[Albion] Go on Jason Steele !!!!

[RandyWanger]

I would love to know what star lizards algorithm says about Jason Steele as all the stat websites have him in the bottom 3 for goalkeepers.

The only way I can rationalise the decision to start steele was with our lack of first choice players to choose from and a misfiring attack, we were always going to loose so Steele was sacrificed to save Bart’s confidence.

 

[raymondo]

I would love to know what star lizards algorithm says about Jason Steele as all the stat websites have him in the bottom 3 for goalkeepers.

The only way I can rationalise the decision to start steele was with our lack of first choice players to choose from and a misfiring attack, we were always going to loose so Steele was sacrificed to save Bart’s confidence.

I feel that was part of the decision, maybe subconsciously from RDZ, but possible.

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

You called me and others like me ‘wilfully ignorant’ and said we are defending Steele because he is a ‘nice guy’

There are footballing qualities people see in Steele to which some folk seem completely oblivious - I see his weaknesses but also his strengths. You are expressing an opinion just like me, just like everyone else yet you say ‘it is what it is’.

Citeh were pressing very high and all over us - yes, he could have ignored De Zerbi’s instructions and played hoofball into the space in the CMF (Bart probably would have done) but Citeh also had defenders sitting back and would have simply have come back with a counter-attack - once Citeh get possession, especially when they are already a goal up, it is very hard to win that back as the 35% possession stats for us testify - Steele did exactly the right thing by playing short passes to penetrate the press - as I said, it was not his fault that he had a 19 year old debut player on his inside LB trying to cope with the top team in the world’s forwards all over his young a+rse or we were missing Gilmour.

Steele handled himself like a pro last night - he was focussed and methodical and I see no reason to question RDZ’s decision to use Steele based on last night’s performance - nor do I looked at lineups before a game and assume we are going to lose because Steele is named in the lineup.

If people want to beat up Steele, that’s their choice - I just don’t agree with many of the reasons for doing so and not in the vitriolic, scapegoating way that some seem to do it, that’s all - that’s not patronising you or anyone else, it is simply stating a POV.

And you did your usual thing of taking what I’d said and manipulating it, rather than engaging in any meaningful discussion. The bit you highlighted was a conversation that I’d have with a friend, defined by the quotation marks, so clearly that element was an opinion.

But yes, you are willfully ignorant. You claim to recognise his weaknesses, but fail to acknowledge the impact they have on our club and the results we continue to get with him in goal. So getting away from opinion, the facts are that he’s in the bottom percentile of keepers for this level. He’s averaged 2 goals conceded for every Prem game he’s played, his statistics for making saves are nothing short of appalling and, funnily enough, his distribution is worse than the keeper (statistically) that he keeps being rotated with, but of course you’ll claim Bart would’ve just hoofed it, because, you know… opinion.

You can spout utter nonsense about it being a stylistic or tactical thing, but it goes beyond that - it’s about quality, and he lacks it at the level we’re trying to compete at. So I don’t personally care if he acts like a pro - Crikey, I could act like a pro in that position - what matters is that he’s a risk every time he plays, and every bit of footballing data and knowledge shows that.

Anyway, I’ve got to be honest, every experience I’ve had of you on these boards has been unbelievably negative, so I’m going to block you. Have a lovely day.

 

[Bozza]

I would love to know what star lizards algorithm says about Jason Steele as all the stat websites have him in the bottom 3 for goalkeepers.

The only way I can rationalise the decision to start steele was with our lack of first choice players to choose from and a misfiring attack, we were always going to loose so Steele was sacrificed to save Bart’s confidence.

I think you're conflating two things here.

The Bloom / Star Lizard / Albion algorithm is used to select players to potentially recruit. Steele joined us in the summer 2018 transfer window. We had a clear number 1 - Maty Ryan, and Steele joined David Button as typical unlikely-to-start-league-fixtures backup keepers. Christian Walton was loaned out to Wigan to pick up match minutes.

Steele didn't play his first game for us until the January 2019 3rd Round Cup tie against Bournemouth, and had to wait until September 2020 for his next appearance - an EFL Cup fixture.

I'm not sure anyone anywhere expected Steele to become a regular feature in Premier League starting line-ups, and he wasn't brought to the club with that in mind.

Then Roberto De Zerbi happened. Working with the keepers at his disposal, and having very particular requirements about how his sides play, Steele's footballing skills, as opposed to more traditional goalkeeping attributes, propelled Steele forward.

Just to be clear - I'm not suggesting Jason Steele should be starting for us. My only issue is with people who abuse Jason Steele because they don't think he's good enough. If you don't think Jason Steele is good enough to start for us - your issue is actually with Roberto De Zerbi.

 

[Zeberdi]

And you did your usual thing of taking what I’d said and manipulating it, rather than engaging in any meaningful discussion. The bit you highlighted was a conversation that I’d have with a friend, defined by the quotation marks, so clearly that element was an opinion.

And I accepted that we were both stating opinion.

But yes, you are willfully ignorant.

Attacking me personally won’t get me to agree with you.

You claim to recognise his weaknesses, but fail to acknowledge the impact they have on our club and the results we continue to get with him in goal.

I do recognise that Bart has strengths Steele doesn’t have and vice versa but I think you are unfairly scapegoating Steele with our poor results since January - there are 11 people on the pitch and I can only repeat, none of the goals v Citeh were down to Steele being “appalling” (IMO!)

So getting away from opinion, the facts are that he’s in the bottom percentile of keepers for this level. He’s averaged 2 goals conceded for every Prem game he’s played, his statistics for making saves are nothing short of appalling and, funnily enough, his distribution is worse than the keeper (statistically) that he keeps being rotated with, but of course you’ll claim Bart would’ve just hoofed it, because, you know… opinion.

That is still opinion if you say he shouldn’t play because of that - BUT it is the coach’s opinion that rotating Bart with Steele has been the right strategy to bed Bart into the team but also when playing particular opponents and with the additional fixtures we have had from being in Europe. Maybe that strategy will change and by next season, Bart is as good as Steele is with his feet and can cope with playing a match every 3 days, in the meantime, he is still a young keeper learning what is a comparatively demanding role for a keeper in De Zerbi’s system of football..

You can spout utter nonsense about it being a stylistic or tactical thing,

your opinion and you are entitled to it.

Anyway, I’ve got to be honest, every experience I’ve had of you on these boards has been unbelievably negative, so I’m going to block you. Have a lovely day.

Still not going to change my mind - attacking Steele for our performance against City is unjustified on a number of levels IMHO

 

[mothy]

Against City I thought steele was brilliant with his feet & made some good saves. He couldn't have stopped the 1st, 2nd or 3rd & was unlucky with the 4th. I don't believe he was at fault for us losing. & as it was his 1st league start for a while - he hasn't been at fault for the previous results either