Well played Marcus

[londinium]

I would just like to stick in a positive post amongst all the really negative ones this weekend.

Everytime Marcus has a 'not so good' game he gets absolutely hammered.

Yesterday he was very good. A couple of outstanding saves, correct decisions each time he was called on and he also caught the couple of crosses he had to which as we know is not his strongest part of the game.

And before you all say it,,, yes, his kicking was woeful, are we not used to that by now. James also suffered a few times with the wind and the egg chasers also suffered today so maybe it was windier at pitch level than it looked.

In a game that few players were really good, both Marcus and Ivar stood out as doing very little wrong.

Well played the last few games Marcus...still RFC's No. 1.

[Fife]

I think that most goalkeepers are relatively the same with the exception of a few like Cech and van der Sar. I'm sure a Division 2 keeper could pretty easily survive in the Premiership with an average team.

[Banjax]

yes he did what he was called to do but it wasn't that special the only real save i can remember was at his near post which all keepers should save

i will say he made a good couple of catches BUT

He kept kicking it to leroy who was half the size of linvoy and campbell

FFS throw the bloody ball out once in a while

[zac naloen]

I've said this before and I'll say it again. The only problem I have with Marcus's play is his distribution.

It's getting better (which suggests the club have got him practising) but he does need to throw it out more often.

But then again, without Convey's blistering pace on the wing our ability to attack on the break is severely diminished.

[Horsham Royal]

I've said this before and I'll say it again. The only problem I have with Marcus's play is his distribution.

It's getting better (which suggests the club have got him practising) but he does need to throw it out more often.

But then again, without Convey's blistering pace on the wing our ability to attack on the break is severely diminished.

I might be wrong, but I remember him throwing a lot more last season.
Which makes me think it's the outfield players not getting into positions he can throw to so much this season.

[Westcoast Royal]

yeah, i agree i think he has not been throwing out as much. BUT maybe that is because he doesnt want to put our wingers under as much stress with the difference in playing ability between the Championship and the Prem.

They had much more time on the ball and more space last year....Reading dictated the way they wanted to play the game, and Marcus' distribution had a lot to do with that......he has just had to change his game......it sure looks like it has worked......

[John Madejski's Wallet]

without Convey's blistering pace on the wing our ability to attack on the break is severely diminished.

Is that a joke??

For someone with a nickname of 'philadelphia flyer' I never thought Convey was all that quick

[zac naloen]

I've said this before and I'll say it again. The only problem I have with Marcus's play is his distribution.

It's getting better (which suggests the club have got him practising) but he does need to throw it out more often.

But then again, without Convey's blistering pace on the wing our ability to attack on the break is severely diminished.

I might be wrong, but I remember him throwing a lot more last season.
Which makes me think it's the outfield players not getting into positions he can throw to so much this season.

No you are right, I think it has a lot to do with Bobby and his runs into space and his pace. But, when our wingers (or full backs) do get into those positions it doesn't stop me getting a little annoyed that Marcus doesn't spot it without it being pointed out to him. Otherwise he just boots it up the pitch.

The cup game Bobby played in he was always waving for the ball, asking for it whilst running at full pace up the pitch.

Without Bobby we have no wingers with the pace to make that kind of run.

[zac naloen]

without Convey's blistering pace on the wing our ability to attack on the break is severely diminished.

Is that a joke??

For someone with a nickname of 'philadelphia flyer' I never thought Convey was all that quick

Not compared to someone like Henry or Walcott no, but his pace (and I suppose a little intelligence) regularly turned players inside out last year and contributed to at least two of his goals as he nicked it past a defender defending on the half way line (following a marcus throw) and then ran at the keeper. Our main attacking threat on the break was Conveys pace and I've felt that danger on the break is something we have missed a little with his absence. Luckily Hunt has made up for it with his never say die attitude.

[Alan Partridge]

Marcus form over the last month or so has been much better and it needed to be.

[shadesrwrf]

Marcus form over the last month or so has been much better and it needed to be.

I expect (and in some way hope) to be whooshed but you are on a wind-up aren't you?

[Bowman's Quiver]

I think that most goalkeepers are relatively the same with the exception of a few like Cech and van der Sar. I'm sure a Division 2 keeper could pretty easily survive in the Premiership with an average team.

I think that's a very good observation.

Tony Warner and Mike Pollitt spring to mind as relatively average keepers in the lower leagues who suddenly found themselves catapulted into the Premiership with Fulham and Wigan respetively.

[Platypuss]

Why should he get special praise for a completely routine game?

[Jerry St Clair]

I think that most goalkeepers are relatively the same with the exception of a few like Cech and van der Sar. I'm sure a Division 2 keeper could pretty easily survive in the Premiership with an average team.

I think that's a very good observation.

Tony Warner and Mike Pollitt spring to mind as relatively average keepers in the lower leagues who suddenly found themselves catapulted into the Premiership with Fulham and Wigan respetively.

Interesting question. As a counter, I'd give you Simon Sheppard.

But I'd wager that Gary Westwood and Steve Francis would have happily coped with the First Division.

[Mr Angry]

One reason that Marcus didn't throw the ball out so much on Saturday were Pompey's tactics; they had Benjani and Krancjar push up on the full backs to prevent exactly that - obviously the wily old dog that is Harry Redknapp has sussed that a large proprtion of our attacks start from the full backs, so went out of his way to stifle that route for us.

And it worked.

[brendywendy]

yes he did what he was called to do but it wasn't that special the only real save i can remember was at his near post which all keepers should save

i will say he made a good couple of catches BUT

He kept kicking it to leroy who was half the size of linvoy and campbell

FFS throw the bloody ball out once in a while

thats rubbish

he kicked to leroy about half th etime, and leroy came out with th eball about half those times
and he kicked to kitson about half th etime, and he came away with the ball slightly less than half of those times, he also threw the ball out a couple of times

[Bowman's Quiver]

I think that most goalkeepers are relatively the same with the exception of a few like Cech and van der Sar. I'm sure a Division 2 keeper could pretty easily survive in the Premiership with an average team.

I think that's a very good observation.

Tony Warner and Mike Pollitt spring to mind as relatively average keepers in the lower leagues who suddenly found themselves catapulted into the Premiership with Fulham and Wigan respetively.

Interesting question. As a counter, I'd give you Simon Sheppard.

But I'd wager that Gary Westwood and Steve Francis would have happily coped with the First Division.

I think it's at the very least debatable whether or not Simon Sheppard was a division two goalkeeper in the first place.

[11.30 from paddington]

Mr Angry is spot on. Pompey's five in midlfield, allowed their wider midfielders to push up onto our full backs. When Marcus got the ball, Portsmouth were very quick to get into position to cut off most of Marcus' throwouts.

Fair play to Redknapp for doing his research and realising how important our fullbakcs are to our attack. This also meant that Little only seemed to get the ball on the halfway line, and was rarely given the chance to go one-on-one with the poor Stefanovic.