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Jaggernaut
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Packie Bonner's comments about Fox last night got me thinking. I do think that Fox is the best keeper we've had since Craig Nelson (who often worked miracles), and he had three terrific saves in the first half to keep us in it yesterday. But at corners he almost always refuses to leave his goal line, even when the ball comes over in or around the 6-yard box. He seems to accept the fact than an opponent is obstructing him, instead of trying to dodge around and make space that might let him get up for the ball. I've mentioned before that the fat toothless h un Goram used to do the same but usually got away with it because his defenders cleared up just about everything, but we can't count on the same degree of protection.

 

Having said that, Smellyarse was left totally unmarked for his header yesterday; a really poor piece of defending. At least the ICT player last week was challenged, but he just jumped higher.

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I thought Bonner's criticism was at least constructive unlike the ramblings from some of the eejits the BBC can roll out. It goes without saying the standard of delivery we've got to defend from both corners and crosses are of a higher quality than last season. I'd take it further and say there's a really sizeable difference. In most other areas we were way ahead of our competitors last season that we don't seem troubled at all with the step up.

It's difficult to be critical of Fox this season because his saves have kept us in games time after time. I would say tho' that Scott can't be described as a domineering goalie in the way that say Rab Douglas or even Kenny Arthur were. He just happens to be better. The problem could lie in the fact that between Balatoni, Muirhead and Fox there is such relative inexperience. Hopefully those three are learning quickly as in all likelihood I don't see Fox ever being the bossy type of keeper. What Scott perhaps lacks in dominance and presence that the bigger goalies have he may gain in agility.

 

eta just read Jaggernaut's post above and that's what I was meaning about Fox's size. He's no midget but.....

Edited by lady-isobel-barnett
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I thought Bonner's criticism was at least constructive unlike the ramblings from some of the eejits the BBC can roll out.

 

Agree with that . I thought Bonner was very good in His assessment of Fox. Im a big Fan of foxy but he's going to have to improve that aspect of his game.

Albeit it's another level of Football , it reminds me of when de Gea arrived ayt Man U and was targeted by opposition teams under the cross ball. I read somewhere deGea has put on half a stone in muscle since he arrived and you can see an improvment in his game.

I said in a thread before the Celtic game I thought he was falling down to easily under pressure from forwards and expecting the desicion.Areo and Balatoni as well need to get more physical in the air but so much of this is just about gaining experience.

We do seem to lose a high percentage of our goals from the cross ball.Time for the goalie coach to start earning his corn too.

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Pat Bonner was a proper goalie and a gentleman. He knows his stuff and I'm sure the Thistle coaching staff will have picked up the points he was making, if they haven't already addressing them...

 

There's not much wrong with Scotty Fox, and if he improvea in the areas mentioned, he'll be right up there with the very best...

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As a keeper, I have to say that I thought Bonnar was talking p*sh in the following regard:

 

Bottom line is that when the attacking team place a player 'on the keeper' it is (more often than not) to obstruct the keeper coming to do their job - under Law 12, two offences are flagged those being (a) the unspecified 'goalkeeper offences' and (b ) impeding a player/obstruction without being in control of the ball.

 

Both of these aspects are picked up further down the examples of the law where: "It is an offence to restrict the movement of a goalkeeper by unfairly impeding him e.g. at the taking of a corner kick"

 

For Bonnar to suggest that Fox somehow builds himself up so he can in some way wrestle his way round one of these obstructing players is nonsense.

 

It's up to the ref and AR to spot these offences and get them flagged - not for Fox to risk selling a penalty.

Edited by gianlucatoni
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