[Devongone]

Matt Duke has gone off to destroy the Blunts hopes of bringing through a keeper.

We've replaced him with Simon Tracey, ex-Blunts keeper, who I always thought sounded as though he ought to be on Blue Peter.

Those of you who thought CEO Mr Dunford looked older than his years had better not seek out a picture of Mr Tracey.

Still he couldn't have a more cushy number - we haven't got any keepers have we?

[bluepooch]

On the contrary Dev, We have two young keepers who are probably nowhere near good enough for the first team so he has in fact a massive job to bring them up to speed sharpish whilst trying to get Joe Anyon to come off his line and catch a ball.

[Devongone]

Yeah Pooch, we've one lad who just now needs as many games as possible against men ........ at a club where he can't get any, because there is no team for him. Another who looks quite a promising Junior and there's his deputy for when he's one the bench with the first team.

And then we have a first team keeper who has had what, 12 seasons of goalkeeping coaches ......... and well he hasn't impressed you so far has he? IMO Dick Tracey couldn't do much for him. (By the way I'm betting if you watch Joe Anyon training he can come out and catch crosses. It's a whole different thing judging when to come out under the pressure of a game and then to take the ball cleanly.. Especially with 5,000 + pairs of eyes watching you and you know they almost all think you're dodgy. You need a psychiatrist, not a goalkeeping coach for that one.)

I thought the introduction of specialist goalkeeping coaches would raise the standard of goalkeeping right across the country. In the 1960s and 1970s, without specialist coaching, England had some of the best keepers in the world. Now we've Joe Hart in decline, maybe Jordan Pickford coming through and a whole gaggle of keepers who can't do many of the things amateur keepers could do in the past ...... but who can dribble, execute a Cruyff turn and distribute the ball better than any of us ever could. I know the game has changed and even the balls have changed, but the safest place on the pitch for the ball to be is still in your keeper's hands and we're encouraging blocking, not catching. "Strong hands" may be the biggest load of bllockso idiot commentators and pundits have ever sold the British public. You want a keeper, you want soft hands n' strong wrists on a good athlete who has quick feet and good spatial awareness to start with. If he's going to be a proper keeper he is going to be able to do a lot of the things you want naturally ..... you need something to build on.

I reckon three or four hours a week should cover the job for us, + a few hours at academy level with the kids too. It isn't quite a sinecure, but it isn't high pressure. Tommy Lee could do it alongside his journalism career. But then if I were in charge of the keepers I would have them playing out and developing a lot of the skills the outfield players have, because in the modern game you have really to be a decent footballer to get away with that unexpected and misplaced back pass that you can't just dive on nowadays!

[spireitematt]

Surprised Dev you didn't make a Thunderbird's joke.

[Devongone]

No man is an island.