Darren Randolph G Free agent b.1987

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Originally Posted by SkStu

Four?

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The four I mentioned were Martial at the end of last season, the Serbia one he got away with, the Spurs goal and yesterday. I'd agree that the Spurs one was the least poor but poor nonetheless and the other three were pretty terrible being honest. He wasn't great for the Dutch equaliser in the friendly either (more so Duffy obviously) and I thought he probably should have done better for Witsel's header at the Euros.

It was Paul that mentioned inconsistency, I think he's pretty consistent is a lot of ways but seems to have regular enough mistakes in him. Even if you don't agree with the Netherlands/Belgium ones I still think the other four are incriminating enough over a relatively short period in terms of game time. That's in no way taking away from the brilliant saves he's made, the ones from Mkhitaryan and Henderson were truly world class.

Let's hope West Ham are relegated https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/footb...id-relegation/

Let's stop taking digs at Randolph and support him. He's had four games. Hardly enough time to maintain a suitable level of consistency.

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Originally Posted by TheOneWhoKnocks

Let's stop taking digs at Randolph and support him.

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I agree. I think we should apply the same to Harry Arter who is consistently good but makes an occasional goof up too.

Except there are no digs being thrown at Randolph, his performances are being analysed in a constructive way, or at least that's the intention. He's getting plenty of credit where it's due but inevitably errors (or perceived errors) are going to be discussed also. I like the guy and nothing would make me happier than him being error free for the rest of his career, but in the meantime his performances will be fairly assessed like everybody else and opinions will inevitably vary from time to time. Just because he's lucky enough to have avoided Towk's irrational black book doesn't mean he's exempt from discussion.

I think this is good to debate too. I think that by virtue of their role, keepers (and strikers) are the most scrutinized positions on the pitch and when sitters are missed or clangers are conceded they get thrown straight under the microscope. So it is natural that we are having this type of conversation.

From my vantage point, the games i have watch have shown Randolph to be an excellent keeper - actually far better than i had previously been giving him credit for - if he has made 2 or 4 mistakes then i think in the overall context of his performances over 90 - 900 minutes they dont take away from the fact that he is a really good keeper and i dont think it suggests an issue of consistency to me. Nor does it take away the fact that he made those mistakes and will hopefully not make the same ones again. He'll have learned from that one yesterday.

I think Pauls statement was far too throwaway and light on evidence to be taken seriously and I was just attempting to address that because i dont think that such a narrative is fair when you look at his performances as a whole since taking over the #1 spot.

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Originally Posted by TheOneWhoKnocks

Arter's performances, which while not bad, have certainly not lived up to the hype bestowed on him.

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thats ridiculously unfair. He was only being hyped by many, many pundits because of the excellence of his performances at club level. He's had one competitive appearance in an Ireland shirt. Sheesh!

Oh I'm counting the four Intl appearances overall.

And I can't claim to have watched every club appearance but he hasn't stood out in any of the games I have watched.

I think there is a tendency to go overboard with praise when there is a clamour for a new player to get involved. The grass is always greener and all that.

West Ham fans are quite okay with having Darren as their nr 1.

I didn't think the save itself deserved all the (ott) superlatives, I though it was just an excellent save. What made the save possible was the left side position in the goalmouth that Darren took before the shot and crucially those two or three backward steps, that left him in the position to make the save.
If only Shay had taken a similar position when our nemesis Henry got on the ball at Lansdowne rd.in 2005.

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Originally Posted by SkStu

thats ridiculously unfair. He was only being hyped by many, many pundits because of the excellence of his performances at club level. He's had one competitive appearance in an Ireland shirt. Sheesh!

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I really don't see that much hype to be honest. A bit of hysteria after he wasn't capped in Serbia and a bit of commentary after his injury in the Dutch game. He's a EPL player performing well at that level. We're not spoilt for choice (many people actively want Whelan out of the side) so it's fair that he attracts attention and I think he attracts a fair, and only a fair, amount of it.

The most hype I've heard about him was Martin Tyler last season when Arter was substituted despite, in Tyler's opinion, being the best player on the pitch. I think he had just returned from injury and Tyler questioned the merits of putting sports science ahead of the need of a team on a given day. He even mentioned Arter again the following weekend in a game that didn't involve Bournemouth at all. Obviously himself and Merson questioned whether he was deserving of an England call-up and Jack Wilshere waxed lyrical about him.

All that intermittent 'hype' came from English circles, there's been little or nothing over here, other than the fact that people who care about the Irish team reckon he's at least worth a good look at to see how he gets on.

There have been calls for him to be parachuted into the Ireland first team since well before the Euros, even when the team was doing well.

I have seen him (inc. other Irish forums) referred to as the best player on the pitch week in, week out leaving me wondering if I'm watching the same game at times.

I've seen similar praise given to Glenn Whelan for his performances at club level for Stoke but I wouldn't cherry-pick to say he should or shouldn't be starting for Ireland.

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Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

I really don't see that much hype to be honest. A bit of hysteria after he wasn't capped in Serbia and a bit of commentary after his injury in the Dutch game. He's a EPL player performing well at that level. We're not spoilt for choice (many people actively want Whelan out of the side) so it's fair that he attracts attention and I think he attracts a fair, and only a fair, amount of it.

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I didnt mean on here - i meant the pundits in England.

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Originally Posted by TheOneWhoKnocks

There have been calls for him to be parachuted into the Ireland first team since well before the Euros, even when the team was doing well.

I have seen him (inc. other Irish forums) referred to as the best player on the pitch week in, week out leaving me wondering if I'm watching the same game at times.

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Arter man of the match:

https://www.thesun.ie/archives/footb...h-harry-arter/

http://www.newstalk.com/Man-of-the-M...ands-equaliser

https://www.balls.ie/football/harry-...everton/347218


http://www.afcb.co.uk/news/article/m...d-2901339.aspx

These are just from the fist two pages of a Google search. He wasn't parachuted in. Indeed, there were worries that it took so long for him to play a competitive game he might get fed up.

It is natural for there to be calls for a player who is winning man of the match awards in the Premier League to be given a chance in the international side. That's the nature of football supporters. If Arter was Messi, he'd be playing for one of the bigger sides. We all know that and I haven't seen anyone on here claim otherwise but he's a good player and certainly worth a place in the squad and probably in the side.

I can only comment on the Holland game but I personally wouldn't have given him the MOTM for that.

And I'm not having a dig when I say that.

I have all the time in the world for Hoolahan for what he's done for us, but there have been occasions (I'm thinking friendlies like the aforementioned Holland game) where he has been given MOTM almost as a token gesture.

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Originally Posted by TheOneWhoKnocks

I can only comment on the Holland game but I personally wouldn't have given him the MOTM for that.

And I'm not having a dig when I say that.

I have all the time in the world for Hoolahan for what he's done for us, but there have been occasions (I'm thinking friendlies like the aforementioned Holland game) where he has been given MOTM almost as a token gesture.

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name these other friendlies in the next 24 hours, or we won't see you again until the new year

How come OwlsFan doesn't get ultimatums for trying to get a rise out of me on every second thread I post on?

Fine. Do you mean friendlies where Arter won MOTM or friendlies where Hoolahan won MOTM? Because I stated my belief that Arter's MOTM award in the Holland game was absurd, but if you are referring to what I said in the brackets, I was on about Hoolahan, not Arter.

Perhaps, I could have worded it a bit better.

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Originally Posted by TheOneWhoKnocks

How come OwlsFan doesn't get ultimatums for trying to get a rise out of me on every second thread I post on?

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because his claims are backed up by logic and facts. Yours are not

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Originally Posted by TheOneWhoKnocks

Fine. Do you mean friendlies where Arter won MOTM or friendlies where Hoolahan won MOTM? Because I stated my belief that Arter's MOTM award in the Holland game was absurd, but if you are referring to what I said in the brackets, I was on about Hoolahan, not Arter.

Perhaps, I could have worded it a bit better.

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you mentioned "friendlies like the Holland game" where Arter was MOTM. Friendlies. Plural. What other times was Arter given MOTM as a token gesture? Clock's ticking.

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Originally Posted by TheOneWhoKnocks

How come OwlsFan doesn't get ultimatums for trying to get a rise out of me on every second thread I post on?

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Possibly because I disagree with every second post of yours on certain Irish players. The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.

That said, different views make the forum more interesting and it would be a dreary place if we all sang from the same hymn sheet. I should know. I was a Trap supporter.

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I have all the time in the world for Hoolahan for what he's done for us, but there have been occasions (I'm thinking friendlies like the aforementioned Holland game) where he has been given MOTM almost as a token gesture.

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That entire sentence was referring to Hoolahan. I was saying some MOTM awards, particularly in friendlies, are given almost as a token gesture.

IMO Arter was given the MOTM for the Holland game less for his performance and more because of the groundswell of support he had built up prior to the game.

I was saying Hoolahan has been given MOTM awards in games similar to the aforementioned Holland game in similar circumstances when he wasn't the best player in the pitch.

I agree. I could have worded it a bit better.

As for Owls. I think we're approaching dangerous territory when you cannot mention certain players unless it's a glowing tribute to them without someone (usually one person) throwing a fit over it.

I said Hendrick could have won a penalty after a foul by Arter. How on earth could anyone think that's a dig? If Hendrick was fouled by Artur Boruc I wouldn't mention it because he's not an Ireland intl but he was fouled by Arter so I thought it was relevant.

A case of my reputation preceding me I think.