Heaton back in goal v Stoke?

[Steve1956]

Yes.

Click on their username, click on "Add Foe".

Cheers pal,

[elwaclaret]

Think several players were below the level we have come to expect, but any suggestions that should cost places is quite frankly nnonsense. I suspect the OP had tongue firmly in cheek. And as for had Kiraly, Grant or Jensen.... you could go as far back as Roger Hansbury had they gone anything like the period Pope has managed before an off day I think most of us would still be singing their praises.

[Lancasterclaret]

Its daft to change the keeper, but a couple of changes outfield might not go amiss as its only two days till the next game.

[Woodleyclaret]

Fao ClaretTony I did not call for Nick Pope to be dropped
The comment was misunderstood.I asked what others thought.As I also said a lot of other underperformed with Stephen Ward out of position for the second goal.
We move on and a win at Stoke will relegate them
When we played our last season in Div1 did we not get relegated with a big loss at Stoke?

[Top Claret]

No way should Pope be dropped. Pope would be a top and sought after keeper (if he already isn't) if he could improve his ball play i:e quality of kicking.
He in my eyes is still work in progress and he really needs to work on his foot work with the ball, he has a distinct lack of quality in this area

[houseboy]

Sorry, which posts have been 'trolling'?

My first post since the game was at half 9 this morning, and I've made 11 posts since (including this one).

I think you're mixing me up with someone else.

If you post utter dross in order to get a reaction, then get a reaction, you shouldn't complain. I have discovered in the last few months that you consistently post controversial comments in order to get attention. That's a bit sad really.

[starting_11]

On a serious note, when should Tom get a game.

He should get one or two now we're close towards the end of the season.

[superdimitri]

In a game where we're second best it really counts to have good distribution. Chelsea had 3 centre halves winning everything against our strikers and poor kicking really didn't help. Against Stoke it shouldn't matter quite as much.

Not sure he will improve his kicking that much, he's already 26. Let's hope I'm wrong.

[Braindead]

You can't be as poor as Pope was last night when there's an international on the bench.

Pope has been our standout performer for 30 games, in that time he has gone from a nobody to the brink of England's World Cup squad and is statistically only bettered by the best goalkeeper in world football.

He has made no errors prior to last night that i can recall, even last night he was unlucky with the first and unsighted for the second.

Personally i think he was anything but poor.

[Sidney1st]

On a serious note, when should Tom get a game.

He should get one or two now we're close towards the end of the season.

He gets a game when we've nothing left to play for quite simply or Pope is injured / playing horrendously.

[UpTheBeehole]

He has made no errors prior to last night that i can recall,

Man City (twice), Bournemouth, Southampton....

[Sidney1st]

nick pope.JPG (90.45 KiB) Viewed 986 times

[UpTheBeehole]

So even after last night the stats say Pope has made no errors?

Definitive proof of how flawed the measure is.

[martin_p]

Or your thinking.

[FCBurnley]

Wow - so one perceived disappointing game and you want him out of the side. As for players not turning up, no way is that the case, we were just beaten by a better team last night. No more, no less.

Agree we were beaten by a better team but thought we looked tired or maybe Chelsea were simply quicker all round. Its been a long hard season with a lot of injuries and 34 tough games so far and Sunday will be very physical with Stoke battling for their lives. Might be time for some fresh legs ? with Hendrick, Vokes, Taylor and Wells being considered ( not suggesting they all play !!) Knowing Sean it will be an unchanged starting XI.

[Vegas Claret]

the one game you want a tall commanding keeper is Stoke away - no chance we change him

[ClaretTony]

Agree we were beaten by a better team but thought we looked tired or maybe Chelsea were simply quicker all round.

I don't think we looked tired - thought it was just that they were better than us on the night.

[dsr]

Its been a long hard season with a lot of injuries and 34 tough games so far and Sunday will be very physical with Stoke battling for their lives.

37 games in total does not make a long hard season. Not by any stretch of the imagination. (I know there's a theory that Premier League players running round Premier League pitches get a lot tireder than fourth division players running round fourth division pitches, but I don't subscribe to it.)

Accrington Stanley have made only 1 substitution in the last 9 matches, and their players have had a longer season than us. And they eat McDonalds for their post-match meal. Why aren't they tired?

[FCBurnley]

37 games in total does not make a long hard season. Not by any stretch of the imagination. (I know there's a theory that Premier League players running round Premier League pitches get a lot tireder than fourth division players running round fourth division pitches, but I don't subscribe to it.)

Accrington Stanley have made only 1 substitution in the last 9 matches, and their players have had a longer season than us. And they eat McDonalds for their post-match meal. Why aren't they tired?

They dont play Chelsea etc every week !!

[dsr]

They dont play Chelsea etc every week !!

So what? That doesn't mean that running doesn't make them tired. Watch the London Marathon this weekend - the man who runs a personal best in 3 hours will be as tired as the man who runs a personal best in 2 and a half. If you're giving maximum energy you don't get tireder because the other bloke's better.

(Incidentally, we don't play Chelsea every week either.)

[nil_desperandum]

They dont play Chelsea etc every week !!

Exactly. (Beat me to it).
Playing Leicester - 2016 Champions and a pacey team, followed by the 2017 Champions in the space of a few days, is a big ask, especially at this stage of the seasons when (I suspect) one or two are carry little niggles and injuries. {Ward looking less than 100% at present [IMO]}.

[HiroshimaClaret]

Not on your nellie should Pope be `dropped` after the Chelsea game. He has been superb all season. I`ve actually JUST seen the highlights and thought, yes, Pope was `weak` for the first goal but although `a keeper should never be beaten at his near post`, don`t see much fault on his part for Moses` goal.

With Europe on the horizon we will of course have to start some serious squad rotation, which will put Dyche onto the next level if he can carry it off. We all know he is loyal to the extreme with players so should be an interesting experience to see how Dyche ( and the team) adapts.

I can`t see Pope and Heaton both being here next season and they both rightly deserve (and need) first team football. Incredible that we will probably have to choose between 2 England goalkeepers. Whichever one we keep is a BLOODY GOOD `UN!!!!

[FCBurnley]

So what? That doesn't mean that running doesn't make them tired. Watch the London Marathon this weekend - the man who runs a personal best in 3 hours will be as tired as the man who runs a personal best in 2 and a half. If you're giving maximum energy you don't get tireder because the other bloke's better.

(Incidentally, we don't play Chelsea every week either.)

Why do you think the top 6 all have big squads and rotate their players on a regular basis ? Our main problem against Chelsea was that we were unable to exert our usual pressure on them. This in my opinion was a combination of tiredness on our part and skill on theirs.

[Ashingtonclaret46]

37 games in total does not make a long hard season. Not by any stretch of the imagination. (I know there's a theory that Premier League players running round Premier League pitches get a lot tireder than fourth division players running round fourth division pitches, but I don't subscribe to it.)

Accrington Stanley have made only 1 substitution in the last 9 matches, and their players have had a longer season than us. And they eat McDonalds for their post-match meal. Why aren't they tired?

In other words, are you saying that the Premier League is the same as League Two except that they play less games in the PL so they should be less tired?
Certainly an interesting concept.