Stockdale

[Guy Fawkes]

That's all well and good, but he's here to score goals, something he doesn't achieve on a very regular occurrence. Today he had 3 chances, he placed a header into the keepers hands, dragged one wide and curled one hopelessly wide, not once did he threaten the keeper. He simply isn't good enough

Plenty of games where top quality, expensive 'superstar' players do exactly the same in the top divisions of the World.

Too often he is isolated, pushed very wide by our play rather than the defence and should he get the ball, there is little or no support for him.

There also isn't anyone near him when in the middle helping to drag defenders out of the way to buy a bit of space to shoot. Other terams do it better than us, and we can't, which could explain why most of our recent forwards have struggled for goals and not just CMS.

 

[Gazwag]

I think he's a decent championship goalkeeper, but if we want to progress we might need someone a bit more consistent.

If we had a goal scorer you wouldn't see very many Stockdale threads on here. A keeper is always under far more pressure when a team isn't scoring enough goals, and of course a decent defence helps as well

 

[Acker79]

but he never seems to get anything played to his feet when he isn't already sprinting, making it harder to control.

I don't know what games you've been to, but I've seen him get the ball played to him when he is standing still, when he is slowly walking, when he is trotting and in various speeds of running. The only balls he manages to control seem to be the once in a while ones that you look at and think "how on earth could anyone control that?!" the 'simple' passes that you would expect any experienced pro footballer to control he struggles with.

No, none of our strikers get great service all the time, but he has had plenty of (too many) good balls in good positions that have been frittered away by his poor control.

 

[Deadly Danson]

Yeh - poor old Chris had to say the same thing after the Reading game a few days ago as well

Not true then or do you only look at his errors to suit your agenda?

 

[Mowgli37]

Stockdale was brilliant today, bar that one mishap.

Extra credit for recovering from that to make a brilliant last minute save.

Leave off him.

 

[Eeyore]

So Stockdale makes a string of brilliant saves before getting unlucky ONCE via a freak misshit cross and now finds himself on the foot of some criticism? Unbelievable.

Very much in agreement. Excepting his mishap, we would have lost had he not pulled of some pretty neat saves.

Had he not miss-read that cross/shot people would have been singing his praises.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Too often he is isolated, pushed very wide by our play rather than the defence and should he get the ball, there is little or no support for him.

There also isn't anyone near him when in the middle helping to drag defenders out of the way to buy a bit of space to shoot.

Too often there is a pitiful array of excuses rolled out for CMS. Gone on for far too long now. Sake!

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

Oh and after Bruno's audacious back heel I thought 'he'll be sent off later'.

Followed with not controlling the ball and running it out of play a few moments later. No good showboating when you can't do the basics.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

I don't know what games you've been to, but I've seen him get the ball played to him when he is standing still, when he is slowly walking, when he is trotting and in various speeds of running. The only balls he manages to control seem to be the once in a while ones that you look at and think "how on earth could anyone control that?!" the 'simple' passes that you would expect any experienced pro footballer to control he struggles with.

No, none of our strikers get great service all the time, but he has had plenty of (too many) good balls in good positions that have been frittered away by his poor control.

Correct. CMS is not a championship striker and hopefully his contract will not be renewed - (sorry CMS supporters but that's how I feel).

Bad error by Stockdale, but once again rank bad defending by Bennett showing the winger down the line, when he had support inside.

Don Howe arguably the best defensive coach this country has had, always encouraged Arsenal to steer players to where there was support. Bennett seems incapable of ever doing this, and so many goals seem to have emanated from the left.

That aside Stockdale has to accept the blame, but the save at the end was world class.

 

[London Irish]

That's all well and good, but he's here to score goals, something he doesn't achieve on a very regular occurrence. Today he had 3 chances, he placed a header into the keepers hands, dragged one wide and curled one hopelessly wide, not once did he threaten the keeper. He simply isn't good enough

I think the reason though why Hughton keeps favouring CMS over O'Grady is that he moves defenders around far better and adds much more zip to our play up front. CMS alas never has been a clinical striker but he gets into goal scoring positions far better.
Obviously I agree Ulloa's goal threat has never been replaced, Baldock was a mistake and the board need to spend probably bigger and wiser in the summer

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

Plenty of games where top quality, expensive 'superstar' players do exactly the same in the top divisions of the World.

Too often he is isolated, pushed very wide by our play rather than the defence and should he get the ball, there is little or no support for him.

There also isn't anyone near him when in the middle helping to drag defenders out of the way to buy a bit of space to shoot. Other terams do it better than us, and we can't, which could explain why most of our recent forwards have struggled for goals and not just CMS.

Ulloa did alright

It's just constant excuses with CMS. I respect your thoughts, we're all entitled to an opinion.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

Followed with not controlling the ball and running it out of play a few moments later. No good showboating when you can't do the basics.

Come off it Piltdown, if I'm thinking of the same incident it was the very poor pass he received from Holla or Calderon. Bruno for me was comfortably MoM, he gave a defensive lesson to all his colleagues.

I was thinking even you would have acknowledged it today.

 

[Bombadier Botty]

European class, potentially world class, save from him at the end, getting down to get a hand to that shot.

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

I think the reason though why Hughton keeps favouring CMS over O'Grady is that he moves defenders around far better and adds much more zip to our play up front. CMS alas never has been a clinical striker but he gets into goal scoring positions far better.

Surely that is an optimists way of saying 'he runs around a lot but can't shoot'?

 

[chaileyjem]

No good Bruno showboating when you can't do the basics.

He was almost certainly Man of the Match, provided us with the width we were missing from Tuesday, scored a goal, and defended well. Sure he made the odd mistake and obviously La Liga , and i suppose us, are a lot more forgiving about his inability to do the basics given he racked up 130 appearances over there and 80 appearances over here and we're so blind to his actual ability that we've just given him a new contract until end 2015/16. He claps all the fans as well. Top bloke.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

Come off it Piltdown, if I'm thinking of the same incident it was the very poor pass he received from Holla or Calderon. Bruno for me was comfortably MoM, he gave a defensive lesson to all his colleagues.

I was thinking even you would have acknowledged it today.

I acknowledge he was the best of a very poor defence today. Greer and Dunk could have been sent packing. But in all honesty it's about bloody time, he has been a liability and should still have his one years extension torn up.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

He was almost certainly Man of the Match, provided us with the width we were missing from Tuesday, scored a goal, and defended well. Sure he made the odd mistake and obviously La Liga , and i suppose us, are a lot more forgiving about his inability to do the basics given he racked up 130 appearances over there and 80 appearances over here and we're so blind to his actual ability that we've just given him a new contract until end 2015/16. He claps all the fans as well. Top bloke.

He doesn't clap me!!

And it's mutual

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

I acknowledge he was the best of a very poor defence today. Greer and Duck could have been sent packing. But in all honesty it's about bloody time, he has been a liability and should still have his one years extension torn up.

As you know we are completely different ends of the spectrum on this one....... (would give a smiley face, but for some reason I no longer have that as an option).

I think Calderon is far more effective in midfield and him and Bruno work well together.

 

[Napper]

Not read thread but monkey for their goal . Worldie got us a point

 

[Napier's Knee]

Apart from the mistake Stockdale was excellent today. CMS was dreadful - it's not just that he can't control or score, he gives the ball away now so is positively dangerous to us.. Bruno was MoM. Dunk needs to do some very hard work over the summer - he's been sussed (run at him and he'll back off)