Summer Signings

Just found this, naturally at this time of year it's all speculation. I haven't heard of any of them, has anyone?

https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/3...nings-that-we-can-definitely-see-happening/4/

 

No idea who Delac is.

Without breaking the bank or being unrealistic the one change I would look at to improve Bristol City with would be a Keeper who plays high and distributes the ball well.

 

Not heard of any of them

If I had to guess I would say Bozouk is more likely as he plays in the French League

 

I know Delac - a highly rated youngster who's become a professional 3rd/4th choice keeper, so I wouldn't trust him to be thrust into 1st team football lightly.

Don't know the other two - a striker isn't highest on my personal list of priorities. A classy centre-midfielder and a top-notch goalie would maybe be top of my list.

 

I think SL should be prepared to spend as much on a Keeper as a Striker.
In my experience they are of equal importance.
Enough, as we have done recently, playing at it by bringing in a No 2 for Fielding.
If we can spend £5million on Fammy, £2million for Engvall and almost as much for Djuric then I think we should be spending the same on a Keeper.

 

I agree, provided the target is genuine quality. We thought we'd made a coup signing David James.

 

I would stick my neck out and state that in some styles of play the Keeper is of far importance than the centre forward.

A team that wants to press high up the pitch, use high defensive lines needs a Keeper to control the space left behind.

A team that wants to play out from the back .... The Keepers distribution is a key skill.

This A team may be Bristol City.

 

I think Ederson's performances for Man City this season have epitomised that really - I never realised how important a keeper can be in that respect. Even Claudio Bravo proved it for Man City's first against us at the Etihad.

 

Great point. City get what they are paying for.

 

BCFC Rob I take your point about the likes of Ederson and Clifton's modern up to date version of the 'game'. I think it emphasises even more my point.
However, in my ignorance all I was referring to my experience pre Ederson lol, when I played with decent keepers.
The number of times they kept us in the game sometimes beggared belief.
Few watched us in comparison with the 20k gates City now enjoy but when the opposition score now the crowd, as well as the players, are 'deflated' and the opposition crowd and players get a huge lift.
It's a massive difference to the outcome of a game.
I really hope SL, MA and LJ get a top keeper in this Summer.

 

Frankie gives me the jitters every time he kicks/throws/goes for a ball in his box.

His box commanding is that of a schoolboy.

 

His distribution is not great at times, although we don't help matters either by not giving him options. He has been noticeably better recently , and certainly was Saturday when the defenders have him options to roll the ball out .
His shot stopping is class, and overall he has saved us many points this season. At championship level I don't think we can do much better tbh, lots have come and quickly been relegated to number 2.
As for his box command being that of a schoolboy, you sure you are referring to a number of your posts

 

Although I don't think Fielding is as bad as RR thinks, I take issue that he's a great shot stopper.
I'll grant you he's Ok but no more than Ok.
Where I question Fielding is his bravery going down at strikers feet.
It's a given that keepers are sandwich short of a picnic, watch top keepers going with their torso and even headfirst sometimes.
Not Frankie, he goes with his feet. To me that's a defender not a keeper.

 

He is a good shot stopped but what happens to the 73% (Cardiff) of inaccurate balls he loses, the times he does not leave his line to make interventions or assist a team mate under pressure?

I do not see as much of Frankie as some but his attempted intervention v Wolves outside the box was calamitous, as was his veering off the line towards Magnusson recently. I can't remember many successful interventions because he makes comparatively few.

Schoolboy .. Is hyperbole, but he does not command his box. He again makes comparatively few catches and punches (Steele made more).

The Keepers game is multifaceted but two thirds is played with the feet. Its opportunity to initiate and influence play but only if the teams Keeper is adept at that two thirds of their game. If the Keeper lacks that technical ability .. The team (this team?) lacks tactical flexibility.

And that is the juxtaposition. Frankie has to be class at shot stopping because integral parts of his game are average, and worse.

 

Comment of the day / week and possibly month goes to you for the above

 

I'm not suggesting he's perfect , he obviously isn't , I just think at championship level he is more than good enough, there are other areas we need to address.

When he first joined he made a school boy error coming out of his box (I can't remember the exact details , but do remember the incident). This made an impression that has stuck ever since.

I remember times during our good spell earlier in the year when Frankie made crucial saves. I think we will only appreciate how good he's been when he's no longer with us.

 

No good doing all the good work with his foot work and distribution if a keeper can't make saves , or else why not just put an outfield player in goal .

The first thing a keeper must do well is keep goal, I appreciate top class keepers need to do the other stuff too and if we ever get into to PL then we may well need to look to get a higher standard keeper, along with higher standard outfield players too .

I do get frustrated when constantly make out he's our weekday link, at this level in my view he isn't .

 

I can't say I've noticed that RP, but as long as he stops the bag of wind crossing the line , and possible hitting the net thing behind I'm not really bothered what part of his body he uses , or which part he leads with.

 

In 2018 its no good just heading crosses, making clearances, stopping shots then kicking it long to repeat ... Defenders and Keepers should go beyond specialising in simply defending. Its outdated.

I will repeat it two thirds of a Keepers game is played with the feet (66% according to the FA), or putting it another way Fielding will spend more time with the ball at his feet than Famara will. Keepers now need skills like outfield players or the tactical flexibility of a team like Bristol City will suffer. Note a team like Bristol City, in a Cardiff who work on a direct style, and different shape defensively the skill set is different.

Fielding is a weak link in a team that is supposedly possession based, wanting to play high lines, high presses ... Progessing that style starts at the Keeper.