'Back to basics suits Artur' says Stewart Kerr

by Joe McHugh
Former Celtic keeper Stewart Kerr is convinced that Artur Boruc is back to his brilliant best after brushing up on the basics.

Boruc's full length save from David Wotherspoon at Easter Road on Sunday certainly caught the eye but there were other aspects of his game that appealed to Kerr.

As a goalkeeping coach, at First Division Airdrie, Kerr is well qualified to comment on Boruc and is certain that the Pole is back to the sort of form that made such an impact in his first three seasons as a Celt.

IMPRESSED

Kerr said: "Artur is always going to make good saves but the things that I've been more impressed with have been the basics of the game. His positioning has been spot on.

"His concentration looks a lot better and hopefully that will continue. He looks to have the basics right and that's what every 'keeper needs.

"Last season he was getting criticised from certain quarters. He had a tough time of it, maybe he was expecting a move and he played all year round after being at the European Championships.

"People don't realise how much it takes out of you when you are playing constant football, especially in big games, mentally it can be very hard.

"This season he looks to have worked really hard in pre-season and that's shown in the games that he's played so far."

ZALUSKA

The arrival of Lucasz Zaluska from Dundee United appears to have added benefited Boruc with his fellow Pole providing strong competition for the goalkeeping position.

"Competition keeps you on your toes,"Kerr added. "It really helps you day-to-day when there is another high class keeper working with you in training. You help and push each other in every session.

"Every keeper I've worked with likes working with other keepers, it's a healthy position for the club to be in. Keepers stand up for each other.

"Stevie Woods is now the goalkeeping coach at Celtic, he's worked his way up through the ranks and will be working hard with Artur.

FINE TUNING

"A goalkeeping coach can't come in and tell someone like Artur what to do, you can't change his style. All that a goalkeeping coach can do is some fine tuning and find out if there any problems.

"You have to get into their heads and make them confident, work on things they are struggling with. At that level it's about tweeking things a little, with first team keepers it's a case of fine tuning and being there for advice when it's needed.

"Any team that wins anything rarely has a bad goalkeeper. Every successful team has a top keeper, if you are going to win things then you have to have the goalkeeping position secure."

Kerr will be back in action himself at the weekend as Celtic travel to Liverpool to take part in the British Masters

Part Two of this interview tomorrow as Stewart looks forward to the Masters event.