Behind every great team.

[SandyMcBlade]

There's a great goalkeeper. how many times have we seen a goalkeeper break the other teams hart so
is Howard good enough ?
In the cup semi final when the pressure was on am I right in saying Hull had 7 shots on target and scored 5 ?
Their second goal was from a totally unnecessary corner which at the time I blamed Brayford, but Brayford had his back to play so shouldn't Howard who was facing play have called for it ..
All season we've been calling for goals, well in that match the forwards scored 3 but the defense let in 5 so who in defense had a poor game ?

 

[sitwell]

so you just ignore the 10 consecutive clean sheets ?

 

[SandyMcBlade]

so you just ignore the 10 consecutive clean sheets ?

Did you happen to notice who he took that record from ?
I don't know if you were old enough to see him, unfortunately I was there......

 

[Lane Ender]

Goalkeeping is a confidence thing Howard came in took his chance and deserves to retain his place for the start of the season.

A dont think a keeper is high on the shopping list of Cloughs

 

[SandyMcBlade]

Maybe not yet, but a goalkeeper can break a good teams hart just as easily as he can make a good team great, because as NC has just proven, the whole team is about confidence

 

[alcoblade]

Last seasons upturn correlated enormously with Howard's introduction. He should take great credit for that. A new keeper would be priority z for me.

UTB

 

[Gavlar]

Maybe not yet, but a goalkeeper can break a good teams hart just as easily as he can make a good team great, because as NC has just proven, the whole team is about confidence

Only one team has a Hart to break, that's Man City

 

[Derby_Blade]

I think a lot of credit for the clean sheets went to the defence as well as Howard alone. I think he'll suffice for next season but don't see him as a particularly long term fix. Although the likes of Long and Willis progressing looks like we're in safe hands for the future.

 

[ListerBlade]

I remember seeing Howard play in a friendly at Ilkeston a few seasos ago when he first joined (was it? Or was it Worksop the year before?) and his communication was what stuck out to me. He's always talking to the defence, which I think is something young George might still be learning. I think that the defence had a large part to play in the clean sheets, but a lot of their success will have been down to the communication from Howard (Hull aside) .At this level Howard is fine and I see no reason to replace him, and we have good back ups in GL and GW.

This time next season we may be in need of a new keeper, as if we have a good season and manage to get promoted I think we'd need to start the search, dependent on the progression of the two young lads.

 

[alcoblade]

Although the likes of Long and Willis progressing looks like we're in safe hands for the future.

The worry there being that Long is making slower progress than an asthmatic ant with heavy shopping. He needs a good season, because after last seasons near horror show, there must be some question about if he's really our future keeper.

UTB

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

I've seen the future and it's called Willis.

 

[Gibbo89]

Did you happen to notice who he took that record from ?
I don't know if you were old enough to see him, unfortunately I was there......

I certainly am and if you think John Hope was crap when that record was originally set up there must have been something wrong with your eyes then or your memory's failing now. Fair enough his confidence was shot in the end but I'd put just as much blame for that on the ageing defence and midfield in front of him as Hope himself. Some people always have to find negatives

 

[Silent Blade]

I certainly am and if you think John Hope was crap when that record was originally set up there must have been something wrong with your eyes then or your memory's failing now. Fair enough his confidence was shot in the end but I'd put just as much blame for that on the ageing defence and midfield in front of him as Hope himself. Some people always have to find negatives

Fully agree, Hope had only one bad game in 1971 and was usually good that year. His confidence was shattered in that defeat to Arsenal in Jan 1972

 

[wizadry]

I've seen the future and it's called Willis.

Who?John McClane.

 

[s35blade]

This isn't an issue. Were in a luxury position where our first and second choice keepers are some of the best in the league. If Howard (Who by the way I was impressed with when he started in the 2012 season, even though i'll admit his performance against Rotherham this year was an embarrassment) starts but then has a mare George Long is capable of taking the No. 1 spot. And vice-versa. For once I think we have this goalkeeper shaped nut cracked.

 

[1889]

There's a great goalkeeper. how many times have we seen a goalkeeper break the other teams hart so
is Howard good enough ?
In the cup semi final when the pressure was on am I right in saying Hull had 7 shots on target and scored 5 ?
Their second goal was from a totally unnecessary corner which at the time I blamed Brayford, but Brayford had his back to play so shouldn't Howard who was facing play have called for it ..
All season we've been calling for goals, well in that match the forwards scored 3 but the defense let in 5 so who in defense had a poor game ?

To be fair I wouldn't blame Howard for any of the goals in the semi. Sagbos was from six yards out and any other game last season the speculative through ball that set it up would have been cut out, but from then on Howard had no chance.
Fryatts was a spozzy goal, having bounced around the box off various shins it fell kindly to his feet allowing him all the time in the world to pick his spot! You can argue that Howard might have told Brayford to head it back to him and prevent the corner, but to my mind Brayford should have known he was in acres of space and his keepers position and availability ?
Huddlestone and Quinn's were two good goals both directed well out of the keepers reach, again giving him little chance. Of all the goals I think maybe he might have done better with Meylers, but that would be being super critical. In my opinion all five goals conceded were down to failings on the day, of the midfield and defence,
All in all I think Howard's a decent keeper and has the number one spot on merit, it's up to Long to grab any chance he gets to develop his communication and I think he will maybe go out on loan this season with that in mind. This will allow Willis some valuable first team squad experience.

I certainly agree that a new keeper should be right at the bottom of Utds transfer target list!

UTB

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

I certainly agree that a new keeper should be right at the bottom of Utds transfer target list!

UTB

Yer could argue that that positon should be occupied by centre half

 

[georgebernardshaw]

I certainly am and if you think John Hope was crap when that record was originally set up there must have been something wrong with your eyes then or your memory's failing now. Fair enough his confidence was shot in the end but I'd put just as much blame for that on the ageing defence and midfield in front of him as Hope himself. Some people always have to find negatives

Spot on

Hope was responsible for one of the finest saves I've ever seen against Birmingham, whose centre-half (Roger Hinds?) bulleted a header towards the top corner of the Kop goal. Hope didn't just save it, he caught it at full stretch.

Agree about his confidence as well - he took a very nasty (and very deliberate) kick to the head from a thug from Everton, and his advances from his line were never the same after that.

 

[Silent Blade]

Spot on

Hope was responsible for one of the finest saves I've ever seen against Birmingham, whose centre-half (Roger Hinds?) bulleted a header towards the top corner of the Kop goal. Hope didn't just save it, he caught it at full stretch.

Agree about his confidence as well - he took a very nasty (and very deliberate) kick to the head from a thug from Everton, and his advances from his line were never the same after that.

I remember Hope's full length diving catch against Birmingham too! Also his full length save against a shot by Gordon Harris of Sunderland (at Kop End too) in February 1971. He made several saves in the 0-0 draw against Norwich in April 1971 when the team had an off day and Norwich attacked a lot. He was made MOTM with 9 out of 10 rating in the papers in the next day