The Rise & Fall Of Luke Steele

For some reason the more he improves the more criticism he seems to get. In Robins's first season he was diabolical and was dropping a clanger every week. Yet people loved him and wouldn't hear a bad word about him. Now that he has improved and turned into a good 'keeper at this level, people are now slating him to the high heavens.

Funny old world, innit?

 

I've never slated him. Ok he makes the odd mistake (who doesn't?), but on the whole he's a decent keeper who's won us a lot more points than he's lost us.

Everybody get off his back.

 

i dont think people are on his back as such, some foolish people seem to think he's not good enuogh. they are wrong.

 

I think he is a good keeper who has improved over the last few years and I still think he will continue to improve. However, he isn't a great keeper so if he goes he is replaceable.

Even on a lower paid contract I think it's in his best interests to stay with us, mainly because he will be guaranteed number one 1 spot.

 

At the end of the day this is all that matters.

How many times has Luke saved the game for us?

Far, far many than when he's cost us.

 

When you say people what you actually mean is Hemsworth and Nudger - most people rate him pretty highly.

 

Which is exactly what will happen with Alnwick.

Patience. Development. Trust.

 

Why does Alnwick get stick ? Seriously.

I rate Luke Steele btw, it's possible to rate one player without thinking the other one's pants.

 

Bang on.
'Like'.

 

I want Luke Steele to stay. He's a better keeper than Ben Alnwick.

But he's a better keeper because he's played every week for 4 years. If we think that Alnwick can do a job on less money and has scope for improvement then fair enough. That's what we're all about isn't it?

It's Wiseman v Hassell all over again.

 

I don't want us to get shut of Steele at all. I just don't get the anti-Alnwick sentiment.

 

Agreed.

He's played 10 games for us. F.cked up on his debut, granted, but move on eh? You'd think people would learn not to write off laikers sharpish.

I think he could be a good keeper. Remember the Blackpool game at home and he kept us in it. Same v Charlton. F.ck ups v Forest & Ipswich mind but no more than Luke Steele this season.

 

I'd say that's about right. Luke Steele and Ben Alnwick made about the same amount of mistakes last season. Thing is Alnwick made those mistakes in 10 games, while Steele made them in 37.

It's simple for me, if Ben Alnwick would have kept goal for us throughout the season we would have been relegated. If he's our goalkeeper next season instead of Luke Steele we'll gain fewer points.

That's not Ben Alnwick hating, it's just how it is. Luke Steele is a better 'keeper, we'll gain more points with him in the team, and we should be doing everything we can to keep him.

 

its not wiseman v hassle at all. Steele is 28 , probably not even at optimum age for a goalkeepr as yet and can still improve on his already excellent performances and career so far at barnsley. alnwick may indeed go on to become an excellent goalkeeper too and that can only be good for BFC.

Right now though i think luke steele is the man for the job and in my own opinion should have been the first name we secured on a longer contract, finaces permitting of course.

 

and i should learn to spell.

 

Fair point. But people said that with Scott Wiseman in the team - me included.

And I agree.

 

I agree Jay that Steele is a better player, absolutely. But in fairness to Alnwick weren't we comfortabley mid table when he was dropped? I accept that is quite a flawed point, but I don't think it can be categorically said we would have been relegated with him in the team. Who knows what would have happened.

Although we probably would have.

 

You think he's that bad ?

 

To be fair, for the first half of the season, they were right about Scott. During the second half of the season Wiseman was superb, but there's no doubt he cost us points under Keith Hill. Keith's persistence with Wiseman, when his confidence and form were rock bottom, may have actually cost him his job. That decision to bring him back in to the defence for the Blackburn home game was suicidal. Stones and Hassell had both played in the previous week's victory away at Millwall and he dropped them both. Genuine madness.

 

I think Steele is a very good goalkeeper and I hope we can keep him.

However, I have no qualms with Alnwick as number 1 next season. He's had nowhere near enough first team football to be written off and with a string of games under his belt he'll improve significantly. You're not involved in the England youth set up all the way from U16 to U21 without having something about you. Unfortunately he's not had the opportunity at Tottenham and only has a handful of loan appearances in the last 6 years.

Recently players have been written off left, right and centre only for people to admit they were wrong afterwards. Wiseman, Dagnall, Etuhu, Dawson and Golbourne were all given plenty of stick but have turned out to be excellent players for us. Perhaps it's time to start giving our players the benefit of the doubt when they've only played 10 games?