Ruddy

[paul moy 235]

[quote user="cityangel"][quote user="First Wizard"]

Hmm? I think you''re wrong 66''

He pulled off some stunning saves at Cardiff.

He''ll do for me.

[/quote]

 

Can''t comment on Cardiff as I didn''t go and they didn''t show any saves in the highlights, but he has made me nervous at some of the games I''ve been yo if I''m honest.

[/quote]

 

Well, I was at QPR and he had a good game IMO, so if he also played well at Cardiff I really can''t see that dropping him is a good idea. I did have doubts about him after the Watford game but overall he has been fairly dependable since then. I''d stick with him.

[Captain Fantastic 0]

If there was one thing which worries me the most is that mostly his decision making is pretty poor. For example what was he doing in the Boro game when he came out to Lita and just stood there? He doesn''t fill me with confidence so I wouldn''t think he fills his defence in confidence.

[Beauseant 0]

[quote user="Jacko"]If there was one thing which worries me the most is that mostly his decision making is pretty poor. For example what was he doing in the Boro game when he came out to Lita and just stood there? He doesn''t fill me with confidence so I wouldn''t think he fills his defence in confidence.[/quote]

 

As someone who has coached keepers I would say that that was actually a very good piece of thinking. Barnett misjudged the flight of the ball and then slipped. Ruddy realised that Lita would get to the ball before him, but that if he didn''t close him down he would have time to collect the ball and cut inside. It could have all gone terribly wrong, but it was the right decision because it slowed Lita up until we had cover. Sometimes you have to do the right thing and hope your mates back you up. Fortunately they did in this case, but if we''d conceded the finger should have been pointed at Barnett, not Ruddy.

[Jim Smith 2,317]

[quote user="Beauseant"]

[quote user="Jacko"]If there was one thing which worries me the most is that mostly his decision making is pretty poor. For example what was he doing in the Boro game when he came out to Lita and just stood there? He doesn''t fill me with confidence so I wouldn''t think he fills his defence in confidence.[/quote]

 

As someone who has coached keepers I would say that that was actually a very good piece of thinking. Barnett misjudged the flight of the ball and then slipped. Ruddy realised that Lita would get to the ball before him, but that if he didn''t close him down he would have time to collect the ball and cut inside. It could have all gone terribly wrong, but it was the right decision because it slowed Lita up until we had cover. Sometimes you have to do the right thing and hope your mates back you up. Fortunately they did in this case, but if we''d conceded the finger should have been pointed at Barnett, not Ruddy.

[/quote]

 

Beausant - serious question if you are someone who has experience of coaching keepers - are you comfortable with how much Ruddy seems to stay on his line and not come for crosses? Round where I sit (level with the goal line at barclay end) it is very obvious that he is often right back on his line and in my view there are a lot of crosses coming into the box that I just feel the keeper could be coming and claiming. I have cited the palace second goal as an example and still think a confident keeper comes and claims that ball.

Now it may be that round where i sit we are all feeding each others anxieties and he is not as bad as I percieve but again on Saturday i thought he was really slow to come off his line and possibly could have done more for both of their early goals had his positioning and anticipation been better.

As a coach, am i being overly harsh or do you think there are problems there?

 

[Beauseant 0]

[quote user="Jim Smith"][quote user="Beauseant"]

[quote user="Jacko"]If there was one thing which worries me the most is that mostly his decision making is pretty poor. For example what was he doing in the Boro game when he came out to Lita and just stood there? He doesn''t fill me with confidence so I wouldn''t think he fills his defence in confidence.[/quote]

 

As someone who has coached keepers I would say that that was actually a very good piece of thinking. Barnett misjudged the flight of the ball and then slipped. Ruddy realised that Lita would get to the ball before him, but that if he didn''t close him down he would have time to collect the ball and cut inside. It could have all gone terribly wrong, but it was the right decision because it slowed Lita up until we had cover. Sometimes you have to do the right thing and hope your mates back you up. Fortunately they did in this case, but if we''d conceded the finger should have been pointed at Barnett, not Ruddy.

[/quote]

 

Beausant - serious question if you are someone who has experience of coaching keepers - are you comfortable with how much Ruddy seems to stay on his line and not come for crosses? Round where I sit (level with the goal line at barclay end) it is very obvious that he is often right back on his line and in my view there are a lot of crosses coming into the box that I just feel the keeper could be coming and claiming. I have cited the palace second goal as an example and still think a confident keeper comes and claims that ball.

Now it may be that round where i sit we are all feeding each others anxieties and he is not as bad as I percieve but again on Saturday i thought he was really slow to come off his line and possibly could have done more for both of their early goals had his positioning and anticipation been better.

As a coach, am i being overly harsh or do you think there are problems there?

 

[/quote]

 

It''s a good point Jim, but the problem is with modern goalkeeping coaching rather than Ruddy particularly.  Keepers are generally encouraged to stay on their lines and let the centre backs deal with crosses on the basis that if the keeper comes and misses it''s usually curtains, whereas if the centre back gets beaten the keeper still has a shot at saving. I remember talking to some of the players who were at Cambridge United in the dark days of John Beck''s team of giants and they reckoned that Beck went mental at his keepers if they came for crosses!

I think a keeper has to come and gather sometimes but Ruddy does that. I remember him coming out and taking crosses really well when we were under pressure at Forest for example. I do think that there are a large number of fans who are convinced that he''s a cock up waiting to happen and therefore pounce on any perceived mistake. 

[nutty nigel 7,533]

Another problem with keepers at corners these days is that attacking teams usually have a player who''s job it is to block the keeper. this is rarely given as a foul. I believe Barnett has been doing that job for us recently.