Always remember looking at him before the 1995 cup final and thinking can he still do it? the emphatic answer was yes, he probably looked like the most unlikely keeper in his later years but his agility for a big guy was remarkable.
I watched the whole game again this morning on You Tube just to critique his performance and check that his ball control was as good as I remember.
As I thought, looked really comfortable, around the 65 minute mark he saved a corner from a bad backpass, that most keepers wouldn't have been able to control. Most kicks he made landed on the head of an Everton player.
Few quick points and minutes incase anyone has the time and inclination to look it up, I won't mention the obvious saves like the ones from Scholes.
45 minutes: At the end of the first half could have been a corner or throw to Utd as Nicky Butt ran into the area (or in Howards case a certain pen) but he knew he didn't have to kick it, just pretend to, enabling it to go out for a goal kick.
80 minutes: Pallister save, this was fairly routine for Nev but a lot of keepers wouldn't have been able to hold on to the ball and would have parried it out instead of catching it. There was a line of utd players across the area ready to get a tap in if he hadn't.
82 minutes: Neuer eat your heart out as Nev comes out to clear, not just a stand on his line type.
88 minutes: A Utd shot goes out hits the hoardings and comes back to Nev who promptly and slyly punches it back over into the no man's area to waste another 15-20 seconds. It really is all in the top 2 inches.
90 minutes: A long ball comes in to the box, Nev claims it from a pile of bodies, he actually was a little bit too far in front of the ball to catch it with forward momentum, but sticks a big hand up and it rolled down into his chest.
Great memories watching it back, we will be very lucky to get another keeper who brings 85% of what Southall brought to the table.
