[Albion] Neil Etheridge - goalkeeper

[Thompson720]

Saw he was on the bench the other week so clearly not I favour, also thought he was great during his stint in the premier league, some great saves if I'm not mistaken!

Sent from my SM-G975F using Tapatalk

 

[Swansman]

Speaking of goalkeepers, this is unaccepatble

https://www.transfermarkt.com/ross-county-fc/startseite/verein/2759/saison_id/2019

 

[saafend_seagull]

Would be good, upgrade on button I think and proper competition for ryan. Keep Steele and palm off Walton and loan Sanchez to champ side


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[RM-Taylor]

Saw he was on the bench the other week so clearly not I favour, also thought he was great during his stint in the premier league, some great saves if I'm not mistaken!

Sent from my SM-G975F using Tapatalk

He’s been out of favour since Harris was announced as their manager.

 

[Thompson720]

He’s been out of favour since Harris was announced as their manager.

I've not kept up well with the Championship, was surprising to see still aha!

Sent from my SM-G975F using Tapatalk

 

[Change at Barnham]

Speaking of goalkeepers, this is unaccepatble

https://www.transfermarkt.com/ross-county-fc/startseite/verein/2759/saison_id/2019

Brilliant!

 

[portslade seagull]

Wasn't he one of those opponent 'keeper swines that put in a regular MOM performance at our place?

Yeah I think he did

 

[rogersix]

Basically the majority when I lived there had never been to the Philippines. Having one parent/ grandparent from a country is tenuous in my eyes, to play for a country it should be born there or at the least, not one 1/2 or 1/4 blood.

Still there are plenty of countries who fish around for players with faint links.

so "half bloods" should be barred from international football? that's a bit odd

 

[HastingsSeagull]

Largely being party animals and players who played for Chelsea till they were about 12 then played like 9th tier in England for a bit and didn't make it at that level does seem about right from my conversations with International players at 3am on nights out. One friend of my fiancee is married to a player and another has 'casually dated' more than one. Still a hell of a lot better than me but having played in local, non-serious tournaments with a couple they're still only like the good kid at your school growing up (unless you went to school with Gareth Barry and Dean Hammond of course).

Best two players currently are both keepers. Danish guy plays most of the time the last couple of years and Neil Etheridge doesn't report for duty most games (mutually agreed not like AWOL or anything). Largely since Cardiff went up to the Prem with him initially.

Much like when I coached in China there are amazing 7 and 8 year olds here, but from about 12 they seem to disappear into work and pretty soon marriage, kids, street problems such as gambling/drink/drugs. Hoping the ones I know and worked with for nearly 4 years won't in the main but the oldest I've worked with so far who are local (team wise rather than just one or two kids out of couple hundred) are up to about 11 now. The under 14s and under 16s are nearly all expats from Europe and Aus or Malaysian/Indonesian/Thai etc. where-as at under 9 the locals are about 95% of the kids.

The wealthy local kids don't pursue it as it's just a hobby it seems, studies are more important or it's viewed as less fashionable than basketball. Also must say the rich local kids at the International School I teach all play fortnight and fifa while the street kids are kicking cans, bottles and rolled up socks around outside.

Much like with Rugby and some other sports the funding for teens / adults isn't really there so the rich expat mixed race players are the ones who can drive to training and buy the gear and pay the pitch fees etc. to pursue it. When the kids are young there can be 100 kids on 2 full size pitches split up into smaller ones obviously and a lot of fees are waived or optional and the sessions could be partially funded by older sessions too though I'm not sure I think some of that has gone on. When you get to the adults it's much lower numbers, higher costs etc. The coaching numbers also change although the locals who are paid get an absolute pitance for a lot of hard work (I just volunteer apart from a couple select sessions I arrange myself).

There's also a lot of politics in the governing bodies and bit of an old boys club type of atmosphere. If your face doesn't fit with the lads from Australia and Germany out drinking in the expensive bars, meeting female law students etc. then it becomes much harder to break into some parts of the 'scene' for the poor, local 16-21 year olds if you grew up here it seems which is really sad. Sure many are far better but don't get 'scouted' as the relevant 'offical' can't go on an expenses paid jolly to 'scout you' or 'tour' you round the bars if you're interested in playing like a guy coming over post Uni from Europe etc. could be.




Back on Neil who none of the above would appear to fit (never hear stories about him), which COULD be why he stopped reporting so often if doesn't fit that discussed 'clique', I think he'd be a big upgrade on Button or Steele and perhaps much in the Tim Krul type trap of not quite being Prem Starter quality (but can do a job), but not really seen as having potential to become a big deal and thus not given patience at Champ level if on decent wages. Not explaining it well but basically too good to be a back-up in the Champ, not quite good enough to start regularly in Prem, and a bit pricey to start in Champ unless he's gonna grow into a 'star'. Exactly what we need for a year or two unless we like our current young options (who have to play to increase in value OR reach their potential thus taking Champ jobs away from the likes of NE or TK who can at this stage of their career warm a Prem bench).