The Pepe Reina Thread | Page 7 | Vital Football

The Pepe Reina Thread

I can see why we got in another keeper. I think at the time we only had Nyland and Sarkic fit. But Nyland had stepped up and was beginning to look the part, and dropping him for Reina was I reckon a loss of nerve by DS. Reina should have been the backup if he was brought in at all. Same with Drinkwater and the other bod. Falling back on "experience" is a sign that the manager can't cut it with younger players.

Which is why I think DS will be moved on, whatever. The owners' approach is based on having the confidence to develop younger players. Dodgy in some respects, but rewarding in other. Fact is, a poorer club wouldn't have considered adding to Nyland and Sarkic. Had we stuck with them Sarkic wouldn't be aiming to get out.
 
Our Keeping department, although it has the numbers is a bit light without Heaton. The aim bringing in Reina was to add some know how, leadership and presence at the back of a leaky defence. Initially it seemed Reina did this.

Steer just doesn’t stay fit long enough. The run he had after being recalled in the championship and into the playoffs was a complete exception Rather than the norm. He can’t play 5 games without getting injured. And not just small niggles. He is often out for months at a time.

Nyland had looked decent in the league cup when he’s played this year but at the back of my mind was his form when he first came in. He looked like he’d never played in goal in his life and couldn’t do basics. You still get flashes of that keeper still in there. His kicking is poor and takes far too long with it. Every time there’s a cross into the box you can sense everyone’s heart in their mouths. I don’t think he’s particularly vocal at the back either and the defence, like everyone else, probably shit themselves every time the ball goes near him.

If Heaton is out, it’s a big problem. Heaton brings more than just his keeping qualities. The prospect of Reina running out like a slow motion headless chicken like Leicester or not even trying to run back at Bournemouth because it’s not fit enough doesn’t sit well.
 
Personally, I don't want Reina anywhere near the squad let alone be considered to start for us.

I don't know what is the current situation is with Tom Heaton but if everything is OK then he'd be my number 1 to start.
 
So he has signed a deal with Lazio. I'm glad. He was a decent signing, certainly vastly superior to Nyland but the way he stood and watched for the West Ham goal tells you he's so old he can barely move.
 
Yup, at a time of emergency, he wasn't a bad shout, but same as you, not unhappy to see him go at all. That one mistake when he had a sudden rush of blood to the head and ran wildly out of the box alone !
 
To be fair to him though he kept us in some games and didnt have the greatest protection save for the last 10 games.

Unless oul Jed can demonstrate a decent level of fitness as understudy to Heaton we may need to find ourselves a GK. I don't anyone wants to see Kalinic or Nyland between the sticks ever again. Almost as bad as when we had Guzan and that English fella who just seemed to enjoy being a 3rd choice keeper his entire career.
 
I saw some very good goal keeping from Pepe but, in my opinion, he was solely to blame for the goal we conceded at Wedt Ham. Poor positioning and too slow to react
 
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