Theres a lot of nitpicking going on here with a 19 year old keeper. Hes not going to be perfect at this age, but hes miles ahead of where most other 19 year old keepers are.
If Kelleher was playing week in week out, we'd likely have plenty of mistakes to talk about as well. Unless he's faultless....but if we was...well...he'd be playing every week. Bazunu's getting the nod from those who see them both in training so I'd guess Kelleher has a few areas to improve on that we aren't all aware of. Either the belief is that Bazunu is better now, or that his ceiling is higher and it's worth putting him in now. Given Kenny's job has been on the line I'd imagine the former is a safer bet.
Travers has a fair shout to be ahead of Kelleher in the pecking order right now. Players need to play at these ages, that's how they learn from the mistakes they inevitably make. I know keepers are a bit different and Randolph did just fine for us without playing much at club level but he was developed at that point.
So to answer the above question, if Kelleher took over the #1 spot at Liverpool (or elsewhere at a high level) he'd be first choice for me assuming Gavin was still on loan in League 1 or similar. As of right now though, in my opinion, Bazunu has been fantastic for Ireland with the positives far outweighing the errors. Other 19 year olds in the team aren't coming under the same level of scrutiny and I honestly think it's a bit of a cop out to just say "well that's the nature of the beast with keepers". If we all know that, why can't we avoid the trap? Of course stu might tell me I'm biased and that's fair enough but I see things like Aldridge's article (I hesitate to give it any attention as it's complete drivel) in the Independent over the weekend and wonder what the angle is at times.
And of course, just to bring us all to the middle ground we can agree on, why can't one of them just play up front?
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)Originally Posted by SkStu
I'm sure they will be removed in due course too.
I don't know if it's inexperience as such, you learn what to do in the situation, which can just show a limitation in your ability. In keeping there's a very limited number of important skills, for example coming for crosses is one, which probably set given outside of the top keepers even though he was great for us.
I think all the keepers have issues and no one is or will have the complete set but kelleher for me seems to have improved the most in terms of old fashioned keeping, from what I have seen over the years. But Kenny like pep seems to want a keeper who can play ball as much or more so than doing the bread and butter stuff very well, so bazunu will be number 1 till that luck runs out
I'm a bloke,I'm an ocker
And I really love your knockers,I'm a labourer by day,
I **** up all me pay,Watching footy on TV,
Just feed me more VB,Just pour my beer,And get my smokes, And go away
Bazunu got the nod when Kelleher was injured, and fair enough he has performed well, but not faultlessly. If he was not on loan at present, would he be City’s number 2? Probably not, which answers the question as to which of them (in the judgement of two of the world’s best coaches) is further along in their career. I’m a Liverpool fan, so I am probably biased, but Kelleher looks more assured and confident. Bazunu is an outstanding talent, but at the minute he is prone to the odd lapse of concentration or judgement.
I love kelleher but to be fair at 19 most liverpool fans had grabara as the better keeper and the one who would play first team for Liverpool not kelleher so bazunu has plenty of time to progress. I think he actually could do with a season back at City training every day in that high level environment with Emerson to really iron out those sloppy little errors. He hasn't spent much time in that high performance environment where you have to be accountable to world class players daily like kelleher has. At portsmouth you make a few flying saves and use your feet well and you get loads of plaudits cause it's just not a high performance environment relative to city or Liverpool.
Does it? I'm not sure if being 2nd choice keeper makes you a better player than a keeper starting elsewhere, regardless of the club you're at.
It’s a judgement by their respective coaches predicated on the assumption that Bazunu is not City’s number 2. It doesn’t make him a better keeper, but suggests he may be further on in terms of career development. More experienced, more mature, more trusted. Closer to reaching his full potential, ready for action at a much higher level of club football perhaps?
Maybe. Or he's affordable bench fodder. I'm not saying he is, I think he's a promising option based on the limited gametime he's had and probably just suffered from a bit of bad timing which allowed Bazunu to come in and grab the jersey. I'd be happy to see either on the teamsheet. But I don't buy that being 2nd choice at Liverpool makes you a clearly better pick for Ireland.
I wish he'd go out on loan and prove to everyone that he is ready to be a first choice keeper at club and international level. It's a bit like people clamouring for Parrot to be brought in just because he had a few sub appearances for Spurs and looked like Kane's natural heir at one point. The reality was that he had (and still has) plenty of development to do and the managers working with him all understood that but supporters always want to believe the Great Hope is waiting in the wings.
Kelleher is second choice due in a large part to how useless Adrian is. Don't think the same can be said at City, with the USA number 1 and also scott Carson as next in line behind Ederson.
Imagine if it were ever due in a larger part to how good Kelleher is?
And City are never going to have a 19 year old as second or third choice keeper..
They had an 18 year old as third choice in 2020.
[QUOTE=EAFC_rdfl;2091890]Kelleher is second choice due in a large part to how useless Adrian is. Don't think the same can be said at City, with the USA number 1 and also scott Carson as next in line behind Ederson.[/QUOTE
He’s clearly not there simply by virtue of Adrian’s deficiencies. If Klopp didn’t believe he was good enough to be number 2 in a team aspiring to challenge for the Premiership and the Champion’s League, they would have bought another keeper. My opinion is based primarily on observation, albeit limited. Kelleher has impressed on every single opportunity he has been given. He’s highly rated within the club and by fans with no axe to grind about who should be playing for Ireland. It’s fair to point out that City have better options, but it kind of makes the point. Pep thinks they he’s not yet ready to be umber 2.
[QUOTE=ontheotherhand;2091885]. It's a bit like people clamouring for Parrot to be brought in just because he had a few sub appearances for Spurs and looked like Kane's natural heir at one point. The reality was that he had (and still has) plenty of development to do and the managers working with him all understood that but supporters always want to believe the Great Hope is waiting in the wings.[/QUOTE
It’s not though is it? Parrot’s sporadic minutes for Spurs were hardly awe inspiring. Kelleher has been pretty impressive whenever he has been given a chance, and that’s been acknowledged by Klopp, fans, teammates and pundits alike.
[QUOTE=third policeman;2091907]At the time Parrot was getting a lot of praise and even got a hug and the matchball from Jose. With hindsight we are now taking it all with a pinch of salt . Oddly Bazunu is getting similar praise from fans, teammates and pundits alike but then you log on here and........
But look I take your point on Kelleher and I want to be wary of coming across as negative on his prospects. He looks very good and hasn't put a foot wrong when given the chance even if he hasn't had a lot to do. My original point was that if Kelleher was playing as much as Bazunu, we'd probably have a thread analyzing his mistakes and the clamour would be to bring Travers or Bazunu in.
[QUOTE=ontheotherhand;2091910]
Fair point that if Kelleher had played more he might be more under the microscope, but maybe not. Perhaps he’s infallible.
If he was, he'd be playing...and probably for City who would buy him off the Liverpool bench where he's been inexplicably resting despite his infallibility. Then he'd be City's first choice, making Bazunu their 5th choice and we'd have nothing to discuss at all.
Your logic is infallible even if Kelleher isn’t.
Apparently that Polish Pope was a half decent Goal-Keeper at one time ! !
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