SEVEN SUBS AND ........

Devongone · 11-08-2024, 09:16

Seven subs sitting on the bench. All of them could mount an argument for a starting berth. NONE of them happens to be a goalkeeper.

Is this the equivalent of a ride at Alton Towers for our manager?

Will being forced to bring on a 5'7" midfielder in gloves and a jersey two sizes too big for him be his version of the scorpion kick?

Even a junior who plays in goal is a better bet than an outfield player, trust me.

I'm all for thinking outside the box, but a little consideration inside the six yard area might just prove worthwhile. It's what John Cleese calls the "bleedin' obvious".

Dancingwilldoit · 11-08-2024, 09:41

Yeah but who? The only other keeper on the books is a youth team player. The word is Tyrer may be on his way back when Pickford returns from holiday and the prem starts.
I don't know if it's such a big issue for a game or two.
Seven subs seems an unnecessary luxury the way we use ours. Leave it till late then expect them to turn the game. They did but ran out of time. 10 mins earlier might have been completely different.

Devongone · 11-08-2024, 12:25

Trust me, if your goalie gets a serious injury after two minutes it is a huge problem if you choose to have seven subs and no keeper amongst them. A 17 year old on the bench would gain from the experience if not used and would certainly be better than picking on an unwilling outfielder to don the gloves. It's just silly, even if Tyrer is coming back, which I can't say excites me at all in any case. It is simply amateurish, and just goes to prove what I have always thought about outfield professional players - they have next to no idea about goalkeeping or its importance to the team. Your keeper can ruin your season in one game as Ross Fitzsimmons so ably demonstrated at Wembley.

Dancingwilldoit · 11-08-2024, 12:38

To a degree you have pointed out that it really might not make any difference. No point in ruining a youngsters career if he's not ready and even a pro can be a waste of time.
Can remember we were top of the league after about 6 games and went to Gillingham. We lost 10-0 I think. Back in the days of men standing outside Dawes and the Co-op for the scores. Turned out Jim Brown was injured but had to play on which in a way proves your point.
Am pretty sure we would have named one if we had one.

Devongone · (This post was last modified: 11-08-2024, 20:02 by Devongone.)

As Cookie almost never named a sub keeper all last season I can't agree.

If a young lad is going to be ruined by helping out his club in an emergency then my opinion is that he never would have made it anyway. The chance might also have made him and just being named would have been a thrill.

It would have been more ruinous to my ego at 17 to think that the first team manager would rather have no goalie than me on the bench. We have got a young keeper, but I bet we haven't registered him for the EFL .......

(Big Ricky German came on as sub in National League South yesterday. It took him less than 10 minutes to score.)

Okay the probability was going to be in our favour, but the probability is we are are not going to use more than three subs most games, so we'll probably be fine if we only name four ...... Should we do it and knock the egos not considered good enough for the bench? When you are offered a safety net, only the suicidal refuse. (Lovely just to be disagreeing with you Dancing by the way! I have missed it!)

Dancingwilldoit · 13-08-2024, 14:09

Just to wind you up, tonight we're allowed 9 subs. Bet none of them is a keeper.

Devongone · (This post was last modified: 13-08-2024, 17:19 by Devongone.)

Danny Webb says we want to sign another keeper as competition for Ryan Boot, which doesn't sound like Tyrer. I imagine Derby will hammer us tonight after their friendly thrashing.

I can't imagine how we can be so disorganised and blase.

Imagine the storm if Arteta did that with Arsenal and Raya got injured in the first five minutes. The media would have a field day, it would be the pundit's dream. Talk about you don't know what you're doing.

Devongone · 14-08-2024, 12:24

Yep, nine subs, no goalie on the bench! I can't believe I'm saying this but good interview from Cookie. Signings on the way. Decent effort and if Naylor is not too badly injured that will be great. I like the combination of him playing at the back with one of our centre backs ........ That's where I expected him to play when we brought him in, but he's done a great job for us in midfield both defensively and attacking.

A second goalie by Saturday please.

Dancingwilldoit · 14-08-2024, 21:00

Good performance all round. Berry looked a bit off it but otherwise we were good. Dunkley looks really impressive.
Injury concerns mounting up already. Mandeville out for months now, Colclough injured again, Naylor could be ok but let's wait and see.

**spireitematt** · 14-08-2024, 23:07

In non-league where you have 5 subs but only make 3 it makes no sense to have a keeper on the bench whereas in the football league with 7-9 subs on the bench you can make 5 substitutions and it makes more sense to have a backup keeper in the football league on the bench than non-league.

As for a 2nd keeper, we tried to sign Jamal Blackman but he turned down an offer of a contract and apparently we are looking at re-signing Harry Tyrer on loan again from Everton.