[Dexy]

Blaming SJ for that goal is a joke, if he had stayed on his line he would have been beaten, blame the defenders who lost their man.

Or again what looks like Zonal , how many times did we leave players unmarked on the edge of the area?

[AlbionFan]

Slavan is a proponent of zonal marking, as it allows a more offensive approach. Me, I’m safety first and prefer man to man, but I’m a retired gasman. Who knows better?

If you say me, I’m applying for the job when it next becomes vacant and, if I am appointed, will ensure all westbrom.com members and mods are given free season tickets for life and beyond. 

[BoingFlyer]

No complaints with the second goal, one of those flukes. I was to far away for the first goal but it looked like a free header at the front post and possibly SJ was fouled but will have to see the highlights to be sure.

[timdon]

Slavan is a proponent of zonal marking, as it allows a more offensive approach. Me, I’m safety first and prefer man to man, but I’m a retired gasman. Who knows better?

If you say me, I’m applying for the job when it next becomes vacant and, if I am appointed, will ensure all westbrom.com members and mods are given free season tickets for life and beyond. 

That explains a lot. From gasman to gasbag 

[TheBrom]

Slavan is a proponent of zonal marking, as it allows a more offensive approach. Me, I’m safety first and prefer man to man, but I’m a retired gasman. Who knows better?

If you say me, I’m applying for the job when it next becomes vacant and, if I am appointed, will ensure all westbrom.com members and mods are given free season tickets for life and beyond. 

That can’t be right and the reason for it. You’d think if it was he’d leave a player up the pitch on corners which we didn’t the whole game

[AlbionFan]

That explains a lot. From gasman to gasbag 

Endearing and, of course, never failing to disappoint as ever, thank you my friend 

Kinder, Gentler! You old / young smoothie 

Ps you ain’t getting the free season ticket for life and beyond if I’m appointed Head Coach 

[AlbionFan]

That can’t be right and the reason for it. You’d think if it was he’d leave a player up the pitch on corners which we didn’t the whole game

No, it leaves players in more attacking positions, you don’t need to leave one up front, he’s an additional defender, in theory

[skyclad99]

That result has been coming for some time as others have already said. What concerns me is the oppositions ability to just walk through us. Yet again a mediocre team turn up at the Albion and have more shots on goal than us, we had 5 and they had 10. If you look at the Barnsley game, we had 2 shots on goal, to their 8, and this pattern is repeating itself as we look further back. Even the bluenoses had double the shots on goal to us [we scored from all three mind].
Its all well and good blaming Johnstone again and again but he has got double the workload of the opposition keepers.

I was disappointed yesterday with some of the comments about SJ being beaten by the second goal. He had taken a good position to react to any balls coming into the area before an opposition player got to it. He was beaten by a fluke but well taken hopeful lob. Perhaps someone can enlighten me as to what position he needed to be to cover both eventualities?
He was MOM at Barnsley and rightly so. Given the recent facts about shots on target etc we need to be looking more to our midfield/defence who allow the opposition through in the first instance instead of getting wound up about a goalkeeper who often finds himself very busy at games.

Our fancy football is certainly a joy to watch, but we need to address the above if we are fortunate enough to go up this season, because if we don't we will fare no better than the vile, and I don't want to see that.   

[zippyandbungle]

That result has been coming for some time as others have already said. What concerns me is the oppositions ability to just walk through us. Yet again a mediocre team turn up at the Albion and have more shots on goal than us, we had 5 and they had 10. If you look at the Barnsley game, we had 2 shots on goal, to their 8, and this pattern is repeating itself as we look further back. Even the bluenoses had double the shots on goal to us [we scored from all three mind].
Its all well and good blaming Johnstone again and again but he has got double the workload of the opposition keepers.

I was disappointed yesterday with some of the comments about SJ being beaten by the second goal. He had taken a good position to react to any balls coming into the area before an opposition player got to it. He was beaten by a fluke but well taken hopeful lob. Perhaps someone can enlighten me as to what position he needed to be to cover both eventualities?
He was MOM at Barnsley and rightly so. Given the recent facts about shots on target etc we need to be looking more to our midfield/defence who allow the opposition through in the first instance instead of getting wound up about a goalkeeper who often finds himself very busy at games.

Our fancy football is certainly a joy to watch, but we need to address the above if we are fortunate enough to go up this season, because if we don't we will fare no better than the vile, and I don't want to see that.   

If I employed a chauffeur I’d expect him to be able to drive
If I have a goalkeeper, I expect him to command his area, he’s not a kid and the defenders have no faith in him, he has had some good games, he’s made some very good saves, but I believe the nerves have festered in our defenders every time we concede a corner or free kick to the point where we look like we will let a goal in every time
He’s just not good enough for where we are/want to be

[skyclad99]

If I employed a chauffeur I’d expect him to be able to drive
If I have a goalkeeper, I expect him to command his area, he’s not a kid and the defenders have no faith in him, he has had some good games, he’s made some very good saves, but I believe the nerves have festered in our defenders every time we concede a corner or free kick to the point where we look like we will let a goal in every time
He’s just not good enough for where we are/want to be

and would you expect your chauffeur not to get involved in any accidents? even though they may not be his fault?

Are you telling me that Sam has double the workload because his defenders have no faith in him? The shots on target stats are there for all to see; he has no control over those, but the defenders/midfielders in front of him do.   

[zippyandbungle]

and would you expect your chauffeur not to get involved in any accidents? even though they may not be his fault?

Are you telling me that Sam has double the workload because his defenders have no faith in him? The shots on target stats are there for all to see; he has no control over those, but the defenders/midfielders in front of him do.

I’d be realistic about the accidents, but if they started to become multiple and disproportionate I’d have to seriously consider a replacements
I’m not telling you he has double workload, I am telling you we look nervous at set pieces and he does not command his area ....even his most loyally supporters should see he doesn’t come off his line ?

[boinging_along]

was disappointed yesterday with some of the comments about SJ being beaten by the second goal. He had taken a good position to react to any balls coming into the area before an opposition player got to it. He was beaten by a fluke but well taken hopeful lob. Perhaps someone can enlighten me as to what position he needed to be to cover both eventualities?
He was MOM at Barnsley and rightly so. Given the recent facts about shots on target etc we need to be looking more to our midfield/defence who allow the opposition through in the first instance instead of getting wound up about a goalkeeper who often finds himself very busy at games.

There was no other danger when that ball dropped to the Boro player.  There was no-one forward to worry about, no ball into the box would be a danger.  As soon as that dropped you just knew he was going to be hitting a dipping shot.  Watch SJ's feet be is rooted to the spot, they don't move so he never gets back by the yard or two he needs. 

It was a superb goal, certainly no fluke,  but you've got to ask why the keeper hasn't even got close to saving that and once again it is his lack of mobility. 

[FallOutBoy]

He only came off his line twice all game - one nearly ends in an open goal, the other sees him beaten from 35 yards. Fair play it was a good goal, but there was a certain level of irony there.

If we go up, a better keeper is a must.

[Webby]

When he has a good game it's because what he is called upon to do is the bread and butter for a keeper - shot stopping.

Being a keeper is so much more than that though, anyone even at sunday league level can be thrown in goal and have a good game if they have to save shots.

A keeper needs to command his box, 6 yard area from corners (ANYTHING in there is keepers), inspire his defence with constant communication and unfortunately I don't see or hear any of this.

Sam is probably a lovely lad but if you consider maybe best keepers in world are 10/10. I'd say Foster when we had him was probably a 7/10 in terms of world ability, Sam is about a 4-5 which is not good enough for a team that wants to be Prem.

[kie the baggie]

Their second goal was not a lob, it was a powerful dipping strike where no keeper would have saved, nothing wrong with his positioning as we had possession and lost it cheaply 1 second later bang, 1st goal awful defending, if he comes or goes it doesn't matter its a goal.
There were instances in 2nd half where krovinovic was marking flint on a corner WTF?? Stop making Johnstone a scapegoat, he kept us in it yesterday, and we would of lost last 5 if it wasn't for him.
Someone said it's his bread and butter shotstopping
It's also a strikers bread and butter to put the ball in the net,
It's a midfielders bread and butter to be able to mark jockey and pass the ball to a team mate, that also didn't happen much yesterday, or even a winger to be able to cross a ball with overhitting or kicking out of play??
Here's a stat for you

Most saves this season:

Bartosz Bialkowski - 85
Sam Johnstone - 83
Dillon Phillips - 80
Daniel Bentley - 76
Rafael Cabral - 69
Freddy Woodman - 68
Brice Samba - 68
Christian Walton - 63
George Long - 61
Declan Rudd - 56
Kamil Grabara - 54
Any way roll on Wednesday let's beat the dirty B8st4rds!!

[zippyandbungle]

Their second goal was not a lob, it was a powerful dipping strike where no keeper would have saved, nothing wrong with his positioning as we had possession and lost it cheaply 1 second later bang, 1st goal awful defending, if he comes or goes it doesn't matter its a goal.
There were instances in 2nd half where krovinovic was marking flint on a corner WTF?? Stop making Johnstone a scapegoat, he kept us in it yesterday, and we would of lost last 5 if it wasn't for him.
Someone said it's his bread and butter shotstopping
It's also a strikers bread and butter to put the ball in the net,
It's a midfielders bread and butter to be able to mark jockey and pass the ball to a team mate, that also didn't happen much yesterday, or even a winger to be able to cross a ball with overhitting or kicking out of play??
Here's a stat for you

Most saves this season:

Bartosz Bialkowski - 85
Sam Johnstone - 83
Dillon Phillips - 80
Daniel Bentley - 76
Rafael Cabral - 69
Freddy Woodman - 68
Brice Samba - 68
Christian Walton - 63
George Long - 61
Declan Rudd - 56
Kamil Grabara - 54
Any way roll on Wednesday let's beat the dirty B8st4rds!!

I’m not sure what a table of saves shows, unless it’s got the context of vs shots on target ?
Do you think he commands his area?

[Baggie79]

I think the home crowd affect him, away from home generally are where his best performances come. To be fair he aint a bad keeper but we have just been spoilt with Foster for several years.

[kie the baggie]

I’m not sure what a table of saves shows, unless it’s got the context of vs shots on target ?
Do you think he commands his area?

I don't think he does command his area very well, but I haven't seen a keeper in the championship this year that does, the days of keepers claiming crosses in packed areas are long gone, more focus is on shot stopping, how they are on the ball and can they start attacks, in my opinion he is one of the top 3 in the league. We can all see this is what is drilled in to him from the coaching.
The keeper from boro yesterday did catch a lot in his box, but again he was unchallenged and crosses were put in could have been of better quality of my pet dog

[BigFrank20]

He only came off his line twice all game - one nearly ends in an open goal, the other sees him beaten from 35 yards.

Three times - he was out there flapping around on the 6 yard box when they scored their first

[skyclad99]

I’m not sure what a table of saves shows, unless it’s got the context of vs shots on target ?
Do you think he commands his area?

It shows that he has been pretty busy and there is a reason for that, and its not down to him.

[wodenson46]

Their first was a good delivery to a good header of the ball. Sometimes with good defence you prevent the attacker getting it right, sometimes you don’t. Second goal was a world class strike one of those tried when there is nothing much else on and comes off once in a thousand times. I am a big critic of SJ but not too much he could have done at the time about either of these. However I am certain that a steadier goalkeeper who can control his area and organise his defence would be a better option even if not quite as good at the desperate stuff. With more control and better organisation from the back a lot of the “shot stopping” might not be so essential

[colinmax]

He has a lot of admirers and a lot of critics.Basically he is a good shot stopper can clear his lines with accurate throws and kicks and seems to be quite brave.His weakness is not dealing with crosses into the
six yard box.
Surely this issue should be addressed by the goalkeeping coach and if it isn't do we need one?

[colinmax]

He might be considered blameless for Boro's first goal.Having watched the highlights the camera behind
the goal clearly shows he was fouled as Boro's no.22 Saville tugged the back of his shirt which would obviously make jumping difficult.

[TheJacko2000]

No home clean sheet since March last year.

[zippyandbungle]

No home clean sheet since March last year.

He was terrible today, then sloped straight off at FT without acknowledging the fans
We desperately need a replacement and some clean sheets