STATISTICALLY is Smith the worst Albion goalkeeper ever

[Acker79]

Is it me or is this a no brainer FDM is our no.1!!!

I think Smith deserves a chance to develop a partnership and understanding with his back four, but I don't think our back four should be our back four.

Whatever happens in the coming games regarding the keeper, I think smith deserves a chance of a run in goal with a proper defence (I mean with recognised fullbacks and confident centrebacks).

 

[CliveWalkerWingWizard]

Why should he get a chance when the stats clearly show Kuipers is better - if kuipers form dips that is when he gets his chance. I have seen nice kicking but very few saves - does that mean that his positional play is poor ?

 

[Acker79]

Why should he get a chance when the stats clearly show Kuipers is better - if kuipers form dips that is when he gets his chance. I have seen nice kicking but very few saves - does that mean that his positional play is poor ?

Because stats can be misleading, moreso when they are just a sample.

Because the team is in a poor run, defensively, and because you don't want to throw away a potentially future legend of the club because of a shaky start borne out of a combination of nerves, poor fortune, lousy defending, low confidence, and a lack of familiarity with his defence. A run in goal behind a solid defence that he gets to know may help settle him and he could start to perform as well as he did when he was being looked at by scottish premier league teams, even surpassing that and proving himself the rightful heir to Kuipers throne.

Of course, he could still be far behind kuipers even with a strong familiar defence and bucket load of confidence, but I think we have to give him the opportunity.

 

[CliveWalkerWingWizard]

Sorry do not agree, he has to wait for his chance then prove his potential - would you make the same argument about a young striker replacing a proven goalscorer ?

 

[ward is god]

For all Michel's faults he is still the better keeper - and yes, I do go to games. Smith seems quite lightweight to me and dives over the ball. Although I get frustrated when Michel doesn't come for the ball he still commands his area more and his kicking is much better these days.

 

[Acker79]

Sorry do not agree, he has to wait for his chance then prove his potential - would you make the same argument about a young striker replacing a proven goalscorer ?

Yes.

Though, there's a different option open to strikers. Strikers expend a lot of energy running around a lot, and often tire towards the end of games, and so are frequently substituted, so unlike goalkeepers, you're not restricted to only using one per match (I say restricted, there's obviously the option to sub the keeper, but generally that only happens with injuries).

There's also the option of playing two, three strikers, at a time, so it is not necessarily an either/or choice when bleeding new strikers.

 

[Napper]

Sorry do not agree, he has to wait for his chance then prove his potential - would you make the same argument about a young striker replacing a proven goalscorer ?

Poppycock, he's had about 6 chances now and let's face it he is f***ing shit

 

[albionalex]

I feel sorry for Smith. I don't think most of the goals he has conceeded have been his fault. I think he looks a really good shot stopper but I have noticed some rather suspect positioning at times.

 

[Acker79]

Poppycock, he's had about 6 chances now and let's face it he is f***ing shit

Who has? Smith has had 4 starts, one of which was due to Kuipers being suspended.

 

[GT49er]

Because stats can be misleading, moreso when they clearly disprove your case.

Face facts. Playing behind exactly the same defence, Smith lets in more than twice as many goals as Kuipers.
Kuipers is a decent keeper, but yes, there are better ones out there, but they don't play for us (and Smith certainly isn't one of them). If we eventually do bring in a keeper who's better than FDM, fine - but frankly our new manager has far more pressing problems to sort out than our goalkeeping situation.

 

[Mackenzie]

Smith hasn't made much of a case for keeping the shirt has he? I've no preference for either of them but 'Buzz' has let in alot of goals in the games he's played and Kuipers has been making mistakes....perhaps we need (yet) another goalkeeper!

 

[Schrödinger's Toad]

Why should he get a chance when the stats clearly show Kuipers is better - if kuipers form dips that is when he gets his chance.

IF Kuipers' form dips? Isn't that precisely why Smith is playing at the moment, because Kuipers couldn't stop dropping clangers?

If you're going to obsess about stats, Kuipers has made, how many - four blunders leading to goals this year? Smith's made one (the fourth goal at home to Stockport). So there you go, Smith's the more reliable keeper, and deserves his place.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

and the Witch hunt begins.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

Smith needs time to gel , remember when FDM first came here his kicking accuracy was diabolical and he flapped at corners or stood on the goal line instead of commanding the 18 yard box.

 

[Silent Bob]

Bollocks. He has been really unlucky with the games he has played but very few of the goals he has conceded (in fact I can only think of the lob against Stockport) can be put down to him. His problem is he has replaced Kuipers (who has been poor this season) so whatever he does he will be criticised.

Well I think he looks poor and I'm hoping that one of the first things the new manager will do is sign a new keeper.

Kuipers had an outstanding season when we came 7th but last year he wasn't consistent, and this year much the same. Think his best is probably behind him, though I'd still pick him over Smith based on what I've seen of him.

 

[Super Steve Earle]

IF Kuipers' form dips? Isn't that precisely why Smith is playing at the moment, because Kuipers couldn't stop dropping clangers?

If you're going to obsess about stats, Kuipers has made, how many - four blunders leading to goals this year? Smith's made one (the fourth goal at home to Stockport). So there you go, Smith's the more reliable keeper, and deserves his place.

I'd sooner have Kuipers drop what one or two fans construe as clangers, than Smith who has never been near enough to a save to drop a clanger! Ironic he shows a few of the the talents that made McGhee think Henderson was a goalkeeper i.e. diving over the ball; not moving at all towards a shot as if it was so good he had no chance; not getting up after a parry so he gets praise for the save not the conceded goal. Unfortunately, he looks and sounds like a big schoolkid, out of his depth. McGhee tried to let Henderson learn the trade at our expense, all the way out of the Championship, and if we stick with Smith, we will do the same down to League Two. Hang in there FDM, we're gonna need you.

 

[Finchley Seagull]

I'd sooner have Kuipers drop what one or two fans construe as clangers, than Smith who has never been near enough to a save to drop a clanger! Ironic he shows a few of the the talents that made McGhee think Henderson was a goalkeeper i.e. diving over the ball; not moving at all towards a shot as if it was so good he had no chance; not getting up after a parry so he gets praise for the save not the conceded goal. Unfortunately, he looks and sounds like a big schoolkid, out of his depth. McGhee tried to let Henderson learn the trade at our expense, all the way out of the Championship, and if we stick with Smith, we will do the same down to League Two. Hang in there FDM, we're gonna need you.

Typical attitude of the Kuipers crowd. It is annoying but irrelevant as people like you are so obsessed with Kuipers that there is no way you will give a new keeper a chance. It is a good thing we didn't write Kuipers off after 5 games as I remember him being distinctly average at first.

 

[cjd]

Not sure the fact that we have a poor defence is a reason to say the goalkeeper can't be judged properly.

When England had good goalkeepers in the past, they nearly always came from less than successful teams...

i.e. Gordon Banks...Leicester, Stoke

Peter Shilton......Leicester, Southampton

Ron Springett....Sheff Weds

I,ve always felt that these poorer teams give a goalkeeper the opportunity to show if they are any good or not.

 

[Basil Fawlty]

It aint Smith fault, that our back four is a total shambles. We can't defend, simple as that. The quicker the new manager comes in and sorts out the defence, the better because we're leaking goals in left, right and centre.

 

[GT49er]

It ain't 'And Smith must Save's' fault - it's just that he lets in more than twice as many goals per match as Kuipers does, playing behind the same defence! Get real - he's just one of the many mistakes we've made in the transfer market.
There hasn't been a really good Scottish goalkeeper in the last thirty years, and in Smith we haven't mraculously unearthed the next one; he's not as good as Sullivan - or Kuipers. Send him back in January, please.