Stockdale

[WATFORD zero]

Yep, that's pretty much exactly how I see it too. He generally had a mare for the first 8-10 games, and I recall being seriously underwhelmed at that point. However, he's since had several games where he's been MoM or close to it - so for the season as a whole, 6/10 seems fair. If he keeps on like he currently is for next season, he could potentially have a 8/10 season, which would put him in the running for POTS.

Very good summation, but I support the team, so always want the players to do well, and am pleased when they do. I guess this means that my opinion isn't as balanced as some

 

[Acker79]

I find this argument bizarre.

...

so to say that people who stand up for players and defend them are as bad as those who criticise everything is a poor argument in my view.

I've messed around with your post here because I want to highlight this specific point right off the bat.

I'm not saying you can't defend players!

I'm saying when a player has a 6/10 performance, he must have done some bad as well as some good, and that only focusing on the good he does is as blinkered as only focusing on the bad he does.

We are supposed to support the team and the players who play for it. That's why we go to matches

For me, and for many fans, being a fan of a football club is so much more than going to a game and cheering them on. It's about the common interests with fellow fans, the competition, the desire to be successful against other teams and to be the best we can.

It is about the discussion, the analysis, the aftermath. The conversations in the pub, the questions of where it went wrong, what can be improved, what should be improved, what teams to pick, what tactics, and so on.

If you stand up for a player when they've been unfairly criticised, you have every right to go back and bump threads so people can see who slagged that player off. I honestly don't think that should happen if you're proved wrong when standing up for a player. As long as they give their all, they should be supported if picked

Agreed, but again, with balance.

(and we all know that most people on here who criticise players don't do it in a balanced way, they say they're the worst ever player or they hate them)

I don't believe that to be true. I believe some of the unbalanced criticism is louder, but I think a lot of the balanced criticism is just ignored, or grouped together with the unbalanced criticism.

NSC (and to a degree your post) is why football is so much worst off for the Internet. In the past, people went to the pub after a match, moaned for a bit and then got on with their week. Now people spend their time moaning about players all the time on forums like this, apparently even if they haven't seen the incident.

Putting aside my post is calling for balance and moderation rather than extremes, I strongly disagree with the my post being included in your reminiscing of times past. I think this is one of those nonsense arguments that you get in the vein of "life was so much better 25 years ago". The conversations had on here are the same that would (and are) had in pubs up and down the country after games.

Stockdale has got a lot of unfair stick. A few of us are saying he played very well yesterday and were there. You can't argue with that based on what the radio said. If you didn't see the incident then I don't think you can fairly comment as you're just commenting on someone else's opinion.

This is exactly what I mean about things being grouped in with unbalanced criticism. I am not trying to argue that he had a bad game.. I'm saying the clean sheet might have been assisted by a refereeing error as a couple of people, including one who is frequently praised for his footballing knowledge, has seen replays and felt the foul that chalked a goal off should not have been given.

 

[Acker79]

This is a problem on NSC. Too many posters are willing to slag off a player on the word of the radio commentary. You only have to look at any match day thread, where no one can actually see what's going on but still feel qualified to pick a players performance apart.

This is a problem with NSC. Too many people attributing criticism that aren't there.

I AM NOT SLAGGING OFF STOCKDALE'S PERFORMANCE

I am simply saying that Warren Aspinall, a man many people praise for his football knowledge, looked at replays of a foul and said the ref got it wrong. I have listened to games on the radio while at the game. I am fully aware of how accurate the commentary can be and how inaccurate it can be. This wasn't a case of relying on them to keep track of what was going on live, this was them taking a moment, looking at a replay and passing judgement, from a fairly educated position, on whether or not a particular refereeing decision was right.

That such comments are being written off as "slagging off a player without watching the game" is the problem with NSC.

 

[severnside gull]

All keepers make mistakes but I think Stockdale will always be frustrating because he makes rather more silly/unforced errors than expected at this level. He also makes a considerable number of exceptional saves and offers very good distribution. Overall the pluses outweigh the minuses IMO but it will be interesting to see how Walton does if/when he gets an extended run.

 

[Marshy]

Stockdale is clearly our best keeper at present, and a very good one, we need to get Walton out on loan for a season

 

[R. Slicker]

This is a problem with NSC. Too many people attributing criticism that aren't there.

I AM NOT SLAGGING OFF STOCKDALE'S PERFORMANCE

I am simply saying that Warren Aspinall, a man many people praise for his football knowledge, looked at replays of a foul and said the ref got it wrong. I have listened to games on the radio while at the game. I am fully aware of how accurate the commentary can be and how inaccurate it can be. This wasn't a case of relying on them to keep track of what was going on live, this was them taking a moment, looking at a replay and passing judgement, from a fairly educated position, on whether or not a particular refereeing decision was right.

That such comments are being written off as "slagging off a player without watching the game" is the problem with NSC.

I don't think I ever said that you personally were. No need to get all shouty.
II'm pretty sure that your opinion is no more important than anyone else's.. I see a game and individual performances differently to a mate I go to games with., that's what makes football interesting, we all have different opinions.
Back on topic, the referee disallowed the Blackburn goal and Brighton fans at the game agree so surely that's good enough. Isn't it?

 

[Finchley Seagull]

All keepers make mistakes but I think Stockdale will always be frustrating because he makes rather more silly/unforced errors than expected at this level. He also makes a considerable number of exceptional saves and offers very good distribution. Overall the pluses outweigh the minuses IMO but it will be interesting to see how Walton does if/when he gets an extended run.

I agree with that. I don't think it was an error yesterday as it was a clear foul but the Wolves game he made an error but also three brilliant saves and we probably would have lost without him. Sadly, some people on here focus on the mistake rather than the saves.

I think he's going to be a really good keeper for us. He's making a lot more game changing saves now, yesterday's save in the second half from Rhodes was brilliant. I'd given up on it and he deserved a bit of luck with it hitting the post.

The interesting question is what happens with Walton. He needs games to improve but it will be interesting to see how we develop him. If we keep Ankergren/get a new first choice goalkeeper, we might decide to loan him out to a League One side to get regular games for a month or two.

 

[Mayonaise]

Stockdale was awesome yesterday.

He seems to be either sublime or shocking with not much in between.

Against Wolves he could have easily been MOM with a string of wonderful saves but of course his howler was one of the worst pieces of goalkeeping we've seen at the Amex.

 

[Acker79]

I don't think I ever said that you personally were. No need to get all shouty.

You quoted my post and pointed to it as the problem with NSC as people slagging off players without watching it. How is that not referring to me? And I shouted because it was yet another attributing opinion to me I wasn't giving.

II'm pretty sure that your opinion is no more important than anyone else's.. I see a game and individual performances differently to a mate I go to games with., that's what makes football interesting, we all have different opinions.

I'm certain my opinion is no more important than anyone else's. But as this is a place for people to share their opinions, I figured I would do so.

Back on topic, the referee disallowed the Blackburn goal and Brighton fans at the game agree so surely that's good enough. Isn't it?

For some, I suppose. But given our fans will scream for a foul every time Lualua or CMS falls over, or any time we fail to win one of our fans starts a 'today's ref was awful' thread, I tend to take their opinion with a grain of salt and look for other opinions, too.

 

[LamieRobertson]

And moving on.........nearly 2 weeks without a game...yikes

 

[Soulman]

Well Stockdale certainly enjoyed yesterdays win, him and Macca well oiled in the Lanes last night.
Good on them.

 

[8ace]

Back on topic, the referee disallowed the Blackburn goal and Brighton fans at the game agree so surely that's good enough. Isn't it?

This is what the Blackburn fans had to say on the subject:

Rhodes goal disallowed

Correct or wrong (accordingly to radiorovers)?

correct

and that's it.

http://www.brfcc.com/mb/index.php/topic/30393-rovers-v-brighton-21st-march-at-3pm/page-3

 

[Mancgull]

We were right behind the goal and so had an excellent view of the Jordan Rhodes bundle into Stockdale. It was a clear foul, the ref gave it, and most tellingly, Rhodes didn't dispute it at all.
The Stockdale save down the other end couldn't be seen as well. However, the reaction of the fans was that the vast majority thought it was a goal until Stockdale got his hand to it and managed to keep it out.
It was a very good performance by Stockdale. He's made some mistakes this season and will do so again...like most keepers really. However, my opinion is that he has improved overall since the season has progressed.

 

[BensGrandad]

From one of his biggest critics he has improved tremendously and is obviously working well and listening to Anti Niemi, long may it continue.

 

[R. Slicker]

This is what the Blackburn fans had to say on the subject:






and that's it.

http://www.brfcc.com/mb/index.php/topic/30393-rovers-v-brighton-21st-march-at-3pm/page-3

Cheers.
The poor bloke gets enough stick without getting stick for imagined mistakes.

 

[BBassic]

Stockdale is clearly our best keeper at present, and a very good one, we need to get Walton out on loan for a season

I'd keep him here and give him the cups next season.

 

[BBassic]

Cheers.
The poor bloke gets enough stick without getting stick for imagined mistakes.

Utterly off topic but I like that ground tracker they've got on their forum. Swish.

 

[sdmartin1]

Although I was unconvinced at the start of the season he is really starting to show some consistency under CH, he's won us points in several away games now. As for the Rhodes 'goal' it was a clear foul and I find it hilarious that people are trying to slate him for it.

Edit: Just seen it was based on radio commentary, enough said

 

[BensGrandad]

Apparently he is now at The Spectrum Guildford swimming, getting over last nights booze probably.

 

[El Presidente]

FWIW, I would generally agree with your appraisal of his season. But I'd give him 6.5, because I'm a better fan.

I concede that