***Official*** English Football Season 2020-21

[Uppercut]

I’d be surprised if England have ever had a number one that wasn’t badly overrated.

Seaman wasn’t bad, but even his biggest fans wouldn’t call him spectacular, and for a ‘reliable but unspectacular’ type he sure did love finding ways to get bizarrely lobbed in massive games.

The media were a bit more willing to admit David James’s faults than the others. Maybe he’s the exception.

Joe Hart was genuinely excellent for a couple of seasons, but he got the Rooney treatment where the media took YEARS to realise/admit that he was trash. Pep got all kinds of **** for dumping him even when he spent a season embarrassing himself with Torino.

Jordan Pickford now. Christ.

So having not seen Banks I’m naturally a bit hmmmm on whether he was quite so good.

 

[wpdavid]

I'm just slightly too young to remember the Shilton/Clemence rotation dealy, the pubic haired one was the unquestioned #1 when I were a lad, but it does seem incredible the depth of keepers we had then.

Corrigan at Citeh, Rimmer at Villa, Cooper at Ipswich (who could save penalties), Parkes at yer Irons and dear old Johnny Lukic at the Arse.

And that's without mentioning Gary Bailey. Because we shouldn't.

Parkes in particular was unlucky to be around at the same time as Shilton, Clemence and Corrigan. I don't think he ever played for the national side, unless he had a game in a friendly against Australia or someone. Corrigan was actually pretty poor when he first played for City but improved later. There's a famous game in 1970 when West Ham won 5-1 at Maine Road on an absolute mud-head of a pitch. Greaves scored a couple on debut, as was his wont, but Ronnie Boyce scored the one that people remember with a sizeable assist from Corrigan; volleying the ball back from the centre circle after Corrigan's kick came straight to him. JC had no idea what had happened, and was strolling back towards his goal as the ball meandered past him.

Here it is.
Ron Boyce for West Ham vs Man City - YouTube

 

[wpdavid]

I’d be surprised if England have ever had a number one that wasn’t badly overrated.

So having not seen Banks I’m naturally a bit hmmmm on whether he was quite so good.

I don't remember any ****-ups from Banks when playing for the national side. But I think much of his reputation was down to his heroics at club level; playing for Leicester City and Stoke City meant that he had rather more to do than when playing for England. Obviously that save against Pele was the main exception.

Similar story for Shilton actually. His stellar reputation owed much to his sometimes brilliant displays his his club sides. But as others have said, he does have a number of expensive ****-ups for England against his name too.

 

[Niall]

Cavani was SO good last night, best individual performance we've had in years. His assists were absolutely dreamy.

He was very good and he has really shown up how Martial is inadequate in comparison.

Its going to be very tough for Utd to keep him for another season, he doesn't need the money but its essential they do.

Funds will be limited and an elite right winger (insert Boris joke for the 2102th time) and holding midfielder must be signed.

No chance their will be funds for a striker after that (not even sure their is funds for RM and CDM) ....

Maybe then in 12 months Greenwood will be ready to lead the line or they can sign an elite striker to replace ED.

 

[grecian]

I’d be surprised if England have ever had a number one that wasn’t badly overrated.

Seaman wasn’t bad, but even his biggest fans wouldn’t call him spectacular, and for a ‘reliable but unspectacular’ type he sure did love finding ways to get bizarrely lobbed in massive games.

The media were a bit more willing to admit David James’s faults than the others. Maybe he’s the exception.

Joe Hart was genuinely excellent for a couple of seasons, but he got the Rooney treatment where the media took YEARS to realise/admit that he was trash. Pep got all kinds of **** for dumping him even when he spent a season embarrassing himself with Torino.

Jordan Pickford now. Christ.

So having not seen Banks I’m naturally a bit hmmmm on whether he was quite so good.

I think Banks was pretty much considered by people outside of England (the barometer in these things) to be World-class. Probably one of only three in england;s '66 side, Greaves probably closest otherwise, but as we know he didn't play the final.

Fifa Goalkeeper of the year 6 times, plus plenty of other such awards. Seems he if anything he maybe rated low if not fairly.

I think there's a bit of blowback on Pickford now, seems he will get in mainly because of distribution, which shows where the game has gone, most of the other 'keepers mentioned here, distribution was a big hoof downfield.

Anyway, it's fairly binary with 'keepers on International Duty isn't it, don't give a **** what you do in the friendlies and the easy qualifiers, don't **** up in the big games. Something Shilts failed at IMHO. Whilst Banks didn't seem to do anything wrong, other than eat a dodgy tortilla.

Bit different for a league goal-keeper where just picking up clean sheets week-in week-out is clearly important.

 

[Uppercut]

If Pickford plays it will be a sign of Southgate jumping the shark imo. I first noticed he was a decent international manager when he shocked me by picking his actual best team without regard for stuff like reputation, incumbency, or goodblokery. It’s probably harder now that he’s the one who’s built relationships with the players.

 

[grecian]

as every other boring **** is doing it. Croatia match:

Pope
TAH
Shaw
Maguire
Stone
Rice
Ward-Prowse
Grealish
Rushford
Sterling
Kane

Oh I have changed my side already
Pope
Walker
Shaw
Maguire
Stone
Rice
Mount
Grealish
Foden
Rashford
Kane

I don't think Sountgate's job is easy TBH, hence idjits like me changing my mind (I'll have Bellingham in for Grealish in soon) on who should play every week, but yes you are right he needs to ignore all that and pick the best side he feels despite personality or friendships. Yeah Pickford shouldn't play, has a key mistake or two in him

 

[Furball]

Parkes in particular was unlucky to be around at the same time as Shilton, Clemence and Corrigan. I don't think he ever played for the national side, unless he had a game in a friendly against Australia or someone. Corrigan was actually pretty poor when he first played for City but improved later. There's a famous game in 1970 when West Ham won 5-1 at Maine Road on an absolute mud-head of a pitch. Greaves scored a couple on debut, as was his wont, but Ronnie Boyce scored the one that people remember with a sizeable assist from Corrigan; volleying the ball back from the centre circle after Corrigan's kick came straight to him. JC had no idea what had happened, and was strolling back towards his goal as the ball meandered past him.

Here it is.
Ron Boyce for West Ham vs Man City - YouTube

What a pitch

 

[sledger]

Chris Woods a great forgotten keeper for mine. Gets lost in the shuffle, and people rightly tend to think of Shilton when they think of 80s England keepers, and Seaman when they think of 90s England keepers, but woods played loads for England mid 80s-90s. Comfortably more than most England players who are active today I think. And he was legit good from what I remember.

 

[sledger]

I’d be surprised if England have ever had a number one that wasn’t badly overrated.

Seaman wasn’t bad, but even his biggest fans wouldn’t call him spectacular, and for a ‘reliable but unspectacular’ type he sure did love finding ways to get bizarrely lobbed in massive games.

The media were a bit more willing to admit David James’s faults than the others. Maybe he’s the exception.

Joe Hart was genuinely excellent for a couple of seasons, but he got the Rooney treatment where the media took YEARS to realise/admit that he was trash. Pep got all kinds of **** for dumping him even when he spent a season embarrassing himself with Torino.

Jordan Pickford now. Christ.

So having not seen Banks I’m naturally a bit hmmmm on whether he was quite so good.

Hmmm I wonder what factor distinguished him from the others...

Anyway I loved David James. Thought he was awesome.

 

[sledger]

Not having it that Seaman was overrated either btw ?

 

[wpdavid]

Chris Woods a great forgotten keeper for mine. Gets lost in the shuffle, and people rightly tend to think of Shilton when they think of 80s England keepers, and Seaman when they think of 90s England keepers, but woods played loads for England mid 80s-90s. Comfortably more than most England players who are active today I think. And he was legit good from what I remember.

He started life as Shilton's under-study at Forest, most famously playing an absolute blinder in a League Cup Final against Liverpool when Shilton was cup-tied. iirc he replaced Shilton in the national side after the 1990 WC, and I don't remember him being at fault for our horror show in the 1992 euros.

EDIT
43 caps apparently. More than I thought.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

At one point just after Banks retirement we had Shilton, Clemence, Parkes, Corrigan, Rimmer and Stepney who were all better keepers than Pickford. They were allowed to pick up back passes and didn't have to be able to play out from the back. I think all but Shilton, and maybe Corrigan, would have adapted and been okay with the more subtle distribution required today. Shilton was playing in goal for us when keepers being banned from handling the back pass came in and he absolutely wet himself when a pass came to him. Presumably he would have been more adept had he played under the rule all his career.

 

[Furball]

He started life as Shilton's under-study at Forest, most famously playing an absolute blinder in a League Cup Final against Liverpool when Shilton was cup-tied. iirc he replaced Shilton in the national side after the 1990 WC, and I don't remember him being at fault for our horror show in the 1992 euros.

EDIT
43 caps apparently. More than I thought.

In his first season at Rangers he set a then world record for consecutive minutes without conceding.

 

[GIMH]

Was a decent Rangers team back then hey

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

I love you Segio

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Southend out the League. On the last day two years ago they scored a late winner against Sunderland to relegate us to League 2. They’ve barely won a game since and gone down two divisions.

 

[GIMH]

This sport sux

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Southend out the League. On the last day two years ago they scored a late winner against Sunderland to relegate us to League 2. They’ve barely won a game since and gone down two divisions.

Leaves only one league team from Essex now (Colchester) - assuming you exclude West Ham who would be in the old boundaries of Essex. Colchester could easily have gone down this year too. Had a shocking 2nd half of the season.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

VAR seems to be blighting the world beyond football. A mate of mine works for a distribution company who are currently undergoing some sort of staff revision exercise to streamline the business. One potential option is to take Voluntary Redundancy. Whoever made up the form abbreviated Voluntary Redundancy to VAR instead of VR. Probably a fan of Premier League team who moan a lot (which doesn't narrow it down completely).