Gavin Bazunu G Standard Liege (loan from Southampton) b.2002

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

But the point is that if you keep making mistakes, you won't keep getting lucky. The near penalty against Qatar, the fumble onto the post in Portugal, the dropped corner against Azerbaijan, the rush of blood at home to Luxembourg when Coleman bailed him out, and so on - they need to be removed from his game before you can say he's been "faultless" for Ireland (which was the point I was challenging)

I'm sure they will be removed in due course too.

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I know it’s not what I said, but what I meant was, his mistakes haven't cost goals. I alluded to his faults in what I wrote. And it’s hard to drop a keeper when you can’t really point to a goal and say ‘that was their fault’. You’re right that if you keep making mistakes, you won’t continue to get lucky, but I do think he gets away with more than most, in part due to his reactions. The same is true for some of those double saves, his reactions and speed across the ground are excellent.

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Originally Posted by elatedscum

And it’s hard to drop a keeper when you can’t really point to a goal and say ‘that was their fault’.

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It's hard, and I'm not necessarily suggesting it here, but that doesn't mean that in some circumstances it can absolutely be the right decision to make.

Stu just doesn't want Rovers to keep earning performance add-ons!

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

It's hard, and I'm not necessarily suggesting it here, but that doesn't mean that in some circumstances it can absolutely be the right decision to make.

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Personally I would rotate the keepers to ensure we know who our number 1 is for the long term. Waiting for one to make a mistake before giving the other an opportunity isn’t an efficient way to determine who is best. Kelleher and to a degree Travers deserve a chance to show us what they can do. It seems premature to install a teenager playing at a relatively low level, because he happened to be fit on a particular date.

I think actually on that, Travers deserves a lot of credit for the improvement he's shown in the past 12 months. An uninspiring loan spell at Swindon last year in the third tier, to top of the second tier with 8 goals conceded in 11 games. Safe to say very few of us saw that coming. If the other two can kick on as much in the next 12 months, then we will be laughing. (Provided Robinson doesn't get covid again and leave us toothless up front)

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

I think actually on that, Travers deserves a lot of credit for the improvement he's shown in the past 12 months. An uninspiring loan spell at Swindon last year in the third tier, to top of the second tier with 8 goals conceded in 11 games. Safe to say very few of us saw that coming. If the other two can kick on as much in the next 12 months, then we will be laughing. (Provided Robinson doesn't get covid again and leave us toothless up front)

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It's an interesting one. He looked shaky walking out to play Serbia and he was shaky in his performance. He had a great Premier League debut but a few more shaky games thereafter. Playing in a good team with a good defence in front of him makes things a lot easier and he seems to have cast aside the shakiness and allowed his ability to shine through that.

If anything, it shows that keepers need to play through the mistakes. Make them, realise that being shaky after making them doesn't make the next save any easier (makes it harder) and push on. A good lesson to Bazunu!

As someone stated in this thread, Bazunu was blessed not to have conceded at least another goal against Serbia - when McClean covered for him - and would the narrative coming from that game have been dominated by that mistake which cost us a draw? Or the brilliant moments he actually had during the game.

I'd like to see Idah go out and get games. He had a good international break for us (Portugal, Serbia) before having a poor game against Liverpool and didn't get the chance to put that poor performance right with us or with Norwich really since.

Pigeon sports psychology aplenty in the above but the peaks and troughs are incredible at international level.

Looks like two more howlers tonight in a 4-0 home loss to Ipswich unfortunately.

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It’s another howler from Bazunu as he takes Raggett’s backpass, dallies and is dispossessed by Bonne. The keeper tries to get back at the ball goes to the touchline but the striker checks and hammers the ball home.

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Game over as Chaplin shifts the ball to Aluko, his shot is a pretty tame one but it somehow spills under Bazunu and into the net. Cue fans leaving and boos from the crowd.

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After a promising start (three wins from three), Pompey have taken six points from the next 10 games and are dropping down the table at a rate of knots, albeit that their defence (and the keeper) weren't that leaky until this game and the last. Could be a long season for them.

https://twitter.com/TTBITFC/status/1...RjrItwwvQ&s=19

This seems to be the main error. A little too comfortable with the ball perhaps. Hopefully he gets these out of his system.

Gotta wonder how long the Portsmouth board will back the Crowley brothers. They made massive changes to the team in the summer and Portsmouth have been weaker since. Currently playing with a back three that contains Shaun Williams.

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Originally Posted by Philly

https://twitter.com/TTBITFC/status/1...RjrItwwvQ&s=19

This seems to be the main error. A little too comfortable with the ball perhaps. Hopefully he gets these out of his system.

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He did well to almost recover but this is it, playing it out from the back is risky for a keeper to take more than a couple of touches, and he really over does it. There's no need to be too clever. He could find himself in a difficult situation if he doesn't bring some medium term consistency to his game

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Originally Posted by JR89

Gotta wonder how long the Portsmouth board will back the Crowley brothers. They made massive changes to the team in the summer and Portsmouth have been weaker since. Currently playing with a back three that contains Shaun Williams.

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What has this got to do with bazunus errors though? That's the point at hand. Or are you just pointing that out that it might effect him in the longer term?

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Originally Posted by paul_oshea

He did well to almost recover but this is it, playing it out from the back is risky for a keeper to take more than a couple of touches, and he really over does it. There's no need to be too clever. He could find himself in a difficult situation if he doesn't bring some medium term consistency to his game

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Time is really running out for the 19 year old at this point you'd have to say.

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Looks like two more howlers tonight in a 4-0 home loss to Ipswich unfortunately.





After a promising start (three wins from three), Pompey have taken six points from the next 10 games and are dropping down the table at a rate of knots, albeit that their defence (and the keeper) weren't that leaky until this game and the last. Could be a long season for them.

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Pineapple Stu watching the highlights this evening... :D ;)

https://i.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/...423/cover5.jpg

I think with ball playing goalkeepers there’s definitely some growing pains. In an ideal world they know when to use that skill to keep possession, and when to just keep it simple. In some respects Kelleher is ahead in this area. Based on some of the early cup games I saw with Liverpool I feared the worst for his career, but since playing in Champions League and the Prem, Kelleher seems to have simplified his game. When playing to feet is on, he does that in a simple and effective way. When there’s reasonable risk of an interception, he keeps it simple.

I suspect Bazunu will get there too.

Two bad mistakes, and probably should be doing better on the last goal. He must be reading this thread and doubting himself.

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Originally Posted by Philly

https://twitter.com/TTBITFC/status/1...RjrItwwvQ&s=19

This seems to be the main error. A little too comfortable with the ball perhaps. Hopefully he gets these out of his system.

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The third is bad too. Hopefully a one-off given shot stopping hasn't been too much of a weakness.

https://youtu.be/h_1fGmsWAo4

This is the problem. If his club form is poor and kelleher is doing the business albeit in league Cup and FA Cup games. ( that might be one or two games until Nov) what do we do?

Well, Travers is suddenly an option again at least.

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

The third is bad too. Hopefully a one-off given shot stopping hasn't been too much of a weakness.

https://youtu.be/h_1fGmsWAo4

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He wouldn’t want to be having too many games like that or else he won’t be playing first team football anywhere.

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Originally Posted by seanfhear

He wouldn’t want to be having too many games like that or else he won’t be playing first team football anywhere.

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Very true. He's got to learn from his mistakes, should be a case of 'I'll not be doing that again'.

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Originally Posted by Diggs246

This is the problem. If his club form is poor and kelleher is doing the business albeit in league Cup and FA Cup games. ( that might be one or two games until Nov) what do we do?

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You consider Mark Travers, someone actually starting week in week out. Six clean sheets in a row for away games last night which is a Bournemouth record. Feel sorry for the lad that all the talk is Bazunu Vs Kelleher, when he's playing at a higher level than Bazunu and actually playing games compared to Kelleher.

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Originally Posted by lofty9

Very true. He's got to learn from his mistakes, should be a case of 'I'll not be doing that again'.

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I’m afraid last night confirmed some of the doubts expressed on the thread over the last week or so. He’s talented, young but still very inexperienced. We need to see what Travers and Kelleher have to offer, and then decide who will be No 1.

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Originally Posted by lofty9

Very true. He's got to learn from his mistakes, should be a case of 'I'll not be doing that again'.

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Hope not he hasn't been in England that long.

I wouldn't be too concerned over the shot-stopping, as he's very good at that usually.

But his decision-making can go haywire, and he really tries to do too much at times.

is there merit in having an Ireland Goalkeepers thread, where the debate on the ladder positions and the comparable faux-pas of each are discussed?

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Originally Posted by Kingdom

is there merit in having an Ireland Goalkeepers thread, where the debate on the ladder positions and the comparable faux-pas of each are discussed?

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sure, go ahead and start one

I've started one here: https://foot.ie/threads/270991-Embar...76#post2092176

So now Bazunu has attracted the interest of Liverpool -- and Bournemouth! ('The News' Portsmouth 9 Dec). Pompey boss Danny Cowley doubts Bazunu is going anywhere else in January.

Ha - could there be two worse clubs to be interested in him from an Irish team point of view?! :p

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Ha - could there be two worse clubs to be interested in him from an Irish team point of view?! :p

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Is it the Silly Season ? ?

6 clean sheets in 8 games now, so it looks like he has recovered well from his ropey patch. Another top class save at the weekend

Middlesbrough reportedly enquired as to Bazunu's availability but Portsmouth have confirmed that City don't have a recall clause other than in an emergency situation.

https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/sport/f...brough-3542181

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Originally Posted by Trequartista20

Middlesbrough reportedly enquired as to Bazunu's availability but Portsmouth have confirmed that City don't have a recall clause other than in an emergency situation.

https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/sport/f...brough-3542181

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They could always take Randolph back if they’re stuck for a goalie. Not like he’s doing anything else at the minute.

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Originally Posted by third policeman

They could always take Randolph back if they’re stuck for a goalie. Not like he’s doing anything else at the minute.

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Theres also another Irish goalkeeper that could use regular football for 2nd half of season....

Can't see Liverpool letting him go while covid is still around.

Pity Portsmouth have effectively ruled out a promotion for Bazunu.

Bazunu is fine where he is right now. He'll be at a bigger club on loan next season. Hes playing games and doing well. At his age you cant ask for more

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Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

6 clean sheets in 8 games now, so it looks like he has recovered well from his ropey patch. Another top class save at the weekend

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A belated reply for sure, but a true class goalie in the making would have gotten a stronger hand on that ball to deflect it out of play :rolleyes:

He passed it directly to his defender off the crossbar.

Great to see 2 of our GK prospects get called out here. Would be great if it were all three.

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Originally Posted by SkStu

Great to see 2 of our GK prospects get called out here. Would be great if it were all three.

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Imagine how many clean sheets they'd have if they didn't try to pass the ball.