Slough Res 2-3 Farnborough Res

[GarySTFC]

Slough's goals both from Matt Miller as Slough led 1-0 and 2-1 before succumbing to a late strike condemning them to defeat.

 

Line up was: Foster, Braich, Bartley, Moller, Furmage, Hyatt, Haddow, Spencer (Browne 46), Deaner, Miller, Steer.

[Radders]

We were actually 1-0 down and then 2-1 up and then lost 3-2.

 

Martin said to me (during my rant at Foster) remember how crap Zepherin was. I agree Zepherin was crap. So was Blake and Honey and McCann and Mautone. But then we didn't win anything with Zepherin or Blake or Honey or McCann or Mautone.

 

This season's final position is serious. Finishing outside the top six means effective relegation. With the current situation of how tight the top of the league is we need everyone performing.

 

Thinking back:

 

Mautone (sent off against Harrow after 10 minutes in a mammoth six pointer, Harrow win 1-0 and stay up while Slough go down)

Blake (mistakes at Barton and Hemel cost Slough 4 points in the fight for the top two)

McCann (mistake at home against Hemel results in a 1-0 defeat plus poor defending at set pieces costs Slough place in FA Cup 2nd Round)

Zepherin (endless errors and comic goalkeeping as points are lost in the run in and Slough finish 4th)

Honey (absolutely dreadful performance at Aylesbury costs Slough place in Berks and Bucks Cup Final)

 

These are just moments I can remember from games watched, I'm sure there are others. My point is that, O.K. so Foster isn't the first poor keeper we've had, but if we haven't got the positions we need in the table with the others in goal what is going to change now.

 

At the start of the season I stated that Foster was the best keeper we had had since we were relegated, a compliment I stuck with for the first two months of the season. Since then however we are subjected to error after error at least once or twice a game if not more. And yet some people still defend him. HOW?????

 

We need another keeper and quick. If not to replace him then at least to give him a kick up the backside. The keeper who played for Farnborough tonight, the keeper who has played for us in the last few reserve matches have both looked more comfortable than Foster and, from what I know, neither are currently contracted to a club. I'm not saying we should get one of them but that there are obviously keepers out there yet we still have only one contracted. He has no pressure on him, the Number 1 shirt is his every game.

 

Tonight for me was the final straw. The first goal was a cross that, fair enough, could have been dealt with better by the defence but once it gets into his area in the box he has to be dominant. No, he comes then he retreats and eventually he falls over on his [****!!****] as the Farnborough player scores a tap in. Second goal, long ball over the top and as he dances back and forwards trying to make up his mind what to do the forward has the simplest of finishes. Even I can't really fault him for the third although I persist that his general decision making throughout the match was shocking.

 

If his form continues as such we are going to find it difficult to finish in the coveted top 6 spots. I don't want to write this next year and add to the list at the top;

Foster (errors throughout latter part of season leave Slough outside top 6 and evectively relegated to level 4 of the non-league pyramid).

 

Some people won't like what I've written here, but this is my view and as a fan who has paid a lot of money watching Slough for 10 years plus now, I believe I deserve my say on this.

[Nathan]

I don't believe this thread was entitled "Let's all have a go at Alan Foster", was it?

 

I felt we would have been content with a draw. I think we we created more chasnces, while Farnborough scored the better goals.

 

By the way, where are we in the Capital League?

[Radders]

No it wasn't Nathan, but my point was related to his performance in tonights match and this thread is about that so I posted it here.

 

I'd just like to point out that I never thought I would, and I definately never wanted to, lay into one player as much as this but after tonights match I really did think it was a major issue. Sorry for any offence to anyone who is offended, basically.

[GarySTFC]

We're somewhere near the bottom of our regionalised division Nath, I'll try and find the table from somewhere.

 

Radders - in some respects I agree with you, in others, you are very over critical of Foster (not just from your posting but your general comments about him during this season). For me, he's been a big disappointment since about the start of December. Watching Hunt play in goal for the ressies he appears to be much more commanding of his defence and a comfortable enough shot stopper. His aerial ability is on par with Fossie's.

 

Whilst Fossie is a great shot stopper and his distribution is usually quite good especially from throws, I don't see the confidence in him anymore to organise or boss his defence almost as if he is intimidated by them. Far too often Murphy and Daly are not confident enough to let him deal with the ball in positions where the keeper must take charge and we've seen Murphy have a proper go at him on a number of occassions, sometimes warranted, sometimes not. When Hunt plays in goal you can clearly hear him barking out order to his defence, a basic part of any keepers game which Foster appears to lack at the moment. Not sure whether it's a confidence thing or something else??

 

I'm trying to be as objective as I can about him as he's not playing well at the moment and perhaps getting Hunt in on Ryman forms would perhaps give him the kick up the backside he needs to return to form.

[Radders]

Agreed Gary, getting Hunt in on forms may give him some pressure to improve his game.

 

I don't think I am overly critical of Foster, in fact if you review previous posts I have often stated that as a shot stopper I am still very comfortable with him in goal. After the Staines game I made a point of putting in my post that without him at the end of the game we could have dropped 2 points.

 

It is his errors from crosses and his decision making when coming off his line which I think is poor and after the errors today and in previous matches I think that that is a difficult statement to argue with.

[GarySTFC]

Having said all that about Hunt, I think he signed forms for someone a fortnight ago... Possibly someone in Ryman Div Two at that... Will see if I can find out.

 

Wouldn't even say it's his decision making, it's his indecisiveness when coming out (oo-er) that causes the problem as he gets caught in no mans land.

 

One of the points Roger made at the ground was do you remember an opposing keeper standing out for all the right reasons this season? OK, as Chris said we only see them for one game, but I can't recall seeing a better opposing keeper thus far?? Not that it helps us out in the slightest, but it shows that he's certainly no worse than any others at this level, but unfortunately on recent showings, certainly not much better.

 

Like the new profile bit under your name as well. Nice touch!

[Ian]

Quote:

Gary-STFC said:

One of the points Roger made at the ground was do you remember an opposing keeper standing out for all the right reasons this season? OK, as Chris said we only see them for one game, but I can't recall seeing a better opposing keeper thus far??

The ageing, lardy guy who played for Cheshunt in the Bryco ('don't miss it') Cup game. Yes, he was old and yes, he was lardy but he made a host of quite brilliant saves to stop us getting back into the game.

[Radders]

I appreciate what you say Gazza about the other keepers as I can't really remember an outstanding keeper this year. However, when keepers make great stops you remember them (the keeper at Worthing) for example. However, if a keeper is consistently comfortable on crosses or coming off his line, you very rarely notice it unless he is your keeper. I can't think of that many keepers this year (Harwood at Bromley, and Epsom's youngster are the exceptions) who have stood out so poorly as to remember them. Maybe I only see the worst side of Fozzy as he is our keeper. Ho hum, lets see what Saturday brings. Should point out, I wasn't wearing the shirt tonight but it will be back for Saturday so we should be OK.

 

Gary change that bit under my name!!!!! I want Alan Foster's biggest (in more ways than one) fan instead!

[Dominic]

I dont know about performance but the most horrible keeper i ever met was the Stalybridge keeper the year they got releagted in 1997/1998. I shouted something like 'you might be called Stalybridge but you cant stay in the league'and he told me to FU*K OFF! We were thrown out the league that summer so i wish i had shut up! <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

[Ian]

Surely the sort of criticism that Foster is getting can be directed at almost any of our players? I don't mean that they're all dodgy on crosses but that they all have failings that are inherent in players at this level of football.

 

Daly gets injured too much, Murphy's too slow, Freddie's too fat (sorry Fred), Haddow overhits crosses, Boot's too arrogant, Wilko has psychopathic tendencies, Ryan Spencer is too lazy to track back and Foster drops the odd cross and doesn't command his area.

 

On the other hand Daly is a fantastic captain and brilliant in the air, Murphy reads the game extremely well, Freddie hits a great dead ball, Alex works bloody hard, Booty takes penalties better than any pro I've watched in almost 30 years, Wilko is a great ball winner, Spence is one of the most creative players we've got and Foster is as good a shot stopper as anything in our division and most of the one above.

 

If our players were as consistent or error free as we would like, they would not be playing for Slough Town in the Rymans League Division One.

[Matt]

You know the old saying - you tend to remember goalkeepers for the mistakes they make rather than the saves (e.g Seaman and James). It is true that Foster has made a large number of mistakes which have cost goals, but I don't really think that there are many better alternatives at this level of football. Also goalkeepers are in the minority on a football pitch, so I wouldn't have thought there would be that many around. I haven't seen the boy Hunt play in goal so I can't comment on him, but it would be nice to sign a backup keeper at some point to give Fossie a little kick up the a*se.

 

By the way, I'm assuming the Furmage in the starting line-up is the same one that Windsor released this week (see their forum). Anyone know if he'll be signing or was he just recruited to play on a casual basis to make up numbers?

[Radders]

In response firstly to Ian, Matt makes a good point about goalkeepers being remembered more ie. Haddow's crosses and Hyatt's weight aren't necessary going to give chances away. I still persist that Foster is the current weak link but I will happily agree to disagree.

 

In response to Matt's question about Furmage, the fact that Brown was on the bench and Furmage played at right back suggests that it may have been more of a trial than helping out but then I don't know for certain. Can't say I really noticed him either good or bad.

[Guest]

I can`t believe the critisism that Foster is getting. I watched some pre season games and the keepers we tried out were awful and then foster came in and I personally have been more than comfortable with him in the side. Having played in goal, (not very well) but it has always been my favourite position i tend to take a more detailed look at how they play and apart from Welling away I can`t think of anytime that i would say Foster had a bad game. I totally agree with Ian and if our players were faultless they wouldn`t be playing for us. Yes players make mistakes but it is only goalkeepers that get usually get punished for their mistakes. I am more than happy with him in our side and the remarks made earlier I feel are far too harsh and uncalled for especially when we are on such a good winning run. I can think of worse keepers for slough even when we were in the conference i.e Chuck Moussadik and that useless Aussie keeper we had for a little while and i don`t mean mautone!

[Ted]

I can't beleive we are having this discussion after the game against Staines.

[St Leonard]

The only good saves at Staines were two at the end. They were only reflex saves and luck of the draw. He dropped too many crosses, messed up too many punches and didn't move from his line in that Staines game, even the Bench were shouting at him. But sadly the two decent saves were at the end so people remember them to the dreadful first alf he had.

 

The Farnborough keeper last night was better than Foster - and he knows it.

 

As for Daly and Murphy - Thank God they are playing. If you look at the other defenders then you can appreciate how valuable they are and if one of them got injured we would be up a creek without a paddle!

[Radders]

I'm sorry, anonymous, but your comments are almost laughable. How can you say Welling has been his only bad game. His errors of judgement, especially when coming off his line, have cost us many goals, as has his inability to manage crosses. Anyone that watches Slough regularly can see his discomfort in these situations.

 

I'd like to point out that my main point is that Foster's FORM is crap not necessary the player himself. From what I had seen of him at Thame and what I saw up to November/December of this season, I believed he was one of the best keepers at this level. But his FORM since this time has been dreadful. Gary himself states this fact in his post earlier in the thread and I know from last night that there are others who feel the same. This is why I want us to get another keeper in to give him some pressure as that can often improve performance.

 

Your point about his shot stopping is fair, he is a good shot stopper and one of the saves against Staines at the end was top drawer. But shot stopping is a small part of goalkeeping. The other aspects play just as big a part.

 

I will not retract the statements that I made in the initial post, as they are my views and my opinions. When we miss out on the top 6 after more errors towards the end of the season, maybe then people will take off their tinted glasses and see for themselves.

[Guest]

When i said it was his only bad game i meant it was the only game where he had really cost us the game. Now you are telling me that there are not other players that have cost us goals/games this season, just off the top off my head i can` think of steve daly away at Walton, Adrian Browne numerous times, Freddie Hyatt. I am happy with him as a goalkeeper and if you are telling me that it is just his form you are unhappy with then your comments are even more harsh. Every player goes through a dip in form and confidence and i just believe posting comments like that about one of your own players on here is far from helping the situation. For crying out loud if people were dropped because of form we would never have spencer in our team as far as I am concerned he has had about 5 decent games for us and they were just before he got injured. How people can think he is conference quality is beyond me.

[St Leonard]

Steve Daly away at Walton:

 

Bloody Hell, only because the other 3 defenders were crap and he was playing all across the back line. Anyway, we would have won the first time if Eddie hadn't have called the game off

[Radders]

I like the way you say;

 

i just believe posting comments like that about one of your own players on here is far from helping the situation

 

and then you say;

 

For crying out loud if people were dropped because of form we would never have spencer in our team as far as I am concerned he has had about 5 decent games for us and they were just before he got injured. How people can think he is conference quality is beyond me.

 

First of all - WHAT A HYPOCRIT!!!!!

 

Second of all - The 'Ryan Spencer is conference quality' comments are very much 'tongue-in-cheek' although I do believe he is one of our most creative players which was obvious during the period when he was out to the time Hakki arrived. However, I refuse to get drawn into another Spencer argument as I've said all I have to say on that previously.