The loneliness of the goalkeeper, his separateness and his isolation, has always been one of the recurring themes of football. The goalkeeper is praised for his courage and adored for his eccentricity but his main purpose in the psyche of the game has always been as someone to blame. After the manager, he is the go-to-guy when we need a scapegoat.
That syndrome is at its height in major tournaments. Peter Bonetti was singled out by many for England’s exit in the 1970 World Cup. David Seaman let a Ronaldinho free-kick sail over his head when we were knocked out by Brazil in 2002.