[Dancingwilldoit]

Chesterfield 5-0 Burton. Over 2k fans and a cracking friendly. Bonis looks a beast, Dibley Dias looked terrific and Stirk looked a good addition. Big problem recognizing all the new faces as the wire squad numbers that didn't tally with the team sheet but who cares .

[Devongone]

Photos didn't really show Bonis as a beast, so that's good news. We lacked that sort of player last season. Whether through physical power or sheer skill a player who is a real handful is good for any team. Stirk looked a worker for Walsall ..... and Dibley Dias, with that name I hope he's going to be a success cos he won't be forgotten or overlooked.

So we can't beat Matlock, but we can hammer Burton Albion.

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You weren't the only one confused by the new faces. The report on our website suggests we played the first half with ten men.

[Dancingwilldoit]

CFC 0 Forest 0
Another impressive runout. Shots from both sides we're at a premium but overall I felt we edged it. Duffy has really impressed in both home friendlies. The attacking 3 midfielders of Dobra Markandy and Duffy looks a real threat. We lost 5-0 in the same game last season. Not sure if it's that we were good or Forest were crap but either way it was a good game. Next up Sheffield United who kicked us off the park last year. Hope we go unscathed this time around.

[Devongone]

Different manager at Sheff Utd this time.

Any clue what the Forest side was. What kind of idiot on our website would assume in a football match that no one would want to know who was in the opposing team? Forest give even less information ..... understandably ....

[Dancingwilldoit]

There was a Forest team sheet but it's too long for my fingers this time in the morning. Before the game Phil Tooley said it was their first team first half and the 2nd 11 second half. I wouldn't know because I don't follow the Premiership. All I know is that they were better first half than second.
Hemming didn't have much to do but performed when needed. His distribution was much better than the Boot who seems to find touch with a great deal of regularity when under no pressure.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3w_-f8cA_b8

[Devongone]

Having seen the highlights it was one or two of the first team squad in the first half. at least

If good distribution = good goalkeeping then we need to play Mandeville in goal. I tend to rate the abilities to catch, to anticipate, to read the game and to go in where in might hurt rather higher, he said sniffily.

My major answer is that if you are looking for a defence splitting pass, don't give the ball to your keeper. If he could really pass like Glenn Hoddle then he wouldn't consider the stress involved with goalkeeeping gloves. Pep and stupid administrators have sent football down the blindest of blind alleys and it is fast turning out to be a dead end.

Quick rant over. Team's in Spain, Dancing's in England. One of life's ironies.

[Dancingwilldoit]

If your keeper can't throw or kick the ball into an area of the pitch where you have some players, then you need to play it out from the back with no alternative. Most keepers can catch or punch but what happens next is critical. A half punch to an opposing player is often an easy goal scoring opportunity. A poor kick into touch is a waste and a kick into the middle of a bunch of opponents is just inviting the ball back again. Thompson couldn't punch and boot can't kick. Hemming seemed a lot better and managed a good block. Hopefully he might have some shots to save against Alfreton and Sheffield United.
8-3 against Europa Point doesn't really tell us anything other than the fact it was bloody hot and Phil Tooley was grateful for his Cruzcampo umbrella ?️

[Devongone]

I spent a whole season telling anybody who would listen that we had a goalie who couldn't do it and would let us down big time when we needed him. Then he almost lost us a semi in which we were cruising and he lost us a final against Notts County when we had it won! It was about the only time I've got a prediction right, and the one time I didn't want to.

No one complained about Ryan Boot's kicking or distribution when the National League voted him its best keeper. He's very far from the best we've ever had, but he's more than decent at EFL2 level.

Hemming couldn't buy a game in the Championship under experienced managers. He may well be better than Ryan Boot, but an ability to shuffle the odd pass out for a dodgy full back to lose anyway, won't convince me. ALL league keepers CAN catch, but under pressure they often won't or daren't do it. Dropped crosses and random rebounds are nightmares for defenders. They love a keeper who will call and catch a swirling high ball, or hold onto it when a forward is poaching. Hemming could be an excellent signing, but so far the evidence is hovering around zero and there are plenty of positives about Ryan Boot. I'll take having two reliable keepers over a season without one.

Look at the confidence young Simkin gave Walsall's defence against us.

[Dancingwilldoit]

Boot gives me the jitters. He went to catch an easy ball against Burton completely misjudged it, gifted their player who promptly missed, probably the shock of him being anywhere near the ball. Boot then blamed the sun in his eyes. Did he call for a cap? Nah, let's just carry on and hopefully they won't cross from that side again or maybe the sun was a convenient excuse for bad judgement. Not saying he's a bad keeper but sometimes he just seems too relaxed. He's excellent with 1 on 1's and a good shot stopper but and it's a big but, he can drop some big clangers when under no pressure.
He probably is good enough for our current level but when we go up next season, I don't think he's good enough for lge1.
Time will tell with Hemming. I've seen him twice now and he looks competent. Interesting that Rinaldo played 60 mins last night and by all accounts did well.

[Devongone]

In recent years we haven't seemed particularly interested in bringing young keepers through. I don't know why, lack of talent? Hope Rinaldo is the real deal.

Caps are a nightmare for many keepers. I took one out for every game and it always remained in my little bag. They are very little use if the ball gets in the line of the sun. You'd be better off with react-to-light unbreakable goggles, but everyone would laugh, or call you Joe 90.

I imagine "we" think Hemming is better than Boot, or we would have imported a loanee on past form. But considering it took over a season for "us" to realise we had a shitkeeper that penultimate season in the National League and it took me perhaps 20 minutes, my faith is seriously stretched. IMO that Boot has a bit of character about him and is always likely to come through when you most need him. As a reserve in the Championship Hemming has never been given the chance to prove that he can do the same. But I've no reason to doubt him. Good luck to him. Just putting on the gloves takes guts!

Thing is I'm very much against the extremes of the possession and distribution thing. Quite often you will see a team challenged when in possession of the ball in their opponent's half. In response they will work the ball backwards with neat passes all the way to their own keeper - the worst outfield player in the team. If he too comes under challenge he will boot it or lose it. Booting it provides a 50-50 ball from a good 50 yards further back than had his team a minute earlier hoisted it into the opponent's area. It is ollocks with a Capital B. If you are interested in your keeper's feet, he needs fast, potentially dancing feet to make the most of his ability to anticipate. If he can pass like Ederson too fine, but it isn't necessary. Donnaruma has been one of the best around since he was 17 but no one would let him play out of goal would they?