English Football Thread 2012/2013

[MasterBlaster76]

Ugh, what a lousy weekend! First I pick up a real sod of a virus, courtesy of my nephew, and while laid up with that, I see our keeper literally punch away two extremely valuable points.

Yes, we should've had a penalty but that's not what I want to talk about: sometimes even the most stonewall penalties aren't given and that'll be the case until video evidence is introduced. No, what I want to talk about is the aforementioned keeper.

While he is an excellent shot stopper (as he proved in the Spurs game itself), you always get the feeling that there is at least one clanger per match waiting to happen. Yes, he is young - but Man Utd are not the sort of team that can 'carry' a goalkeeper while waiting for him to mature: it would cost us countless trophies. It's not unfair to say that De Gea's numerous mistakes last year could be construed as costing us the title. We're literally in the last minute of the game, and he punches the ball across the box. Almost anywhere else would've been more acceptable: over for a corner for example!

So, I am not sure if he is the man for the job right now - maybe Sir Alex should admit he's made a mistake, cut his losses and sign a proven Premiership keeper.

Anyway, fair play to Spurs: a point was a fair result. Do the same against City, eh?

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"blue blazes"? jesus, the swearing filter on this site makes me resort to using expletives my gran used to use.

Mate, this place's filter is a paradise compared to EA forums. Not sure if they're still doing it, but a while back, every word the censor didn't like (and there were loads of them), it replaced with 'cuddly toy'. I kid you not. Some of my 'favourites':

Nuts, Balls, Dick, Scunthorpe. And look! Not one of them censored here!

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Agreed 100% especially on the effects it is having on the english game & young english players at clubs.

But just to be clear my friend i wasn't insinuating that they were similarities to how united back in the 90s won the league via record british spending at the time compared to chelsea & city in the 2000s.

I certainly do think that untied & arsenal did what you said & of course attracted good players due to their history and strong fanbase etc.

What Chelsea & City have done has set a dangerous precedent though i guess. Since its almost as if most clubs in england and europe operate with the thinking that the only way to topple the euro club powerhouses like united, liverpool, arsenal, madrid, barca, milan, bayern, inter, juventus is to get a sugar daddy investor.

Yeah, I wasn't really aiming that at you - more at the people who constantly compare Utd to City and Chelsea, like some of the clowns who responded to the article. Those two, and PSG, have certainly set a dangerous precedent though, you're right about that.

 

[puddleduck]

Spot the correlation...

"Team A doesn't give young players enough of a chance"

"Player B is too young and inconsistent to be playing for team A"

All things that get spouted. He had a good game, kept you guys in it, and then failed to fully deal with a cross that Benny had hours to pick due to Rafael being so far out of position he may as well have been Fabio. A conceded goal is often more than just one players fault, but it's vogue to slate De Gea despite the many high quality performances he puts in. Even Cassillas has had some dodgy moments in the last year or so, but no one seems to be clamouring for him to replaced

 

[thedon5]

Spot the correlation...

"Team A doesn't give young players enough of a chance"

"Player B is too young and inconsistent to be playing for team A"

All things that get spouted. He had a good game, kept you guys in it, and then failed to fully deal with a cross that Benny had hours to pick due to Rafael being so far out of position he may as well have been Fabio. A conceded goal is often more than just one players fault, but it's vogue to slate De Gea despite the many high quality performances he puts in. Even Cassillas has had some dodgy moments in the last year or so, but no one seems to be clamouring for him to replaced

Lol.

 

[MasterBlaster76]

Spot the correlation...

"Team A doesn't give young players enough of a chance"

"Player B is too young and inconsistent to be playing for team A"

All things that get spouted. He had a good game, kept you guys in it, and then failed to fully deal with a cross that Benny had hours to pick due to Rafael being so far out of position he may as well have been Fabio. A conceded goal is often more than just one players fault, but it's vogue to slate De Gea despite the many high quality performances he puts in. Even Cassillas has had some dodgy moments in the last year or so, but no one seems to be clamouring for him to replaced

But look at keepers like Schmeichel and Van der Sar: rock solid match after match; De Gea just doesn't give me that impression, even if he's having a good game there is always one mistake waiting to happen!

 

[puddleduck]

Yeah Van Der Sar was solid for Utd, but there's a reason he was at Fulham first. Everyone pretty much agrees that Hart is up there as one of the top keepers in the world, yet has had a fairly error prone season by the standards set right at the top. He's English though, she the papers ignore it and slate those pesky foreigners instead.

Let's not also forget the big Dane had one of the finest back fours in front of him in Premiership history, whilst De Gea has had a random mix of centre backs depending on who is actually fit at the time. Yeah he could have done better with the punch, but growing up in Spain, he wouldn't have spent his entire youth education in football dealing with 40 yard shots from the biggest and strongest player on the opposition team as well as long hoofed balls into the box. He'll learn, as he clearly already is, and he'll improve. Keepers often don't peak till they're past 25, and there are plenty of keepers in their peak and considered world class who just wouldn't make the saves he pulls off.

 

[MasterBlaster76]

Yes he'll learn, but how many mistakes will he make along the way? There's no doubt that any one of his clangers from last year could be construed as costing us the title and I think it would be foolish to allow it to happen again.

 

[puddleduck]

At the same time, how many awesome saves has he made this year and how many points has he potentially saved you? Swings and roundabouts really. Generally can take something pretty special to score against Utd (except this year perhaps) and it's pretty demoralising when you produce it and he still keeps it out.

As I said before, he should have done better with the cross, but everyone raved about Friedel at the start of the season oblivious of the fact he basically never left his line and was actually pretty slow to react to most shots. It's easy to slate De Gea, but stick with him and he'll almost certainly be one of the top keepers in football for years to come.

 

[MasterBlaster76]

At the same time, how many awesome saves has he made this year and how many points has he potentially saved you? Swings and roundabouts really. Generally can take something pretty special to score against Utd (except this year perhaps) and it's pretty demoralising when you produce it and he still keeps it out.

As I said before, he should have done better with the cross, but everyone raved about Friedel at the start of the season oblivious of the fact he basically never left his line and was actually pretty slow to react to most shots. It's easy to slate De Gea, but stick with him and he'll almost certainly be one of the top keepers in football for years to come.

Yeah, you're probably right - his shot stopping is right up there. Extra crossing/punching work on the training ground for Mr De Gea, Sir Alex!

 

[puddleduck]

Although I guess the other side of the coin is, when fans of other teams are trying to convince you stick with a keeper, maybe there's a hidden agenda

There really isn't though heh, I think he'll be class!

 

[MasterBlaster76]

Although I guess the other side of the coin is, when fans of other teams are trying to convince you stick with a keeper, maybe there's a hidden agenda

There really isn't though heh, I think he'll be class!

No doubt about it, he will be - and I don't think Sir Alex would've signed him being completely unaware of his weaknesses. His shot stopping is among the best as we've already discussed; if he can ally that to better skills coming for/punching balls in the box, he could be one of the best around. If that happens, then it would've proved a most astute bit of business by Sir Alex. Yes, I was critical of his error, but you're right - perhaps it is balanced out by his great shot stopping.

Wait - you're not AVB in disguise, are you?

 

[Anish.]

The thread title really needs to change .

 

[puddleduck]

Ha, if I was AVB I might have suggested we don't wait until the 92nd minute to lob a ball deep into the six yard box against a keeper who seems to have only one weakness

There's no time for second guessing in football, he needs to have a clear idea of what he'll come for and what he won't. Of what his defenders will deal with and what is his to claim. With the in-and-out nature of his position and the merry-go-round of Man U defensive injuries, it's been a tough place to advance his game under intense scrutiny and constant pressure. As I said, coming from Spain he'll not have been too used to spending his formative years leaping against the likes of Crouch or Lambert in a crowded six yard box

 

[MasterBlaster76]

Fair point - it's been very stop-start and the Spanish game isn't anywhere near as physical as the Premiership. Looks like it's time to cross balls in at him non stop on the training ground while Rio, Vidic and any one else who can put himself about constantly jumps into him!

 

[Skater]

It is a problem for United, because for me Lindegaard is a steady eddie. He does his job well but is not capable of the stunning saves that De Gea is capable of. I think at his age he can still improve his handling from crosses. When Norwich first got John Ruddy he was very weak when the ball was in the air but he worked hard in training and now at the age of 26 he is an England goalkeeper.

The issue for United is can they allow De Gea to stay in the side with his current skill. Personally I would go for it. They need a settled keeper. I don't like the constant changing Fergie does of his keepers.

 

[StinkyBoHoon]

anyway, even if you did go the other way and decide to sign someone new who would you get? and surely the settling in period would be equally if not more hairy than having de gea in goal, especially if they came from abroad and couldn't speak english.

tbh, for me his only problem is, as 22 year old still getting to grips with english, he's not comfortable screaming at his defenders because they're much older than him and certified great players.