Goalkeepers

[Brogue]

my main gripe with button is his inability to command his box. When was the last time you saw him come through a crowd of players and take a catch in the box relieving pressure on our defence? I don't think he's ever done it, I can't remember a single instance.

[RFCMod]

I just think that the team who finished this season seemed to solidify with each other for survival and the younger demographic of the team made it easy for Pereira to come in and settle and form a bond with the team and also with the fans
Reminds me of Federici when he came into the team

[Whore Jackie]

my main gripe with button is his inability to command his box. When was the last time you saw him come through a crowd of players and take a catch in the box relieving pressure on our defence? I don't think he's ever done it, I can't remember a single instance.

Yep, this for me too. Reminds me of the days when Sal Bibbo was the coach and you often felt there was elastic tied between the keeper and posts. Button rarely came away from his line, the number of balls that landed in the box and he didn't deal with was huge.

For me his credibility was irretrievably damaged in the run of games early October. He hadn't looked brilliant from the season-start, but stood right behind him at Northampton and he had a shocker. You could really see his limitations. Followed it up with a really poor game at Leyton Orient.

Think character in a keeper is such a key aspect. Lumley wasn't without fault, but he did seem to inspire confidence in his defence, and he certainly seemed to have something about him. Pereira seems more in that camp, than the more subdued yet effectiveness that Al-Habsi had. Button seems more like AAH, but without the good bits. IMHO

[Clyde1998]

https://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/2024/j ... loan-move/

Andresson has gone out on loan again, this time to Icelandic second tier side Afturelding until the end of the Icelandic season in October. I don't know what to make of that, on one hand he'll hopefully be getting game time and the fact he was in their youth team may have made him more likely to accept a deal there; on the other, I doubt the Icelandic second tier is of a standard where he'll improve as a player.

[Mid Sussex Royal]

We really need to get shot of Bouzanis, what a stupid signing that was, particularly a 3 year contract

[Snowflake Royal]

https://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/2024/july/19/andresson-loan-move/

Andresson has gone out on loan again, this time to Icelandic second tier side Afturelding until the end of the Icelandic season in October. I don't know what to make of that, on one hand he'll hopefully be getting game time and the fact he was in their youth team may have made him more likely to accept a deal there; on the other, I doubt the Icelandic second tier is of a standard where he'll improve as a player.

We're just seeing out his contract and trying to minimise his cost at this point surely?

[Clyde1998]

https://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/2024/july/19/andresson-loan-move/

Andresson has gone out on loan again, this time to Icelandic second tier side Afturelding until the end of the Icelandic season in October. I don't know what to make of that, on one hand he'll hopefully be getting game time and the fact he was in their youth team may have made him more likely to accept a deal there; on the other, I doubt the Icelandic second tier is of a standard where he'll improve as a player.

We're just seeing out his contract and trying to minimise his cost at this point surely?

If he was going to be challenge for a place in our side, he would've been playing for Carlisle last season. Unless the club think him playing regularly at any level for a couple of months would bring him into the picture, he'll be leaving at the end of the season.

[Sutekh]

https://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/2024/july/19/andresson-loan-move/

Andresson has gone out on loan again, this time to Icelandic second tier side Afturelding until the end of the Icelandic season in October. I don't know what to make of that, on one hand he'll hopefully be getting game time and the fact he was in their youth team may have made him more likely to accept a deal there; on the other, I doubt the Icelandic second tier is of a standard where he'll improve as a player.

We're just seeing out his contract and trying to minimise his cost at this point surely?

If he was going to be challenge for a place in our side, he would've been playing for Carlisle last season. Unless the club think him playing regularly at any level for a couple of months would bring him into the picture, he'll be leaving at the end of the season.

Andresson is capable but appears to be a bit injury prone. Really need to get CBC out on a decent loan somewhere to prove ability and get experience as he should be the next no. 1 if he proves able.

Bouzanis (utterly bizarre and pointless signing that was) is entering the last year of his deal so will most likely be gone next summer, hoping Sutton take him back on loan in the meantime.

That leaves Pereira and Button as the current names in the frame and Pereira at the moment has the shirt IMO. They're both a bit unconvincing but at least Pereira should be coming into his peak.

[Snowflake Royal]

We're just seeing out his contract and trying to minimise his cost at this point surely?

If he was going to be challenge for a place in our side, he would've been playing for Carlisle last season. Unless the club think him playing regularly at any level for a couple of months would bring him into the picture, he'll be leaving at the end of the season.

Andresson is capable but appears to be a bit injury prone. Really need to get CBC out on a decent loan somewhere to prove ability and get experience as he should be the next no. 1 if he proves able.

Bouzanis (utterly bizarre and pointless signing that was) is entering the last year of his deal so will most likely be gone next summer, hoping Sutton take him back on loan in the meantime.

That leaves Pereira and Button as the current names in the frame and Pereira at the moment has the shirt IMO. They're both a bit unconvincing but at least Pereira should be coming into his peak.

We have really failed in the Keeper department haven't we.

Too many players who aren't good enough signed on multiple year deals. Not giving CBC the experience he needs. The only keeper we really want to be first choice amongst them all is the onr whose contract was up when we have way too many.

Meanwhile, Southwood, who has proved plenty capable at this level, was shipped out.

[72 bus]

If he was going to be challenge for a place in our side, he would've been playing for Carlisle last season. Unless the club think him playing regularly at any level for a couple of months would bring him into the picture, he'll be leaving at the end of the season.

Andresson is capable but appears to be a bit injury prone. Really need to get CBC out on a decent loan somewhere to prove ability and get experience as he should be the next no. 1 if he proves able.

Bouzanis (utterly bizarre and pointless signing that was) is entering the last year of his deal so will most likely be gone next summer, hoping Sutton take him back on loan in the meantime.

That leaves Pereira and Button as the current names in the frame and Pereira at the moment has the shirt IMO. They're both a bit unconvincing but at least Pereira should be coming into his peak.

We have really failed in the Keeper department haven't we.

Too many players who aren't good enough signed on multiple year deals. Not giving CBC the experience he needs. The only keeper we really want to be first choice amongst them all is the onr whose contract was up when we have way too many.

Meanwhile, Southwood, who has proved plenty capable at this level, was shipped out.

Are you still knocking one out over him, he was shipped out because most of the squad thought he was a complete knob.

[Hound]

Yeah that’s the end for Jokull here you’d think

Be Perreira backed with button this year and hopefully cbc out on loan somewhere

[Forbury Lion]

The stats do not lie, but it doesn't take form into account - Button's form dropped so he was dropped, Had he continued in the same form his stats would have worsened.

[Stranded]

The stats do not lie, but it doesn't take form into account - Button's form dropped so he was dropped, Had he continued in the same form his stats would have worsened.

Indeed - am sure I saw that based on the stats, if we had continued with Button, we may have conceded 4 or 5 more goals - which whilst not having any real impact on us surviving relegation, may have seen us finish a bit lower down.

Pereria will rightly start as #1 you would think but wouldn't at all surprise me if we have a new keeper for 25/26.

[RG30]

We really need to get shot of Bouzanis, what a stupid signing that was, particularly a 3 year contract

Bouzanis is symbolic of the deep rooted nepotism that infiltrated the club at the time of his signing. He had earned no right to get a 3 year deal, was simply best pals with Tom Ince from playing together at Liverpool and was an easy signing for his dad to make at the time.

[RoyalBlue]

I've had a look at the basic goalkeeping stats.

Despite everyone criticising Button in goal, we've conceded basically as much with him in goal as we have with Pereira in goal.

Button - Pld 37 - GA 55 - 59.7 mins per GA
Pereira - Pld 9 - GA 14 - 54.6 mins per GA

Even without that stoppage time mistake against Blackpool, it would been slightly in Button's favour (Pereira would've been on 58.8 mins per GA without it).

I maintain Pereira is a much better shot stopper, but Button is better at distribution and organising the defence - things that prevent pressure on the goal in the first place.

I feel Button has been unfairly criticised because of his early season errors. His minutes per goal conceded dropped to 70.0 after Shrewsbury until he got ill before of Derby (40% better than his record until Shrewsbury).

Any thoughts people have on this?

They say football is a game of opinions and mine on this differ somewhat.

I've always thought Button is too quiet and poor at communicating with his defence, particularly for a keeper so experienced. In contrast, I feel I've witnessed far more shouting and gesticulating from Pereira when he has played.

Whilst Button's distribution is probably more accurate than Pereira's, to my mind he too often takes too much time to decide what he is going to do and then release the ball. This, in my opinion, has wasted many promising counter-attacking opportunities. To me, Pereira is a lot quicker in those situations and is looking to create quick counters, even if sometimes his kick/throw misses its intended target.

[Forbury Lion]

We really need to get shot of Bouzanis, what a stupid signing that was, particularly a 3 year contract

Bouzanis is symbolic of the deep rooted nepotism that infiltrated the club at the time of his signing. He had earned no right to get a 3 year deal, was simply best pals with Tom Ince from playing together at Liverpool and was an easy signing for his dad to make at the time.

I think the nepotism, other than Tom Ince who was a good signing and clearly only joined because his Dad was manager, was more down to the fact out scouting network was virtually non-existant having relied on that one agent to offload all his players with us and Paul Ince having been out of the game so long any contacts he would have had were now irrelevant

[Snowflake Royal]

We really need to get shot of Bouzanis, what a stupid signing that was, particularly a 3 year contract

Bouzanis is symbolic of the deep rooted nepotism that infiltrated the club at the time of his signing. He had earned no right to get a 3 year deal, was simply best pals with Tom Ince from playing together at Liverpool and was an easy signing for his dad to make at the time.

I think the nepotism, other than Tom Ince who was a good signing and clearly only joined because his Dad was manager, was more down to the fact out scouting network was virtually non-existant having relied on that one agent to offload all his players with us and Paul Ince having been out of the game so long any contacts he would have had were now irrelevant

Tom signed before his dad was manager. Hence all the jokes about us just getting one of the player's dad's to step in.

[Clyde1998]

I've had a look at the basic goalkeeping stats.

Despite everyone criticising Button in goal, we've conceded basically as much with him in goal as we have with Pereira in goal.

Button - Pld 37 - GA 55 - 59.7 mins per GA
Pereira - Pld 9 - GA 14 - 54.6 mins per GA

Even without that stoppage time mistake against Blackpool, it would been slightly in Button's favour (Pereira would've been on 58.8 mins per GA without it).

I maintain Pereira is a much better shot stopper, but Button is better at distribution and organising the defence - things that prevent pressure on the goal in the first place.

I feel Button has been unfairly criticised because of his early season errors. His minutes per goal conceded dropped to 70.0 after Shrewsbury until he got ill before of Derby (40% better than his record until Shrewsbury).

Any thoughts people have on this?

They say football is a game of opinions and mine on this differ somewhat.

I've always thought Button is too quiet and poor at communicating with his defence, particularly for a keeper so experienced. In contrast, I feel I've witnessed far more shouting and gesticulating from Pereira when he has played.

Whilst Button's distribution is probably more accurate than Pereira's, to my mind he too often takes too much time to decide what he is going to do and then release the ball. This, in my opinion, has wasted many promising counter-attacking opportunities. To me, Pereira is a lot quicker in those situations and is looking to create quick counters, even if sometimes his kick/throw misses its intended target.

The organisation point is largely based my view we didn't look as defensively coherent once Pereira came in (from my point of view), although it can be difficult to know whether that's based on the goalkeeper's communication (being loud and more regular doesn't necessarily mean better IMO), better understanding between goalkeeper and defence (which simply builds up over time), tactical shifts (which would affect whoever's in goal), anything else or any combination. We may have been simply playing better sides who had more ability to expose our defence.

I guess with the distribution, it depends on what you're looking for. I agree with that point, Button can take too long to make a decision whereas Pereira is looking for a faster ball often at the expense of accuracy. Possibly the latter will provide us with more chances; only Smith has any chance of winning the ball from long kicks and counter attacks would give our faster players space to run in to - where I think we've looked most dangerous.

Thinking about it, I do also wonder how much of Pereira's distribution issues could be down to players being used to Button's distribution style and, with Pereira doing something different, weren't anticipating as well as they were (again, that's something that would simply need time to allow players to get used to it).

It will be Pereira in goal going forward (unless he gets injured or has a massive decline in form). Button will be 36 at the end of the season; he's only declining. Pereira's just turned 28 and could still improve his distribution. CBC will likely be the cup goalie, unless he gets loaned out. Button's main role this season will be to a backup and assist with the development of the younger goalies.

I think I clarified when asked, but my main intention was to have a discussion as to whether people thought Pereira was significantly better than Button as some people (social media) were suggesting, as opposed to suggesting Button should be replacing Pereira in goal. I think as a backup, Button will be a good option to have in League One as I don't think he was any worse than a fairly average League One goalkeeper last season.

[Forbury Lion]

Bouzanis is symbolic of the deep rooted nepotism that infiltrated the club at the time of his signing. He had earned no right to get a 3 year deal, was simply best pals with Tom Ince from playing together at Liverpool and was an easy signing for his dad to make at the time.

I think the nepotism, other than Tom Ince who was a good signing and clearly only joined because his Dad was manager, was more down to the fact out scouting network was virtually non-existant having relied on that one agent to offload all his players with us and Paul Ince having been out of the game so long any contacts he would have had were now irrelevant

Tom signed before his dad was manager. Hence all the jokes about us just getting one of the player's dad's to step in.

Good point, I think my memory is intentionally clouding over that era for the sake of my mental health.

[Clyde1998]

Bouzanis has gone on loan to Stevenage until January: https://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/2024/a ... stevenage/