ToffeeWeb - Season 2008-09

The Mail Bag

How good is Carlo Nash?

The reason I ask is because Tim Howard seems to be well off the boil this season and may be in need of a wake-up call. When Moyes signed Nash, he said the player `had been brought in to give Tim some real competition`. Curiously, I can find nothing in his record that indicates he has ever been anything but a lower-league player.

True, he did spend some time at Man City but I'm not even sure they were in the top flight when he clocked up 37 appearances for them. Preston, Stockport and the like seem to have been his more usual habitat otherwise. I suspect that Moyes will have little option but to persist with the jittery Howard who was certainly responsible for presenting Stoke with two goals this afternoon.
Colin Tunstall, Wirral Posted 14/09/2008 at 16:06:49

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Kieran Kinsella
1 Posted 14/09/2008 at 17:07:37

I was thinking exactly the same thing myself. That being said Tim has always had brief spells of poor form (hence why he is here) but for the most part is pretty decent.

Michael Kenrick
2 Posted 14/09/2008 at 17:16:51

I think you are being a bit unfair. You have to give Stoke and Delap credit for a superbly executed throw-in routine that causes absolute havoc. Howard could do little other than punch the first one, and had absolutely no chance to react to Jag?s deflection off the second. Why hadn?t Moyes done his job and prepared his famous defence far better to deal with them? That?s what I want to know.

Brian Waring
3 Posted 14/09/2008 at 17:33:55

Got to agree with Michael. We knew what was going to happen, and we had enough big lads on the pitch to match them, so what happened?

Alexander Marsh
4 Posted 14/09/2008 at 17:34:22

I agree with Michael, Rory Delap and Stoke have an exceptional set play which is effective against any team. Especially with their height and the physical nature of their team.
That being said, Howard does not look as confident and I believe it shows in his recent performances. The back four really need to step up their general play, they seem to lack communication, are complacent and lack concentration/focus.
As for Nash, I also highly doubt he compete with Howard for the number one spot between the pipes. Not sure he could even start for any team in the Premiership!
Anyways, just glad with got the three points today!

Peter Weaver
5 Posted 14/09/2008 at 17:39:17

In answer to your question, Nash ain?t very good! Certainly no improvement on Wessels, Turner and Ruddy and he seems to have been signed on the basis that he was a Moyes Old Boy!
All in all, we?ve had some crap second-stringers over the years ?Gerrard, Simonsen, Wright to name but three in addition to those mentioned above.

No doubt others have their particular ?favourites? they loved to hate?

Tony Williams
6 Posted 14/09/2008 at 17:47:58

The problem with todays game and the throw ins where that we have not played against a team like this before and I assume Stoke have been doing the same attacking style for over a year, easier to do something you are used to then not.

Our defence has looked shakey so far this season but the back four as it was today is our best formation, unfortunately it seems that Lescott hasn’t come back from his hols yet.

Lots of teams will be undone by that long throw this season but it is like your tax return, you know it is coming but there is fook all you can do about it.

Andy Crooks
7 Posted 14/09/2008 at 17:55:07

A pal, a Sheff Wed supporter, has raved about Ian Turner. I think it is unfair to judge him on performances when he has been called into big games at short notice. With a lenghty run of game he?d get some confidence and give us a decent goalkeeper. I really don?t think DM shows much faith in our young players. Rodwell and Baxter only played recently out of absolute necessity, not an ideal introduction.

Jimmy Crack
8 Posted 14/09/2008 at 18:19:44

I?m with you, Andy. Iain Turner?s spent enough time on the sidelines, and he was pretty composed the couple of times I?ve seen him. If anyone is going to be the understudy for Timmy, why not him?

Andy Spence
9 Posted 14/09/2008 at 18:19:57

Got to agree with Colin on this one. I know I?ll get slaughtered for this but... I've never rated Tim Howard.
For me, he is shit scared to come off his line and claim crosses, and he doesn't seem to talk to his defence much to claim what should be his ball.
Great shot-stopper, but I feel he lacks an awful lot in positional play.
Now feel fee to slag me off, it's just my opinion.

Rob Wilkinson
10 Posted 14/09/2008 at 19:04:22

Which player are you going to jump on next? Yeah Howard and the defence both looked shakey but thats easy enough to sort after a few games they?ll settle down. But seriosly Howard ain?t gone off the boil look at his recent heroics for the USA. Enuff said.

Michael Hunt
11 Posted 14/09/2008 at 19:10:31

Fear not: Keepers get better with age, so Carlo must be absolutely fucken brilliant ;-)
Btw, Happy Birthday Carlo!

Joeynkoo Ludden
12 Posted 14/09/2008 at 19:09:27

Michael, thats ludicrous. Surely Stoke would score from every ball launched into the box if that was the case. Fact is, a keeper needs to come out and clear EVERYONE and get the ball. He needs to do 2 things: get the ball, and collect the oppostion player en route. It does 2 things, tells them the keeper will come collect all day and also makes the opposition player think about how his head his hurting next time he hears the keeper coming out shouting "Howard’s ball!". Its basic park football. The 2 Stoke goals are Howards (and Jag’s for number 2) fault, plain and simple. Jeez, even kids on a sunday defend better than that. Howard needs to wake up, as do Yobo and Jags.

Thomas Christensen
13 Posted 14/09/2008 at 18:54:52

I read an interview DM made after signing Nash, he said he signed Nash for two reasons 1, to cover Howard and 2, to let Turner and Ruddy get regular first team footie on loan. I think that is a smart thing to do (assuming Nash isn’t total rubbish) as they won’t develop on the bench.

As for today, I feel Howard could have done better in preparing himself for the game he didn’t shower himself in glory. It seems he only learnt to catch the ball from the throws after we conceded 2.

Keith Glazzard
14 Posted 14/09/2008 at 19:08:03

A very strange day all round. Two new players at the heart of the team, neither of them English speakers (am I right there?), and the Stoke promotion machine doing what it does best.

Tim Howard’s clean sheets have never been down to him, but DM’s catenaccio, Cars and all, stopping the threat from a long way out. This takes nothing away from Howard. As he learns about his (and our) new team, he will adjust.

On the plus side, despite leaking goals, we have been knocking them in at the other end. I think we are on the up.

Ray Robinson
15 Posted 14/09/2008 at 19:20:59

Bloody hell, we’re all a little hasty looking for scapegoats aren’t we? I must admit that Tim doesn’t always command the defence like say Southall did, but you have to give credit (?) to the quality of the long throw. I think it’s a crap tactic - anti-football in fact - but it’s legitimate and effective. You can’t be offside from a throw in which means that everybody can crowd the goalkeeper and make it bloody difficult.

I hate the tactic but I don’t think that we’ll be the first team to get caught out. It’s bloody obvious, lacks subtlety but is so damned hard to defend against especially when the trajectory is so flat, fast and accurate.

Trevor Lynes
16 Posted 14/09/2008 at 19:18:31

I wish we had Cudicini....Chelsea and Arsenal both have great goalies and for my money Cudicini is totally wasted as understudy for Chec..he should be with us on LOAN :0))))
I also think Fellaini does not have anywhere near the quality to be worth what we payed for him...Im not talking about him being new,Im talking about his basic ball control..I would have had Baines on the left as he was our best man against Pompey but I suppose DM was trying to combat Stokes big players in the air..Anichebe had a fine second half and my view on Castillo is muted to say the least...but the lads battled well and Arteta really worked hard in a difficult physical, maul of a game...we won UGLY !!

Ray Robinson
17 Posted 14/09/2008 at 19:31:15

Agree with your opinion of Cudicini as a talent. Obviously though he is more interested in the money than in playing regularly.

Having said that at a mere 6ft (or thereabouts) he would have stuggled with those Delap long throws.

Joe McParland
18 Posted 14/09/2008 at 19:28:26

For the first goal the ball was past everyone else when Howard tried to punch it. If he had just let it go then it would have ended up in the net band been disallowed. You can't score directly from a throw-in.

Tony Williams
19 Posted 14/09/2008 at 20:27:56

The fact is that Alex Ferguson let him go becaused he was not exceptional. he is a good keeper but does not stand out.

As has been said in this and other threads I just don’t know why, with the protection the goalies get, he doesn’t just go straight through everyone to get the ball, if he misses he will probably get the foul but if he gets it job done.

The one that sticks in my throat was the second goal by SWP in the Carling Cup semi, he should have went straight through Lescott and SWP but chose to stay on his line.

He needs to command his area better and cut the tie that is keeping him on his line all the time.

John Martin
20 Posted 14/09/2008 at 21:39:35

Howard is going through a poor patch, not helped by our defence this season. He will regain his form and maybe we should look to our goalkeeping coach who, with the exception of Martyn, has seen a string of highly rated goalkeepers become rubbish.

Sean Condon
21 Posted 15/09/2008 at 01:12:00

It brings up an interesting question: who is the worst starting keeper we?ve had in, say, the last thirty years?
You could be well under drinking age, have been watching us for less than ten years and still be able to offer up a few solid candidates.
Richard Wright was far and away the worst professional keeper i?ve ever seen, but the current joker is giving him a run for his money.
Sheesh...

Kevin Victor
22 Posted 15/09/2008 at 01:32:54

Anybody seriously think that a keeper like Cech, Van Der Sar, David James, etc were gonna be brought in to sit on the bench?

Be realistic guys. The only type of keeper any team would bring in as a cover is someone who is "used to" being a back up keeper but has experience behind him.

That’s a fact.

Richard Parker
23 Posted 15/09/2008 at 08:41:21

Howard is a very good keeper. The only keeper I’d swap him for in the Premiership is Cech. Van der Sar may be a bit better, but he’s not got long left.... plus Tim is still relatively young for a keeper.

He’s also had a pretty shaky defence in front of him so far this season, which I hope should be more solid after a few more games.

To judge him on yesterday’s game is also crazy as we’re only going to see him in that situation twice a season. There are going to be goals leaked by teams with more expensive defences than ours against Delap’s throws.

Cudicini would have been a good call 2 or 3 seasons back when Chelsea brought in Cech, but he’s too old now. Howard is still a couple of years away from his prime.

Mike Homfray
24 Posted 15/09/2008 at 21:07:48

Howard is a good keeper ? it's easy to complain, but remember how it was when Wright went anywhere near the ball?

He couldn't have saved either of the Stoke goals this week.