With the acknowledgment that this has now become an issue it deserves a thread of its own.

For me the biggest problem IE has now with Crellin/the goalkeeper position  (and it can be argued that he has added fuel to this one) is that of how he handles it from a personal perspective. As fans all we want to see is a keeper in goal who is confident, not making too many errors and showing progress.  Let’s be honest the majority of us don’t give a stuff if Crellin is dropped and how this affects him mentally as long as Bolton win.

Of course IE wants this too, but he also has the delicate situation of handling how BC is as a person, what’s best for him, regardless of whether  he still sees him as a keeper who has a bwfc future. It’s a balancing act. 

Because of IE outburst post Cambridge we’re in the unusual position, as fans, of knowing some of the managers true feelings about his keeper. We know he has doubts about him, he is well aware of the errors that he is making, but we also know he still has faith in his ability to become a good keeper at a professional level. 

So with this in mind what does he do this week? As a fan playing football manager on the computer, looking at his performances and stats I’m saying drop him Tuesday give Alexander/Gilks a go. 

But putting myself in IEs shoes I’m not sure that course of action is correct, especially if he still sees BC as having a bwfc future. It’s a risk, but if he wants to demonstrate  the faith he has in him, provide him with a confidence boost to bring the best out of him, he selects him Tuesday but IMO tells him regardless of how he plays he’ll be rested and out of the limelight for 10 days while he gives Alexander a chance in the cup game. That way he’s keeping all options open, including looking at free transfers/making room in the squad for a keeper back up.

The one liners; drop him, sack him, send him back to Fleetwood, shouldn’t put on a bwfc shirt again are easy soundbites. How he manages this situation and when he chooses to drop him/rest him/motivate him/find another keeper, will not only make a difference to a young players mental state/motivation but will also influence how this position affects our season. 

No doubt, I'm not suggesting a keeper shouldnt be organised and commanding, but to have a style of play that is abolished by a change of personnel? Would've been nice to see everyone singing from the same song sheet

3 minutes ago, Dr Faustus said:

No doubt, I'm not suggesting a keeper shouldnt be organised and commanding, but to have a style of play that is abolished by a change of personnel? Would've been nice to see everyone singing from the same song sheet

I think we can still play out from the back with Gilks in net, but Salford pressed high on goal kicks, not every team will do that.

1 minute ago, Mantra said:

I think we can still play out from the back with Gilks in net, but Salford pressed high on goal kicks, not every team will do that.

What we are going to have to do with Gilks in goal, is if we don’t win the the first ball long, then win win the second ball. 

1 minute ago, desperado said:

What we are going to have to do with Gilks in goal, is if we don’t win the the first ball long, then win win the second ball. 

I have no issue with that and hopefully Evatt doesn't. Possession football shouldn't have to start from our own box. I think we'd benefit from not playing out from the back until we're more comfortable with possession in general.

1 hour ago, Dr Faustus said:

Right, I guess I'm on my own here... 

 

I cringed when Gilks twatted that first pass. He made a good save look like a worldie. If our head coach is prepared to sacrifice his philosophy for the cameras is he a Mike Bassett type genius? 

 

I'll take the points and 'bragging rites', but bigger picture, this isn't gonna happen every week

I get it. But does in not show he is flexible? Was there a massive goalkeeping fuck up tonight? No. When's the last time you could say that?

Damned if he does, damned if he doesn't?

Had to change keeper, chose the experienced over over the inexperienced Alexander. It is what it is. Defence looked more assured knowing a proper keeper was behind them.

On 10/11/2020 at 21:45, desperado said:

I agree with this. I said right from the beginning Evatt has exacerbated a problem here.

For me the recruitment, tactics, selections, formations and substitutions are to an extent forgivable and understandable, if you are of the opinion that this project needs time.

However the man-management of calling out players, publicly criticising,  using old school motivation tactics of telling players to man up (ok he apologised for this) is perceptive as being a bully-boy. Fine if it works and it brings out the best in players. You could argue that Santos, Sarcevic and Delaney have come out better from his man-management tactics.

But I hope he realises not everyone will respond in the same way. Players,  while understanding a private bollocking, generally don’t like the public criticism. It’s stuff like this that can bring out the worst in some players and lose the dressing room.

I’m not saying he’s there yet. You could argue that a few late goals have actually demonstrated a togetherness, I hope so. I’m also hoping that he is learning along the way too. 

He has a job to do on the pitch, yes drop Crellin, yes address all the selection /tactics issues that can turn our season around.

But the job off the pitch, in how he manages/motivates his players is just as important and will directly affect what happens on the pitch. 

 

Crellin was a bad keeper before he ever dropped a cross for us. It was nothing to do with IE man management.

He is a decent conf north/evo stick keeper at the moment, who has got where he is because he is young. I think he will improve later in his career and it wouldnt surprise me if he plays at a decent level one day.

We need someone who is solid and cant organise the defence.

The powers that be wanted someone with good distribution, to play out from the back.

He has this, but not alot else at the moment.

Before all this “play it out from the back bollocks” he wouldnt have got anywhere our team.

I had no issue at all with Gilks last night, just the opposite - delighted to see some good old fashioned safe keeping.

The defence got on with their job without shitting bricks knowing there wasn't a dodgy keeper behind them.

We have a great opportunity now to put points on the board against poor teams in the next few games. Let's see how we look if we can get confidence in the team and a fully fit squad

Did the job for me, organised well, instilled confidence and made a few good saves.

the defence looked more solid and settled and the whole team seemed to benefit.

few more wins in the next few games is defo achievable and then see where we are at.

There was one incident middle of the 2nd half when Salford played a long ball over the top Gilks started to come for it but Santos took control and turned away from the attacker. If that had been last week Crellin would have come flying out and caused panic in everyone. That is the main difference with having an experienced keeper 99 times out of 100 he will make the right decision, something Crellin needs to learn if he is going to make it as a first team keeper at any league club. 

8 hours ago, Dr Faustus said:

No doubt, I'm not suggesting a keeper shouldnt be organised and commanding, but to have a style of play that is abolished by a change of personnel? Would've been nice to see everyone singing from the same song sheet

Perhaps for the first time this season the back 3/4/5 haven’t needed to freelance. Having a keeper behind them to bark orders was maybe what they needed. Last night they did actually mix it up, some goal kicks went long, some went short. The problem in previous games seemed to be that Crellin had been told to play it out but he was too young and inexperienced to make his own mind up and occasionally ignore the orders.

Jesus fucking wept. There isn't a single negative to take from Gilks' performance last night.

We played for 90 minutes without a glaring goalkeeping error, something I can't remember happening so far this season. As a result we kept a clean sheet.

11 minutes ago, DazBob said:

Jesus fucking wept. There isn't a single negative to take from Gilks' performance last night.

We played for 90 minutes without a glaring goalkeeping error, something I can't remember happening so far this season. As a result we kept a clean sheet.

@hughmungus probably didn’t like his haircut 

5 minutes ago, Rudy said:

@hughmungus probably didn’t like his haircut 

Seems to have a thing for men’s beards too, he’s had a few words about IEs, maybe he’ll give us his opinion soon on his hair/beard combo not quite being to his liking 😊

At times like this, the way Hughmungus acts like “Look at me causing a stir on an Internet forum, I can hear my dad’s words in similar situations when I was a kid, “Ignore him and he’ll go away. He’s just showing off.”

1 hour ago, MickyD said:

At times like this, the way Hughmungus acts like “Look at me causing a stir on an Internet forum, I can hear my dad’s words in similar situations when I was a kid, “Ignore him and he’ll go away. He’s just showing off.”

Made me chuckle that 

Gilks really looked the part, and if he doesn't want to join in the tippy tappy about at the back that's another bonus.  But one thing that was different last night, despite all their possession, was the lack of crosses that our keeper had to deal with.  I don't know whether that's because previous opponents went out of their way to play on Crellin's weakness, or Salford are just too posh to cross, but I don't recall Gilks having to catch (or in Crellin's case, palm away) any crosses at all.

4 minutes ago, Johnnyrotten said:

Gilks really looked the part, and if he doesn't want to join in the tippy tappy about at the back that's another bonus.  But one thing that was different last night, despite all their possession, was the lack of crosses that our keeper had to deal with.  I don't know whether that's because previous opponents went out of their way to play on Crellin's weakness, or Salford are just too posh to cross, but I don't recall Gilks having to catch (or in Crellin's case, palm away) any crosses at all.

We certainly pressed a lot higher and a lot earlier which helps on that front, and I don’t think it would be wrong to suggest that, at least partly, stems from having confidence in the goalkeeper and not dropping deeper and deeper. 

1 hour ago, Leyther_Matt said:

We certainly pressed a lot higher and a lot earlier which helps on that front, and I don’t think it would be wrong to suggest that, at least partly, stems from having confidence in the goalkeeper and not dropping deeper and deeper. 

and when a defence are no world-beaters themselves, having someone experienced behind them marshalling them confidently

Gilks was superb last night, and his confidence and experience brought the confidence out in the rest of the defence.

Everyone's early season punch bag Santos gets better and better. He commanded the area like a good 'un.

If Gilk's shouting could reach Ali Crawfords ears we'd be reet.

Onwards and upwards. 9 winable points on offer next three matches.

should the young keeper not have sat behind the goals last night watching and learning ????

He was on the bench

Otherwise, id say yes, wouldve been great for him

2 hours ago, little whitt said:

should the young keeper not have sat behind the goals last night watching and learning ????

Thats a good idea actually. Couldve served as a ball boy too.

26 minutes ago, DazBob said:

Thats a good idea actually. Couldve served as a ball boy too.

He would of fallen over the ball......Quicker to go and get it themselves

according to a mutual friend, BC doesnt think he'll play for us again... could well be bollocks