Howard or Long?

[Derby_Blade]

Howard started well under Clough with a run of clean sheets (possibly more down to the improved performance of the defence and Doyle), but has made too many mistakes towards the end of the season that have costs us valuable points.
Long looks promising for the future but got dropped after some below par performances under Wier (but who wasn't below par under Weir?)
Personally think Long should be given another chance in the first team as we start building towards the future...

 

[vorpal blade]

Long Term

 

[Chezzy Blades]

If and when Long improves the commanding of his area a communication then Long. But if we're serious about a promotion push I feel we need an experienced keeper between the sticks and Judd may be best having a season out on loan to hone his skills and improve his confidence.

That said, I fully expect him to be number one in years to come..

 

[JohnDenver]

No poll?

Long out on loan next season please (with a recall clause). Howard has been rock steady and deserves his place.

It may still be a couple of years, at least, until Long fulfils his potential. In goalie terms he's a foetus.

 

[Esablade]

Good to have the competition eh?
I'd stick with Howard but play Long in JPT /cup maybe

 

[sitwell]

Howard started well under Clough with a run of clean sheets (possibly more down to the improved performance of the defence and Doyle), but has made too many mistakes towards the end of the season that have costs us valuable points.
Long looks promising for the future but got dropped after some below par performances under Wier (but who wasn't below par under Weir?)
Personally think Long should be given another chance in the first team as we start building towards the future...

Noooooooooo.
Long should go and learn his trade at Northampton or somewhere ,although personally I don't think he will make the grade ,due to his lack of presence. Howard should start and Willis on the bench.

 

[Derby_Blade]

No poll?

Long out on loan next season please (with a recall clause). Howard has been rock steady and deserves his place.

It may still be a couple of years, at least, until Long fulfils his potential. In goalie terms he's a foetus.

Listening to Nigel, it does sound like that's what's going to happen. Although where we loan him will be interesting as Long is probably too good for a League 2 and do we really want to loan him to a rival League 1 side? Possibly a lower table side like Chesterfield or Burton if they get promoted?

 

[sitwell]

Listening to Nigel, it does sound like that's what's going to happen. Although where we loan him will be interesting as Long is probably too good for a League 2 and do we really want to loan him to a rival League 1 side? Possibly a lower table side like Chesterfield or Burton if they get promoted?

He will want him to play for the first team though ,he isn't good enough to replace the likes of Tommy lee at Chesterfield so will probably have to drop down to league 2.

 

[sheffielder]

Long has a lot to do before he ousts Howard, who seriously needs to improve his distribution. Howard is good enough for this division but not Long term.

Long will do well on loan somewhere, because he won't have the local inbreds baying for blood.

 

[yorkshirecoast]

I have been really impressed with Howard. He does all the basics well and has made a big difference to how solid we look. He is well ahead of Long at the moment. A loan does seem the best option for Long - to see whether he can make the improvements needed. Hopefully he can.

 

[Living In a Fantasy World]

Howard like Porter I don't particularly rate but can do a job for us in this league, I honestly think we are better off playing Long/ Willis who will improve with time and will hold the place for many years to come. Long as had already had success in this leauge and kept plenty of clean sheets in his first season as number one but for some reason fans ignore this and shun him because of a poor spell in the team.

 

[Jehovah]

Seemed bizarre to me that Howard was not brought into replace Long earlier in the season. Long has zero communication powers. I dont care how good he is at shot stopping, if he does'nt speak to his defence there is no hope. His decisions to come for crosses/not come are also at times, ridiculous.

 

[sitwell]

Seemed bizarre to me that Howard was not brought into replace Long earlier in the season. Long has zero communication powers. I dont care how good he is at shot stopping, if he does'nt speak to his defence there is no hope. His decisions to come for crosses/not come are also at times, ridiculous.

You must be one of us inbreds than ?
Fancy a shag ?

 

[SandyMcBlade]

Long has to go out on loan choose what to give those coming through behind him a chance...

 

[Jehovah]

You must be one of us inbreds than ?
Fancy a shag ?

How dare you.



Yes.

 

[sitwell]

How dare you.



Yes.

Ok bro

 

[Roygbiv]

I really don't know why people seem so desperate to drop Howard. I don't get the comment of "made too many mistakes towards the end of the season that have costs us valuable points. " at all to be honest. He has made one mistake that has led to a goal in the last 10 games. He has conceded just 6 goals in the same period.

Putting Long back in after such an amazing turnaround in our defensive record would be done without any logic. I realise he's 'one of ours' and he's still young but there is no way he deserves to be back in the team as it stands. Howard has had a great season and I don't know why people can't see how his inclusion in the team has been a major part of our revival.

 

[TomMounsey]

I don't think they could be any more different as goalkeepers to be honest. Long is a great shot-stopper, but doesn't command his area well enough and is weak under pressure, especially at corners whereas Howard has often come for balls and avoided any danger from happening yet doesn't make enough good saves.

Can't deny that since the change was made to bring Howard in after the Crewe game our fortunes have massively changed and we've kept clean sheets in probably 75% of games since then. Having said that, I don't think had George been in goal at Wembley that we wouldn't have conceded 5 goals - he gets to things that Howard doesn't get to. It's all about weighing up the different situation and when we are playing well a goalkeeper who can come out and claim and ball from outside the six yard box at a corner is more important than a good shot-stopper who isn't likely to make more than a couple of non-routine saves in a game

I think ultimately George will be a better goalkeeper but he needs to cut out poor errors and misjudgment, (things like Yeovil at home last season) and put more confidence into our defence. I think Collins and Maguire have looked more comfortable with Howard behind them

 

[HeCanDoMagic]

Howard started well under Clough with a run of clean sheets (possibly more down to the improved performance of the defence and Doyle), but has made too many mistakes towards the end of the season that have costs us valuable points.
Long looks promising for the future but got dropped after some below par performances under Wier (but who wasn't below par under Weir?)
Personally think Long should be given another chance in the first team as we start building towards the future...

Can anyone tell me which matches Howard made all these mistakes?!

People often use Murphy and Flynn as casing points when highlighting cloughs impact, for me Howard should be added to that list. He's exactly the type of keeper that defence needed.

 

[yorkshirecoast]

I really don't know why people seem so desperate to drop Howard. I don't get the comment of "made too many mistakes towards the end of the season that have costs us valuable points. " at all to be honest. He has made one mistake that has led to a goal in the last 10 games. He has conceded just 6 goals in the same period.

Putting Long back in after such an amazing turnaround in our defensive record would be done without any logic. I realise he's 'one of ours' and he's still young but there is no way he deserves to be back in the team as it stands. Howard has had a great season and I don't know why people can't see how his inclusion in the team has been a major part of our revival.

I think the vast majority of people can see that Howard has been a big improvement - and this in turn has given the defenders in front of him more confidence. Clough will definitely start with Howard next season, providing he does not get injured.

 

[Roygbiv]

Can anyone tell me which matches Howard made all these mistakes?!

People often use Murphy and Flynn as casing points when highlighting cloughs impact, for me Howard should be added to that list. He's exactly the type of keeper that defence needed.

I agree. I can think of one mistake that led to a goal against Swindon. He certainly hasn't cost us loads of points. I am quite baffled by some of the criticism Howard has received to be honest . It just seem totally without reason other than a desperation to get Long back in

 

[metalblade]

I don't think either are good enough for a team going for promotion, while Howard may command his area better he still makes some very poor decisions like when he chose to race to the edge of the area yesterday for a ball he was never going to get to, if the Coventry player had been able to get the cross in it would have been an open goal and the way their goal went through his legs was Chris Woods like. Surely we can pick up a better keeper than both these for next to nothing in the summer.

 

[TomMounsey]

Simonsen may be available?!

 

[metalblade]

Don't

 

[blader]

I think half the keepers in League 1 are better than Howard AND Long, to be honest. This position may not be a priority, but quite frankly there are many better options available IMO. Neither are hugely convincing, though I think Long will improve and Howard won't. IF possible, we should sign a better keeper, send Long on loan (with a 24 hour recall), release Howard and use Willis as back up.

 

[LoughboroBlade]

Long for me is a potentially excellent keeper that's had serious confidence issues this season. A lot of people will look at the results and say the improvement of the defence post-Crewe has been largely due to Howard coming in and making the defence more confident. But Howard's had the luxury of playing the season behind the best defence we've had in the season. Brayford & Harris helped to considerably strengthen the defence - in turn relieving pressure on Maguire & Collins who themselves had had shaky periods. I don't in any way think Howard's recall into the side was the wrong move, but it's entirely possible that Long would have regained that confidence behind a back four that didn't have McMahon/Westlake/Hill/White as regular members of the defence.

If we sell him this summer, I can easily see Long going on to have a decent career elsewhere. For a keeper he's still at a very young age, so for anyone to write him off at this stage is a bit short-sighted - he simply needs to regain that confidence. If it means loaning him out for a year to get that, so be it - for me that would be preferable to selling him. He's certainly not going to improve sat on the bench week-to-week.