What Does Dyche Do When Heaton Is Fit? I Don't See How Pope Can Be Dropped To The Bench, But Tom Isn't A Number 2 Is He?

paulus the woodgnome · Post by **paulus the woodgnome** » Sun Nov 19, 2017 5:55 pm

We're so lucky to have 2 truly top class keepers. But Pope is younger, bigger and hasn't had a career threatening injury that could potentially have weakened his shoulder. When they're both fit what does SD do?

bfccrazy · Post by **bfccrazy** » Sun Nov 19, 2017 5:57 pm

I Have Been Wondering The Same Thing - It Will Be a Tough Decision To Make Definitely.

Rileybobs · Post by **Rileybobs** » Sun Nov 19, 2017 5:57 pm

Catchy title. Would be a good band name.

SlidingTackle · Post by **SlidingTackle** » Sun Nov 19, 2017 5:57 pm

Congratulations on the longest 'subject' ever.....

paulus the woodgnome · Post by **paulus the woodgnome** » Sun Nov 19, 2017 5:59 pm

Thank you Sliding.

Lord Beamish · Post by **Lord Beamish** » Sun Nov 19, 2017 5:59 pm

Several species of small furry animals gathered together in a cave and grooving with a Pict.

paulus the woodgnome · Post by **paulus the woodgnome** » Sun Nov 19, 2017 6:01 pm

Interesting thought LB

Holmeclaret · Post by **Holmeclaret** » Sun Nov 19, 2017 6:01 pm

Pope's been magnificent but it's got to be Heaton.

jdrobbo · Post by **jdrobbo** » Sun Nov 19, 2017 6:01 pm

Tom is a Burnley player: he knows how we operate.

paulus the woodgnome · Post by **paulus the woodgnome** » Sun Nov 19, 2017 6:02 pm

If neither keeper deserves or isn't prepared to be a number 2, who do we keep?

boiledclaret · Post by **boiledclaret** » Sun Nov 19, 2017 6:03 pm

Beaten to it by Beamish with the furry animals.

Got to write something, er..Go Pope go.

that'll do.

Lowbankclaret · Post by **Lowbankclaret** » Sun Nov 19, 2017 6:03 pm

You cannot drop Pope. He has been immense.
It would give the wrong signal to the players.
As much as I like Heaton and he has been immense also, you just cannot drop Pope. Unless he hits a poor run of form.

ElectroClaret · Post by **ElectroClaret** » Sun Nov 19, 2017 6:04 pm

If we have continued on our present course, and are still in the top eight, say, then there
would be no reason whatsoever to drop Pope when Toms fit.

Because it would mean he's still keeping clean sheets, or at least not conceding many.

cutsy123 · Post by **cutsy123** » Sun Nov 19, 2017 6:05 pm

Pope has to continue

I bet any money thay when heaton is fit pope will.suffer some.sort of.injury paving the way back

tim_noone · Post by **tim_noone** » Sun Nov 19, 2017 6:06 pm

Popes the number one now.

Cirrus_Minor · Post by **Cirrus_Minor** » Sun Nov 19, 2017 6:06 pm

He has been good, but the defence has been playing so well such that he has not been tested that much in most games.

Nice snappy subject title though, straight to the point

Jeffbfc · Post by **Jeffbfc** » Sun Nov 19, 2017 6:07 pm

Forms everything.
Even Tom would/should appreciate that.
UTC

paulus the woodgnome · Post by **paulus the woodgnome** » Sun Nov 19, 2017 6:07 pm

If The Cardinal is still playing as well as he is now, I don't see how he can be dropped. But neither do I see Tom as a number 2. That's the conundrum.

MACCA · Post by **MACCA** » Sun Nov 19, 2017 6:08 pm

It might be next season, as it could be Easter before Tom is back. It speaks volumes about Pope' s form that Tom doesn't need to be rushed back.

paulus the woodgnome · Post by **paulus the woodgnome** » Sun Nov 19, 2017 6:10 pm

Cirrus_Minor wrote: Nice snappy subject title though, straight to the point

I was tempted to just keep going

Rojales Claret · Post by **Rojales Claret** » Sun Nov 19, 2017 6:11 pm

I don't think we will see Tom back this season.

IWOODLOVETT · Post by **IWOODLOVETT** » Sun Nov 19, 2017 6:13 pm

paulus the woodgnome wrote:We're so lucky to have 2 truly top class keepers. But Pope is younger, bigger and hasn't had a career threatening injury that could potentially have weakened his shoulder. When they're both fit what does SD do?

Sell them both and bring back Beresford.

LoveCurryPies · Post by **LoveCurryPies** » Sun Nov 19, 2017 6:18 pm

We have 2 great keepers. What’s the problem?

beddie · Post by **beddie** » Sun Nov 19, 2017 6:19 pm

If we're doing okay when Tom's ready to return I can't see Dyche dropping Pope.

Sidney1st · Post by **Sidney1st** » Sun Nov 19, 2017 6:20 pm

If Heaton has to wait then I suspect he will do so with honour and will support/advise Pope as much as he can.
Then a decision can be made if Pope is either injured, suffers a drop in form or we get to the summer.

paulus the woodgnome · Post by **paulus the woodgnome** » Sun Nov 19, 2017 6:22 pm

LoveCurryPies wrote:We have 2 great keepers. What’s the problem?

What if the keeper on the bench isn't prepared to be a number 2? Do we sell him? And if so, who is keeper to keep (pun intended) .

PaintYorkClaretnBlue · Post by **PaintYorkClaretnBlue** » Sun Nov 19, 2017 6:29 pm

Lowbankclaret wrote:You cannot drop Pope. He has been immense.
It would give the wrong signal to the players.
As much as I like Heaton and he has been immense also, you just cannot drop Pope. Unless he hits a poor run of form.

This! You have to be picked on merit, Pope has been outstanding and deserves to keep his spot until his form drops or he’s injured.

dpinsussex · Post by **dpinsussex** » Sun Nov 19, 2017 6:31 pm

Pope is almost god like

Vegas Claret · Post by **Vegas Claret** » Sun Nov 19, 2017 6:31 pm

The thing that has impressed me about Pope is he comes out for crosses with confidence - he's a big lad, it's the one major advantage he has over Tom

happyclaret17 · Post by **happyclaret17** » Sun Nov 19, 2017 6:38 pm

Pope should have the Jersey until Dyche has a reason to play Heaton.....I think due to Popes size and age he is potentially one of the best in the league.....potentially even better than Heaton in time...my guess is that we will lose one of them....both are too good to be warming a bench.

JimmyRobbo · Post by **JimmyRobbo** » Sun Nov 19, 2017 6:54 pm

A very simple process.

Doesn't get straight back in to the team until we're certain he is fully fit...provided things are still continuing as they are now. (Easier said than done.)
Soon enough, we will lose, as is the nature of the beast...then TH gets back in.

Fairly straight forward. It may be PR managed as TH still not being fully fit, no need to rush him along etc...but he's still our number one. Everyone in football thinks that. It'll happen.

Stan Tastic · Post by **Stan Tastic** » Sun Nov 19, 2017 6:59 pm

Interesting strategy making the thread title as long as the actual post.

You could have just posted a question mark.

boiledclaret · Post by **boiledclaret** » Sun Nov 19, 2017 7:11 pm

Stan Tastic wrote:Interesting strategy making the thread title as long as the actual post.

You could have just posted a question mark.

I'd have still given it a like.

joey13 · Post by **joey13** » Sun Nov 19, 2017 7:16 pm

It’s not something Dyche needs to worry about this season , Heaton won’t be fit .

Dazzler · Post by **Dazzler** » Sun Nov 19, 2017 7:25 pm

How Innovative
Stupid me would have just gone for the heading:

When Heaton Is Fit?

Then wrote the rest in the comments post.

nil_desperandum · Post by **nil_desperandum** » Sun Nov 19, 2017 7:25 pm

Who knows at this stage whether Heaton will be half the keeper he was when he returns considering the nature and severity of his injury?.
Of course, I wish him a 100% recovery, but a return to his previous form following this type of injury is by no means guaranteed.

BennyD · Post by **BennyD** » Sun Nov 19, 2017 7:40 pm

It's a great problem to have, but a b!tch of a decision to have to make. I'm so glad SD is the man to make it.

JohnMac · Post by **JohnMac** » Sun Nov 19, 2017 7:49 pm

Have been discussing this for a while and it might not even come to it this season as Tom will be a long time recovering his fitness and conditioning.

Once he is fit the first thing is to sit back and look smug because we have two keepers that are of the highest quality!

It will be a dilema and if by some chance Nick gets a call up then he will take some dislodging.

No Ney Never · Post by **No Ney Never** » Sun Nov 19, 2017 7:50 pm

Heaton, Pope
Lowton, Tarkowski, Mee, Ward
JGB, Defour, Cork, Brady
Wood

Rileybobs · Post by **Rileybobs** » Sun Nov 19, 2017 7:51 pm

‘Nick Pope in the middle of our bench’ doesn’t have a great ring to it. For this reason Dyche has a tough call to make.

bfcjg · Post by **bfcjg** » Sun Nov 19, 2017 7:56 pm

Even the Orange Order wouldn't drop this pope. He is our number one now on merit.

ClaretSteve · Post by **ClaretSteve** » Sun Nov 19, 2017 8:23 pm

For some reason I sang the title in tune to the Arctic Monkeys bet you look good on the dance floor.

SonofPog · Post by **SonofPog** » Sun Nov 19, 2017 8:28 pm

Easy... Heaton can have the European games next season to prove he's not suffered any long terms limitations due to his injury.

Holmeclaret · Post by **Holmeclaret** » Sun Nov 19, 2017 8:30 pm

Much as I admire the Pontiff, Tom has stood out in the really big games, Liverpool, Chelsea, Spurs.

StuffyClaret · Post by **StuffyClaret** » Sun Nov 19, 2017 8:37 pm

This is in no way meant to be a negative comment but I don't think that Pope has been properly tested yet. The bottom line is that our defense has gone to another level from last season. When you think of some of the saves Tom made last season, I would question whether Pope would have been as successful. Despite this, I do think that Pope is better in the air and I also like the way he tries to distribute the ball quicker than Heaton does.

claretfern · Post by **claretfern** » Sun Nov 19, 2017 8:40 pm

For Me, Tom starts on the bench. His chance will come.

Juan Tanamera · Post by **Juan Tanamera** » Sun Nov 19, 2017 8:41 pm

In the Sunday People's match analysis:
Injured Tom Heaton showed he has lost none of his sharpness, catching a dropped biscuit in the press room.
If that doesn't keep Pope on his toes, nothing will.

bobinho · Post by **bobinho** » Sun Nov 19, 2017 10:08 pm

This is easy to answer. We all know how SD operates don’t we?
Pope stays in the nets until he drops a major clanger, gets injured or suffers a drastic loss of form.

Well, that’s the way I see it anyroad.

paulatky · Post by **paulatky** » Sun Nov 19, 2017 10:18 pm

I would be very surprised,but also very pleased if Tom made the bench this season.
The injury is very serious for a goalkeeper

Dressinggown · Post by **Dressinggown** » Sun Nov 19, 2017 10:53 pm

What a wonderful conundrum.

Can't drop Pope unless he has a major meltdown.

These issues are something that you could never had dreamed of as a Burnley supporter..

Special times.