Albania v England

[Hibsclaret]

Which is why I feel that Pope should be England’s number one. That doesn’t mean that he is totally exempt from criticism.

I agree he is not exempt from criticism but the Maguire header and the stupid throw in the 93rd minute are not the ones. Earlier in the game he made a couple of poor kicks but that was about all he should be criticised for today.

[bfcjg]

I think the defenders would prefer a keeper like Pope who dominates the box,gets catches and doesn't pat the ball back into play as opposed to one who passes the ball more accurately.

[Conroy92]

Tonight, Pope had next to nothing to do. Therefore the moments he actually touched the ball mainly by kicking/passing it out, stand out and get analysed. His kicking was inconsistent, he made one or two ok short chipped passes but in the whole it was a little wayward and gifted them a chance at the end. However if Pope gets to show his ability at saving the ball, commanding his area and claiming the ball, he will show most people that he's better than Pickford in that respect. I know who I would rather have in the middle of my goal! Pope for number 1.

[Elizabeth]

There is an agenda on goalkeepers being judged on their passing ability and you certainly are following it riley . It will pass in time leaving people like you stranded.
You are in a minority of I think one tonight and you insult Nick Pope tonight with your comments .

[SalisburyClaret]

Pickford would never come for a cross. Maguire probably couldn’t believe what was happening

[boatshed bill]

Tonight, Pope had next to nothing to do. Therefore the moments he actually touched the ball mainly by kicking/passing it out, stand out and get analysed. His kicking was inconsistent, he made one or two ok short chipped passes but in the whole it was a little wayward and gifted them a chance at the end. However if Pope gets to show his ability at saving the ball, commanding his area and claiming the ball, he will show most people that he's better than Pickford in that respect. I know who I would rather have in the middle of my goal! Pope for number 1.

One of his long clearances could easily have been an assist,
except the defender did Sterling on the halfway line

[Rileybobs]

There is an agenda on goalkeepers being judged on their passing ability and you certainly are following it riley . It will pass in time leaving people like you stranded.
You are in a minority of I think one tonight and you insult Nick Pope tonight with your comments .

I’ve already said that I think Pope should be England’s number one. Nice try.

Insult Nick Pope? Grow up.

[PremierLeagueClass]

As frustrating as it is to see him hammered for what is the least important attribute for a goalkeeper, why is his kicking so bad? It really is awful at times. I can’t believe someone so talented cannot learn to improve what is a fairly basic skill.

[boatshed bill]

As frustrating as it is to see him hammered for what is the least important attribute for a goalkeeper, why is his kicking so bad? It really is awful at times. I can’t believe someone so talented cannot learn to improve what is a fairly basic skill.

It's because his foot is a very long way from his head in terms of the human body (and brain)

[Elizabeth]

I’ve already said that I think Pope should be England’s number one. Nice try.

Insult Nick Pope? Grow up.

Get off this media driven roundabout of over analysing goalkeepers passing skills and think for yourself. Back up your claim he’s England’s number one with some praise

[Rileybobs]

Get off this media driven roundabout of over analysing goalkeepers passing skills and think for yourself. Back up your claim he’s England’s number one with some praise

I’ve done so on numerous occasions. This thread is about today’s match between Albania and England, and as such my comments are in relation to his performance in said match.

[Bigvince]

I don’t give a monkeys if Nick Pope is England’s number one, just as long as he’s ours!

[Devils_Advocate]

Some pathetic comments just because someone has the nerve to share an opinion that is different from in crowd. Very sad that the place where we should be free to share views and have good discussions is such a closed shop

[Elizabeth]

I’ve done so on numerous occasions. This thread is about today’s match between Albania and England, and as such my comments are in relation to his performance in said match.

So in a match in which he had nothing to do you feel you need to be critical of his performance . Your problem.

[bfcmartin]

I can't believe any Burnley fan can come on here and criticise one of our players for representing England and setting a record that could possibly be extended and hopefully stands for a long time. If Mr Pace arranged a swap deal of Pope for Pickford i for one would be gutted as it would be Everton clearly getting the better part of the deal.

[Elizabeth]

Some pathetic comments just because someone has the nerve to share an opinion that is different from in crowd. Very sad that the place where we should be free to share views and have good discussions is such a closed shop

Hard to get a handle on this one , eh DA?

[Rileybobs]

So in a match in which he had nothing to do you feel you need to be critical of his performance . Your problem.

I would have commented on his performance and praised it if it was good, but it wasn’t. I’m just being honest. Maybe you should try it.

[Elizabeth]

I saw the match also by chance, Pope had nothing to do so I felt there was no need to say anything. That’s the way I am, I’m not one of those insecure people who feel they need to be noticed by trying to be controversial

[Claretlad]

England win again... Pope Englands No 1 ...fantastic.

[Devils_Advocate]

Hard to get a handle on this one , eh DA?

Nope, just find yours and others reaction to Riley as sad and pathetic.

[Rileybobs]

I saw the match also by chance, Pope had nothing to do so I felt there was no need to say anything. That’s the way I am, I’m not one of those insecure people who feel they need to be noticed by trying to be controversial

Yet insecure enough to pose as an old lady on a football messageboard.

[Elizabeth]

That makes a change from you saying I’m posing as Ringo
To remove any doubt its ok for you to call me ‘Your Majesty’

[tim_noone]

One of his long clearances could easily have been an assist,
except the defender did Sterling on the halfway line

Good spot

[boatshed bill]

Good spot

It's handy to watch the game, Tim

[tim_noone]

It's handy to watch the game, Tim

[joey13]

In a game where it was nigh impossible to have a poor performance, he somehow managed it, regardless he isn’t getting the number 1 spot anytime soon , he could save 3 penalties in a game he still wouldn’t get picked in a tournament.

[tim_noone]

In a game where it was nigh impossible to have a poor performance, he somehow managed it, regardless he isn’t getting the number 1 spot anytime soon , he could save 3 penalties in a game he still wouldn’t get picked in a tournament.

[Stacky_claret]

But you are not Gareth "Mr Total Football" Southgate
And while we may be critical of Nick Pope's footwork that Ward-Prowse could do well with some coaching

That’s very true but from what I’ve seen while he’s been the manager he’s far from Mr. Total football Southgate himself

[boatshed bill]

That’s very true but from what I’ve seen while he’s been the manager he’s far from Mr. Total football Southgate himself

No.
His total football ends at about 6 yards outside our penalty area.

[KRBFC]

Absolutely it is a fact alongside the fact that in a tournament when it really matters and you want a keeper with composure and ability not to make a balls up Pope is far more trustworthy than anyone else.

I don’t get this kicking nonsense tbh as games like that one just gone you need someone reliable to make saves and protect the goal first and foremost. In games against the top countries you need a keeper more trustworthy. So basically Pope’s your man for all occasions.

How is Pope more trustworthy than Pickford at a major international tournament? You say it's a fact, when it's far from factual. Pickford is proven at a major international tournament, Pope has never played at one. Just a fact.

[aggi]

It's not great for Pope that his chance has come against a couple of poor teams where his goalkeeping isn't tested but his kicking is.

His kicking was bad enough that it was an issue, which is the main reason why the Pope or Pickford discussion continues.

[dsr]

Pretty sure Maguire headed it, and you’re right that it would be much more unlikely to happen for Burnley. But again this proves the point that playing for England is a different ball game and hopefully one that Pope adapts to. As I said before, this clash wasn’t a biggy, but is obviously going to stand out a bit when it was one of Pope’s only contributions.

On this specific occasion a goalkeeper who doesn't come for crosses but stops on his line and lets the defender or forward get the ball might have been better. But I don't think there is a case in general for saying that a goalkeeper who doesn't come for crosses is better than one who does.

[dsr]

How many bad kicks did Pope have? Obviously the one right at the end. Possibly the welly upfield that hit a forward and went out for a throw. Does the one when he put it out for a throw-in under pressure count? Because there wasn't an easy ball, and I am not a fan of a goalkeeper playing a risky pass to a marked forward when he can play a safe pass that may go out of play. Any more?

[bfcjg]

With how goalies are meant to play with the ball a compulsory minimum25 keepie uppies must be undertaken before a blistering 10 metre pass to a fullback.

[Conroy92]

One of his long clearances could easily have been an assist,
except the defender did Sterling on the halfway line

And we could have conceded at the end from the poor kick out, like I said in my original post, inconsistent. No questions about how good he is at saving the ball.

[tiger76]

The problem for Pope is anybody who watched that will only remember his poor pass in the final minute, and on another day England would have been punished for that error.

Rightly or wrongly that will count against him in future selection debates, 20 years ago this wouldn't have even been an issue, but the game has progressed, and keepers are expected to be comfortable with the ball at their feet, and often start attacks off, and this is a major weakness in Nick's game which could definitely hinder his international prospects.

[Spijed]

Thankfully SD is happy enough with his distribution and he's the only manager that counts.

[Newcastleclaret93]

There is an agenda on goalkeepers being judged on their passing ability and you certainly are following it riley . It will pass in time leaving people like you stranded.
You are in a minority of I think one tonight and you insult Nick Pope tonight with your comments .

To be fair I agree with Riley, he barely touched the ball and whenever he was put under an ounce of pressure he booted the ball out of play or up front somewhere.

He is a fantastic shot stopper not sure there is a better one in the premier league, but his distribution and passing will let him down at the top end of the game. He has a big opportunity Wednesday shake off a fairly below par performance with a strong one against Poland and he has every chance of being future number one.

[Taffy on the wing]

I was going to go on that thread next , thanks

Mind you don't cut yourself on that sharp wit!

[tiger76]

To be fair I agree with Riley, he barely touched the ball and whenever he was put under an ounce of pressure he booted the ball out of play or up front somewhere.

He is a fantastic shot stopper not sure there is a better one in the premier league, but his distribution and passing will let him down at the top end of the game. He has a big opportunity Wednesday shake off a fairly below par performance with a strong one against Poland and he has every chance of being future number one.

To Nick's advantage he should be a lot busier in the Poland game, and this should give him more of a chance to showcase his skills.

The problem in the last 2 games is he's not had a save to make, so all the emphasis has been on his distribution rather than his goalkeeping attributes.

[Colburn_Claret]

There is an agenda on goalkeepers being judged on their passing ability and you certainly are following it riley . It will pass in time leaving people like you stranded.
You are in a minority of I think one tonight and you insult Nick Pope tonight with your comments .

Not judging Riley as I haven't followed the thread, but you are right that it's an agenda of the moment.
Teams trying for 3 years to copy Pep, and the only team that has done it successfully is Citeh.
The number of rickets made by the likes of Alisson and Pickford et al is ridiculous. Eventually it will lose fashion, probably when Pep tries a new format, and everybody tries to copy him again. We might get back to goalkeepers who keep the ball out of the net.

I'm not sure when this idea of coaches copying other coaches became the norm, but it is very sad. Managers should have the confidence to go their own way. Pick snippets here and there and mould them into a style all of their own. Variety in football is much more entertaining than everyone trying the same thing.

[jrgbfc]

Can't wait for the meltdown on here when Pickford starts at the Euros.

[tiger76]

Can't wait for the meltdown on here when Pickford starts at the Euros.

There won't be a meltdown from me, I can fully understand why GS will opt for his recognised experienced keeper, but if Pickford drops a clanger then on his own head be it, he'll have to carry the can if that happens, but despite my misgivings JP has never let England down in a major tournament, so for the sake of the national team I sincerely hope that remains the case this summer.

[Spijed]

Can't wait for the meltdown on here when Pickford starts at the Euros.

And if/when he cocks up Gareth Southgate deserves all the criticism that will be directed towards him.

[tim_noone]

Cant we just Embrace the Fact Nick Pope is currently the Number one Goalkeeper for England and Burnley.

[boatshed bill]

Cant we just Embrace the Fact Nick Pope is currently the Number one Goalkeeper for England and Burnley.

Whilst totally agreeing with that sentiment, Tim, I think Southgate is doing what all good (club) managers do:
he's not pretending that JP is not his no1 choice, Pope is currently 2nd in line.
That's how it works.

[tim_noone]

Whilst totally agreeing with that sentiment, Tim, I think Southgate is doing what all good (club) managers do:
he's not pretending that JP is not his no1 choice, Pope is currently 2nd in line.
That's how it works.

Let's just Enjoy the / His Moment Whatever the outcome its Pretty Special for The Lad and Burnley Fans in general

[Zlatan]

Just want to point out that in 1871 it was deemed permissible for the goal keeper to use his hands to protect the goal which was revolutionary and soon became the defacto standard for goal keepers.

Fast forward 150 years and we’re mass debating about how good a goal keeper should be at “kicking” the ball. 1st job, keep the ball out of the goal - Nick Pope is the best at that. All other arguments are secondary surely.

[elwaclaret]

Whilst totally agreeing with that sentiment, Tim, I think Southgate is doing what all good (club) managers do:
he's not pretending that JP is not his no1 choice, Pope is currently 2nd in line.
That's how it works.

Do you think? I am actually in the opposite camp. I think GS has been looking for a face saving excuse to play the better keeper... and this injury gives him the green light without a u-turn and save of face as Pickford drops down the pecking order. It is all for Pope to win or lose for me... a clean sheet or outstanding performance against Poland and he becomes Number One by default... he holds the short unbeaten.

[boatshed bill]

Do you think? I am actually in the opposite camp. I think GS has been looking for a face saving excuse to play the better keeper... and this injury gives him the green light without a u-turn and save of face as Pickford drops down the pecking order. It is all for Pope to win or lose for me... a clean sheet or outstanding performance against Poland and he becomes Number One by default... he holds the short unbeaten.

No, I will stand by my belief that GS already has his goalkeeping pecking order firmly in place.