after failing to come out and then being applauded by fans for catching a simple ball.
Van Bronckhorst has defended his goalkeeper at several press conferences. He stated that Ernst is not solely responsible for conceded goals, saying, “I think we can name many players when it comes to where things go wrong on goals against.
Not only our keeper.” He added that the situation does not need to be discussed separately with Ernst, as he and the goalkeeping coach know what must be done to prepare him for the match against Heerenveen.
Data from Opta suggests Ernst is performing modestly compared with other Eredivisie goalkeepers and with his predecessors at Feyenoord. According to the figures, he has conceded more goals than expected, and only two keepers used in the Eredivisie have performed worse.
Per-match averages also place him clearly below Justin Bijlow and Timon Wellenreuther, Feyenoord’s previous first-choice keepers.
A frequent criticism at De Kuip is that nearly every shot from distance goes in, and the statistics reflect this. Former Feyenoord UEFA Cup-winning goalkeeper Edwin Zoetebier, now a goalkeeping coach, described the issue as a mix of confidence and quality.
He said some of Ernst’s dives appear not yet fully developed, and he questioned the technique Ernst uses, known as the “Negative Step,” in which the foot first completes a movement on the ball before the keeper pushes off. Zoetebier said the technique can work but must be used at the right moments.
For now, Ernst retains his coach’s confidence. No obvious alternative is available, though Florian Kastenmeier, also signed from the second Bundesliga, is an option.
Feyenoord’s technical director Dévy Rigaux had spent five million euros on the 23-year-old Ernst from Hertha BSC last summer, describing him as the top target on the scouting list.
Feyenoord travel to sc Heerenveen, with kickoff at 12:15 p.m. local time.
