69 Goals conceded ....... worst in the league ....

.... Colgan or the back four to blame? .... what do you think? Colgan unsettling the back four or the back four being let down by the keeper?

Opinion is probably divided but in my opinion (and I'm not just jumping on the recent band-wagon to slag him off, cos I've always thought he was dodgy) but Colgan is the weak link. He is

- very hesitant with every cross, be it a corner, free kick or in general play and never, ever comes for the ball which puts the defence under pressure to win every header;

- equally as hesitant when the ball is knocked forward over the defence into the 'no-mans land' area (from say the penalty spot to 20 yards out), erm .... shall I go for it ... or not .... erm .... oops too late ..... clear it Reidy for fooks sake!;

- never commanding or dominant and appears to lack confidence hence the defence just never know where he is; and

- very poor at distributing the ball ..... oh and is so called strength, 'shot-stopping', has gone tits up of late .... oh and he lets too many 'soft' shots through is legs/body etc.

So, apart from the odd 'vital' penalty save, what else has this guy got that keeps him in the team?

In my opinion he is not good enough and therefore we will always concede too many goals and struggle to score enough goals to win a game.

He needs to be replaced and if Lucas and Letheran or no better, we need Davey to bloody well bring somebody in sharpish who is up to the job!

 

Your points are correct imo.

As Wierdboy3000 states - He is the only constant all season in the worst defence in the league. Hassell has been injured, Kay left out, Reid injured, Heck/Eck injured or left out, Austin injured left out etc. What makes Colgan's place so immovable?

 

I agree. Colgan has good reactions and has produced some outstanding saves (Cardiff included) but does not command the penalty area when the ball is anywhere near head height. Anywhere outside the six yard box and I think he struggles with positional awareness. Saying that we've not had an experienced Centre Half sat in front of him this season.

A club that saw a lot of him was Hibs and speaking to a few of their fans when they were over in Glasgow on Sunday for the CIS cup final, their opinions were generally the same. Here's a few comments from a Hibs fans site.


http://www.masshibsteria.com/home/content/view/413/1/

Nick Colgan (1999-2003)
Hibs saw the best and worst of the inconsistent Irishman, who was one of the club's high-earners in the Bosman era, and was eventually sold to Barnsley.

Nick had this to say:"It was an easy decision. Coming to Barnsley can only enhance my chances of more games with the Republic of Ireland. However, international football will have to take a back seat because Barnsley is my bread and butter."

Colgan did not feature at all for Hibs last season, but retained his place in the Republic international squad. He started his career with Chelsea but made just one appearance for the Blues before moving to Bournemouth. He had fallen out of favour there, before he resurrected his career at ER.

Whilst he had won over many fans by replacing Ollie the incredibly useless goalie in our first season back in the SPL, it was during his second season that he excelled. History will relate that his success was due to Franck Sauzee at sweeper and once the mercurial Frenchman had left Colgan looked a shadow of the goalkeeper.

He was an excellent shot stopper, but frustratingly hopeless with cross balls and anything that required him to leave his six yard box. Hibs fans remember him as the player who refused to renegogiate his over inflated salary, and preferred to cut his grass every Saturday. It was his right, but it did not endear him to his previously adoring fans.

 

goals conceeded mean nothing - we conceeded about 80 goals . . .

when we got to the wembly playoff final, although we did also score summat similar as well.</p>

anyway colgan as done nothing wrong to warrant all the criticism he gets. he's by far the best keeper we have had since dave watson.</p>

 

Says it all doesn't it? ..........

....... sounds like he's always been the same in the past, which probably means he will ALWAYS be the same in the future, time to get shut I think.

Oh and it probably says a lot about him by the fact that he never seems to play for the Republic, despite being in the squad most of the time. He didn't even get a game when Given and Kenny were injured ....mmmm.... rest my case I think!

 

We always ship goals for fun, in all the time i have watched them we have been slack at the back nt

 

Go on then, I've listed his weaknesses .....

.... you tell me his strengths, if he's that good it should be easy

 

play as a team, attack as a team, defend as a team

just that!

 

We did that against Wolves....and what was the result...1-0 a clean sheet. nt

 

Agree with that but need a reliable goalie as well nt

 

and the keepers since Dave Watson have been....

...Kevin Miller? Marlon Beresford? Ross Turnbull? Scott Flinders?

I think in terms of all round experience and play, Beresford was the best of that bunch but they're hardly Peter Shilton are they?

 

just like to add

when colgan first joined he got slated for coming off his line too much, Dave Watson used to get slated for this all the time!

I admit Colgans form is not the best at the minute but he is a good keeper he is just a player who as usual the fans jump on his back if things do not go his way, like Ruchards, like Nards, like Devaney, like hecky!!

Easy to blame the keeper how many goals should he have stopped at coventry, i'll say one and that is been overly critical!

 

You forgot Colgans less able twin , Andy Marriot ,

makes Colgan look cavalier.

 

PS. I'll give you a scenario ..........

..... that undermines the 'attack as a team, defend as a team' argument.

Derby, unspectacular (and poor when we played them at their place) but top of the league, built on the basis of a good defence with, in my opinion, the best goalie in the league on this season's performances, Stephen Bywater.

I'd like to bet if you could somehow retrospectively swap Colgan for Bywater .... they would be nowhere near the top six and we would be in mid-table ....... says summat about having a decent keeper I think

 

wendy away

10 men, backs against the walls Colgan pulls off two wonder saves, gets FA credit

Concedes two goals against Sunderland gets slated even though the defenders should not be letting them get shots in from that distance!

Simply put we over so overly critical of him that if the slightest thing goes wrong we get on his back!

No different from many of the other keepers in the league if you ask me and if you defend as a team you do not concede and to blame the keeper for the majority of goals conceded is harsh, unfair and unjust!

 

But that one set the ball rolling for the rest ....

.... same as the one against Sunderland knocked the wind out of our sails when we were just getting a bit of momentum to get back in the game, and they were getting frustrated.

These 'little' slip ups can change a game completely, and often do

 

unfair comparison

i'm not saying he is the best goalie in the league yet you are comparing him to the best (ii your opinion)!

Swap him with Darren Ward no difference imho he is no different to the majority of keepers in this league!

 

great, who cares if its worst in league and we stop up, which we will so stop moaning

 

RE: But that one set the ball rolling for the rest ....

like i said i was been overly critical becaus with 9 players back how can we let a player geta shot in and not clear our lines overall TEAM to blame

 

We might, we might not and Im not moaning, Im debating! nt