Mario Been has criticised Tjark Ernst after Feyenoord's 1-1 draw with Fortuna Sittard. Shiloh 't Zand fired in the equaliser, and the ESPN analyst believes Ernst could have done much more to stop it. Been also questions Feyenoord's decision to bring the German goalkeeper to De Kuip last summer.
Last summer, Feyenoord signed Ernst from Hertha BSC for €5 million to replace the departed Timon Wellenreuther. The 23-year-old German has since been the Rotterdam club's first-choice goalkeeper, but he has yet to convince Been. The former Feyenoord manager believes Ernst looked unconvincing when Fortuna scored their late equaliser.
"Looking at it from behind the goal, I think the goalkeeper could have done much more than he did," Been says on ESPN as the goal is replayed. The analyst takes particular issue with how Ernst goes for the ball. "He doesn't really dive; he just falls over."
Been adds: "I think you can take another step and perhaps reach a bit further than he did. I've never played in goal, but this looked more like falling over than actually taking a step and diving for the ball," Been says.
His doubts extend beyond Ernst's performance against Fortuna Sittard. "I still have doubts about him as a goalkeeper," the former Feyenoord manager says. "Especially at the level Feyenoord are aiming for."
Although Ernst made an important save late on to prevent Fortuna substitute Sven Simons from making it 1-2, Been believes the goalkeeper is still showing too little. "He hasn't convinced me yet. He saves that last ball brilliantly, but the goal goes in too easily," the analyst says.
Even so, Been does not want his criticism to become a personal campaign against the German goalkeeper. "Again, this mustn't become a campaign against Ernst, but he hasn't won points for Feyenoord yet," he stresses.
On Feyenoord's recruitment, the former manager wonders why the Rotterdam club did not opt for a Dutch goalkeeper. "I don't understand why you have to bring in goalkeepers from abroad when you also have players like Branderhorst and Drommel in the Netherlands," says Been, who also names Nick Olij (PSV) and Etienne Vaessen (FC Groningen) as alternatives. "There are plenty of goalkeepers who do impress me. And then Feyenoord come up with Ernst."