Nick Pope

[andycap]

39 minutes ago, Ronaldo said:

An average PL keeper is probably someone like Verbruggen at Brighton (though he’s going to get better, obvs). Are you seriously saying someone of that quality gets nowhere near the saves Pope made today? Hyperbolic nonsense. 

First half eze hit a volley he got down to to tip around the post not many would've getting to it. 

Too many act like he's fucking Rob elliotts quality it's infuriating.

no appreciation of what he gives to us but like to double down on his mistakes. 

[El Prontonise]

Best and worst of him today.

[Fak]

Just now, andycap said:

First half eze hit a volley he got down to to tip around the post not many would've getting to it. 

Too many act like he's fucking Rob elliotts quality it's infuriating.

no appreciation of what he gives to us but like to double down on his mistakes. 

 

Appreciate you defending any of the lads Andy but most keepers save that Eze volley. Was comfortable height and wasn't going in any of the corners. The first one from Eze that he tipped round the post and Timbers headers were cracking saves though. 

[El Prontonise]

1 hour ago, HayDen Traces said:

Pleased some see this rather than the 1 error. 👏

 

He had more errors than his one though that led to a goal, his terrible kicking etc invites even more pressure then we already invited on ourselves.

 

 

Edited September 28, 2025 by El Prontonise

[Optimistic Nut]

10 minutes ago, andycap said:

First half eze hit a volley he got down to to tip around the post not many would've getting to it. 

Too many act like he's fucking Rob elliotts quality it's infuriating.

no appreciation of what he gives to us but like to double down on his mistakes. 

 

It was a bobbly shot not going into the corner. If any keeper doesn't save that, he gets called out for it. 

[andycap]

24 minutes ago, Fak said:

 

Appreciate you defending any of the lads Andy but most keepers save that Eze volley. Was comfortable height and wasn't going in any of the corners. The first one from Eze that he tipped round the post and Timbers headers were cracking saves though. 

That's the one I meant. 

[500bhp]

Its often difficult to realise that you need an upgrade until you see the upgrade in action. Remember watching Tiote's debut at Goodison and then it became obvious that we were not in fact ok at CM and Tiote in that game (37 successful passes from 38 attempted?) added a whole new improvement to our play. Same with Hatam in that game.

 

Once Pope is replaced by a better keeper we'll see what we've been missing. 

[London Mag]

We saw it last Wednesday v Bradford

[Danh1]

56 minutes ago, El Prontonise said:

Best and worst of him today.

Absolutely, proper Jekyll and Hyde performance. 
 

Class saves but his kicking absolutely killed us today, I’m not just referring to the one before the winner either, all game we went back to him and it went out of play or straight back to them. 

[toon25]

58 minutes ago, El Prontonise said:

Best and worst of him today.

 

Nail on head as per

[The College Dropout]

Kelleher is crazy over rated. The goal Man U score yesterday Pope clears the first shot out for a corner not straight back into play. 

[Danh1]

Just now, The College Dropout said:

Kelleher is crazy over rated. The goal Man U score yesterday Pope clears the first shot out for a corner not straight back into play. 

Never rated him and never got the fuss over him. Would’ve been annoyed if we’d signed him 

[The College Dropout]

26 minutes ago, Danh1 said:

Absolutely, proper Jekyll and Hyde performance. 
 

Class saves but his kicking absolutely killed us today, I’m not just referring to the one before the winner either, all game we went back to him and it went out of play or straight back to them. 

I agree. But it’s a bad sign that we give a GK so many touches. Especially one we know isn’t good on the ball. 

[Conjo]

16 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

I agree. But it’s a bad sign that we give a GK so many touches. Especially one we know isn’t good on the ball. 

 

We're not tough, and using the keeper as additional passing option can be very effective in retaining possession. I'd love to know how many chances we've conceded following a Pope slicer into throw in, mishit straight into the feet of an opposition player or aimless lump straight to an unchallenged opposition player. Probably indirectly lead to more goals against than saves "only" Pope can make.

[sixx]

His distribution has never really bothered me all that much. Until today. Wish we could somehow morph Pope and Ramsdale into one.

[The College Dropout]

10 minutes ago, Conjo said:

 

We're not tough, and using the keeper as additional passing option can be very effective in retaining possession. I'd love to know how many chances we've conceded following a Pope slicer into throw in, mishit straight into the feet of an opposition player or aimless lump straight to an unchallenged opposition player. Probably indirectly lead to more goals against than saves "only" Pope can make.

Aye but we know ours can’t play. He’s not Vicario or Allison on the ball. 

[Optimistic Nut]

The couple of months he was out last season was a glimpse of what we could progress to. Dubravka was no more than above average, but our football and confidence at the back with him was much better. Ramsdale is by far better than Dubravka. We really need to make the switch. 

[Ronaldo]

6 hours ago, 500bhp said:

Its often difficult to realise that you need an upgrade until you see the upgrade in action. Remember watching Tiote's debut at Goodison and then it became obvious that we were not in fact ok at CM and Tiote in that game (37 successful passes from 38 attempted?) added a whole new improvement to our play. Same with Hatam in that game.

 

Once Pope is replaced by a better keeper we'll see what we've been missing. 

I can’t speak for everyone, but certainly everyone I knew and everyone on here back in late summer of 2010 knew how utterly shit Alan Smith was and how desperately he needed to be replaced.

[r0cafella]

This is one of those things where things went how you'd expect they would. Top notch shot stopping but poor with his feet. 

[Menace]

To this day I still don't understand why we don't let Schar or someone else do his kicking. He must've gave Arsenal the ball around 6 times and put us directly under pressure yesterday.

[kenlau88210]

25 minutes ago, Menace said:

To this day I still don't understand why we don't let Schar or someone else do his kicking. He must've gave Arsenal the ball around 6 times and put us directly under pressure yesterday.

Exactly my thoughts. Schar and Botman need to take charge of anything to do with kicking or passing. Pope is eternally terrible with his feet

 

[Mountain]

His saves were incredible, we got humiliated and it would have been like 5-0 without his saves. I firmly believe he's our best ever goalkeeper and the rest of the team let him down massively. How about the midfield pass the ball a bit for a change. Pope has been incredible and won us our first trophy in 60 years. 

[r0cafella]

45 minutes ago, kenlau88210 said:

Exactly my thoughts. Schar and Botman need to take charge of anything to do with kicking or passing. Pope is eternally terrible with his feet

 

They usually do, the issue is we need to use him as an extra man in possession and it's beyond his capability. 

 

 

[500bhp]

3 hours ago, Ronaldo said:

I can’t speak for everyone, but certainly everyone I knew and everyone on here back in late summer of 2010 knew how utterly shit Alan Smith was and how desperately he needed to be replaced.

Correct, but also plenty were saying we didn't need a full on DM in the team, but realised why we did when Tiote played. Was in not Guthrie or Gosling he replaced, can't remember was so long ago. 

[Optimistic Nut]

Dubravka in 2018 was one. People questioned why we signed him when we had Darlow & Elliot. The upgrade was instant.