This was the key thing for me, he had the ability to go really far (and he's had a pretty decent career already) but it's his lack of concentration that always worried me. He could make 5 or 6 superb saves and then chuck one in under no pressure just because he seemingly wasn't paying attention.
Got something to say or just want fewer pesky ads? Join us... 😊
[Albion] Was forcing Sanchez out the worst decision our club has made in years?
- Thread starter Kalimantan Gull
- Start date
Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo
Waxing chumps like candles since ‘75
- Oct 4, 2003
- 11,098
I'm with you on this. Sanchez is a decent enough keeper, but his reaction to being dropped/not getting the shirt back after the Everton game was unforgivable. For a start Sanchez had made mistakes and had poor performances in the past and kept the shirt, he shouldn't expect the manager to drop Steele after one poor performance (although pretty much the entire team was poor that night so the defeat wasn't just on Jason), even if he had played well against United and Chelsea. Steele had done his duty as backup/cup keeper, supporting Sanchez in training and was always one of the first on the pitch at the end of the game to shake his hand etc, Sanchez should have had the respect of a fellow pro to do the same.
By asking not to be included in the squad if he was only on the bench he let the club, the fans and most importantly his team mates down at the tail end of our biggest season and could have seriously damaged our European chances had anything happened to Steele in a match and we'd had to bring on the inexperienced McGill in his place. You don't want a player like that in your squad, he might not have liked RDZs decision, and he can take that up with the manager separately, but he still had a job to do and he refused to do it.
Garyoldfan
Well-known member
- Jun 14, 2023
- 534
Why are we even talking about this cock ? He decided not to play for us, a team many of us have dreamed to play for. (My dream was a last minute winner in front of the north stand at the goldstone against palace, jumping on the fence and giving it the big i am. Then (and this bits not as tasteful) giving the palace fans the slit throat gesture as I stood in front of them).
Hastings gull
Well-known member
- Nov 23, 2013
- 4,635
Exactly -he was quite happy to take Ryan's place and then had a strop when it happened to him. Moody players can affect morale so the dosh we got for him was great as far as I was concerned.
Super Steve Earle
Well-known member
You said 'he threw his toys out to you'. I was having a crack at a goalkeeping joke - throwing, catching etc.I don’t quite understand but yeah why not!
Kalimantan Gull
Well-known member
- Thread starter
- #226
Good, at least we've got to the same place. Thanks for admitting you revised your opinion of his ability based on what happened after he was dropped. I think the premise that he was a very good keeper stands, and we can wonder what would have been if never dropped. We'd probably still be calling him a 'great keeper'
This is probably rumbling on long enough now, but before we go, and on the matter of 'playing in the manner required, let's just take some time to enjoy these clips from a game just six weeks before he was dropped.
Last edited:
Kalimantan Gull
Well-known member
- Thread starter
- #227
Sanchez almost did exactly that away at Palace one year, think the 'don't let it bounce' game. Him and Duffy were right up at the Palace fans in the corner at the end, marvelous scenes.
GT49er
Well-known member
No, must be fake/CGI or whatever. He was absolute dogshite, especially with his feet - we've been told that often enough on NSC so we should all know that by now! Thank goodness de Zerbi had the foresight to realise he was going to throw a strop and threw him under the bus before it happened!
Irrespective of Sanchez's merits v Steele it would be reasonable to assume that behind the scenes chatter may have taken place between Sanchez and Roberts and that that may have had some bearing on Sanchez's attitude towards the end of his employment with us
Thunder Bolt
Silly old bat
So, to sum up. Sanchez wasn't forced out, he wanted to go, and was sold.
SULLY COULDNT SHOOT
Loyal2Family+Albion!
As a goalkeeping coach myself I was happy to see the back of Sanchez..... he has a ricket in him and he doesn't seem to learn from his mistakes. Has loads of potential but he literally cost us points and it makes a defence nervous. Dependable and predictable is always better... hence Steele who has nowhere near the potential of Sanchez. His performances for Chelsea have been no better,
ROSM
Well-known member
that game was 14th jan. He was dropped 4th march.
But lets not let facts get in the way here
chickens
Intending to survive this time of asset strippers
- Oct 12, 2022
- 1,863
At that time though we believed we had a professional goalkeeper, who would easily adapt to any demands made of him by a new head coach/goalkeeping coach.
By the time he left we realised we had a sulky and unprofessional player who either refused or was unable to adapt, and also refused to sit on the bench when a teammate overtook him in the pecking order. Getting anything for him at all was good, getting 25 million was a masterstroke.
Garyoldfan
Well-known member
- Jun 14, 2023
- 534
Then he refused to play for us.
chickens
Intending to survive this time of asset strippers
- Oct 12, 2022
- 1,863
Yeah, he had good matches for us, so did Maty Ryan and so did every keeper before him, doesn’t mean letting them go when we did was a mistake.
A player that withdraws their labour rather than accept their demotion and work to regain their position will always be a player I don’t want at my club. He could at least have just asked for a transfer and remained available.
And I still maintain he flapped about at crosses.
Kalimantan Gull
Well-known member
- Thread starter
- #237
Fair enough, I shall edit
Kalimantan Gull
Well-known member
- Thread starter
- #238
I think if he didn't care and just wanted a move he would have sat happily on the bench. He wanted to play. RDZ didn't want to play him. Maybe that was justified by off field stuff, we'll never know. But this thread is really about him being dropped in the first place, I have never got my head round that.
ROSM
Well-known member
Actually your original comment was that he was forced out. I think we can all now agree he wasnt.
You also asked if it was the worse decision in years. Again I think that question has now been answered in the negative.
Just to be clear here. He wasnt the messiah but he may well have been a very naughty boy
Kalimantan Gull
Well-known member
- Thread starter
- #240
Well, no, you can debate the language but he was effectively pushed out. Dropped for someone not as good as him, back for a couple of the biggest games in our history (first ever win at Stamford Bridge, Cup semi-final) but despite playing well was put back on the bench, and then told in no uncertain terms that he was staying on the bench and Steele was keeping his spot regardless. He wasn't being dropped to regain form or keep him on his toes or to work on some things, no this was a permanent and irreversible dropping, in which case yeah, I think he was pushed out.
For a guy who had a lot of interest (plenty of rumours the bigger clubs were looking at him), had just gone to the world cup with a contending team, was playing well, had adapted his game to play the passing style RDZ wanted, thats a really surprising decision. None of us at the time thought it was anything more than a temporary thing.
But it wasn't. How much of this decision was down to his attitude or behaviour, maybe driven by unhappiness with the departure of Roberts and Potter, we'll never know much more than the gossip and hearsay that comes from people who want their opinion known. Perhaps it was RDZ trying to take control of the squad, after all there was a lot of discontent at this time, Trossard got upset and was kept away from the team, Caicedo put in a transfer request and was held back from training, Undav wasn't in the best mindset it seems, and there are all those rumours about Sanchez you posted earlier. Perhaps it wasn't the most together place at that time and RDZ made Sanchez a fall-guy or wanted popular squad guy Steele in the team.. Who knows, just speculation, but there is lots of that here.
All the time we persist with goalies not as good as him I think its fair to ask the question of why he was booted out of the first XI, and if he had issues why they couldn't be sorted. But yeah, maybe he was just a difficult soul to work with. Shame though.