Brezovan - Calamity keeper!?!

[Finchley Seagull]

Brezovan is an odd player, he looks solid for 89 minutes, but he seems to have a David James moment in him most games. I just think keeping him means again we are settling for a player that can do a job, rather than real quality.

It is interesting that we all have such different views. I don't think he has had that many moments since coming back into the side (Charlton away and yesterday are the only I can think of) and he more than makes up for it by taking the pressure off the defence with his catching. I would keep him (probably even offer him a two year deal although I could understand one year) but would definitely sign a new keeper to compete with him. If you think we need a new number one, can you see us getting a better back up keeper than Brezovan?

 

[Uncle Buck]

It is interesting that we all have such different views. I don't think he has had that many moments since coming back into the side (Charlton away and yesterday are the only I can think of) and he more than makes up for it by taking the pressure off the defence with his catching. I would keep him (probably even offer him a two year deal although I could understand one year) but would definitely sign a new keeper to compete with him. If you think we need a new number one, can you see us getting a better back up keeper than Brezovan?

You are looking at the mistakes that have led to goals, but often in a game he will come for a ball that he should not, it is just most times he has got away with it.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Mitch Walker will be fine on the bench and if we need another keeper to play use the loan system, in past that has given us players like Roberts.

We only got Roberts because he was injury prone which proved to be his downfall resulting in early retirement.

 

[Finchley Seagull]

You are looking at the mistakes that have led to goals, but often in a game he will come for a ball that he should not, it is just most times he has got away with it.

The mistakes for goals are usually the ones people remember but I can't think of many other mistakes he has got away with. I appreciate the full backs have made a major difference but we were still conceding goals until Brezovan came in and then we had a fantastic run of 1 conceded in 6 games. I do think his willingness to come for crosses (which admittedly cost us yesterday) has given the defence a major confidence boost as compared to Kuipers who stays on his line pretty much all the time and doesn't look confident when he comes off it.

I haven't seen Mitch Walker play though. Do you think he is ready to be permanent number two? To be honest, after Gus criticised the loan system, I would think he will want two experienced keepers next year and maybe then loan out Walker. Brezovan definitely deserves to be one of them in my view. We also have to remember that he was without a club up until December and didn't have a pre season so is still improving.

 

[Icy Gull]

I hate to say it, but I would probably get rid of both of them in the summer and invest in a proven keeper and use Mitch Walker as the bench keeper on match days. If the first choice gets injured you can easily get a decentish keeper on loan for a few games.

No point in having 2 keepers at the club that are OKish. The spine of the team needs to be strong and that starts with the keeper.

Agreed, hopefully we can make a move for a Championship quality keeper, maybe even an older Premiership one now. Brezovan is a Division 3 keeper, if we are looking at making a serious tilt at promotion we need a keeper of the quality of Roberts, maybe with out being quite so injury prone, not one who can be adequate for 89 mins and then make a howler. 1 quality keeper is enough, as you say getting one on loan if needed doesn't seem too hard.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Brezovan is an odd player, he looks solid for 89 minutes, but he seems to have a David James moment in him most games. I just think keeping him means again we are settling for a player that can do a job, rather than real quality.

Looks like a safe pair of hands to me - and you admit yourself he looks solid for 89 minutes. That's a pretty decent stat IMHO. There's never been a keeper born yet that didn't make the occasional bloomer.

 

[Icy Gull]

Looks like a safe pair of hands to me - and you admit yourself he looks solid for 89 minutes. That's a pretty decent stat IMHO. There's never been a keeper born yet that didn't make the occasional bloomer.

Do you think he's good enough to be the keeper in a promotion chasing team, which is apparently the aim next season?

 

[R. Slicker]

Do you think he's good enough to be the keeper in a promotion chasing team, which is apparently the aim next season?

Yes, why not? Seems fairly solid to me. As THPP says, we all make a mistake occasionally.

 

[Finchley Seagull]

Do you think he's good enough to be the keeper in a promotion chasing team, which is apparently the aim next season?

Do you honestly believe that he is not good enough to be at the very least a number two keeper in a promotion winning team, given that Poyet has made it clear he doesn't like the loan system. I also can't believe that people actually think that we should go into a possible promotion winning season with one experienced keeper. We need two quality players for each position and goalkeeper is no difference.

In answer to your original question, I would be happy with Brezovan as number one but wouldn't be surprised if Poyet went for another better keeper and used Brezovan as backup. What I cannot understand is people saying we should release him, seemingly because he made a mistake yesterday (as I am pretty sure if he hadn't come for that cross nobody would be saying we should let him go).

 

[algie]

Looks like a safe pair of hands to me - and you admit yourself he looks solid for 89 minutes. That's a pretty decent stat IMHO. There's never been a keeper born yet that didn't make the occasional bloomer.

But that's the trouble with him.He is prone to clamaties.You just know there's another one in the tank just around the corner.He was well known for it at Swindon.It's no good looking solid for 89 mins of a game.
Sorry but he wouldn't be my first choice keeper.I'm confident Kuipers will be released and a new keeper brought in.Brez is ok as a backup keeper.
It's ok making small mistakes which doesn't lead to goals but not massive howlers.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Do you think he's good enough to be the keeper in a promotion chasing team, which is apparently the aim next season?

Not seen a lot of evidence to the contrary to be honest. Been away for a week with no access to NSC, but up to the end of March just about everybody was singing his praises, and the games I've seen him play recently he's been pretty much unflappable, a lot less flakey than FDM, and his handling is excellent.

 

[algie]

I still think we should take a punt on Stockports keeper.Very highly rated keeper playing in a crap team.He is a big young lad too.

 

[Acker79]

You are looking at the mistakes that have led to goals, but often in a game he will come for a ball that he should not, it is just most times he has got away with it.

Strikers can take several shots, some are saved (shots mistakenly directed/powered), some are barely wide of the mark (mistakenly aimed), but it only tends to be the missed open goals that people criticise.

With the wrong pass selected, the wrong cross, the wrong shot, etc. making mistakes and getting away with it makes up for most of the game. The only moments in a game where no mistakes are made by a particular team are the moves that lead to goals. If we hold every mistake against a player no player is going to be liked. Not one. Not Rooney (21% of shots scored, that's 79% shots that shouldn't have been taken or should have been aimed elsewhere etc.)

Football players are human, they will always make mistakes. It is ridiculous to hold every mistake against them. So it only follows that we choose to only focus on the mistakes that are particularly notable and with keepers they tend to be the ones that lead to goals. This isn't some conspiracy to favour Brezovan, it's simple logic.

 

[algie]

Not seen a lot of evidence to the contrary to be honest. Been away for a week with no access to NSC, but up to the end of March just about everybody was singing his praises, and the games I've seen him play recently he's been pretty much unflappable, a lot less flakey than FDM, and his handling is excellent.

Apart from me mate.I agree he has done well lately.Infact superb but he isn't the keeper for the promotion push and i'll stand by that.

 

[algie]

Strikers can take several shots, some are saved (shots mistakenly directed/powered), some are barely wide of the mark (mistakenly aimed), but it only tends to be the missed open goals that people criticise.

With the wrong pass selected, the wrong cross, the wrong shot, etc. making mistakes and getting away with it makes up for most of the game. The only moments in a game where no mistakes are made by a particular team are the moves that lead to goals. If we hold every mistake against a player no player is going to be liked. Not one. Not Rooney (21% of shots scored, that's 79% shots that shouldn't have been taken or should have been aimed elsewhere etc.)

Football players are human, they will always make mistakes. It is ridiculous to hold every mistake against them. So it only follows that we choose to only focus on the mistakes that are particularly notable and with keepers they tend to be the ones that lead to goals. This isn't some conspiracy to favour Brezovan, it's simple logic.

Complete rubbish.Strikers are expected to miss or encouraged to shoot when a sniff of goal is in sight.This is completely different from a keeper making a howler.

 

[Marshy]

For me a new top class keeper is required, Id be delighted to have Brezovan as back up.

We wont go up with Kuipers in goal.

 

[BensGrandad]

I do not think that Brezovan is the complete answer bjut then I think neither is Fon Williams, granted I have only seen him against us and on TV but he doesnt appear to be any better than we already have.

I would sooner go for an experiencved prem keeper who is not getting a look in like Jimmy Walker at Spurs or even look at Blackburn who are rumoured to be gpoing to sign Kasper Schmeichel to compete with Paul Robinson in which case they will havea keeper who we may be able to loan for a season long loan, who at present is their number 3 choice but will be no 4 if this rumour is true.

Brezovan has apparently stated that he will not sign a new contract anywhere unless guaranteed to be no 1 so on that basis I would say let him go at the end of the season.

 

[algie]

I do not think that Brezovan is the complete answer bjut then I think neither is Fon Williams, granted I have only seen him against us and on TV but he doesnt appear to be any better than we already have.

I would sooner go for an experiencved prem keeper who is not getting a look in like Jimmy Walker at Spurs or even look at Blackburn who are rumoured to be gpoing to sign Kasper Schmeichel to compete with Paul Robinson in which case they will havea keeper who we may be able to loan for a season long loan, who at present is their number 3 choice but will be no 4 if this rumour is true.

Brezovan has apparently stated that he will not sign a new contract anywhere unless guaranteed to be no 1 so on that basis I would say let him go at the end of the season.

If that is true what he said about being number one then get rid.

 

[Acker79]

Complete rubbish.Strikers are expected to miss or encouraged to shoot when a sniff of goal is in sight.This is completely different from a keeper making a howler.

Erm... that is somewhat my point. Uncle Buck raised the point that people are only focusing on Brezovan's costly mistakes, not some of his others. I'm saying that all players are human and make mistakes (which is not "complete rubbish" is it?), and that because all players make mistakes due to being human, we accept them, expect them to a degree, so focus only on the costly mistakes (which, again, is not "complete rubbish", is it?). That the focusing on Brezovan's costly mistakes is only natural, and not some conspirational attempt to hide his other errors.

I was using strikers for a comparison.

Strikers shoot and miss. A lot. And frequently these shots are missed or saved because a striker made the wrong choice (going for power instead of precision, placing it instead of belting it, shooting themselves instead of laying it off for a better placed team mate etc), a wrong choice = a mistake.

Missing an open goal from one yard out is a calamity for a striker.

Missing a regular shot or having it saved is not focused on, it's part of the job because they are human and won't make the right choice regarding the shot every time. But missing an open goal from one yard out is something we remember and focus on, especially if we lose.


The same with keepers. They will come for more crosses than they get. Most of the time it's reasonable that the keeper comes for them, no one gets hung up on the mistake because it happens. Then there are calamitous mistakes like Brezovan made yesterday, and it is costly and notable so we remember it and get hung up on it.

 

[dougdeep]

Brezovan has apparently stated that he will not sign a new contract anywhere unless guaranteed to be no 1 so on that basis I would say let him go at the end of the season.

The only person I have heard this from is you, many many times.