Joe Hart (joined Torino on season long loan - Official)

[Prestwich_Blue]

I've never rated him as highly as most.

Great at one-on-ones but his spacial awareness for crosses and corners is awful, this is also I reckon what hampers his distribution as he often can't spot the player in space when he has the chance to throw it out early.

Completely agree. I think it was the Arsenal game last season, late on when we're level and need to win. He collected the ball from a corner or Arsenal attack and Navas was on the half-way line with acres of space to run into and only one Arsenal man anywhere near him. The smart move would have been to play it into the opposition half to give Navas something to run on to. We could all see it and were screaming at him to release it but he hung on to it until Navas was coveredby more defenders and the chance had gone.

 

[Marvin]

That's a cracking post. And i was someone who said going all the way back to the end of last season when the serious links to keepers started emerging that I felt replacing Joe would be a mistake by a Pep. However now that that time seems to be upon us, and having seen pre season, all I care about is having players who can do what Pep wants. If Joe can't, or Pep doesn't believe he can, I'll back him all day long.

All fine, but do You rate joe? I have read a lot of criticism of Joe and I just don't see what they see.

 

[Phil1]

All fine, but do You rate joe? I have read a lot of criticism of Joe and I just don't see what they see.

Not like you Marvin, being one of a very small minority seeing what everyone else doesn't.

 

[mat]

For anyone who has not seen, these are supposedly actual quotes from Pep regarding Joe. Yes, they are from the Express and Guardian but since they are shown as quotes perhaps they are roughly correct. They do seem to emphasise what Pep wants and the fact that Joe may be able to do it in time but seemingly not quickly.

Guardiola said yesterday: “With a goalkeeper I talk to him – ‘Here is the ball at your feet’ – and about what he has to do [with it] rather than what he has to do with his hands. We have the goalkeeping coach for that.
“So we have had a chat about that. He has quality and he can do that...with time.

“I’m not saying he’s not able to do it. Maybe there are other goalkeepers with more quality of [doing] that. But Joe, with training, he can do it. With time. But his time is now. It’s not about what happens in six months, seven months.”

“Joe is a player I’m so happy with his qualities, his behaviour and what he means to this club. After we are going to decide inside the doors. Now, he is a player of us. Today is not about Joe.”

Two of quotes I'd argue he's being told to adapt now or go.

 

[FanchesterCity]

As you're from Ramsbottom I'm assuming this is one person.

I'd have thought that, under normal circumstances, Joe would have a season's grace before being dumped. But if this is true (and it's still a big if) then something must have happened in training or between Pep and Joe. My feelings on Joe are well known. He's a great shot-stopper (unless it's low on his left of course) but has shown no progress in any other important area of his game.

I'm of this mind too - if you're a trainer, you give your training some time surely? If after a few months you're getting nowhere, then concern might be raised, but this is all little too sudden to be just about playing the ball out from the back. Maybe it's attitude or lifestyle or something - although the quotes attributed to Pep suggest not, but Pep has hardly explained what his perceived (or real) issue actually is.

Pellegrini also seemed to question Joe, and it didn't seem to be over particularly bad performances (not in my opinion).

If Joe is dropped today, I think that'll signal the end. Genuine shame in my opinion. If it's necessary, so be it, but I'm still allowed to feel a twinge of sadness should his demise be imminent.

 

[northstandgiveusasong]

Is this really down to footballing reasons or is there actually something that we don't know about perhaps? Attitude? Open mouth? Etc

I love Caballero as all the fans do after that day at Wembley but come on, Caballero over Hart???

 

[Exeter Blue I am here]

Whatever Joe's perceived shortcomings (and personally I think most of them are hugely exaggerated), I wouldn't select Willy, whose distribution pre-season was about as diabolical and inaccurate as it is possible to get, ahead of Joe under any circumstances. If the intention is to begin the season with Willy acting as a de facto sweeper then we are likely to find ourselves conceeding self inflicted goal after self inflicted goal.

 

[Neville Kneville]

I think Hart will start today and we'll see him passing about at the back a little bit, but also hoofing it often when he's not sure. Hoofing it more than pep would like, a lot more. But each game he plays, he'll hoof it less and less as everyone's confidence in each other and peps gameplan increases. The improvements will be fast too.
Harts been trained majority of his life, if in doubt put it out, last few years a bit to play, next few years a hell of a lot to play.

If that's ths situation & Pep is happy with it then I thnk everyone else will be. It could also be that he starts Willy for a few games whilst Joe gets upto speed.

The players who were away for internationals have not had the same pre season as the others.

But there is no doubt that Joe will have to do it Pep's way & soon.

 

[Exeter Blue I am here]

Completely agree. I think it was the Arsenal game last season, late on when we're level and need to win. He collected the ball from a corner or Arsenal attack and Navas was on the half-way line with acres of space to run into and only one Arsenal man anywhere near him. The smart move would have been to play it into the opposition half to give Navas something to run on to. We could all see it and were screaming at him to release it but he hung on to it until Navas was coveredby more defenders and the chance had gone.

The irony of course being that were Joe to have launched the ball downfield toward Navas under Pep, he would have quickly found himself in the wilderness. You can't have the bun and the penny.....

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

The irony of course being that were Joe to have launched the ball downfield toward Navas under Pep, he would have quickly found himself in the wilderness. You can't have the bun and the penny.....

There's a big difference between an aimless hoof downfield and an intelligent ball released quickly to a quick, attacking player who has a potentially good opportunity in a tight game.