What must Joe Hart do to turn his form around?

Joe Hart: Tough times ahead?

Joe Hart has come under a lot of criticism lately. The England and Manchester City shot-stopper has been under scrutiny for making what could be dubbed schoolboy errors during games. What’s made it worse is that his errors have directly led to goals and as a result, his place in both the England and Manchester City side has been questioned.

Despite a poor run of form, he has recieved support from both Roy Hodgson as well as Manuel Pellegrini. However, Pellgrini has warned Hart that he isn’t exactly irreplacable, although in a show of faith he didn’t drop him for the match against Everton. The move backfired on him as Hart conceded yet another soft goal but City managed to win the game hence the spotlight wasn’t on him.

Despite the fact that Hart has only recently come in for criticism, no one can say the warning signs weren’t there; they were simply ignored. Last season, Joe Hart made a total of six goalkeeping errors out of which five resulted in goals. This was in sharp contrast to his form during City’s title-winning season when he made only two errors, one of which resulted in a goal. Hart has been struggling for consistency since last season and the fact that his errors are now being noticed more often won’t help his case.

The errors aren’t exactly a reflection on Joe Hart’s ability as a goalkeeper; he is an excellent shot-stopper. However, he has his weaknesses and will need to work on them soon if he wants to remain the first-choice ‘keeper for club and country.

One of his major weaknesses is his decision-making. He can’t seem to decide what to do at times and ends up making a meal of even the simplest of situations. This was plainly evident against Cardiff City when he half-heartedly tried to come out and punch a cross but ended up missing the ball entirely, leaving Frazier Campbell with the simplest of chances. His other problem, at least at the moment, is a lack of confidence. Every move he makes is now under scrutiny and simple things such as a slight fumble, which would not even be noticed if he was doing well, will be seen by all and sundry and will be used as a stick to berate him with.

What Hart needs to do is get back to the basics, such as stick around after training and do some basic work with the coaches. Bringing back his confidence is a sure-shot way of getting his form back and he can only do that if he decides to put in the extra effort. At the same time, Manuel Pellegrini needs to keep reassuring him about his future at the club, although deciding to bench Hart for a couple of games wouldn’t be the worst option, at least until his confidence is better than it is at the moment. Hart’s situation isn’t unsalvageable, but if steps aren’t taken at the earliest, he will never be able to regain his form of 2011/12.