Graeme smith to sign in the next few days

[johnnyrocketpants]

Kuipers

 

[grummitts gloves]

Michel will always be an Albion legend. I am still happy for him to be our number 1, but he's not getting any younger. If this rumour is true, we can't slate another keeper we don't truly know anything about. Fact is we need a backup and there doesn't appear to be anyone else in the reserves at the moment. We have no choice but to trust Slade to find a suitable No.2 keeper.

Please can we all get out of the habit of slagging any player who is remotely linked to us. Replace the negativity on this board with abit of humour and optimism.... PLEASE!

 

[Ninja Elephant]

Unfortunately every slight mistake that this man makes will be seen by the likes of TCB and some others as a major calamity and there will be calls to recall Kuipers.

Not if he's a better keeper... you can't deny that when a better goalkeeper has come along, he has been appreciated in the majority and there isn't a bias against goalies for "not being Michel Kuipers". The FACT is, only twice has a better keeper come along, Roberts and Flinders (arguably).

In actual fact, northstandsteve, anything can happen and Michel has bounced back before, and I don't doubt he will again.

 

[northstandsteve]

If getting a keeper ups Michels game then great, he will always get my support as any player wearing an Albion player would. All about opinions, but all good things come to an end.....

 

[B.W.]

We mugged PNE over Hendo... he consistently batted the ball out to onrushing strikers for the latter to score... FDM has been great for our club, but needs real competition... Sullivan will play in Millwall's stiffs...

This guy (Smith) sounds like the real deal... I hope this signing happens...

 

[HG201]

I would still prefer to see FDM wearing the number 1 shirt next season, but obviously after the release of Sully we do need back up for him. Does anybody know how old this Graeme Smith is, hopefully quite young as there is no point in having two old, experienced keepers.
If anything, this will probably increase Michel's game as he will be fighting for that number one shirt

 

[SeagullofKent]

I would still prefer to see FDM wearing the number 1 shirt next season, but obviously after the release of Sully we do need back up for him. Does anybody know how old this Graeme Smith is, hopefully quite young as there is no point in having two old, experienced keepers.
If anything, this will probably increase Michel's game as he will be fighting for that number one shirt

26 years old and has scotland u21 and b experience, used to play for rangers

 

[larus]

You're kidding, surely? Henderson was caught out time and time again, he let in so many soft goals.. if you're goalkeeper can't keep shots out then you're getting relegated, facts. Obviously the rest of the team wasn't great either, but we would have atleast done a bit better with a proper goalkeeper between the sticks. Henderson's performances against Watford and Stoke were absolute jokes, and yet he kept being played. Amazing.



No, Henderson's faults had nothing to do with not being Michel. Roberts wasn't hindered by being someone different because he was a good goalkeeper, Scott Flinders was the same... a good goalkeeper who was respected because he played well consistently. Henderson was brilliant away at Crystal Palace, and average to rubbish every match other than that. Anyone who disagrees really does baffle me, because there is only 1 game which Henderson can get any credit from at all!

As you say it's all about opinions. EVERY manager we have had, whenever he's had 2 keepers to choose from, Michel and A.N. other, has always chosen the A.N.Other option as his first choice. But, of course, they were all wrong, and you're right.

 

[El Presidente]

26 years old and has scotland u21 and b experience, used to play for rangers

With a name like Graeme Smith he was highly unlikely to have played for Celtic!

 

[Brighton M]

You're kidding, surely? Henderson was caught out time and time again, he let in so many soft goals.. if you're goalkeeper can't keep shots out then you're getting relegated, facts. Obviously the rest of the team wasn't great either, but we would have atleast done a bit better with a proper goalkeeper between the sticks. Henderson's performances against Watford and Stoke were absolute jokes, and yet he kept being played. Amazing.




No, Henderson's faults had nothing to do with not being Michel. Roberts wasn't hindered by being someone different because he was a good goalkeeper, Scott Flinders was the same... a good goalkeeper who was respected because he played well consistently. Henderson was brilliant away at Crystal Palace, and average to rubbish every match other than that. Anyone who disagrees really does baffle me, because there is only 1 game which Henderson can get any credit from at all!

nonsense. the performance you describe as a joke was when he let in a goal from the half way line having cleared the ball into the only place physically possible. the whole team waere pants against stoke. Roberts was called coco the clown by many on here because he wasnt fdm even though he was much better.

Oh, and you obviously missed Henderson's performance at Elland Road for starters in the 3-3 game that leeds had about 30 shots in.

Ninja elephant doesn't know very much about football that he hasn't read on a computer game, and has short sighted opinions because he loves kuipers. he's not the first and he wont be the last.

 

[B.W.]

As you say it's all about opinions. EVERY manager we have had, whenever he's had 2 keepers to choose from, Michel and A.N. other, has always chosen the A.N.Other option as his first choice. But, of course, they were all wrong, and you're right.

But that is not true... FDM played almost all games in 2 promotion seasons, and a fair few in the playoff winning season... get your facts straight...

 

[Acker79]

Was an Ireland international at about 22, you don't manage that if you aren't at least half decent.

Fantastic achievement that, especially when you consider he was third choice for ireland, and that there were probably only two irish keepers playing at a higher level. It wasn't so much that he as a fantastic keeper, it was that Ireland had limited options.

Henderson's performances against Watford and Stoke were absolute jokes, and yet he kept being played. Amazing.

He also cost us game changing goals against Plymouth, southampton (with the general consensus being if we held on til half time we could get something from the game, henderson dived and parried the ball against paul mcshane forcing an own goal, when he was under no pressure and the ball was trickling along at no great speed), sheffield wednesday in a game we needed to win to have any chance of staying up (where henderson dived and parried the ball against gary hart forcing an own goal, when h as under no pressure and the ball was trickling along at no great speed).

Yes he was young, but he wasn't learning. He kept making thesame mistakes again and again. And if you took all the goals that we conceded from his mistakes, and the points they cost us, it can be arged he cost us relegation.

Roberts wasn't hindered by being someone different because he was a good goalkeeper, Scott Flinders was the same... a good goalkeeper who was respected because he played well consistently.

The FACT is, only twice has a better keeper come along, Roberts and Flinders (arguably).

Aw man, just when I was agreeing with everything you said. I never saw any upside to Flinders other than his debut. Beyond that he seemed at best average, and as I've said before, he had the worst win rate of the three keepers we player that year with the comparatively same outfield team. (Flinders 16%, Henderson 36% {40% if you include the penalty shoot out v millwall} and Kuipers on 48%)

 

[Acker79]

nonsense. the performance you describe as a joke was when he let in a goal from the half way line having cleared the ball into the only place physically possible.

Except, perhaps out of play. Or somewhere else on the pitch. He ran out rashly, panicked and belted it upfield to an opponent.

 

[B.W.]

Sorry, forgot to mention...there were two contenders last year too... RS chose Kuipers...

 

[Finchley Seagull]

Not if he's a better keeper... you can't deny that when a better goalkeeper has come along, he has been appreciated in the majority and there isn't a bias against goalies for "not being Michel Kuipers". The FACT is, only twice has a better keeper come along, Roberts and Flinders (arguably).

In actual fact, northstandsteve, anything can happen and Michel has bounced back before, and I don't doubt he will again.

That's rubbish. Roberts got a lot of stick when he was with us like being called Coco the Clown by some idiots. The other person you admit to being better than Kuipers is still regarded as crap by a lot of people on here who were up in arms when it was suggested he might come back this summer.

Just one thought (which has been said on here a number of times before), your loyal, fantastic Michel demands a transfer and ends up on loan at Boston after a while. Henderson demands a transfer and ends up at Preston within a couple of weeks. That's how they are rated by managers. I like Kuipers (although I do think we need a new number one) but the actions of people who support him (which means attack anyone who dares to challenge him) really piss me off.

 

[northstandsteve]

great post

 

[Mr Burns]

Michel is past his best. Good shot stopper, and Albion Legend ?? Will get a deserved testimonial. However he doesn't do the basic well, distribution etc, and he wants to blame everyone apart fron himself. Doesn't organise the back well enough.
Thats why we needa keeper, and if Michel can compete all well and good.

 

[Finchley Seagull]

Don't know what to make of this one.
Anecdotally Michel could probably do with the competion, so good.
Russel Slade allegedly likes big goalkeepers,but Smith is shorter than Michel.
Smith was priced up to £700k till his contract expired, so good.
He's a Scottish keeper, oh dear!!
Mark McGhee rates him highly. He thought the same about Calamity Wayne as he fumbled us out the Championship. Oh very dear!!
On balance, don't fancy this signing.

Thanks for that contribution. Good to see that Kuipers' fans are already writing the guy off.

 

[Acker79]

great post

Thanks! (you didn't specify whose, so I'm assuming you meant mine)

 

[Mr Burns]

Michel will be on the bench for most of this season, without a doubt. Slade knows that we need a top class keeper, who can organise take responsibility and above all can give us some decent distribution, instead of posing everytime he makes a save.

Michel wont be on the bench for most of the season. If he's number two for more than a month, he'll throw his toys out of the pram again and want to leave... again.

If we sign a new number one, we'll need a new number two as well. Lets hope we get them beofre August!