General The Goalkeeping Dilemma

What should we do about the GK situation for 2022/23?

  • Stick with Stevens - he's our No.1 and will come good again

    Votes: 23 20.2%
  • Mix it up, Stevens and Eastwood. The latter is capable of being No.1 anyway

    Votes: 10 8.8%
  • Bring in someone new

    Votes: 72 63.2%
  • Bring Eastwood back in

    Votes: 9 7.9%

  • Total voters
    114
  • Poll closed .
Worth looking at the lad we had on loan if one were to go?

Ollie Sail of Wellington Phoenix looks a good keeper but I don't think he is a sweeper keeper so I doubt somebody we'd want.

I think Jack Stevens will bounce back after a pre-season to get fully over his illness.
 
Not so sure how that works to be honest, if neither are thought good enough by posters then little mileage in having as a backup surely.

There is a difference between being good enough to play every game and being good enough to come in if needed due to injury.
 
Not so sure how that works to be honest, if neither are thought good enough by posters then little mileage in having as a backup surely.
Personally I think they're both going enough to be back up, just not number 1. Stevens has the potential to improve whereas Eastwood perhaps does not so if I'd had to make a choice I'd keep Stevens as back up.
 
Good discussion to have a sensible place for it. There's been too much reactionary 'both are crap, bin them both and bring another 'keeper in' nonsense.

Starting with Eastwood, I'm still surprised he signed that new deal and for as long as it was. He's good and he's adequate but the main downside is that he isn't going to get any better. We've seen everything we're going to see from and, if we're relying on him for a full campaign, I would be worried. I don't see him being good enough as a regular for a promotion winning side. He's too quiet, doesn't play on the front foot like Stevens does but is possibly a better rounded keeper.

Stevens has not had a great campaign. The stellar worldie stops of 2020-21 just haven't been there this time around (think Shrewsbury last year in the 3-2 win) and I can't put my finger on why. He hasn't become a bad 'keeper overnight nor at 24 reached his peak with us so my inkling is to have a reset in the summer, get fit and focussed and start next season with an eye to playing every league game. Focus on those shots from distance and keep working on the kicking. One aspect to consider is that it's been an interrupted campaign for Stevens. First COVID and then glandular fever. Without knowing too much about either, both of those illnesses can have detrimental effects on performance. They can take a while to recover from so that may have had something to do with his performances. Regardless of reasons, Stevens has to step it up again. 2020-21 he was great. 2021-22 he wasn't.

You won't be cashing in on either after the current campaign. We're going into next season with both.
Good post.
Stevens needs to get back to the form of last season. Hopefully he will be illness free.
There is no reason why he can't, but if he stays we are relying on him getting back to his best
 
There is a difference between being good enough to play every game and being good enough to come in if needed due to injury.
if you're failing to keep the ball out for whatever reason, that can happen in any game so matters not if first 2nd or on loan keeper.

You also as a club leave yourself wide open to fans shall we say apprehension when the back up keeper plays (when you think he's not good enough to be number 1
 
if you're failing to keep the ball out for whatever reason, that can happen in any game so matters not if first 2nd or on loan keeper.

You also as a club leave yourself wide open to fans shall we say apprehension when the back up keeper plays (when you think he's not good enough to be number 1

Most teams in league one have one good keeper and a youth/Stevens type as back up. The problem is we gave Eastwood a 3 year contract a year ago. Archer was a better keeper by far.
 
My vote would be to play Eastwood, I'm not sure why it isn't an option in the poll.

There is no doubt that Eastwood had a really shakey period but has been pretty consistent throughout his OUFC career and still has a lot to offer.

I've found Stevens really dissapointing this season, in particular his distribution has been awful. You would think that with the excellent coaching staff at the club this could be fairly easily fixed.

I can't see it but if clubs are still interested in buying Stevens, I would flog him and bring in another who would be considered 1st choice.
 
Most teams in league one have one good keeper and a youth/Stevens type as back up. The problem is we gave Eastwood a 3 year contract a year ago. Archer was a better keeper by far.
That Lincoln game though

was so nearly a case of not what if but never will be
 
My vote would be to play Eastwood, I'm not sure why it isn't an option in the poll.

There is no doubt that Eastwood had a really shakey period but has been pretty consistent throughout his OUFC career and still has a lot to offer.

I've found Stevens really dissapointing this season, in particular his distribution has been awful. You would think that with the excellent coaching staff at the club this could be fairly easily fixed.

I can't see it but if clubs are still interested in buying Stevens, I would flog him and bring in another who would be considered 1st choice.
irrespective of how the season panned out, i still don't know why Easty was effectively dropped towards the end of the season.
 
It's all very well comparing the keepers records and for me they are very equal but given the amount of disruption we've had to the back 4 (sometimes 3) this season I think it's a difficult one to really judge.
 
irrespective of how the season panned out, i still don't know why Easty was effectively dropped towards the end of the season.
Agreed, I thought he was doing better than Stevens had at the start of the season.
 
It's all very well comparing the keepers records and for me they are very equal but given the amount of disruption we've had to the back 4 (sometimes 3) this season I think it's a difficult one to really judge.
Very True, a bit unfair on both considering the lack of cover in front.
 
My vote would be to play Eastwood, I'm not sure why it isn't an option in the poll.

There is no doubt that Eastwood had a really shakey period but has been pretty consistent throughout his OUFC career and still has a lot to offer.

I've found Stevens really dissapointing this season, in particular his distribution has been awful. You would think that with the excellent coaching staff at the club this could be fairly easily fixed.

I can't see it but if clubs are still interested in buying Stevens, I would flog him and bring in another who would be considered 1st choice.
Eastwood not an outright option because it's clear that he is not No.1 choice currently and is unlikely to start the season ahead of Stevens. Option 2 is clearly tailored to those who prefer Eastwood or would at least like to see more of him (though i see it's now been edited anyway)!
Either way, you then bizarrely go on to say you'd bring in someone else 'considered 1st choice' over Eastwood anyway? So which is it, Eastwood or A. N Other?

It's all very well comparing the keepers records and for me they are very equal but given the amount of disruption we've had to the back 4 (sometimes 3) this season I think it's a difficult one to really judge.
Completely missing the point of xGA, which is a reflection of what the GK has to face.
 
Either way, you then bizarrely go on to say you'd bring in someone else 'considered 1st choice' over Eastwood anyway? So which is it, Eastwood or A. N Other?
Erm!! not really, it shows that I currently rate Eastwood over Stevens. IF, Stevens sorted his distribution out I'd rate him higher than Eastwood. By the end of the season I was fed up watching goal kicks hoofed up to the diminutive Taylor, on his own against 2 giant lumbering centre halves. Either that, or blasted into touch, either way just throwing posession away.
 
There's certainly a question about coaching.

I'm by no means an expert on goalkeeping but I've noticed that during warm ups and games that Stevens almost takes an extra step to get set. He's then either a little flat footed and slow to dive or he starts his dive a step or two out of position leaving far too much space.

The goals that he has conceded are very rarely right in the corner. It doesn't take a worldie to beat him, in fact many of the goals conceded have been pretty ordinary.

Stevens has the ability. He showed it in spades last season. But with the analysis available it should be easy to spot what is going wrong and what needs to be done to address it. Get back to basics and build confidence and we have the potential to have one of the leagues best young goalkeepers. But carry on the way we are and that potential might come to nothing.

Eastwood is more than capable of being backup, and I agree that it made no sense to drop him after Plymouth. Let's not forget that Stevens was the one key difference that saw us get 5 points from 5 when it really mattered.
 
Watching Wycombe. It really stands out how much of a difference Stockdale an experienced keeper makes to them at the back.
 
To be fair to Mike Salmon he was a good goalkeeper, we unfortunately had him when he was passed his sell by date just like John Milkins for those old enough to remember him.
Ah, John Milkins. He was awful. Still the subject of my favourite ever Manor heckle. He was about to take a goal kick, and an old boy shouted out:
“ Go on John, show them what you’re made of. But don’t step in it. “
 
There's certainly a question about coaching.

I'm by no means an expert on goalkeeping but I've noticed that during warm ups and games that Stevens almost takes an extra step to get set. He's then either a little flat footed and slow to dive or he starts his dive a step or two out of position leaving far too much space.

The goals that he has conceded are very rarely right in the corner. It doesn't take a worldie to beat him, in fact many of the goals conceded have been pretty ordinary.

Stevens has the ability. He showed it in spades last season. But with the analysis available it should be easy to spot what is going wrong and what needs to be done to address it. Get back to basics and build confidence and we have the potential to have one of the leagues best young goalkeepers. But carry on the way we are and that potential might come to nothing.

Eastwood is more than capable of being backup, and I agree that it made no sense to drop him after Plymouth. Let's not forget that Stevens was the one key difference that saw us get 5 points from 5 when it really mattered.
Stevens has lost confidence. His starting position is back on his heels, and he seems to have lost a bit of pace off his line. Possibly as a result of glandular fever. Trouble is, goalkeeper is the one position that is very confidence based. A bit like a golfer who gets the yips. My concern is that he might not get that confidence back. The better keepers in L1 dominate their area, and Stevens doesn’t. Eastwood is a good L1 back up, but no more than that these days.
 
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