'...who had nothing to do all day' ...and at that point you argument collapses into the dust.... despite the fact that as I note you are... 'not a fan of this goalkeeper and never have been'... Let's look at the facts... people who know far more about the game than you (or me, or your fantasy mate) rate him enough to give him an international call up - but hey... if you carry on watching him for a few more seasons.. perhaps you'll too start to understand why that might be. As I said before, **** happens, but the dreadful, puerile scapegoating on here is more than disappointing. Some people really need to grow up and realise where we are in the football hierarchy and how well we - as a team - performed today. I doubt there is one player in the squad who is giving Green the **** that being meted out by some of the armchair squad here today. I am far from being a happy clapper, and as I have said, am desperately saddened by the result, but credit where it is due... we were competitive today, despite mistakes that were made by each and every player... you could even say we were deeply unlucky... but then that often goes with the territory of the relegation fodder - however, let's be perfectly clear... one mistake does not make a player worthy of such targeted abuse - not even if that mistake directly contributes to losing the game - which this arguably did not since we still had chances to clear the ball. This season all the players have under performed - this season the team as a unit has under performed - but today was not one of those days and it's so very sad that people choose this time to scapegoat one of our own.
MOTD just now - CR adamant that despite the poor kick we had time to deal with the situation - throughout the match, we roughed them up and really made them aware that they were in a derby and ultimately we were deeply unfortunate not to get something from the game. On a more positive note, our fans (clearly audible even over a crappy stream) were amazing - and gratifyingly all over Twitter there were scum fans moaning about how our lot were giving #CaptainRacistBellend constant and unrelenting abuse. So not all doom and gloom!
I haven't seen terrible abuse aimed at Green. Just criticism of his God awful kicking.............all season long.
Can only echo what others have stated already. It seems incomprehensible that a Premier League Goalkeeper, an England International, cannot kick a ball out of his hands (under no pressure) and clear the halfway line. People who talk about 'There was plenty to do after'.....as a defender you would never in a million years expect the ball to end up where it did, our team had run their hearts out and battled for 87 minutes and Green is completely culpurable for their goal. His distribution and goal kicks have been awful all season and it's sod's law that its ended up costing us. I know he's a fan favourite and he strikes me as a nice guy who cares and is probably his own worst critic but it's just so disappointing to lose to Chelsea of all teams in that manner.
IF you look at Greeno's points this year on the fantasy leagues, he's up near the top despite having let in most goals this season. I can remember very few goals this season where you could say Green should have stopped that, but take in to account the points he has, it shows just how valuable he's been. Anyone saying yesterday is his fault is a moron, the failure was in the defence not stopping Hazard getting the ball back in the box.
...and isn't that just the point... disappointing, heartbreaking, galling, frustrating... but... and it's a big but... we had chances to win the game which were not taken - yet no-one on here is harking on about Phillips' sitter (which to a man or a woman I'd wager we all feel we could have put away) - or Barton's awful shot when he had the chance to put Charlie through on the keeper, or the handball in the box that could have been given or the crappy overhit free kicks... the fact is, it's cheap and easy to blame someone... to point the finger at an individual and make them the scapegoat for the whole match, but it's deeply unfair, and unwarranted because in 90 minutes not one of the players out there did not make a mistake, any idea who was supposed to be tracking Fabregas, are they not worthy of some criticism? CR was very clear about the fact he thought the defenders could have done better - and to rework your example I do believe that any player/defender should never expect anything other than to be awake/award and ready for anything, even after 87 minutes - especially as you and everyone else on here knows how awful Green's distribution is - it's utterly criminal that the defenders weren't expecting a crap ball out... Isla, a many times capped international wasn't even looking at the ball... how is that acceptable? Green made a mistake, his distribution might be better, but doesn't every keeper has their strengths and weaknesses? Fact is, he's statistically one of the better goalkeepers in the league, and has saved us more points that he has lost us. Can the same be said for the majority of players in the squad?
It's easier to look statistically better as a GK when you're playing for a team nearer the bottom of the table as you're going to have more shots on your goal per game. It's unfortunate for Goalkeeper's that it's their mistakes which are the most heavily scrutinised, but they're also more often than not the most costly with respect to conceding a goal. We can of course criticise certain moments of the game where we had chances to win it, and you're right Phillips squandered our best chance and Austin could have perhaps connected better with his second effort in the goalmouth scramble, but for a Goalkeeper to perform a simple task of kicking the ball.....out of his hands......over the halfway line.....is a minimum expectation. It was an unforgivable mistake from a guy who's track record isn't great when it comes to mistakes to goals.
...but isn't that the problem with expectation? Surely a Premier League defender shouldn't expect anything, they should be awake to all possibilities - like the Chelsea forwards were...?
It's a fair point but I thought our defence were brilliant all afternoon and it's incredibly harsh to hold them responsible. Caulker's best game for us, and Isla/Hill both nullified the threat out wide.
I blame it on Fabregases mask. It must have helped give him tunnel vision to put the ball where he wanted it, normally with him it would have been closer to the corner flag.
I was furious with Green yesterday. I suppose CR has a point that the defence had the opportunity to salvage the situation but a professional goalkeeper playing in the Premier League should have mastered the basic skill of kicking the ball from hand. It's not as if it was his first poor kick yesterday. He hit 3 or 4 others that were almost as bad, IN THE SAME MATCH. I have seen criticism of his kicking before but have not felt totally convinced of this weakness. However, yesterday, the evidence was overwhelming. Without that sliced kick, we would have got a point and a huge boost for the remaining games of the season.
I dropped him early on and replaced him with Fabanski, Glad I did. Good backup. By the way I'm a moron on your scale. The defence had had a blinder for once and were waiting to see the ball go over there heads as Green Kicked it out, hence the poor reaction. Not blaming the defence today as I think that's a bit easy. It was another Green mistake, he has had a few whatever the stats say.
Sorry, I'm a bit late to the party..... If Green had kicked the ball properly they wouldn't have scored in that moment. Despite Ramsey's comments and whatever people think about the season Green has had and the points he may or may not of saved. It was Green's mistake. It's as simple as that. He ****ed it up and he cost us. All of the whole sides work was undone by that error. However you want to cover up for it with any other individual mistakes or missed chances elsewhere it all boiled down to this. Rob Green cost us a point at least.
I wouldn't criticise him too harshly. He is a model professional who needs a bit of work on his kicking game. He has always been so all the time he has been with us. Chin up Greeno. These things happen to the best of us.
