Casper Ankergren.

[227 BHA]

I can't believe two or three people have said things along the lines of "just about edges it over Brezovan". What planet are you lot on? He's in a different galaxy to Peter f***ing Brezovan. Anyone who has watched us in the FA Cup this season can tell you Brezovan with the ball at his feet is about as composed as a man who's just committed rape.

Thanks for writing that. I was just about to post exactly the same but you saved me the effort!

Casper is so much better than Brez its frightening

 

[kevtherev]

I can't believe two or three people have said things along the lines of "just about edges it over Brezovan". What planet are you lot on? He's in a different galaxy to Peter f***ing Brezovan. Anyone who has watched us in the FA Cup this season can tell you Brezovan with the ball at his feet is about as composed as a man who's just committed rape.

Correct,,,,I always get the feeling Brezovan can throw one in at any given minute as well. Will be interesting to see who plays Saturday. Will Gus play the "fringe" players or will he use the game to see how we can compete with a mid to upper table championship side?

 

[Scotty Mac]

he knows what he can do and what he cant do and plays to his strengths - in terms of dominating the box he couldnt catch a cold. the thing that i like is that he clearly knows that and, since the rochdale debacle, he hasnt come from crosses or balls in in case of another f*** up. whether he'll be able to do that in the championship and get away with it as much as this season i dont know

with the ball at his feet though he is a class above and that means he is far more suited to being number one than sexy pete. unfortunately

 

[ali jenkins]

Why did Leeds let him go last season? Was it just because they got Schmicheal (sp) in or because they didnt rate him a league up?

 

[Scotty Mac]

Why did Leeds let him go last season? Was it just because they got Schmicheal (sp) in or because they didnt rate him a league up?

higgs was their number one when fit last season, which admittedley wasnt very often until the run-in. obviously they werent going to get rid of him so ankergren went in order to make way for schmeichel i guess

 

[kevtherev]

I remember a time towards the end of last season where people were wanking all over Brezovan and I, in my opinion, quite correctly pointed out he was directly responsible for about 6 goals in 18 matches. That's without counting all the ones where you could say he 'might have done better'. The man is an absolute calamity and I am totally lost on why anyone seems to rate him. Casper, on the other hand, is a class act and a more than worthy successor to the true king of Albion goalkeeping.

Whilst I cannot totaly agree with your undoubted love of FDM,(he did have some glareing weaknesses) he is an Albion legend. I do agree with a lot, if not all of what you post. God im going to cop some shit now.....Top 5 keepers last 20 years, in no order,,,,Roberts, Ankergren, Beeney, Digweed, Kuipers all had there faults, as do most keepers, but all round they were the best. Beasant would be in there but as he was a short loan, I counted him out.

 

[ali jenkins]

higgs was their number one when fit last season, which admittedley wasnt very often until the run-in. obviously they werent going to get rid of him so ankergren went in order to make way for schmeichel i guess

Ahhh I see, I didnt realise he was number 2

 

[kevo]

Eric Steele or Graham Moseley? ;-)

 

[BensGrandad]

A plus point with Casper that puts him above both Brezovan and FDM and nobody seems to have mentioned it, or if they have I have missed it, is his ability to kick the ball a long distance with either foot when it is played back to him and the defence have the confidence to play it back if they are in trouble knowing he will hack it away.

 

[kevtherev]

Eric Steele or Graham Moseley? ;-)

Was anyone better than Joe Corrigan, Cant recall any better, I go back in person to 1979 ish, but over last twenty years Casper is in top 5

 

[Acker79]

Casper is someone who is a victim of his position, both in general and specifically at this club, as well as the typical polarising nature of NSC.

At this club because of the kuiper's thing. Some people will dislike him because he's not kuipers, some will like him because he has deposed the guy who took kuiper's spot.

Being a keeper his mistakes are more costly, and more notable, and the quality of defence can have a big impact (and when the defence is good, they can take some of the credit from the keepers).

Being NSC, people have extreme opinions. Someone can't simply have a bad game, they have to be utter horseshit who shouldn't be near the club, someone can't have a decent game, they have to be the best thing since sliced bread. With each extreme creating and exacerbating the opposite.

He has some good aspects, he has some bad aspects. His handling, decision making (when to come out, when to hang back, etc) and cross taking seems to range from adequate to awful. However, he has experience, composure, is great at wasting time (and no, I'm not confusing waiting for a pass with time wasting, watch him at goal kicks and free kicks, he and the ball boys are quite in tune with the time wasting), and he is comfortable with the ball at his feet now (early this season he seemed a little iffy, with elphick and el ab, but they've all grown into it). He has kept a lot of clean sheets, but has on average faced fewer shots than Brezovan did last season (and Brez kept a fair few clean sheets last year, too - 9/20)

Brez faces the same problem, with people hating him for replacing Kuipers, and others loving him for doing so, along with the same issues with Keepers in general.

As a keeper he isn't far and away worse or better than Casper. He has different strengths, he has more control of his area, better handling, but has not shown the aptitude for footwork as Ankergren, though also has no had the run of games to get used to it that Casper had, and when I've see him doesn't have the same composure. Generally their distribution is effectively the same.