The trouble for Rob is that anybody window shopping in Norway might have been excused if they thought that a mannequin was between the sticks for England. Poor Rob so so nearly conceded direct from a corner, failing to order a man to guard his near post and then going walkabout in anticipation of catching a ball curled to the edge of the six yard box. The trouble is, the tricky Norwegian corner taker saw Green coming and so so nearly humiliated him by bending the ball into the net at the unguarded near post. Green was literally saved by the woodwork.
Woy's coaching team had clearly been working on Gween's technique under crosses, however. There was a clear signal given to his defenders that he was coming for the ball - both arms raised extravagantly in the air - and he was much keener to come for the ball than usual. The trouble is, as usual, Green was making his decisions too early and according to some sort of schedule, rather than according to the quality and direction of the cross.
Rob did make a couple of saves but they were routine and he needlessly directed one behind for a corner. It is a sobering thought that Green was at fault for the Blackpool goal at Wembley, was culpable for Hull's goal at Upton Park and was embarrassed by the Bristol City goal too in our 1-1 draw at Ashton Gate. Anybody watching Gween closely in the window might consider him a tad expensive even on a fwee!
You must not have been paying attention to West Ham games recently then? Green's been doing that arms in the air for a while now. He's actually becoming quite confident plucking crosses out of the air. Shame he still can't save long shots or set pieces.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was much more pronounced personally and that he was coming more often.
ReplyDeleteWhere at Wembley were your seats if you hold Green culpable for their goal? From my seat I saw Cole give it away, Ince not being tracked and the centre of defence not cutting out a long ball.
ReplyDeleteHe still looked shaky to me I wouldn't be sad to see him go
ReplyDeleterob green is on decent wages, he signed a new improved contract before we started paying silly money and then spent 2 years complaining he wasn't earning as much as his team mates. these are rough estimates but are not far from the mark... upson (75k), dyer (85k), parker (70k), faubert (70k), boa morte (50k), bellamy (70k), ljungberg (god knows how much but we terminated his contract for 6 million!), Neill (65k). so if green was on half as much he has a right to be a bit miffed. my point is i dont think he is worth an improved deal. the way big sams old teams scoed past green at will, every free kick and corner, big sam wont rate him, he might see him as a "he will do" kinda player so don't be surprised if big sam can bring his own keeper in we retract the contract offer to green and let him go
ReplyDelete1731, my Mum could have scored, Green left so much of his goal open. He should have been a yard off his line and a yard to his right, inviting a shot to the near post and making burying inside the far post a much tighter option. Green either lost his bearings or froze. I think he froze. But you are right about Cole losing the ball and Taylor being all at sea at left back.
ReplyDeleteYour "mum could have scored" not very original are you? in fact I believe you've dried up and lost your mojo - this place is a like morgue these days.
ReplyDeleteAnony-mouse says,
ReplyDeleteIf Greeno didn't pick up any new admirers against Norway that's fine by me.
He'd been brilliant until the last two months of the season. After that for whatever reason he didn't maintain those previous levels. I'd rate him in the top 10 keepers in the Premier League, and I'd also say that if you said we'd finish 15th next season then most of us would take that right now.
What that means is that we have a keeper who is ranked higher than the club, in my eyes at least. Without being held to ransom we should do our best to keep him.
Btw HF- re the Wembley goal. You can say he should have been a yard further forward but the long pass made it hard for Green to be sure that was the right option. However, had he been a yard to his right as you suggest that would have inevitably meant he would have been beaten at his near post and then you justifiably would have had cause to criticise him.
I disagree with your last comment Anonymouse. You should leave a tempter for the striker. Had Green allowed a yard at his near post, Ince might have been stupid enough to go for it and the save would have been easier. You play percentages surely, and Green offered an open goal by remaining rooted to his line and the near post.
ReplyDeleteTop ten keepers in the Prem? Depends what happens with the Bolton and Blackburn keepers, both of whom I rate higher. Man Utd, Man City, Arsenal, Spurs, Liverpool, Everton and Chelsea all have better keepers. I don't rate Green any stronger than Stoke or Fulham keepers either. My point is, Green will struggle to find a better club where he is guaranteed to start; and that I would gladly swap him for Robinson!