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Goalkeeping position - a worry?

Tue Oct 06, 2020 3:34 pm

I know we have a number of positions in which we are lacking at the moment but I am very concerned about what might happen should Smithies get injured.

I am not at all sure about Joe Day's ability to be a number one keeper for a team that's hoping to challenge for a top six place. We have hardly seen him in a City shirt and when we have he's hardly been impressive.

Having said that I think Smithies struggled when he only came in ahead of Etheridge for cup games so maybe Day shouldn't be judged on what we've seen so far.

Does anybody know who our third keeper is at the moment? Do we have one? Is it somebody from the Under 23's?

Was always quite happy when we had an experienced number three like Murphy for a few seasons who you knew you could count on but I'd hate to see us in a position where we had to search around desperately for anybody and end up with some chump like Bywater a few seasons ago.

I'd like to see us sign an experienced number 2 keeper to at least put Smithies under a bit of pressure and then send Day out on loan with the ability to call him back at short notice if needs be.

Mind you I'd also like to spend the night with Jennifer Lawrence but that's not likely to happen either.

Re: Goalkeeping position - a worry?

Tue Oct 06, 2020 3:51 pm

davids wrote:I know we have a number of positions in which we are lacking at the moment but I am very concerned about what might happen should Smithies get injured.

I am not at all sure about Joe Day's ability to be a number one keeper for a team that's hoping to challenge for a top six place. We have hardly seen him in a City shirt and when we have he's hardly been impressive.

Having said that I think Smithies struggled when he only came in ahead of Etheridge for cup games so maybe Day shouldn't be judged on what we've seen so far.

Does anybody know who our third keeper is at the moment? Do we have one? Is it somebody from the Under 23's?

Was always quite happy when we had an experienced number three like Murphy for a few seasons who you knew you could count on but I'd hate to see us in a position where we had to search around desperately for anybody and end up with some chump like Bywater a few seasons ago.

I'd like to see us sign an experienced number 2 keeper to at least put Smithies under a bit of pressure and then send Day out on loan with the ability to call him back at short notice if needs be.

Mind you I'd also like to spend the night with Jennifer Lawrence but that's not likely to happen either.



we have George Ratcliffe ..20yr old, spent time at Barry on loan and is in the current Wales under 21s squad that plays Belgium on Friday

Re: Goalkeeping position - a worry?

Tue Oct 06, 2020 5:04 pm

DAVIDS
Worrying about our "day" if we are to make a challenge for top 6
I don't think we will be challenging for a top 6 place the way things are going we need to stay out of the bottom 6.

Re: Goalkeeping position - a worry?

Tue Oct 06, 2020 5:19 pm

montyblue wrote:DAVIDS
Worrying about our "day" if we are to make a challenge for top 6
I don't think we will be challenging for a top 6 place the way things are going we need to stay out of the bottom 6.




a new signing and a good performance with a win at Preston and everyones outlook will change.

Re: Goalkeeping position - a worry?

Tue Oct 06, 2020 5:20 pm

Neil happy with the squad ;)

Re: Goalkeeping position - a worry?

Tue Oct 06, 2020 7:36 pm

It's a well covered position

Smithies number 1
Joe Day number 2
George Ratcliffe 3

At this level you cant ask for much more than that really

You're never going to have a tip top proven keeper on the bench, not for long anyway, I think we were lucky to keep Etheridge and Smithies in a squad for as long as we did.

Re: Goalkeeping position - a worry?

Tue Oct 06, 2020 8:40 pm

RV Casual wrote:It's a well covered position

Smithies number 1
Joe Day number 2
George Ratcliffe 3

At this level you cant ask for much more than that really

You're never going to have a tip top proven keeper on the bench, not for long anyway, I think we were lucky to keep Etheridge and Smithies in a squad for as long as we did.


I would agree with that.

Most clubs would hope that their first choice goalkeeper would miss 5-10 games maximum, in all competitions.

Statistically, it's unlikely for the second choice goalkeeper to to be unavailable during the same period as the first choice. It is therefore not worth paying a fair amount of wages for a third choice goalkeeper on a similar level to the second choice goalkeeper.

Most clubs at this level will have a strong first choice goalkeeper and a mediocre second choice, and we are no different now.

It's rare to have two top quality goalkeepers for clubs at this level. We were lucky when we had Marshall/Heaton and then Smithies/Etheridge.

Naturally, in that situation, the second choice will not be happy to be back-up - as was the case with Heaton and Etheridge.

Re: Goalkeeping position - a worry?

Tue Oct 06, 2020 9:09 pm

How about the Liverpool keeper who let 7 in ,he'll be looking for a club

Re: Goalkeeping position - a worry?

Tue Oct 06, 2020 9:42 pm

RV Casual wrote:It's a well covered position

Smithies number 1
Joe Day number 2
George Ratcliffe 3

At this level you cant ask for much more than that really

You're never going to have a tip top proven keeper on the bench, not for long anyway, I think we were lucky to keep Etheridge and Smithies in a squad for as long as we did.



There’s no problem with our three keepers and if one gets injured it’s the one position where you can have an emergency loan! Our priority is to sign a No 10 and another right back?