Paddy Kenny

[Trampilot]

I'll never forget the abuse West Ham fans gave poor Paddy when he was playing for The Blades. It was just after it was revealed what his missus had been up to. He took it in good humour though.

 

Johnson:

I personally think he's a good keeper. Perhaps his sudden poor form is to do with the Goalie Coach coaching all the bad advice Grew gave him! Players will always have dips in form. Now it depends on how well he copes with it.

[Trampilot]

Johnson is 22. He is well in to his career albeit a few years away from goalkeeping peak time. That is where Neal has reached in his career. When I first saw Johnson I thought he would replace Neal. But he hasn't done so and I feel he has at best stagnated. So it is now the time to deliver or time to go off in another career. We have seen a few players at Vale with potential hang around for years never achieving it. Taylor comes to mind along with further back Corden. I feel that is a waste for everyone. I do hope he does well on Saturday. It is the supporters job to apply some pressure, it is the manager / coaches job to take that away by ensuring strengths are built on and weaknesses addressed and its his job to perform as best as possible making every effort.

 

The 4 team trap door in this league leaves less space to get things wrong. Most of the division are at risk most of the time. So that also makes it difficult to keep people in the team when they are under performing or to bring new people in as an experiment. Its just a tough league. It is sort of paralysing.

 

Stagnation has been the problem at Vale for many years at Vale. Poor quality coaching has meant players lack instruction and technique. You mentioned Rob Taylor there - perfect example. I recall him saying when Jim Gannon was manager that he was the first person ever to actually coach him about positioning and technique. So many young players have shown promise only to be shown the door. I'm hoping Bodin's appointment can stop the rot in this respect.

[sandyford_valiant]

Firstly, Sam is 23 in December. He isnt a "youngster" anymore.

This is his 4th season in the first team.

A 4th year to challenge for a first team place.

He has gone backwards.

Secondly, i have no idea why he got offered a contract.

Another one who should have gone.

He is Alsager/Kidsgrove/Newcastle Town standard at best.

 

People keep harping on about the Walsall game.

Tinpot competition. Seems like it was a one off.

 

He has played over 20 league games for us. How many can you say he has impressed in?

Straw clutching at best.

 

Goalkeepers will either lose or win you roughly 15 points a season.

Sam may not lose us that many or win us that many because he wont play the whole season but his pre season has been absolutely dire and to go into a new season, to get off to a good start, would you really play a goalkeeper who looks like hes not only still on his holidays but hes still ****** up from them?!

 

Starts Saturday our whole defence will be a nervous wreck.

 

Good post Paul, and I agree with you.

 

He's not sharp enough and he seems a bit dosy and never awake. Some of the howlers he lets in are awful. He seems to let everything fumble off his chest and never looks clean with his hands.

 

He won't make a goalkeeper, not at vale anyway and I think page will offer paddy Kenny something before Saturday and will play him.

[oakesypvfc]

At least we don't have Ben G! He's 4 foot and a fag end. We can bully him on corners. We have height in our favour!!! At least Johnson has size. 6.7ft man mountain. There is no way Jack Butland is 6.5ft neither.

Ben plays golf at my club and he certainly isn't short im 6ft and he's inches taller than me, probably 6ft 3 or 4. Atm id take Ben over our keeping situation he had a great season last season , 2 great games against us and by what Ive heard could have a big future. Sound lad aswell.

 

Micky (admittedly he'd lost the plot) chose Sam as our number one at the start of last season and at the time there wasn't alot of discontent about it due to Sam having a better pre-season than Neal. Sam in keeping years is still very young and I think is worth persevering with, especially as weve finally got a decent coach in to help the keepers. Saying all that its a huge game for Sam if he gets the nod Saturday probably the biggest game of his career so far. So lets hope he puts pre-season to the back of his mind and start a fresh Saturday because their is a good keeper in there somewhere.

[Ben]

Good post Paul, and I agree with you.

 

He's not sharp enough and he seems a bit dosy and never awake. Some of the howlers he lets in are awful. He seems to let everything fumble off his chest and never looks clean with his hands.

 

He won't make a goalkeeper, not at vale anyway and I think page will offer paddy Kenny something before Saturday and will play him.

[Ben]

The thing is you could be correct but if I was Smurf he should be asking what am I paying a goalkeeping coach for he needs to get Sam perfoming.

[robf]

The thing is you could be correct but if I was Smurf he should be asking what am I paying a goalkeeping coach for he needs to get Sam perfoming.

 

To be fair, the coaches are not miracle workers - I think he'll be judged on success at the end of his first season not the start of it.

[Jacko51]

Secondly, i have no idea why he got offered a contract.

 

I'm inclined to agree with that. We had Boot, who is considered the best of the lot in some quarters, to act as back up to Neal with the opportunity of a loannee if things went pear shaped. Why a League One side needs three full time pro keepers is a bit of a mystery to me.- it's likely that one of them will hardly play at all. Secondly, I have no idea why Sam signed his contract when he must have known he would not be first choice. I can only assume he didn't get a better offer or the chance to be first choice elsewhere - which says it all really.

 

If the lad plays on Saturday he will have my full support but he simply MUST up his game from the performances we have seen recently.

[Ben]

To be fair, the coaches are not miracle workers - I think he'll be judged on success at the end of his first season not the start of it.

 

But the mistakes he has been making are down to concentration that shouldnt be to hard to eradicate..

[Rampant Zebra]

Maybe the big changes to both the squad and the backroom team have been a factor. He may take a while to adjust to the new regime. I hope he gets his act together though.

[Rampant Zebra]

Just looked on Soccerbase, Sam played 7 games on the trot while Chris Neal was injured two seasons ago. He had surgery then too. Chris Neal was on the bench for the 7th game and came back for the next game. If he has had a similar injury and surgery this time he might be out for 5 or 6 games. Maybe we do need Paddy to help us out for a while. Ryan Boot hasn't made a league start for us yet, might be a bit of a gamble to try him against Crewe.

[pensioner]

Maybe the big changes to both the squad and the backroom team have been a factor. He may take a while to adjust to the new regime. I hope he gets his act together though.

 

Those who adapt quickly get on in life, especially football. Those that are slow to grasp and embrace life's changes end up being left behind and fade away.

[Andyregs]

At least we don't have Ben G! He's 4 foot and a fag end. We can bully him on corners. We have height in our favour!!! At least Johnson has size. 6.7ft man mountain. There is no way Jack Butland is 6.5ft neither.

 

He's their best player, won player of the year last year for them, and is the most likely to earn a move to a higher league out of all their current crop of players.

[JRC]

Johnson is very young still for a goal keeper and all young players make mistakes. Crewe always show patience with their young players and if we want to become a club which develops players we need to do a bit of the same. The mistake against Altrincham wasn't as bad as the papers made out, the ball actually ricocheted off one of Purkiss or Innis (couldn't tell who from where I was sitting, and IF he called for the ball they should have stopped and let him deal with it rather than running full pelt towards him. I don't think he's ready to be first choice all season, but I think there is enough there to get him in and play a few games and take a bit of a risk as that's what you have to do to develop young players.

[FATBOYSTEVE]

Training with us.

 

I've always thought he was a bit small for a keeper but apparently he is 6ft 1.

 

About time we signed a proper keeper rather than the rubbish we have endured since goodlad hung up his boots