Quote Originally Posted by sinkov View Post
It's not mistakes Lancaster, I don't think he made a mistake on Tuesday night, he just didn't know where he was, and not knowing whether he was in the penalty area or not, he decided he couldn't risk catching it. Not a mistake, just piss poor goalkeeping, a lack of basic goalkeeping competency. a keeper HAS to know where he is in relation to his area and his posts. And that's my problem with him, not mistakes, he just isn't a competent goalkeeper, I've seen numerous examples of it so far, not coming for crosses he should claim easily, indecision about whether to come for a cross or stay on his line, poor positioning, even the Watford goal, if you watch the replays carefully, after he's lost the ball he backs off and then starts to go left, when he should have been going right. Every time I watch him I get the distinct impression he doesn't really know what he should be doing, he's winging it.

Having said that, once we have possesion and start playing it out from the back, I reckon he's the best in English football, and you can include the PL keepers in that. There's a balance to be struck, and as we're top of the league, the balance clearly says his brilliance with his feet outweighs the fact that he's a piss poor goalkeeper, and Vinni has been justified in playing him. He's still one of the worst goalkeepers I've seen in 60 odd years of watching football though.
sinkov, my mate Ken, who you know, was a goalkeeper at semi-pro level and he agrees with you, as do I. Ken's opinion on Tuesday night was simply to ask why Muric dod not just catch the ball, there would have been no problem. There is no excuse for a keeper not to know exactly where he is because he has the whole field in front of him. It was an easy catch and he didn't make it and it cost the goal.
He has made some very good saves this season and his distribution has been excellent in the main, however, he always looks liable to make a mistake. Always a problem for a keeper which does not really apply to any other team member.