Player Focus: Fernando Muslera - Galatasaray’s Jewel in the Crown

“The goalkeeper is the jewel in the crown and getting at him should be almost impossible. It's the biggest sin in football to make him do any work.” George Graham once famously said. In contrast Galatasaray goalkeeper Fernando Muslera must feel treated more like a plastic ruby than a precious gemstone.

The Lions’ Achilles’ heel this season has undoubtedly been their defending. Galatasaray were dumped out of the Champions League conceding a staggering 19 goals in six games and have the worst defensive record in the Süper Lig’s top four.

On paper it does look as if Muslera is having a season to forget. The Uruguayan keeper has conceded his highest goal tally since joining Galatasaray. However, anyone who has watched the Lions this season will probably agree that Muslera is not really to blame. It is quite frightening to think what might have happened had he not been in goal.

The Galatasaray defence have allowed opposition sides to take, on average, 13.9 shots per game - the worst record in the top seven. Muslera has been averaging 3.2 saves per game – 1.5 of which are from inside the penalty area - even Boy Waterman of relegation battling Karabükspor only averages 2 saves per match.

The save stats alone do not explain just how important Muslera has been to the Lions. The Uruguayan international made four key saves within the opening 35 minutes in the 1-0 win against Mersin on Wednesday. The experienced keeper has made himself count just when the title looked to be running away from Galatasaray.

Brian Clough was quoted as saying the following in Duncan Hamilton’s book ‘Provided You Don’t Kiss Me’, "With Shilton in goal, it gave everyone else more confidence, it spread through the side. We were full of ourselves. The defenders felt safer, and the forwards thought if we could nick a goal, there was more than an evens chance the opposition wouldn't score at the other end. That's how you win titles, and that's how we won ours."

Galatasaray, however, have conceded more goals than second placed Fenerbahçe, third placed Beşiktaş and even fourth placed Istanbul minnows Başakşehir. Two weeks ago I wrote that the only way Lions boss Hamza Hamzaoğlu would be able to win the title is if his side stop leaking goals. A fortnight later, Muslera has kept four consecutive clean sheets and his side have won four on the bounce.

It has not been pretty, the 28-year-old has had to pull off incredible saves, stops that appear to defy the laws physics. Social media has been awash with Muslera meme’s depicting him with everything from having four arms to saving the World from the apocalypse by stopping gigantic meteors. The Uruguayan keeper has dealt effortlessly with aerial balls, commanded his ramshackle defence and distributed the ball well, leading to quick counter attacks.

The Lions have a long history of South American goalkeepers, starting with Claudio Taffarel who was followed by Faryd Mondragon. It is not a coincidence that Galatasaray had a golden age during the Taff era. With the Brazilian legend the Istanbul giants won two league titles, Turkey’s first UEFA Cup and the European Super Cup. Mondragon also won two league titles and received a Player of the Week award twice in the Champions League.

Taffarel returned to Galatasaray as a goalkeeping coach after an illustrious playing career. The lure of working with his childhood hero proved to be an important factor in Muslera’s decision to join. “Taffarel is a legend for goalkeepers the world over but he is more than a legend in South America, the World Cup and everything else he won is still fresh in my memory, he is one of the main reasons I joined the club, it is an honour to work with him," the Uruguayan keeper recently said.

Muslera played an integral role in the Lions’ back-to-back title winning seasons – 2011-2013 – and played an important role in the Turkish titans reaching the Champions League quarter-finals last season.

The 2014/15 title race was neck and neck until the latest round of games. Galatasaray have now opened up a three-point gap at the top ahead of second placed rivals Fenerbahçe. The Lions have not been playing the most aesthetically pleasing football over the past four weeks and they have only scored four goals. But a goal a game is enough when you are keeping clean sheets.

Muslera has without a doubt been the game changer for the red and yellows at the final hurdle. Were the Lions to go on and win the league title they would owe a huge amount of gratitude to their baby-faced hero. Goalkeepers rarely win player of the season awards and their contributions are quite often overlooked but there is no denying that without Muslera, Galatasaray would not be first with two games left to play.

Will Galatasaray win the league and how much of that is due to the efforts of Muslera? Let us know in the comments below