[Albion] Do we NEED a better shot stopper between the posts?

[London Irish]

Big L for the trolls

 

[The Colonel]

We are lucky to have Jason Steele. I don't believe there is any other keeper in the PL who is as good with his feet. I put him above Ederson. He is world class. And in a RDZ team, footwork is all that matters.

 

[London Irish]

The reality is fans will always discuss every position in the team but it’s just that the anti Steele case rests on genuinely ridiculous claims that he should have saved Fulham’s goal, just brain worms

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

In all honesty I didn't believe there would be any one who believed that Steele was not a poor shot stopper. I figured it was an objective truth that we all recognised, which we accept due to his qualities on the ball and with distribution.

I mean, he is near the bottom of the league of nearly all 'expected goals' statistics. I honestly don't believe I'm being unfair about this at all.

See: https://fbref.com/en/comps/9/keepersadv/Premier-League-Stats

Don’t go using logic on NSC, it won’t work.

Steele is excellent with his feet, of that’s there’s no doubt, and RDZ values that above all else. The other stuff though…

 

[Greg Bobkin]

New deal until 2026.

#PrayForMustapha2!

 

[GT49er]

New deal until 2026.

Good news - he's a decent keeper (and I also said as much when he was our no.2 keeper and some posters were wetting themselves that it would be a disaster if injuries forced us to play him!)
I understand that his footwork is a vital element in de Zerbi ball, and that he's a good character and all that - but ultimately, long term, yes of course we need a better shot-stopper to improve.
The idea that he cost us the 3 points against Fulham, as one or two have suggested, is nonsense - what isn't nonsense though is that having a good shot stopper is the reason Fulham snatched a point. Without Leno's saves they'd have been a goal down within ten minutes, and two down before Ferguson scored, and that would have been an entirely different game.

 

[Perkino]

Bart Verbruggen is tipped for a brilliant future and has many desirable properties. Steele will help him develop and is a model professional, his new contract shows the faith the club have in him.

We also have a plethora of highly promising goalkeepers throughout the academy.

No need to bring in anyone else

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

Bart Verbruggen is tipped for a brilliant future and has many desirable properties. Steele will help him develop and is a model professional, his new contract shows the faith the club have in him.

We also have a plethora of highly promising goalkeepers throughout the academy.

No need to bring in anyone else

This is it. Rushworth, Beadle, McGill, they are all coming through. Steele's extended deal buys us time for one of those to put their hand up and show they are truly a top class keeper.

Verbruggen's job is to keep pressuring Steele for that place, this season and next. His time will come.

 

[Mustafa II]

New deal until 2026.

#PrayForMustapha2!

It's good news, he's a useful squad player and presumably on a relatively small wage.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

It's good news, he's a useful squad player and presumably on a relatively small wage.

Well, that was probably true yesterday

 

[London Irish]

It's good news, he's a useful squad player and presumably on a relatively small wage.

One out of three ain't bad

 

[macbeth]

prevented goals per 90 and save rate