A Message to all John Ruddy Haters

What does this guy have to earn some respect?!? I'm going to say it now - and I know people will disagree with me - Ruddy has been better than Forster. Now some of you wonder why I say this and these are big boots to fill but remember that Ruddy and the rest of the defence are facing much stiffer opposition than last year, and still doing a pretty decent job of keeping them out. And at least Ruddy hasn't made any howlers with poor kicking that have gifted the opposition goals. I've read stuff about people not trusting Ruddy in goal and it's all unfounded. Ruddy has won over most of his haters with his performances in goal this season, but not all of you.

If Lambert trusts Ruddy in goal so should we. I want you all to prove your sorry to Mr Ruddy by voting him player of the season come May so long as he has kept up his excellent performances in goal until then.

 

DM - I agree with you 100%. The man has been in outstanding form of late and I find it hard to understand where his knockers are coming from. I can only assume these are the same people who are phoning in on Canary Call

 

Our MoM yesterday without a doubt.

 

Totally agreed. The lads been fantatstic for us since the first couple of months of the season and he was finding his feet. Doing really well and he is young for a keeper much like Forster. One for the future for sure. Could be one of our more valuable players imo

 

He's a DECENT keeper DM probably on a par with Forster, but player of the season ? IMO
Don't get me wrong I aint slagging the guy off far from it, but he's going to have to keep a few more clean sheets to earn that title.

Thing is we've been spoilt in the past having had a string of great keepers, Nethercott, Kennon (those two before my time) Keelan (best ever by far), Woods, Gunn, Green so I suppose there's a lot to live up to. Mind you Ruddy seems to be improving with each and every game so you never know he may achieve legend staus with the others yet.

OTBC .... CTID .... ILWT

 

Why you say he is so far from player of the season? For me, the only other contenders are Barnett, Rusty Martin (both of whom have been brilliant, but also not keeping clean sheets) and Andrew Crofts. And I'd say Ruddy pips the 3 of them.

 

Marsupial, I was just about to write the following, so I may as well put it here,

´Twas quite a big task
And quite a big ask
To fill Forster´s gloves when he came,
But Ruddy I´d say
Is enjoying his stay
And improving with every game

Those fingers that fumbled
While some of us grumbled
Have been so much safer of late,
Which in turn helps those
In front stay composed
And not get themselves in a state

And although clean sheets
Are not common feats
So much has his whole game picked up,
We´re not sitting there
In some mortal fear
That he will perform like a pup.

Along with Martin R, the most improved player since the start of the season, I´d say.

 

I think to do that poem justice it needs it's own thread or else it when the Ruddy unbelievers arrive it might get buried ended a heap of comments. The thing is, people say he made some howlers early on in the season, but I can only remember one and it was in a pre-season friendly. And when Forster missed the kick against Leeds that gave them the goal last season, nobody was laying him into him.

And all this business about clean sheets doesn't bother me, because we're second in the league for now (Maybe fourth or fifth when the others catch up but that's still great). The defence should share some of the blame for any goals we concede anyway. There's been only 2 league games this season when we haven't scored OR kept a clean sheet. So we seem to be doing a good job of shutting out the opposition when it matters.

 

DM good point well made

 

Although he didnt make a lot of huge errors at the start of the season he did often look a bit shaky and make some little fumbles.This probably wasnt helped by the reaction of the crowd and Forster comparisons. That said even then he was pulling out some terrific saves to go with it.

However since the first 1 - 2 months of the season hes grown in confidence (probabaly because hes shaken off the whole compared to Forster tag) and been excellent. One of the players of the season and a real find by Lambert. AGAIN.
Also think Whitbread could be a great player in front of him if he keeps injury free.

Hopefully more clean sheets will come.