The weak at corners reference was down to the fact that he DOES stay on his line and not come and collect the ball. However, as I stated in the post you reference, he is ok by me as his shot stopping capabilities are excellent and the lad deserves his chance.
If we brought another keeper in, it'd make Rav being here a bit pointless really.
So we have to give him a chance or we might as well just go back to the approach of having some low wage teen development option on the bench who will never in a million years make it. And if the 1st choice gets injured get an emergency loan in.
I realised what you meant. What he does (or doesn’t do !) clearly works for him. With all the jostling cum shirt grabbing cum wrestling even, goalkeepers are rarely in a position to safely catch the ball when in their midst. More physically tough and aggressive ‘keepers like Max like to join the melee and it’s about 50/50 whether they are able to catch or, more often, punch the ball.
I’m starting to sound like I understand the goalkeeping role. I really don’t!!
I'm fairly sure Rav’s clean sheets to minutes played ratio is up there with any keeper we’ve had since becoming a league club. He had an extended run in the team last year which, not through coincidence, was our best run of results all season, and he’s never pissed away a point by throwing the ball to an opposition striker while trying to cheat.
Discussing bringing in a loan keeper because some people don’t like his keeping style is positively absurd.
I’m suggesting we bring in another keeper because Ravizolli is not quite good enough to play for a top half league one side for half a season, not because of his style.
Saying we need a better keeper than Rav to be top six is, IMHO, utterly nonsensical.
We might make top 10 this season, but top six is beyond what we are expecting to achieve with the squad we have.
There's nothing I've seen which suggests the new management is setting that as the target, mostly it's been about the slow build of the academy. That will be far better served by sustained top half league 1 finishes for the next few years at least
There's a reason why Rav has been given a contract, he's a perfectly acceptable replacement for Bishop due to injury.
If he didn't have a few short comings (and that's not to rubbish him in any way) he'd be a first choice keeper somewhere else.
We don't know if it will be as long as half a season and how can you guarantee that this "quality keeper" we sign actually turns out to be better than Rav? Why would this keeper sign if he knew he would be replaced by Bishop when fit.
Finally if I was Rav having played consistently well for the last 6 months, i would immediately put in a transfer request.
Bishop has a broken left ankle. He will not be fit short term. The fact he has had surgery on it highlights the severity of the injury. I’d be amazed if we see him again in 2024.
The expectations are those of the new owners, not fans. If the owners did not expect to challenge at the top they would not be making short term signings such as Humphreys and Morley.
The reality is that Franco has played 23 games for us now - half a season's worth. We have been pretty decent in that time frame.
If he was really not up to the L1 level, it would be obvious, like the poor Tyla kid who got (unavoidably) thrown to the Wolves for four games during the Bishop fiasco and was clearly overmatched.
No matter what Ravs' weaknesses are, we charged up the table with him in the goal, and kept a clean sheet yesterday. Are there better keepers out there in the wild world? Yes. Have we proven we can be a very good L1 team with Ravs? Also yes.
Rav’s big weakness for me is his ability to dominate at crosses. I’m not sure if that can be coached. But I do worry that any opponent will know that putting the ball under the cross bar and surrounding Rav with bodies will yield results.
Those representing the new owners have consistently said that their vision is a long term project based on the launch of a new academy. They have not made any promises or expressed any ambitions regarding the short term success of the first team.
I wonder how much a lot of the harsher end of views towards Ravizzoli’s capabilities go back to that home league appearance against Barnsley a week after he came in after Max’s sending off against Stevenage.
For many of us (myself included I think) that may have been the first we’d seen of him (I exclude Barnsley away as i was too busy frothing at the mouth to notice him) and the subsequent 4 goals we conceded that afternoon.
i do remember leaving the ground that afternoon with some concerns, but to be fair his record since then has been very good (9 conceded in 12 league games).
I also don’t have issues with goalkeepers not coming for crosses - as long as the team know and expect him not to. As others have mentioned it means the defenders know that they are expected to deal with crosses themselves avoiding any possible confusion. This was very much one of GA’s preferences.
Likely as not to fill gaps in the squad, where a permanent signing wasn't available under the right conditions, given the current crop of injuries. I'm guessing that Leahy may be unavailable for several weeks.
Do you think that is right not to have any confirmed target or ambitions for the first team?
I really feel that having finished 10th last term that we should be targeting top 6 and that should be our owners target/ambition for our first team.
I really feel it is vital that we build our supporter base and the best way to do that is to have a successful first team. Yes, building an academy is great for the future and it is great to see that long term ambition from the owners.
I think you mean his inability to dominate at crosses. @bookertease’s last paragraph is spot on in that respect.
I also recall being slightly concerned during his first league appearance followed Max’s sending off. I remember in particular a fumbling pickup close to the foot of a goalpost but I think, with hindsight, most of us put it down to nerves.
I’ll take a wild guess and suggest that it’s to ensure we are capable of competing well and finishing in the top half of what is going to be a highly competitive league this season.
Comments
The weak at corners reference was down to the fact that he DOES stay on his line and not come and collect the ball. However, as I stated in the post you reference, he is ok by me as his shot stopping capabilities are excellent and the lad deserves his chance.
If we brought another keeper in, it'd make Rav being here a bit pointless really.
So we have to give him a chance or we might as well just go back to the approach of having some low wage teen development option on the bench who will never in a million years make it. And if the 1st choice gets injured get an emergency loan in.
I realised what you meant. What he does (or doesn’t do !) clearly works for him. With all the jostling cum shirt grabbing cum wrestling even, goalkeepers are rarely in a position to safely catch the ball when in their midst. More physically tough and aggressive ‘keepers like Max like to join the melee and it’s about 50/50 whether they are able to catch or, more often, punch the ball.
I’m starting to sound like I understand the goalkeeping role. I really don’t!!
I'm fairly sure Rav’s clean sheets to minutes played ratio is up there with any keeper we’ve had since becoming a league club. He had an extended run in the team last year which, not through coincidence, was our best run of results all season, and he’s never pissed away a point by throwing the ball to an opposition striker while trying to cheat.
Discussing bringing in a loan keeper because some people don’t like his keeping style is positively absurd.
Had to re-read that 2nd sentence!
I’m suggesting we bring in another keeper because Ravizolli is not quite good enough to play for a top half league one side for half a season, not because of his style.
What an innocent old soul I must be ! With hindsight I see what you mean. That connotation is ancient history to me.
Couple more commas would have helped, oldest son.
Commas and cut out the cum, ideally.
Consider myself well and truly micra'd.
Wash your mouth out @micra, you filthy beast!
Good point and as you say, it works for him. 👍
Saying we need a better keeper than Rav to be top six is, IMHO, utterly nonsensical.
We might make top 10 this season, but top six is beyond what we are expecting to achieve with the squad we have.
There's nothing I've seen which suggests the new management is setting that as the target, mostly it's been about the slow build of the academy. That will be far better served by sustained top half league 1 finishes for the next few years at least
There's a reason why Rav has been given a contract, he's a perfectly acceptable replacement for Bishop due to injury.
If he didn't have a few short comings (and that's not to rubbish him in any way) he'd be a first choice keeper somewhere else.
We don't know if it will be as long as half a season and how can you guarantee that this "quality keeper" we sign actually turns out to be better than Rav? Why would this keeper sign if he knew he would be replaced by Bishop when fit.
Finally if I was Rav having played consistently well for the last 6 months, i would immediately put in a transfer request.
This should be POTD, correct in every respect in my opinion.
Bishop has a broken left ankle. He will not be fit short term. The fact he has had surgery on it highlights the severity of the injury. I’d be amazed if we see him again in 2024.
The expectations are those of the new owners, not fans. If the owners did not expect to challenge at the top they would not be making short term signings such as Humphreys and Morley.
Any news regarding more potential incomings @kipper ?
Franco made it into the League One Team of the Week, for what it's worth.
Not good enough based on what? Because it’s clearly not facts like his actual performance stats.
The reality is that Franco has played 23 games for us now - half a season's worth. We have been pretty decent in that time frame.
If he was really not up to the L1 level, it would be obvious, like the poor Tyla kid who got (unavoidably) thrown to the Wolves for four games during the Bishop fiasco and was clearly overmatched.
No matter what Ravs' weaknesses are, we charged up the table with him in the goal, and kept a clean sheet yesterday. Are there better keepers out there in the wild world? Yes. Have we proven we can be a very good L1 team with Ravs? Also yes.
Rav’s big weakness for me is his ability to dominate at crosses. I’m not sure if that can be coached. But I do worry that any opponent will know that putting the ball under the cross bar and surrounding Rav with bodies will yield results.
Those representing the new owners have consistently said that their vision is a long term project based on the launch of a new academy. They have not made any promises or expressed any ambitions regarding the short term success of the first team.
I wonder how much a lot of the harsher end of views towards Ravizzoli’s capabilities go back to that home league appearance against Barnsley a week after he came in after Max’s sending off against Stevenage.
For many of us (myself included I think) that may have been the first we’d seen of him (I exclude Barnsley away as i was too busy frothing at the mouth to notice him) and the subsequent 4 goals we conceded that afternoon.
i do remember leaving the ground that afternoon with some concerns, but to be fair his record since then has been very good (9 conceded in 12 league games).
I also don’t have issues with goalkeepers not coming for crosses - as long as the team know and expect him not to. As others have mentioned it means the defenders know that they are expected to deal with crosses themselves avoiding any possible confusion. This was very much one of GA’s preferences.
Why have they signed players who are only likely to be at the club this season then?
Name me an EFL club that doesn't have one or more loan players? Even moneybags Birmingham have a couple.
Now way with a broken ankle will he be fully healed, fully fit and back to playing this year.
What a shame for the lad
Likely as not to fill gaps in the squad, where a permanent signing wasn't available under the right conditions, given the current crop of injuries. I'm guessing that Leahy may be unavailable for several weeks.
Do you think that is right not to have any confirmed target or ambitions for the first team?
I really feel that having finished 10th last term that we should be targeting top 6 and that should be our owners target/ambition for our first team.
I really feel it is vital that we build our supporter base and the best way to do that is to have a successful first team. Yes, building an academy is great for the future and it is great to see that long term ambition from the owners.
I think you mean his inability to dominate at crosses. @bookertease’s last paragraph is spot on in that respect.
I also recall being slightly concerned during his first league appearance followed Max’s sending off. I remember in particular a fumbling pickup close to the foot of a goalpost but I think, with hindsight, most of us put it down to nerves.
I’ll take a wild guess and suggest that it’s to ensure we are capable of competing well and finishing in the top half of what is going to be a highly competitive league this season.