Pat Bonner tells Celtic coach Stevie Woods how he can fix a ‘technical issue’ with Kasper Schmeichel he could fix that would help the big Dane stop conceding goals.
Schmeichel has come under fire after Celtic’s defeat to Stuttgart saw some fans boo the Hoops stopper while he was still on the field of play.
Bonner also revealed how Celtic fans abused Schmeichel as he stepped off the team bus just hours before facing Hibs at Parkhead.
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And the Celtic icon has highlighted issues Stevie Woods could fix in training that could help turn fan opinion around on the veteran keeper.
Pat Bonner says Celtic’s Kasper Schmeichel has a ‘foot problem’
Schmeichel has been caught flat-footed on many occasions this season and Bonner says Celtic’s coaching staff could help with his positioning.
Bonner told BBC Radio Scotland, “There is an issue slightly at the moment for me with Kasper where I watched the game against Bologna away, also with exactly the same as the second goal, I think it was, and I just think it’s back to basics for him, and he needs to think about that.
“And the goalkeeper coach, Stevie Woods, needs to help him out with this. Nowadays, you’ve got total analysis. You’ve got everything in front of you, and you can break it down. You can see what’s happening.
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“For me as a technical issue, his feet are too far apart, it’s a technical thing, because when I watched him, I wonder why he couldn’t make those saves, or get his body into a position where he could actually even make even them.
“Even when it came off him and when the second goal went right through him, the first one right through and, I was almost within a couple of feet from him when I watched it back on TV, and there must be an issue.”
What Bonner ‘noticed’ about Kasper Schmeichel’s feet
Celtic fans have been frustrated at Schmeichel’s apparent inability to make simple saves but Bonner has the solution.
Bonner continued, “What I’ve noticed is that his feet are almost beyond the shoulder width. Now when you’re brought up as a young goalkeeper, that’s the first thing that you learn.
“Your feet have got to be almost shoulder width apart. If you’re too narrow, you lose your balance. If you’re too wide, you’re almost stuck in that position.
“And his automatic response at the moment is feet wide apart. And then he’s stuck in that position, and he can’t move. And for me, that is in his technical game as well.”
Schmeichel is under pressure at Celtic as the title race heats up and his recent mistakes have highlighted just how tense it is at the club.
If the big Dane can fix this issue Bonner has spotted, then maybe this could be a turning point for the Celtic keeper.
But, at 39, it’s unlikely this is going to change now so Celtic fans might need to put up with the mistakes and hope they don’t become too costly with 11 games left to play.
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