10 Jul 2015 19:58:12
Imo we should (and should of done last season) start Joel and give him until January to prove himself and if that doesn't work out, get another Keeper. Which we should do anyway, Howard is an embarrassment, sick of seeing him mess up and then smiling like it's funny. Sick of seeing him go mental and punch himself after saving a shot moving 0.1 mph. Is Ospina an improvement on Howard? Definitely, Szezezny is an improvement on Howard and he drives me to tears with laughter at how bad he is!. We would be (with Ospina) swapping a terrible, incredibly awful and phenominally bad Goalkeeper for one a bit less bad. Which is an improvement. Still think Joel deserves a chance, but we all know Howard will remain 1st choice for 3 years, still cost us 20 points a season and still be recognised as a good shot stopper. You know, that irritates me, a good shot stopper? EVERY Keeper is a good shot stopper. that's like saying a Boxer is good because he can punch, really? YA THINK?. We should get Howard out the team, out the club and out the country ASAP. His imability to be a Goalkeeper is laughable and most, taxing.
10 Jul 2015 21:17:28
Joel was treated harshly when Howard came back in last season, he was on good form so it basically just said to him that Howard would always be first choice. Joel came through a fair bit of stick from myself included but looked good, or at least better than Tim. If we could get a couple of million for him from the U.S. Whilst there is still a slight hint of his World Cup heroics in the air and sign ospina or Marshall for a couple more I would take it. Has been a great servant for the club but the right balance needs to be struck between treating a player correctly and moving forward
{Ed025's Note - good post that clarkey, i agree with all that mate..
11 Jul 2015 00:39:01
All well and good to say Joel was badly treated but we all knew who the first choice keeper was and, despite it being fairly harsh, TH was always going to be straight back in the team. Most teams will do the same. Look at Chelsea last season, although they had two quality keepers, they knew who was first choice and he was brought back in for the important games. Let's be honest, Joel had 2 or 3 decent games but before that he was pretty woeful and plenty on here were questioning why he had been brought in. 3 good games doesn't mean you will be the solution to take over from an ageing TH. Joel has not done enough for me, he himself looks dodgy at times although, as I said, he had 3 decent games when deputising.
To say Tim costs us 20 points a season is a bit of an exaggeration, but that is not to say he doesn't make howlers. Swan, if Stones costs us points, which he has done in the past, I don't think you will be slating him on here as you do with other players. He's not as bad as you make out but time is against him. I still say he is better than quite a few of the keepers in the premier league but he will need replacing soon. Our priorities should be strengthening defence, maybe a winger and another striker, keeper can wait until the next window at least
11 Jul 2015 01:43:07
Stones has not cost us anywhere near the amount of points Howard has. Chelsea brought Courtois back in because he would of handed in a transfer request, he wanted to leave unless he was GUARANTEED to be 1st choice from the start. We also do not have 2 quality Keepers. Despite how dodgy Joel looked (looked not looks) he still never directly cost us in any game bar the meaningless Krasnodar game. I would also like to know which keeper is worse than Howard. I will do another post to see if I can reach the 20 point mark of costliness from Howard.
11 Jul 2015 08:22:00
I've watched many games when Howard has pulled off some game saving saves! So there is plenty of good points as well as bad! Just got to want to see them swan!
11 Jul 2015 18:28:03
I never said he had cost us 20 points, although I doubt TH has cost us as many as that either, but Stones has cost us points/goals in games before now Swan. Just asking will you point them out and slate him for them like you do with TH? Doubt you will mate. Used Chelsea as an example as Courtois is was first choice last season, Cech could have 3 amazing games yet get benched when the other was fit. Most teams do this, rightly or wrongly. Whether the game is meaningless or not, Joel was poor that european game. He cost us a goal that game but you will forgive him and ignore it because it wasn't Howard? I'm still not convinced by Joel, I don't believe that because he had 3 decent games he has turned in to a top keeper. As smegs said above, I have also witnessed TH make some great saves to keep us in games so to say he isn't premiership standard is a bit daft. When you compile a list on TH and the points you believe he cost us, make it fair and do one for the entire defence :)
11 Jul 2015 20:10:24
Which games?
11 Jul 2015 20:50:33
Off the top of my head, he made a great save v Southampton at home. There were plenty against Chelsea away as well as Liverpool away. There will be plenty more too mate. I'm not saying he isn't prone to howlers, most keepers are and do make mistakes. But he is nowhere near as bad as you are trying to make out
11 Jul 2015 20:50:55
when did I forgive him 'because it wasn't Howard'. It was a meaningless game. I explained why Coutois was brought straight back in, it does not matter if most teams do it, does that mean we should do it?. I cannot remember each game so I will try and watch each goal back but I can think of a few off by heart.
11 Jul 2015 21:30:35
His 'great save' against Southampton was down to his mess up anyway. He should of stopped the goal at Chelsea and was at fault for Liverpools goal at Anfield. Thanks you just made my job a but easier.
12 Jul 2015 00:27:31
Swan get a grip mate! If he hadn't made some of the saves he did then we would have been well beaten yet, apart from Chelsea, we took points. You don't mention it when a player you like makes a mistake but if TH does, in a position that a mistake can cost a goal, then you slate him. Look at the bigger picture, if you can, at times the defence causes mistakes. That's football lad, plain and simple. I explained why I mentioned Chelsea and their keepers, it was to show even the top notch keepers get sacked off when the player who is considered number one is back from injury/suspension. Whether we should do that is another thing but, imo, Howard is far better than Joel. 3 games doesn't make a lad good enough. Yes it matters he made a mistake in a meaningless game as, by your standard of judging, he cost us a goal. Don't move the goal posts to suit your argument. I didn't make your job 'easier' mate, I pointed out, off the top of my head, a few games when he made top class saves to keep us in with a chance of gaining points. Exactly what you wanted me to provide. I'll not bother replying in this post as it's flogging a dead horse, unless you provide us with how TH cost us 20 points last season on his own! You can say what you like, and footy is all about opinions, but you are so biased towards the players you dislike it is beyond belief mate. I see what I see in games, and this greatly differs from your opinions!
12 Jul 2015 06:25:41
Well I have go to say that's the embarrassing opening statement ever, you would think he went round shooting children the way you have went on, I agree we could with a better keeper but you my friend have some serious issues I think you need dealing with because saying that's over the top would be an understatement
12 Jul 2015 11:00:24
went round shooting children? Please tell me I did not see that, if, you could, please show me where I act like he went round shooting kids?. We did not take points away to Chelsea, away at Utd or away at Spurs. You say the Krasnodar game stilk matters yet you accept Liverpool and Arsenal at home as acceptable mistakes as we still picked up points. That's great, next time we are winning or still can win let's hope we only end up drawing because that is a good thing, amirite?.
12 Jul 2015 13:12:32
pathetic Swan, you twist things to suit yet again! I never said it was acceptable, I said by your own method of judging. And you still won't admit he made saves in them 3 games that kept us in with a chance of taking something. You asked which games, I gave you 3 off the top of my head. You said he cost us 20 points last year, you haven't provided anything to back up your ridiculous and exaggerated claim. But I shouldn't have expected anything else really should I?