Our view: The greatest goalkeepers ever

But who among them is the greatest goalkeeper ever… if any? That was the question posed on the latest Game of Opinions podcast as the panel argued over the finest guardians of the goal.

Of course, you voted for Gianluigi Buffon as the greatest of all time in the Eurosport Cup last week.

But will you have second thoughts after listening to our debate? Listen to the podcast now, watch the vodcast trailer below or revisit the written arguments.

The case for Peter Schmeichel by Ben Snowball: "He somehow managed to tread the line between giving them confidence and looming as executor should they mess up. Without him, it’s unlikely United would have swept up domestically in the 1990s and eventually conquered Europe. The £505,000 ‘splashed’ on the Brondby talent helped yield five Premier League titles, three FA Cups, a League Cup and that European crown."

The case for Gianluigi Buffon by Pete Sharland: "Keepers of the older generation might fall down when they are measured with against sweeper-keeper modern day counterparts whilst some of the new generation certainly don’t have the fear factor of the old guard but Buffon is the one who can straddle both divides. He unites the old and the new and blends them together to make the perfect goalkeeper. He is the benchmark, the one who all others need to aspire to."

The case for Jose Luis Chilavert by Carrie Dunn: "Don't let a goalkeeper with a fine set-piece record dazzle you - or lead you to dismiss him. Chilavert was not a gimmick. He was a great shot-stopper, a commanding presence, a charismatic leader. And his brilliance helped Paraguay to punch considerably above their weight; had he played for one of the leading nations, his name would always be up there with the best, not simply wheeled out as an example of goalkeeping madness."

The case for Iker Casillas by Marcus Foley: "At his best - and he was at his best for a decade plus - Iker Casillas was unparalleled. He was a peerless shot-stopper. However, it was his excellence in all facets of the game that allowed him to straddle the changing demands placed upon goalkeepers at the turn of the century of just thereafter, and Casillas, like Gianluigi Buffon, represents the last bastion of keeper who gave equal weight to the more traditional aspects of keeping and the modern obsession with playmaking from deep."

Read the full article here.