Time to drop Rafael?

[Nameless]

Last chance saloon tonight I feel. Any more mistakes and southwood deserves a chance.

Not sure Southwood ‘deserves’ a chance. That’s presumably based on his hardly having played for months ?
Dropping Rafael would be entirely based on the perception that Rafael is playing badly. There’s no real case for putting Southwood in the team on current form or merit. It would undoubtably be a risk which may or may not pay off. The downside is that if it doesn’t pay off Rafael may be brought back in having been considered not up to it and not really having had an way to improve.
The worst possible scenario would be we end up with 2 keepers being swapped out on a regular basis, neither feeling they have the manager’s confidence.

I know what you’re saying but I think that’s playing semantics somewhat. I read it as Southwood deserves a chance purely because Raphael doesn’t deserve to be in the team on merit. Obviously for a number 2 that hasn’t played, it’s hard to show you deserve something without having an opportunity.

‘Deserved’ was in quotes...
I’m wary of Rafael’s failings being over played and Southwood being picked not because he’d be better but because Rafael has been ditched. I like Southwood, I saw him play a lot in the Academy and he is an athletic, dynamic keeper who I think could be our No 1 for a long time. But whether he would solve the specific issue of not stopping long range shots I’m not sure
I’m also never convinced about people being ‘given’ an opportunity. He is given an opportunity every day in training. League games are not the place to give someone an ‘opportunity’, If Southwood is showing in training he’s better than Rafael then put him in, but don’t put him in just to find out.

[Broxroyal]

If Rafael drops another clanger or two tonight that lead to goal(s) then it may do him good to miss a couple of games and work on the areas that are of concern - Southwood gets a few games to show he is ready to be #1 and if he takes it great, if not then Rafael comes back in with a hopefully clear head in a little while.

Would imagine though we will see Rafael tonight and on Saturday and Southwood will get a start at Luton in the cup and go from there.

This. Southwood to come in for the cup game and, unless he screws up, leave him in for a while. Rafael to play tonight and Saturday.

[Nameless]

Keeper selection is by far the hardest decision in the team.
Would be really interesting to know what Morrison thinks, he must be the best placed person to understand which keeper he feels more confident in. Not sure he’d go public with his thoughts though !

[Snowflake Royal]

Last chance saloon tonight I feel. Any more mistakes and southwood deserves a chance.

Not sure Southwood ‘deserves’ a chance. That’s presumably based on his hardly having played for months ?
Dropping Rafael would be entirely based on the perception that Rafael is playing badly. There’s no real case for putting Southwood in the team on current form or merit. It would undoubtably be a risk which may or may not pay off.

No reserve keeper would ever come in for a struggling No. 1 if that was true.

[Nameless]

Last chance saloon tonight I feel. Any more mistakes and southwood deserves a chance.

Not sure Southwood ‘deserves’ a chance. That’s presumably based on his hardly having played for months ?
Dropping Rafael would be entirely based on the perception that Rafael is playing badly. There’s no real case for putting Southwood in the team on current form or merit. It would undoubtably be a risk which may or may not pay off.

No reserve keeper would ever come in for a struggling No. 1 if that was true.

Not at all. Ideally your back up keeper would be playing games, elsewhere it has been argued that it takes players 3-4 games to get up to match speed so it’s a huge risk to throw a non match ready keeper in because some fans think our no 1 keeper is ‘struggling’.
If Rafael was genuinely struggling then a change would make sense , he’s not. There’s no hint his defence have lost confidence in him or that his confidence is an issue,
It’s a hard call but there seems little positive logic behind swapping the keepers, just a feeling that changing something might stop us letting in some long range shots.

[Millsy]

This has come at a really unfortunate time.

We believed we'd be promotion or playoff contenders and there's still every reason to keep believing that but a dodgy keeper basically ruins it.

Good as he is (some great saves - but all keepers pull off some great saves at times) he's had far too many howlers this season and for me let in far too many long shots in softly too. Overall I think on current form he's below average and the trouble is we just can't have a keeper in a promotion chasing season who's prone to howlers/low confidence/poor form.

Southwood - don't know. If he's not good enough the ideal scenario is the owners get a decent keeper in either permanently or on loan, someone of Martinez' ability.

[Snowflake Royal]

Not sure Southwood ‘deserves’ a chance. That’s presumably based on his hardly having played for months ?
Dropping Rafael would be entirely based on the perception that Rafael is playing badly. There’s no real case for putting Southwood in the team on current form or merit. It would undoubtably be a risk which may or may not pay off.

No reserve keeper would ever come in for a struggling No. 1 if that was true.

Not at all. Ideally your back up keeper would be playing games, elsewhere it has been argued that it takes players 3-4 games to get up to match speed so it’s a huge risk to throw a non match ready keeper in because some fans think our no 1 keeper is ‘struggling’.
If Rafael was genuinely struggling then a change would make sense , he’s not. There’s no hint his defence have lost confidence in him or that his confidence is an issue,
It’s a hard call but there seems little positive logic behind swapping the keepers, just a feeling that changing something might stop us letting in some long range shots.

How does your backup keeper play games and be available!?

Keepers and outfielders are a bit of a different proposition. I don't think 3-4 games to get back to full match sharpness following an injury really applies to a keeper who hasn't been out injured.

[Nameless]

No reserve keeper would ever come in for a struggling No. 1 if that was true.

Not at all. Ideally your back up keeper would be playing games, elsewhere it has been argued that it takes players 3-4 games to get up to match speed so it’s a huge risk to throw a non match ready keeper in because some fans think our no 1 keeper is ‘struggling’.
If Rafael was genuinely struggling then a change would make sense , he’s not. There’s no hint his defence have lost confidence in him or that his confidence is an issue,
It’s a hard call but there seems little positive logic behind swapping the keepers, just a feeling that changing something might stop us letting in some long range shots.

How does your backup keeper play games and be available!?

Keepers and outfielders are a bit of a different proposition. I don't think 3-4 games to get back to full match sharpness following an injury really applies to a keeper who hasn't been out injured.

Currently it’s very hard for non playing keepers to get match time, hence the word ‘ideally’.
The current position of thinking a keeper with 90 minutes playing time in quite a few months can step in and immediately perform better than a slightly below par keeper is pretty optimistic.
Bear in mind Southwood isn’t getting ‘back’ to full match sharpness. He’s not going to be near match sharpness.

[morganb]

I wonder if sending Walker out on Emergency Loan is to get him match sharp and for him to replace Rafael? Last time it was Jokull
Andresson who was loaned out and there was no change of him getting near the first team. This time Walker goes and he has been on the bench off and on in recent weeks so is closer to the first team and therefore being Rafael's replacement.

[Snowflake Royal]

Not at all. Ideally your back up keeper would be playing games, elsewhere it has been argued that it takes players 3-4 games to get up to match speed so it’s a huge risk to throw a non match ready keeper in because some fans think our no 1 keeper is ‘struggling’.
If Rafael was genuinely struggling then a change would make sense , he’s not. There’s no hint his defence have lost confidence in him or that his confidence is an issue,
It’s a hard call but there seems little positive logic behind swapping the keepers, just a feeling that changing something might stop us letting in some long range shots.

How does your backup keeper play games and be available!?

Keepers and outfielders are a bit of a different proposition. I don't think 3-4 games to get back to full match sharpness following an injury really applies to a keeper who hasn't been out injured.

Currently it’s very hard for non playing keepers to get match time, hence the word ‘ideally’.
The current position of thinking a keeper with 90 minutes playing time in quite a few months can step in and immediately perform better than a slightly below par keeper is pretty optimistic.
Bear in mind Southwood isn’t getting ‘back’ to full match sharpness. He’s not going to be near match sharpness.

180 minutes first team.

You're talk about Southwood like he has no experience. It's just not true.

It's not like we haven't seen keeper's come in and perform having not been getting regular first team football. Jaakkola, Walker and Mannone were in and out the side. McCarthy stepped in fine.

It's not a big deal.

[SCIAG]

Once upon a time your second choice goalkeeper would start your reserve games. These days most clubs seem to have an established pro on the bench and a 19 year old in the U23s. There is no formal restriction on the age of your U23 goalkeeper. I guess clubs must think that the risk:reward favours using a young player.

[Nameless]

How does your backup keeper play games and be available!?

Keepers and outfielders are a bit of a different proposition. I don't think 3-4 games to get back to full match sharpness following an injury really applies to a keeper who hasn't been out injured.

Currently it’s very hard for non playing keepers to get match time, hence the word ‘ideally’.
The current position of thinking a keeper with 90 minutes playing time in quite a few months can step in and immediately perform better than a slightly below par keeper is pretty optimistic.
Bear in mind Southwood isn’t getting ‘back’ to full match sharpness. He’s not going to be near match sharpness.

180 minutes first team.

You're talk about Southwood like he has no experience. It's just not true.

It's not like we haven't seen keeper's come in and perform having not been getting regular first team football. Jaakkola, Walker and Mannone were in and out the side. McCarthy stepped in fine.

It's not a big deal.

That’s not the discussion.

[Nameless]

Once upon a time your second choice goalkeeper would start your reserve games. These days most clubs seem to have an established pro on the bench and a 19 year old in the U23s. There is no formal restriction on the age of your U23 goalkeeper. I guess clubs must think that the risk:reward favours using a young player.

Possibly because U23 games seem to be played on all sorts of days rather than consistently on a midweek day as reserve games tended to be ?
But you are right, clubs seem happy that a back up keeper could step upoff the bench with virtually no match time for months and do a job. In our case we seem happy for 2 senior keepers to not play a team all !

[Snowflake Royal]

Currently it’s very hard for non playing keepers to get match time, hence the word ‘ideally’.
The current position of thinking a keeper with 90 minutes playing time in quite a few months can step in and immediately perform better than a slightly below par keeper is pretty optimistic.
Bear in mind Southwood isn’t getting ‘back’ to full match sharpness. He’s not going to be near match sharpness.

180 minutes first team.

You're talk about Southwood like he has no experience. It's just not true.

It's not like we haven't seen keeper's come in and perform having not been getting regular first team football. Jaakkola, Walker and Mannone were in and out the side. McCarthy stepped in fine.

It's not a big deal.

That’s not the discussion.

Grown up, well done.

[Pepe the Horseman]

Lol

[Franchise FC]

Lol

Form is temporary, etc.

[Nameless]

180 minutes first team.

You're talk about Southwood like he has no experience. It's just not true.

It's not like we haven't seen keeper's come in and perform having not been getting regular first team football. Jaakkola, Walker and Mannone were in and out the side. McCarthy stepped in fine.

It's not a big deal.

That’s not the discussion.

Grown up, well done.

You make me chuckle with you little mannerisms...

[Millsy]

Couple of great saves tonight.

[royalp-we]

Won us a point tonight. MOTM.

[WoodleyRoyal]

Good. His ability has never been in question. He just needs to stop the clangers. Hopefully this post never need surface again