That John Ruddy question.....

[Watling the Gnome]

I would allow him a home debut in the next match - the time has come. 

 

[eatonparkboy]

I did not see Saturday's game so I make no comment or judgement on the performance.

However, looking at the highlights, I think it is time for Rudd, for so long the "emerging talent who just needed experience" to get his chance. The pressure will only mount on Ruddy and microscope won't begin to explain how his next outing will be viewed. Rudd looks capable and  vote of confidence from the manager can do only good.

And also, we will find out what kind of man and team member Ruddy is if asked to sit on the bench.

 

[ZLF]

Rudd for Ruddy is a but a mere sticking plaster;   until we resolve the back 4 we are only treating the symptom not the cause;   a shaky back 4 increases pressure on any keeper and breeds mistakes - we have seen that with a succession of keepers over the years and i expect rudd to succumb in time.

All we can hope is that it takes more than 8 games to happen and we can buy early in the transfer window. 

 

[eatonparkboy]

Rudd for Ruddy is a but a mere sticking plaster;   until we resolve the back 4 we are only treating the symptom not the cause;   a shaky back 4 increases pressure on any keeper and breeds mistakes - we have seen that with a succession of keepers over the years and i expect rudd to succumb in time.

All we can hope is that it takes more than 8 games to happen and we can buy early in the transfer window. 

And a shaky keeper isn't going to improve things either.

Just where are these top class defenders coming from? Villa? Chelsea? Sunderland? Every team in the Prem (and football) is looking for top class defenders, The partnerships of Watson and Bruce are not going to happen for us. They would be gone in a flash.

 We can't improve the back four for another couple of months but we can replace an ever increasing unreliable goalkeeper immediately. Twelve months ago we were taliking similarly after a couple of howlers and JR was berating the boo boys.

I hate to see it happen because a keeper is the most vulnerable player on the pitch. But we need to do something quickly.

 

[Canaryboy]

Just where are these top class defenders coming from? Villa? Chelsea? Sunderland? Every team in the Prem (and football) is looking for top class defenders,

Ron Vlaar has been back kicking a ball for several weeks and is training with AZ in Holland.

We wouldn't need to wait until January to sign him as he's a free agent.

He's a 30 year old who'd played 31 times for Holland in the past four or five years. That is a top class defender who is available, and one I'd like us to bend over backwards to try and sign. 

As for right back, well Swansea are linked with Sam Byram in January as he's turned down a Leeds contract offer. That would be a bit of a punt but he's young and hungry and a player we could take back down with us if we were to be relegated this season.

Vlaar and Byram would be a good start for me. 

 

[eatonparkboy]

Byram has the credentials but I haven't seen him play as with  Lewis Dunk whoseems to get healthy reviews at Brighton. But as a young man I don't know what his leadership skills are.

And that is one of our problems. Does the back four email each other instead of somebody organising and cajoling. It is stacked with current and past internationals. So unless international football has reached an all time low, then why can;t these guys just get organised, which would go a long way to resolving some of the problems. Defending isn't just about last ditch tackles or great clearing headers. It is about reading the game and keeping in contact with each other.

I watch them at set pieces and nobody directs the traffic. Bassong says nothing and Martin just points at things. That is not good enough. What is the training ground for? Otherwise we might as well throw away the famous flip charts in the dug out.

 

[Personal Trainer]

I must say that I thought Jason Shackell would have been a useful addition since he had always appeared steady with Burnley in the PL and seemed to concentrate!

 

[eatonparkboy]

I must say that I thought Jason Shackell would have been a useful addition since he had always appeared steady with Burnley in the PL and seemed to concentrate!

Missed a trick there. Highest rating of any Burnley player. And Ings went for millions.

 

[Canaryboy]

I must say that I thought Jason Shackell would have been a useful addition since he had always appeared steady with Burnley in the PL and seemed to concentrate!

Shackell is left footed though, so Bassong + Shackell wouldn't have been perfect for balance. 

What about Berra at Ipswich? 

 

[Dubai Mark]

I need to confess, that I am now of the view that this weekends game is ideal for "resting" JR, and that's from a huge fan if his. Also, its  a shame, real shane, we dont have that quality CB cover as that system away from home I believe would bring us a few nice bonus points.  

 

[eatonparkboy]

JR was on the box on Trilby Tour (golf) last evening. It was a month after the play off win and was at a course near Manchester. He didn't progress but had shot of the day by nearly holing at a par three. Was waiting for puns galore but only one about saving par.

 

[ZLF]

For me its not about top class defenders but prem class.   And I just dont get the implied argument that there are very few players out there better than we currently have.

Brady & Mulumbu are far from top class but have amply demonstrated how easy it is to sign better players than we have in the squad.   Its not easy or cheap to get players to come here,  but it is possible.

 

[eatonparkboy]

For me its not about top class defenders but prem class.   And I just dont get the implied argument that there are very few players out there better than we currently have.

Brady & Mulumbu are far from top class but have amply demonstrated how easy it is to sign better players than we have in the squad.   Its not easy or cheap to get players to come here,  but it is possible.

But they aren't defenders. And one of the players you mentioned amplifies the problem. Brady cost £7M. Many of us do't think the club are actually going to pay that out too many times.

 

[It's Character Forming]

How much you pay very much depends on how long the player has left on his contract, which was why Brady was expensive.  Mulumbu was out of contract and so we didn't pay anything.  My "feel" is that if we'd spent £7m-£10m on a quality CB (who had played regularly and didn't turn out to be a dud or get injured) we'd have saved ourselves a few key goals and would already be 3-4 points better off.

Of course any signing is a gamble, you need to assess the player carefully and how he'll fit into the squad and playing in the Prem etc, and he could always get injured for 6 months in his first game.  But then one of our current CBs could be seriously injured in any game and we'd be in deep s**t if that happened.

 

[baccy]

Sorry to be coming to this thread a bit late and at the risk of repeating a lot all ready said, but here goes.

From where I sit in the Jarrold I have an excellent view of the pre game goalie training and shooting practice.

Ruddy has 2 problem areas

1/    During the game he no longer bosses when being challenged by the opposition, nor controls his box with communication to the other players. Contact with team mates seems limited to complaints to those nearest after any errors.

 

I agree with others that this seems to equate to the injury that resulted in him missing about half of the season, He is now in a chicken and egg situation. Good performances=success/success=good performances.

 

2/  He seems unable to get down to low shots as he used to.

 

In my view this relates directly to the goal keeper training. With both Watson and Parks there was always shot stopping on low shots now it’s all in the air. (by the way have you all seen haw well Rudd gets those low shots stopped before the game)

Rudd has done well in Capital Cup Milk Cup or whatever is the current name. He’s 25 now so either give him a few Prem games or waste his potential   

 

[eatonparkboy]

Another shaky performance from JR yesterday. His achilles heel seems to be his own indecision. The early cross he was nowhere near followed by arriving at the penalty spot to nearly knock Bassong's head off and the second half saw another misjudgement on a ball in his own six yard box. And Kiely needs to help him kick with both feet.

I am not sure of their worth but maybe a sports psychologist could instil some confidence back in him. He is a good keeper. He is big and he can command and I don't have any doubts about his ability to stop shots.

He obviously isn't going to be dropped and I understand AN's loyalty to someone in the moat technical position in the team. But the mention of squad rotation and the ability to change players if they aren't playing well must surely give Rudd some hope that he does have a future with NCFC.  

 

[KIO]

Another shaky performance from JR yesterday. His achilles heel seems to be his own indecision. The early cross he was nowhere near followed by arriving at the penalty spot to nearly knock Bassong's head off and the second half saw another misjudgement on a ball in his own six yard box. And Kiely needs to help him kick with both feet.

I am not sure of their worth but maybe a sports psychologist could instil some confidence back in him. He is a good keeper. He is big and he can command and I don't have any doubts about his ability to stop shots.

He obviously isn't going to be dropped and I understand AN's loyalty to someone in the moat technical position in the team. But the mention of squad rotation and the ability to change players if they aren't playing well must surely give Rudd some hope that he does have a future with NCFC.  

It's got to the stage now where JR is costing us points. There is absolutely no room for sentiment in Professional football whatsoever, the time has come for him to be dropped.

 

[Canaryboy]

It's got to the stage now where JR is costing us points. There is absolutely no room for sentiment in Professional football whatsoever, the time has come for him to be dropped.

Probably the millionth time I've said it, but Joe Hart was dropped for 2 months a few years ago after a similar run of making mistakes and he came back in top top form. 

I think we should view it as taking him out of the firing line and giving him a mental break, plus Rudd has shown that deserves a chance.

 

[morty]

Probably the millionth time I've said it, but Joe Hart was dropped for 2 months a few years ago after a similar run of making mistakes and he came back in top top form. 

I think we should view it as taking him out of the firing line and giving him a mental break, plus Rudd has shown that deserves a chance.

I think though, the difference is that Man City had a reserve keeper with a lot more experience perhaps? (That isn't sarcasm, by the way, I don't actually know what experience their reserve keeper has, but would assume its more than Rudd)

I don't disagree with what you are saying, but it would be a much bigger risk for us.

 

[Dubai Mark]

Agree Morty, dropping Ruddy would be a huge risk. Plus I do think the microscope needs to come off him as all that is happening is that his errors are being highlighted,  when he has also been pulling off some great saves too, like he did Sunday.