[Albion] Keeper rotation

[Javeaseagull]

I posted earlier that they will all be doing it soon but now I’m not so sure. It is trend setting and nothing wrong with that but having heard Jason Steele after the game I think this is a pretty unique situation. Jason worships the boss for saving his career and Bart is quite young and newly arrived. He will be grateful for any chances. These circumstances are not likely to be replicated elsewhere. Reading the goalies on here it sounds like a great idea so we will see. If it is later seen as a pioneering move none of us will be the slightest bit surprised.

 

[AZ Gull]

I think what we saw at the start of the rotation was giving an opportunity to Verbruggen.

Now the Europa is starting, I expect to see Steele for the league, Bart in the Europa (and LC). Seems sensible in hindsight to not throw a new goalie in for the Europa league without a little game experience for us.

Now I think it'll be Steele league, Bart in the cups, and we can reassess as the season progresses.

Utterly sensible if this is the case.

I would love to see Steele play at least one group stage game though, as a reward. Because he's played a huge part getting us there.

I watched De Zerbi's post-match press conference today (not the stand-up 3 minute one for TV, but the sit-down 8 minute one for the press). He was asked this specific question and categorically stated that it wouldn't be one in the cup(s) and one in the PL, but would be based upon his own idea of who would be better in each match.

 

[American Seagle]

If we go deep in one cup and into the knockouts in the Euro Cup then with those extra games as well as the EPL it will be ok. Both will play enough games to be happy. If/once we go out of those and only have EPL I think it will revert to one keeper.

 

[Ooh it’s a corner]

That interview with Steeley that @Javaseagull referred to is worth watching on YouTube - I‘m delighted for him - he is so respectful, humble and appreciative of his renaissance under RDZ and Brighton. Top man

 

[dejavuatbtn]

Big squad of exceptional players all of whom can play in a number of positions and know their role within whatever system they decide or need to play. The Man Utd result after 6 changes proves the point that it doesn’t matter the hell who plays, we will prevail. I think RDZ is one of the great innovators in modern football. Having two equal goalies who know their place in the squad and can slip into the team, sharing what will be an exceptional number of matches this season, is just part of his master plan.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I posted earlier that they will all be doing it soon but now I’m not so sure. It is trend setting and nothing wrong with that but having heard Jason Steele after the game I think this is a pretty unique situation. Jason worships the boss for saving his career and Bart is quite young and newly arrived. He will be grateful for any chances. These circumstances are not likely to be replicated elsewhere. Reading the goalies on here it sounds like a great idea so we will see. If it is later seen as a pioneering move none of us will be the slightest bit surprised.

I just love it (said in an over-emotional Kevin Keegan stylee) that both keepers - and doubtless the entire squad - have fully bought into the RDZ ethos whereby not being named in the starting line-up does not equate to being dropped. What a class act this manager is. Going to be one f*cking hard act to follow, even for TB

 

[Javeaseagull]

I just love it (said in an over-emotional Kevin Keegan stylee) that both keepers - and doubtless the entire squad - have fully bought into the RDZ ethos whereby not being named in the starting line-up does not equate to being dropped. What a class act this manager is. Going to be one f*cking hard act to follow, even for TB

Well maybe, maybe not. He’s laid the groundwork now for others to follow and you would have to be all kinds of stupid to rip up a project that is working so well. Anyway I have convinced myself we (or rather Tony) don’t have to worry about this for a few years yet. Just going to enjoy the ride while it lasts.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

That interview with Steeley that @Javaseagull referred to is worth watching on YouTube - I‘m delighted for him - he is so respectful, humble and appreciative of his renaissance under RDZ and Brighton. Top man

He's right in the interview, until last season he was going to be a player who's made a decent living from football without many highlights to tell his children. Then all of a sudden he is playing regularly for a top 6 team in the best league in the World. To coin a phrase he is living the dream.

 

[ElectricNaz]

Arsenal are copying us now.

We're massive

 

[warmleyseagull]

RDZ will probably use one of them as LB at some point in the season.

 

[Mancgull]

I love the fact that we are rotating them, and I think we have the perfect solution.
Jason is grateful that he’s getting games and is the more experienced keeper. Great for an away game at OT, for example.
Bart being the longer term prospect. Being integrated over time.
The key word though is ‘team’. Both keepers appreciate that together they make up our keeper team. Something that Rob Sanchez wasn’t prepared to accept.

 

[Triggaaar]

You generally only need one keeper for all major games, so it makes sense to spend more money on one main keeper, than to split your budget between two slightly less good keepers. Now it obviously may not work out that way, and you may end up with two who are about equal. It's then difficult to keep both happy whilst also having a consistent defence where the defenders know what the keepers are doing. Sure the keepers can learn the same system, but there will be differences, and that can lead to mistakes.

Whether or not we should rotate keepers however, given the two we have, ees complicate. Maybe Jason can offer qualities that Bart can't yet, but we also want to play Bart to help him develop into our number one, so rotating them is better for our long term futures, possibly at the cost of the odd result in the meantime.

 

[Bozza]

I'm not sure anyone outside the Albion fan community has had much to say on our keeper rotation, but the broader subject had media attention this weekend with Arteta saying he will be doing the same with Ramsdale and Raya.

Who will make an in-game tactical keeper substitution first - De Zerbi or Arteta?

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I'm not sure anyone outside the Albion fan community has had much to say on our keeper rotation, but the broader subject had media attention this weekend with Arteta saying he will be doing the same with Ramsdale and Raya.

Who will make an in-game tactical keeper substitution first - De Zerbi or Arteta?

Would have been grand if RDZ had done that at Wembley before the pens v ManU. Just saying, like

 

[Thunder Bolt]

That interview with Steeley that @Javaseagull referred to is worth watching on YouTube - I‘m delighted for him - he is so respectful, humble and appreciative of his renaissance under RDZ and Brighton. Top man

During lockdown, when Albion players were obliged to ring pensioners to ask how they were doing, I was lucky enough to get Jason ringing me. For a split second, I thought, I don’t know a Jason, but then it clicked. He was happy to chat for a few minutes with me.
Lovely chap and genuine.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

Keeper rotation.

Why didn't anyone think of this earlier?

Having a No 1 and no 2 keeper is inherently hierarchical, it can only breed resentment and bring negativity and bruised egos into the group.

With this solution, we're basically saying, you'll get a couple of games each then we'll change it around, but you'll play about the same over the season.

My view is that RDZ views Varbruggen as slightly the better "come and claim it" keeper and Steele as slightly the better "knock it into midfield" keeper. Bartman will play against the set piece type teams which is about half of them and Steele will play the rest.