Gazzaniga: the verdict?

I didn't even see you do an impression. Who did you do?

 

Must have been a fabulous impression of the Not606 forum having a ding-dong battle [it's still always a ding-dong battle, isn't it..?]

 

Niemi was probably the finest goalkeeper I've seen for Saints(I'm pre-Shilton) and the amount of times he was beaten and didn't move were reasonably regular.

 

Absolutely. The very example keeper I used earlier in the thread.

 

Wonderful keeper - just a shame he had so many injuries.

In truth, we've never done badly for keepers have we.

 

Sorry guys he was flat footed for that goal.......Something that happens but shouldn't happen. Whether he would have been lucky enough to get to it is any mans guess had he been following the flight of the ball. It is about decision making and reactions. If he thought the ball was going in the opposite corner (Which to be fair may have been in his thoughts) He should have been half a step forward and further towards the ball.
Trouble was to me he was caught in two minds and not quick enough to react.
It was a good header no doubt...but I am of the opinion (having been coached as a goalkeeper by a professional) He should have at least attempted a save. He just lost his concentration for a split second. It happens to the best of us. Sorry to disagree......

 

We've had a couple of iffy ones in our time, but no, on the whole we've done all right. Had to, at times.

 

Sorry Beddy, but I disagree [yet again].

Where's FLT when you need him..? In his absence, here are the goals. Start at 3.55 and watch Benteke's goal until you realise Gazza didn't stand an earthly and he had the intelligence to know it. Once you've done that you can go back to Saints goals.

 

Beddytare, way too critical. We'll have to agree to disagree.

How do you know he was caught in two minds - you have no way of knowing that. You also don't know he lost his concentration. You are simply hypothesising at that, or guessing. You may be right on decision making, which is what I gave a suggestion on him having decided/gambled the ball was going the other way and in that case, the half a step criticism is incredible; the ball arrived quickly and if he was half a step out he was close to being in the right spot.

You also say he should have attempted a save, yet if he has made a decision to prepare to move the other way and the brain and muscles prepare for that but the ball doesn't go there, then he won't be able to attempt a save - I am sorry but if you and St B really believe that, you must wear red pants on the outside of a blue outfit with a giant S on your chest. It isn't just keepers. Take a FB. A winger runs at him and drops his hip one way and the defender goes that way; if the winger then switches back the other direction, then the FB is flat footed and going the wrong way.

One final comment from me is about the references to being coached professionally by you and St B - that just says you have a view based on what you learned. It doesn't make the criticism right or wrong; if it did, I'd caveat all my posts. Dare I ask how long ago you were coached professionally? Most the England World Cup winners would have steak and chips for lunch on a Saturday and wash it down with a pint! There won't ever be another World Cup winner who does that in the future.

This is dragging and dragging, so I'll leave it now, but it is incredibly unfair to criticise him for that. With the way you keepers critique, you should expect every game to be 0-0 as every single shot should be saved

 

Just thought of one other thing:

How did your coaches teach you to stop being flat footed? Bouncing? Think about what happens when you bounce in the balls of your feet.... Up and down...

How do you make sure you are not on a down movement at the moment you need to be on an up moment?

 

I was frantically typing!!!

 

Good man..! I went for the evidence. I ran the risk that it would betray me, but it just more clearly shows our point. Nobody is going to save that and most keepers would have the good sense to not bother and risk clattering with the post.

The lad's not perfect but give him a break for goodness sake.

 

I think we should blame the **** defending more than Gazza. Don't know who was stopping the cross, Bertrand? - needed to do better. Fonte got destroyed by Benteke, yes Benteke is good but he managed to bullet a header into the top corner from 6 yards, from a cross from deep, pretty poor marking.

 

I stopped reading after your first sentence.

That header was unstoppable (unless you have GK with some sort of telepathic ability), it was thumped right in the top corner, Neuer may have saved it 1/10 times but Gazzaniga is not at that level. Benteke could have placed that header wherever he wanted, if Gazza committed one way then he could easily have put in the other corner or wherever Paulo didn't move to.

 

Bertrand had just run back nearly the full length of the pitch as he was our furthest-forward player in the previous attack. He ended up in a CB position, Steven Davis was covering the LB position and might have made a better effort of blocking the cross. Fonte was completely outplayed by Benteke, and the header could have gone anywhere across the 8 yards of the goal, so for me, Gazza was perfectly placed in the centre of the goal, and on the line to give himself time to move. The header was absolutely smashed into the top corner, and in fact Gazza was beaten before he saw its flight, so no blame to him. If anyone was guilty it was Davis and Fonte, and not the keeper.

 

Okay so not Bertrand's fault. I just remember Bacuna? having acres of space to deliver cross. Blame falls on Davis then, as well as Fonte who got outplayed. It is Davis' job to cover the fullbacks with Wanyama when he plays in that deeper role.

 

ha ha Got you Mr. Davis.... I damn well knew you'd be involved here somewhere. End the discussion guys. We have our scapegoat who is the current vogue

PS. Not aimed at you Chilco and only jesting about poor old Steven Davis

 

I rest my case for the post above.


Hello Guys ... WE WON 6-1

 

Yes, I should have added that we were 5-0 up in first-half injury time, so maybe a slight amount of switching-off could be tolerated?

 

It's imperative that we get to the bottom of this. Carry on with the discussion.