Joe Hart + Mancini's Comments

[markbmcfc]

Top class keepers with bags of experience, your looking at least 30yrs old really. They won't become a number 2 at that stage of their career.

I'd prefer someone like Butland, young and talented and chomping at the bit.

 

[Anonymous]

Like Shay Given? ;-)

Shay's now number 2 at Villa. Ok lets even put aside experience as you're right that older experienced keepers don't want to be number 2. Look at the situation at the rags ... De Gea makes a mistake and Lindegaard comes in. I'm not necessarily advocating this, just curious.

The point I'm making is that with a young keeper like Joe you either accept they've got some things to learn and accept mistakes will be made, or you give them genuine competition and give yourself a genuine alternative option.

 

[Blue Theatre]

I love Joe Hart, and he certainly has the character and presence to be a great goalie. Also love his post-match interviews - he speaks with his heart (no pun intended) and like a fan.

But ... I have been worried about him for quite a while now, and last night didn't convince me any differently ... he can go 2 or 3 games without making a single proper save (last night's first-half performance was more the exception than the rule) and during that time almost every shot on-target by the opposition is a goal. Okay, I'm exaggerating a bit, but not much.

I also worry that:

a) he is beaten from long-range (outside the penalty area) far too often - even Southampton seem to just be able to thump one from the edge of the box and it's a goal. Surely the very top keepers don't get beaten so often from that distance.

b) his distribution is below average, maybe even poor. Again, the great keepers help to calm things down when needed, and launch attacks when needed. Joe doesn't do either of these.

And I think the constant excuse that he is young and learning is going to wear thin - he is 25 and has played in Premier League, Champions League, World Cup, etc. He's not really lacking experience at the top level.

As I say, I do love Joe and hope he comes through all this ... but I also think he is costing us points at the moment and has been doing for a while (with the odd exceptional save thrown in here and there).

I hope I'm wrong, of course, and/or it's a temporary blip. Fingers crossed.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

I love Joe Hart, and he certainly has the character and presence to be a great goalie. Also love his post-match interviews - he speaks with his heart (no pun intended) and like a fan.

But ... I have been worried about him for quite a while now, and last night didn't convince me any differently ... he can go 2 or 3 games without making a single proper save (last night's first-half performance was more the exception than the rule) and during that time almost every shot on-target by the opposition is a goal. Okay, I'm exaggerating a bit, but not much.

I also worry that:

a) he is beaten from long-range (outside the penalty area) far too often - even Southampton seem to just be able to thump one from the edge of the box and it's a goal. Surely the very top keepers don't get beaten so often from that distance.

b) his distribution is below average, maybe even poor. Again, the great keepers help to calm things down when needed, and launch attacks when needed. Joe doesn't do either of these.

And I think the constant excuse that he is young and learning is going to wear thin - he is 25 and has played in Premier League, Champions League, World Cup, etc. He's not really lacking experience at the top level.

As I say, I do love Joe and hope he comes through all this ... but I also think he is costing us points at the moment and has been doing for a while (with the odd exceptional save thrown in here and there).

I hope I'm wrong, of course, and/or it's a temporary blip. Fingers crossed.

I think you are being harsh on him mate. He is making a few errors at the moment but it will come right. With keepers its a little bit like what cricketers call "the Yips". Something gets in their head a bit after they make an error, causing more.

He's a mature young lad with a great focus and I truly believe this little wobble will be gone soon.

 

[Sky Blue]

Do you consider Pantilimon to be no real competition? Not saying he is... just curious as to your opinion. (I realize that Pantilimon has weaknesses.)

I don't actually, I think he's a good keeper but there isn't a cat in hell's chance of Hart ever being dropped for him. I'm talking about someone of genuine class with a ton of experience.

Like Shay Given? ;-)

He said genuine class...

 

[Chris in London]

b) Hart did tell the truth but it puts him in an awkward position. If anyone should take the flak from the media and risk angering the players as Hart has potentially done (although I doubt it but the key word is "potentially") it should be the manager. The keeper shouldn't have to worry about Kompany's hurt feelings as an example. Again, I don't think the players will be angry with Hart, but you can't always tell.

Again, I saw the interview as it happened live. He said NOTHING beyond "you can't be winning with 5 minutes to go and lose a game" or words to that effect. I really genuinely don't see that there's anything in that worth even commenting on, let alone getting offended or bothered by it. He didn't blame a player or just his defenders - in fact if anything he looked as distraught with himself as with anyone else.

Beginning to bug me that this molehill a) was turned into a mountain by Mancini via the media and b) is being seen as anything out of the ordinary for a player to say.

Hart should be criticised for not stopping their second goal IMO, and for not being more firm in getting his backline to push a little further out, but not for what he said after the match.

Anyone with an ounce of common sense can see that there was nothing wrong with Hart's comments. Mancini shot from the hip without engaging his brain and gave the press their story. Again.

But I do agree it's a storm in a teacup. I trust Mancini is man enough to say sorry and Hart is man enough to laugh it off.

If you watched the interview, Gabriel Clark said that Hart had criticised the team - the implication being that he excluded himself from that criticism. Mancini looked to his translator who put Clark's question into Italian. Mancini looked cross and said 'Joe Hart should do his job and let me worry about mine' or words to that effect.

The question was disingenuous because Hart had not excluded himself from criticism at all. He had said 'we have to blame ouselves, who else can we blame?' Had Joe's actual words been reported to Mancini it is difficult to see anything there to disagree with. When all is said and done, we lost a game we were winning with 5 minutes to go. We are not QPR. Who should we blame? The Rags?

As others have said, there was nothing at all wrong with what Joe said. There was no criticism of others, which was the implication Clark gave to Mancini.

Now, who said something about shit stirring? But for god's sake, nobody mention the 'A' word...

 

[Tevez City]

IMO, Hart was not responsible for any of the goals last night.

 

[just@regular -guy]

IMO, Hart was not responsible for any of the goals last night.

I agree, Mancini doesn't appreciate what Hart have done before for the squad

 

[trotsky]

They were both gutted at not beating Real Madrid at the Bernabau. Real funkin Madrid away!
We've come a long way quickly. Let's not start falling out over who said what and who's to blame.
Roll on Arsenal and we can show them why we are rightly dining at football's top table

 

[cleavers]

Mancini doesn't appreciate what Hart have done before for the squad

What a daft thing that is to say.