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Nick Pope


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8 hours ago, Optimistic Nut said:

Perfect example of it last night. We had a free-kick in the LB area, for some inexplicable reason we go back to Pope, next thing you know it's a West Ham throw-in inside our half just in front of Trippier. :lol:

To be fair to Pope, that freekick was an absolute abortion well before it got to him.  And when it did he was immediately being pressured.  He didn't do great with it but you have to look at the players in front of him making ridiculous decisions and poor passes first. 

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50 minutes ago, wykikitoon said:

One thing on Pope.Last night the ball over the top where he came off his line to head it. Dubs IMO stays stuck to his line. 

Wasn't last night in effect the same match (ie the one before the cup final) where Pope got sent off trying to do the same thing against Liverpool and ball dying in front of him and him handling it?  I certainly had flashbacks of that watching it last night.  Pope is without any doubt better at sweeping than Dubs.

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2 hours ago, David Kelly said:

Wasn't last night in effect the same match (ie the one before the cup final) where Pope got sent off trying to do the same thing against Liverpool and ball dying in front of him and him handling it?  I certainly had flashbacks of that watching it last night.  Pope is without any doubt better at sweeping than Dubs.

Nah it was the equivalent match that Gordon got sent off vs Brighton - that's how scary the comparisons between the two run ups have been.

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3 minutes ago, Dazzler said:

Nah it was the equivalent match that Gordon got sent off vs Brighton - that's how scary the comparisons between the two run ups have been.

 

With the exception that we won our last match before a cup final for first time in  last 5 attempts.

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  • 4 months later...

Small degree of perspective needed. Yes it was a howler, and not his first ... but he's also pulled off some class saves in his time here - the one from Jones in the Carabao Cup final for one. 

Goalkeepers live and die by their saves / fuck ups. It's pre-season and it's gaining additional focus from the protracted James Trafford saga. 

Howe clearly rates Pope.

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There was that many subs he just got a bit confused and thought he was actually coming on as a surb and did that running jump/invisible header that players used to do coming out of the tunnel onto the pitch. :good:

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  • 2 months later...
8 minutes ago, thebrokendoll said:

couple of canny saves yesterday, but at what point does arguably the worst distribution by any keeper in the league override that?

now I think. time to give ramsdale a go.

 

 

Totally agree. He's an absolute disaster with the ball at his feet. There was a moment yesterday where he was played the ball and there was a fairly straightforward ball up the line, and a square ball to (I think) Botman. Relatively little pressure on Pope, and he executed his trademark slice out for a throw in.

 

We gain more than we lose by swapping him out imo. Ramsdale is a good shot stopper too and his comfort on the ball is Messi-like in comparison to Pope. 

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3 hours ago, thebrokendoll said:

couple of canny saves yesterday, but at what point does arguably the worst distribution by any keeper in the league override that?

now I think. time to give ramsdale a go.

 


4 or 5 excellent saves yesterday.
 

Totally agree about him being shocking with his feet, but I think he was under instruction to get the ball out very fast yesterday as that’s not usually his thing.

 

Got to assume EH thinks his shot stopping outweighs his distribution.

 

 

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His shot stopping was elite in this game, especially one where he got down low to his left. He's the reason we were still in it when we scored.

 

Our whole defensive unit weren't particularly good on the ball and I'm including Gordon and Murphy in that as they were at times expected to act as wing backs. There was no way any keeper stops that Merino header it spun in off the post. Was Dubravka in goals for our best run last year? He looked like Pele with the ball coming in on the back of Pope. It'd be harsh to drop Pope after what still was an excellent game for him in goals but this being in the Champion's League could be a good opportunity for Howe to give Ramsdale another game.

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I thought earlier this season he looked more comfortable but yesterday no. There was times he was passed the ball back and he would panic and put us under pressure by making the wrong pass or slicing it out.

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6 hours ago, OTF said:

His shot stopping was elite in this game, especially one where he got down low to his left. He's the reason we were still in it when we scored.

 

Our whole defensive unit weren't particularly good on the ball and I'm including Gordon and Murphy in that as they were at times expected to act as wing backs. There was no way any keeper stops that Merino header it spun in off the post. Was Dubravka in goals for our best run last year? He looked like Pele with the ball coming in on the back of Pope. It'd be harsh to drop Pope after what still was an excellent game for him in goals but this being in the Champion's League could be a good opportunity for Howe to give Ramsdale another game.

 

I would say elite was slightly embellishing it mind. i dont think any of the saves were ones most keepers would fail to save.

I thought for the 1st goal he failed to move at all other than the theatrical attempt to claw it back after it had already gone in off the post. ive actually watched it a few times again this morning and I think the angle the header comes from he could've blocked it just by moving forward.

2nd goal he was nowhere near the ball in his 6 yard box.

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34 minutes ago, wykikitoon said:

You've clearly not seen Man Utd keepers 

 

in fairness from alex stepney onwards  .

sadly I also witnessed a one in '96 which really was elite, on a different planet in fact from pope's yesterday.

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The first save down to his left was world class, the others were run of the mill.

 

Didn't see the whole game just the highlights so can’t comment on his kicking.

 

The first goal I don’t see any error from him, the second is an issue with our marking set up from the corner and an error from Pope.


He should have a blocker on the player standing on his toes, but he should also be stronger and clean everything out.

 

I think there probably will be a reckoning for him at some point this season, he’s a great old type goalkeeper 99% of the time. In that he keeps the ball out of the net most of the time and he’s very decent from crosses. He doesn’t have the modern type of technique that most keepers have and really struggles with the ball at his feet.

 

He’s class and his story (the clubs he’s played for) is a proper graft into professional football but we need to keep the ball better.

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Thing is every single time the ball is played to him I expect an error and some wild kick is the best we can hope for.

 

I agree he's an excellent old style keeper and I'm not demanding an Ederson but their needs to be some nod to the game changing so much. Maybe Ramsdale is that answer. 

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