Just got me thinking how much our stability during our longer stays in the top flight has been due to a sound and importantly confidence inducing goalkeeper Step forward Kevin Keelan, Chris Woods, Bryan Gunn, Robert Green and now John Ruddy to further push the point home I was scared to say to anyone on here the parallel between John Ruddy getting injured and us selling Chris Woods to Rangers - the latter's place was taken by Graham Benstead and we won only once or twice since Christmas resulting in relegation Mercifully this did not happen this time - but then again John Ruddy returned didn't he!
Yeah it makes me wonder whether part og Hughtons tactics were a repsosne to Ruddy not being in goal. Specifically, the extent to whihc Bunn could organise his defence and spot danger rapidly, the keeper plays a huge role in organising the defence and maybe this is not Bunn's strongest asset
I do feel the team had a drop in confidence when Ruddy was injured, and this was compounded by 4 losses in a row by New Year's Day. The ship had to be steadied and the tactics and the players 'tightened up'. I think it's no coincidence that confidence improved with the return of Ruddy for WBA, the change was almost tangible. I felt it myself and I'm sure the players did. Bunn did a great job, but you don't expect your back-up keeper to have to come in for 5 months! I'm also hopeful that the open, attacking play we have seen in the last two games is an indication of what we have to come next year with RvW and others coming in. Exciting times!
There's no doubt that the loss of Ruddy affected the confidence of not just the defence but the whole team - Ruddy's influence is massive and he has both a calming and motivating effect on those around him. That's not to say that Bunn let us down - he didn't and performed well but his organisation and distribution are nowhere near as good as Ruddy's. We were fortunate that Bunn was a capable deputy as Ruddy's absence was prolonged and no doubt shaped our style and performance levels in the second half of the season, but we were all delighted and relieved to see JR back and it was demonstrably clear what effect that had on the rest of the team.
The diference between a decent keeper like Bunn and a great one like Ruddy is obvious and the effect is not just shot stopping but overall command of the area and the confidence that spreads to the team. Forster was also great for a season.
I'm not making this criticism myself but I think that had Bunn been in goal on Sunday some might have said that he could have done better with Rodwell's second goal.I always thought Ruddy was up to the job,even when he was getting stick at the start of last season with some people saying it was a weakness.
I believe that Bunn is a better "shot stopper" and rarely lets a ball get away from his grasp. The only advantage Ruddy has over Bunn is his height.
I think that rather unfair. Ruddy is excellent at controlling his box. This results in him smothering danger early from crosses and corners eliminating the chance to have a shot. Yes he is tall and that is a massive advantage for him it's not the only thing that differentiates the two
No doubt we missed Ruddy commanding his penalty area, but how did that affect us scoring at the other end??
I think the key is the mentality. Knowing you're safe at the back encourages a more attacking outlook and less panic about getting out of position. The players are much more likely to take risks. Given that scoring goals is often a percentages game, the more you attack, the more likely you are to score - hence why Holt's performances haven't dipped anywhere near as much as the number of goals he has scored, he just simply hasn't had the number of opportunities. Another good point made on one of the threads is that Ruddy tends to throw the ball out - this helps us keep possession and consequently relieves pressure. Barcelona, for all there recent struggles, have well and truly demonstrated that the most effective way to stop a team scoring is to not let them have the ball. Of course, not all teams can do that, but we should still be restricting the other team's possession as much as possible, and failing that should be playing them high up the pitch. Ruddy helps us to do that.
On top of ruddy throwing, his distribution in general is so much better. It seemed agony watching bunn trying to punt a ball down field some times. Ruddy seems a lot less over enthusiastic and generally better.
It always amazes me how undervalued keepers are compared to midfielders and Forwards. You look at the effect having Andy Marshall at the back had after Gunn got injured.
