Qatar v Republic of Ireland - Tuesday, 30th March 2021 - Friendly

I think Travers made the defenders nervous, I don't think Bazunu did. We're talking about an ethereal thing here - presence, personality, confidence. A keeper's demeanour spreads to his defence.

On a wholly objective basis I think he demonstrated flaws and made errors, but I also think you could sense that his defence was happy with him. The defence likes Randolph too, yet he was blessed not to give away a pen vs Wales and he actually threw the ball straight to Pukki for a goal. That WAS calamitous, but it didn't seriously cause anyone to think Randolph wasn't good enough, unless you're Kingdom :)

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Originally Posted by DeLorean

Is that assurance such a great thing though if it makes you come for balls you're never going to reach or make casual passes straight to the opposition CF? He had a couple of ropey moments against Lux but overall a very promising performance, it simply wasn't backed up against Qatar. If it was a more established keeper we'd be within our rights to call it calamitous.

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The kid has balls of steel. I’m sure he’ll learn from the mistakes and there is no doubt that his development coaches at Man City will dissect every bit of action with him on the two games. Futures bright with him and Kellehar, they have the potential to be two of the top keepers in Europe. Let’s get the rest sorted.

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Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

I think Travers made the defenders nervous, I don't think Bazunu did. We're talking about an ethereal thing here - presence, personality, confidence. A keeper's demeanour spreads to his defence.

On a wholly objective basis I think he demonstrated flaws and made errors, but I also think you could sense that his defence was happy with him. The defence likes Randolph too, yet he was blessed not to give away a pen vs Wales and he actually threw the ball straight to Pukki for a goal. That WAS calamitous, but it didn't seriously cause anyone to think Randolph wasn't good enough, unless you're Kingdom :)

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Randolph had enough in the bank though, chalk and cheese I think, and has exuded calm on many occasions taking the pressure off of his defenders, due to his actions as well as his general presence/assurance. No point in having one without the other.

If I'm a CB and my nineteen year old keeper is regularly coming into no man's land and casually kicks the ball to the opposition CF, I'm going to be pretty nervous. Coleman bailed him out v Lux and I think it was Duffy the other night, I doubt they were thinking "he looks confident though so I feel assured".

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Originally Posted by lofty9

Futures bright with him and Kellehar, they have the potential to be two of the top keepers in Europe.

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Ah I think that's unhelpful to be honest. There's a long way to go for both of them, and coming through a top club is no guarantee of success. I remember UCD playing Liverpool's academy in 2015 and Lawrence Vigouroux was the Liverpool keeper. Subsequently got an international call-up by Chile. At 27, he's now at Leyton Orient. Very few of that squad went anywhere.

The top academies are meat farms, and very few make it at the absolute top level (kind of by definition, because not everyone can play at the top top level). There's more interest in making money by selling players than in bringing players through to the first team.

I think the test of both players will be when they leave Liverpool/City. Then we'll see where they're going to go.

Kieran O'Hara was on the Manchester United books his whole life until last year, currently can't get into the Burton Albion side.

Who actually thinks and has been saying Qatar are decent, go back over their results, bar the Asian cup and there's some very poor results. They are a poor side, but so are we are the minute.

Having watched the Qatar game, no improvement from game 2 to 11. Still all the old issues, and doesn't look like any being resolved either. Kenny got it wrong with shunting all the older players out.

Also we've moved out some of the older players from the starting line up, to be replaced by some younger players. I haven't seen anything to suggest any of knight, molumby or even cullen to be better than hendrick or brady.

Bazunu has an awful lot to learn, but hes very confident. Still haven't seen enough to judge either way.

I don't get this consistent short kickouts with two players in the box either. Its nonsense, or as the british say "its a nonsense"

Qatar game showed our individual and team inconsistent performances again.

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Originally Posted by DeLorean

Kieran O'Hara was on the Manchester United books his whole life until last year, currently can't get into the Burton Albion side.

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Potential means nothing.

I’ve higher hopes for Bazunu than Travers, partly because he’s already played a lot more senior games that will accelerate his development. The rushes of blood to the head in his two caps were probably inexperience, but might they hint that his reading of situations is more advanced than his current ability? The head tells him its possible, but body strength or positional awareness or higher level experience are a little behind. If that makes sense? He looks like he has character and personality without the swagger and that's really promising.

Maybe now that keepers have become monochromatic and dull as ditch water he’s a throwback to the eccentric keeper that some of us of a particular vintage will remember – the likes of Bruce Grobbelaar, René Higuita, Jorge Campos, Fabien Barthez. All as mad as a bag of frogs, and all likely to pull off the kind of madcap, heart-stopping moments that Bazunu treated us to. I’d happily take the crazy if he became half as good as any of them!

Actually, just to put that academy team in perspective, Liverpool used 13 players against us -

Lawrence Vigoloux - 0 senior Liverpool games, now at Leyton Orient (L2)
Connor Randall - 8 games, now at Ross County (SPL)
Matthew Virtue-Thick - 0 games, now at Blackpool (L1)
Rafa Paez - 0 games, now at Istra (Croatian top flight)
Tom Brewitt - 0 games, now at Tacoma Defiance (US second tier)
Sam Hart - 0 games, now at Southend (L2)
Sergi Canos - 1 game, now at Brentford (Champ)
Will Marsh - 0 games, now at Northwich (North West Counties League)
Madger Gomez - 0 games, now at Doncaster (L1)
Jack Dunn - 0 games, now at Warrington Town (Northern Premier League)
Jerome Sinclair - 5 games, now at CSKA Sofia (Bulgaria)
Cameron Brannagan - 9 games, now at Oxford (L1)
Samed Yesil - 2 games, now at Homburg in the German fourth tier

That's just one academy team picked at random - and it's a convenient time in the past that you can properly evaluate the players' subsequent careers - but you'll find a fair few like that I'd say.

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Originally Posted by Eminence Grise

I’ve higher hopes for Bazunu than Travers, partly because he’s already played a lot more senior games that will accelerate his development. The rushes of blood to the head in his two caps were probably inexperience, but might they hint that his reading of situations is more advanced than his current ability? The head tells him its possible, but body strength or positional awareness or higher level experience are a little behind. If that makes sense? He looks like he character and personality without the swagger and that's really promising.

Maybe now that keepers have become monochromatic and dull as ditch water he’s a throwback to the eccentric keeper that some of us of a particular vintage will remember – the likes of Bruce Grobbelaar, René Higuita, Jorge Campos, Fabien Barthez. All as mad as a bag of frogs, and all likely to pull off the kind of madcap, heart-stopping moments that Bazunu treated us to. I’d happily take the crazy if he became half as good as any of them!

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Always thought that was dull as dishwater, but ditch water could be pretty dull, more brown looking.

Yes agreed bazunu is a try hard, trying hard all the time to do the right thing. Hopefully the brain and the body work in unison better in the future.

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Originally Posted by DeLorean

Bazunu's mistakes were far worse than Travers', he was just lucky enough to get away with them, which changes the narrative completely as we know.

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I agree with this, Travers just got punished for his by better opposition. Both keepers made bad decisions.

Hopefully they were just over-eagerness by players looking to show the kind of commanding presence and decision-making that claims the GK shirt.

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Originally Posted by Eminence Grise

The rushes of blood to the head in his two caps were probably inexperience, but might they hint that his reading of situations is more advanced than his current ability? The head tells him its possible, but body strength or positional awareness or higher level experience are a little behind.

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I agree with you on your evaluation of Bazunu's potential, but I don't think I agree with this.

The Qatar incident, he starts to come for the through ball, then stops and takes a step back, then comes again and commits. So he's going back on himself. I think that's just poor reading of the game. Again, he'll learn, but in the meantime I think it should be called as it is, not as we'd like to see it.

Bazunu = potentially Shay Given
Travers = potentially Colin Doyle.

Fair? :-)


Prior to the 3 games, there wasn’t much to choose between Travers and Bazunu. But now after, my preference going forward between the two would be Bazunu.

Travers is on a downwards trajectory. At one point he was ahead of Ramsdale (now at Sheffield United), given the opportunity to be ahead of Begovic at club level, and given the opportunity to be ahead of Bazunu at international level. He has not taken opportunities afforded him. Not to disrespect Colin Doyle but its déjà vu with Travers.

Bazunu just feels more assured, composed, and confident compared to Travers (all intangible and subjective I know). But he has taken opportunities afforded him so far in his career and he does have an upwards career trajectory relative to Travers.

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Originally Posted by ifk101

Bazunu just feels more assured, composed, and confident compared to Travers (all intangible and subjective I know). But he has taken opportunities afforded him so far in his career and he does have an upwards career trajectory relative to Travers.

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Hypothetically, just say the Qatar game was the first of the three and went the same as it did the other night. Would Bazunu have kept his place for, say, Serbia as the second match? I'm don't think he would or should have, and therefore wouldn't have taken his opportunity. And actually Bazunu has probably missed his opportunity to potentially leapfrog Kelleher in the pecking order.

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Originally Posted by DeLorean

Hypothetically, just say the Qatar game was the first of the three and went the same as it did the other night. Would Bazunu have kept his place for, say, Serbia as the second match? I'm don't think he would or should have, and therefore wouldn't have taken his opportunity. And actually Bazunu has probably missed his opportunity to potentially leapfrog Kelleher in the pecking order.

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Now that is a doozy of a question. Brilliant context to it all Del.
I don’t know to be honest, and in my gut I’d probably veer towards no, he wouldn’t have kept his place.

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Originally Posted by DeLorean

Hypothetically, just say the Qatar game was the first of the three and went the same as it did the other night. Would Bazunu have kept his place for, say, Serbia as the second match? I'm don't think he would or should have, and therefore wouldn't have taken his opportunity.

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Bazunu did enough in his first start to retain his position - he gained trust. Travers did not.

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Originally Posted by DeLorean

And actually Bazunu has probably missed his opportunity to potentially leapfrog Kelleher in the pecking order.

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I don't rate Kelleher (at all) and my preference here is also Bazunu but Bazunu behind Randolph (and Westwood if available).

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Originally Posted by DeLorean

Hypothetically, just say the Qatar game was the first of the three and went the same as it did the other night. Would Bazunu have kept his place for, say, Serbia as the second match? I'm don't think he would or should have, and therefore wouldn't have taken his opportunity. And actually Bazunu has probably missed his opportunity to potentially leapfrog Kelleher in the pecking order.

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I think Bazunu would have been given the Qatar game, Travers the Luxembourg game, and then whoever played better would play against Serbia

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Originally Posted by ifk101

Bazunu did enough in his first start to retain his position - he gained trust. Travers did not.

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Did he do enough in his second start to retain his position?

There is no way you can see he was composed while he was running out to the edge of his box like a headless chicken unfortunately. Or passing the ball straight to opposition players.

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Originally Posted by paul_oshea

Always thought that was dull as dishwater, but ditch water could be pretty dull, more brown looking.

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It's both, ditch water was the original version. This Rossie is glad to hear plumbing has reached Mayo all the same.:cool:

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

I agree with you on your evaluation of Bazunu's potential, but I don't think I agree with this.

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That's quite alright! You don't have to - though I'm not sure how an Ireland thread that disintegrates into mild-mannered disagreement will survive! I'm not entirely convinced either which is why I put it as a question.

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Did he do enough in his second start to retain his position?

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Yes. Would you put Travers in ahead of Bazunu if there was a game today?

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

There is no way you can see he was composed while he was running out to the edge of his box like a headless chicken unfortunately. Or passing the ball straight to opposition players.

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But I can when I'm comparing to Travers.