Niemi retires! Best memories?

[Imants]

anyone remember when that cross-bar incident was?! sure it was a game played at loftus road when they were redeveloping Craven Cottage.. did it finish 2-2???

 

thanks

[Bailey]

Niemi was one of, if not the best keeper ever to play for Saints.

 

There have been so many highlights from his time here, but for me, hitting the bar at Fulham will go down in the memory.

 

Will never forget the moment he went up for that corner, only to smash the woodwork and for Killer to nod home the rebound.

 

Top bloke, fantastic keeper and I wish him all the very best in the future.

[Professor]

Paul Jones was still a great keeper when Neimi came, and the fact that he so easliy displaced PJ was huge credit to just how good he was. It was a matter of pride to have such a player in your team.

[Wes Tender]

Paul Jones was still a great keeper when Neimi came, and the fact that he so easliy displaced PJ was huge credit to just how good he was. It was a matter of pride to have such a player in your team.

 

Was Paul Jones a great keeper? I'd have only rated him as reasonable. I have no qualms whatsoever about granting Niemi great keeper status.

[dubai_phil]

Was Paul Jones a great keeper? I'd have only rated him as reasonable. I have no qualms whatsoever about granting Niemi great keeper status.

 

At the top of his game Jones was a great keeper. Where he let himself down was his kicking/distribution. But Niemi was one of those keepers who just looked like he filled the entire goal which Jones never seemed to.

 

Also according to my missus at the time Jones had a much nicer arse, not usually a criteria but it did mean I got to go to footie more often as she wanted to go there instead of shopping:-)

[Wes Tender]

At the top of his game Jones was a great keeper. Where he let himself down was his kicking/distribution. But Niemi was one of those keepers who just looked like he filled the entire goal which Jones never seemed to.

 

Also according to my missus at the time Jones had a much nicer arse, not usually a criteria but it did mean I got to go to footie more often as she wanted to go there instead of shopping:-)

 

Surely you contradicted yourself, or can a keeper really be deemed to be great if his kicking and distribution is not as good as it could be? I'd have thought that kicking and distribution were if not as important as saving goals, at least a very integral part of a goalkeeper's requirements.

[dubai_phil]

Surely you contradicted yourself, or can a keeper really be deemed to be great if his kicking and distribution is not as good as it could be? I'd have thought that kicking and distribution were if not as important as saving goals, at least a very integral part of a goalkeeper's requirements.

 

Nope, I'll stick with the fact he was great, until we found someone better:-)

 

Would you pick a great shot stopper or have a midfielder in goal who could pass?:-)

 

Also the fact he played got me to be able to see more games so that was great.

 

Won't class him as a legend though:-)

 

That's reserved for Niemi, and Paul Smith's 15 mins of fame for his save from whoever it was....

[Saint Martini]

Nope, I'll stick with the fact he was great, until we found someone better:-)

 

Would you pick a great shot stopper or have a midfielder in goal who could pass?:-)

 

Also the fact he played got me to be able to see more games so that was great.

 

Won't class him as a legend though:-)

 

That's reserved for Niemi, and Paul Smith's 15 mins of fame for his save from whoever it was....

 

Wasn't that Blayney against Newcastle and not Paul Smith? Although Paul Smith also played a brilliant match against Newcastle, but I think that was the away match the season afterwards?

[Tac-tics]

I liked it when he did those saves.

 

Is that the low driven shots and he would collect then lay down flat on the floor?

[Tac-tics]

any one got any good photos of him in action for Saints?

[saints_is_the_south]

The first game I ever went to was Villa in the relegation season. We were 2-1 up at the time and he managed to smother a loose ball on the line after a frantic goalmouth scramble. The memory is somewhat darkened by the result, but it had the Northam and Itchen chanting his name.

 

Triple save against the Arse for me. I also remember him making some blinding saves in the 4-3 Norwich game.

 

All the best Antti. Come back and be a goalkeeping coach!

 

The save from Leon Mckenzie at 3-3, about 8 minutes left. That game, albeit it meant nothing in the end but it will stay with me forever and his save kept us in it then.

[jupu]

We've had a lot of wasters and people abusing the club since 2003 at all levels - playing, managers, coaches and directors but Antti is the real deal and his desire for Saints to succeed was genuine.

 

I echo that. Almost every prime moment of Antti in the Saints has been covered in this thread. However, saint1977's point is an important one: he was not only a top keeper, he also gave a damn about the Saints: a year or two ago Antti wrote a column in a Finnish newspaper about the prime moment of his sporting life, being in the FA Cup Final with the Saints. It really was a sentimental article, years after he had left the Saints, which proved me that he still really cherishes the club and the time at Saints.

 

There's no doubt that we were the lucky ones to experience the prime time of his career. Top keeper. And top bloke.

[S4INT]

I met him once and he replied when I e-mailed him

He is my footballing hero and the reason I am a goalkeeper, my favorite Saints player of all time

All the best Antti