Most liked posts in thread: Richard O'Donnell

Decent keeper at this and league 1 level. But like any keeper, his performances will be greatly impacted by what's in front of him.

Any keeper in the country would've struggled for us last season.

 

He made 2 good saves yesterday. Neither were worldly saves and I'd expect most keepers to have made them.

He made a worldly at Stevenage. But for the most part, hes just doing the 'basics' well and not making silly errors. And hes not being overworked. Thatll do me.

 

O'Donnell and the back 4 have been a massive improvement on last season.

O'Donnell has had a terrific start to the season, helped I am sure with a much better defence and the recruitment of the keeper coach, Vaughan, in the summer

Richards-Everton has been a revelation so far, a big improvement on the poor NKP.

I think Wood will make the left back position his own, and again, much better than Chicksen

Mellor is very capable at this level, as proved with Blackpool

Both the O'Connors have been good so far

So all good as far as Im concerned

 

O'Donnell had a period late last season where his form dipped - his distribution became a bit of a joke, and it was probably right to drop him since his own fans were goading him at times.

However he showed enough in the earlier part of the season to suggest he was a good League One keeper in a woeful League One side, and when it was revealed he had been coaching himself all year, I'm afraid only a bad judge of a player would have been overly critical of his overall performance across the season.

 

And some people do their job well whilst others don't. The praise O'Donnell has been getting is fully justified.

 

He's a good keeper, he was last year until around February when his defence were horrendous. His distribution can be off at times but like what we've seen in the premiership this weekend if you want to play out from the back you're going to get in trouble.

 

He made 2 outstanding saves yesterday, one in each half. But to be fair that’s his job

 

Damn you FB, was just going to say the same, see my reply to your post on other thread, we can seemingly now feel a sense of security with the backline, beats the sense of fear last season.

 

Look forward to NKP returning next week

 

His confidence has him in the right positions to make these saves and that comes from the set up in front of him. No coincidence when we went 3 at the back it was easier to beat him. He knows we have centre backs who will clear crosses now so he doesn't have to go for impossible balls.

 

Who cares if I admit it?

It's a bit weird.

We're not in parliament, I don't have to get everything 100 % right, I hope Wood solidifies his defensive position with good performances, it will show that he (and by extension the club) is improving under Bowyer. I don't particularly hope Doyle continues to score freely, and since there is no chance he ever plays for us again, I'm not massively interested in his performances at Swindon. His performances for us were generally very poor, even if he beat Omari Patrick and George Miller to the top scorer last season. He wasn't worth building our team around, in my opinion, because the minute we signed Vaughan we had a better all-round player who was more worthy of building the team around.

 

I don't think we have a bad defence, i just don't think they are quite as impeccable as the stats suggest. I think we've conceded 5 league goals this season but if we're being brutally honest Crewe alone should have managed that feat.

There was a Walsall player on Saturday in acres of space who was allowed to have a free shot at goal and if it had gone in we'd all be on here bemoaning the fact that no one was closing him down. They had also another player (can't remember his name) who had an opportunity to split open our defence on 2 or 3 occasions atleast, which Crewe managed frequently when we played them. Paudie has gifted the ball away on a couple of occasions in dangerous positions, Wood has had to make 2 last ditch, goal saving challenges this season to undo some average defending etc etc. If a couple of these teams did to us what they really should have done you'll probably find it easier to understand the point I'm making in.

I'm not expecting perfection but in between the 85 minutes where we defend admirably there's been some sloppy play that we've got away with so far. It's not a major cause for concern, just something to be aware of and hopefully tighten up on.

Our defence have all proven to be good defenders at this level but there's room for improvement which I suppose is a good thing depending on how you want to look at it.

 

The expected goals stats back up your observations to be fair. From the chances we've gifted to the opposition, we'd have expected to let in 10.8 goals this season - 5.8 higher than we have in reality (5). That will balance itself out longer term.

If anyone is interested in seeing the League Table based on Expected goals for each game, Ben Mayhew has published it here......we are still seventh btw (we have been a bit unlucky in terms of not converting our chances at the other end it seems)......

https://experimental361.com/2019/09/14/expected-goals-league-tables-13-16-sep-2019/

 

Whilst we're solid at the back I don't think the back 4 are quite as good as the stats suggest. One of the reasons we've conceded so few is O'Donnell making worldy saves almost on a weekly basis now. A class keeper at this level who's kept us in games and has allowed us to capitalise at the other end.

 

Getting coached will be keeping him on his toes more

 

You like to mention Doyle to me every chance you get - fair enough, but I can't quite see how his form dipped to the end of the season. When was he in good form last season?

He never got going in my eyes, and I mean that genuinely, fairly. Do not remember him playing well.

 

Two points I've made in the entire time I've been on this forum (Wood being better as a midfielder and Doyle been a goal hange who is more effort to work around than he's worth) and you've latched on to them like a limpet.

Let it go.

I will never obsess over any poor points you make, so I'd appreciate the same courtesy.

That quote was made weeks ago. Why are you remembering it? It's a bit weird, pal.