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Is it time to give Phil Smith an extended run in the side? For the most part Smith (from what I have seen) has been miles better than Lucas, After last night as well I think Smith should be given a shot. Bit harsh that Smith can play 3 or 4 good games on the trot but as soon at Lucas is fit, Smith gets dropped regardless how well he does.

Lucas is number 1 in my opinion, and deservedly so. Yes he made a mistake last night, and at Walsall, but the amount of decent saves he's made. He is also more vocal, and the defence seem more confident with him in goal.

It would be just as idiotic to drop Lucas after one rick as it was to barrack Smith when he made a single mistake. We saw with the Brez/Smith chopping and changing under Malpas, you mess with chopping and changing keepers at the risk of destroying the confidence of both

Perhaps but Smith plays well and does nothing to lose the shirt but because loverboy is fit he gets dropped? Dont get me wrong, Lucas on his day is a great keeper and is more vocal but Smith does nothing to lose the shirt but gets dropped? I guess the team does lack a leader apart from Lucas and maybe that answers my own question?

Whereas Lucas performs better most of the time so had a right to be recalled.

But really it comes down to what Paul D says, we can't chop and change in that area of the pitch in my opinion.

Stop being a cock Gary

No, even though he is prone to the odd error, I feel much more confident when Lucas is in between the sticks.  He pulled out a worldy not 5 minutes after his ricket last night.

NO

Not sure :hmmm:

You really are a cock sometimes, Lucas your new scapegoat is he...........you could argue just as much for the first goal why we weren't set up to defend it like a corner and had people on the posts. I just don't think we realised quite how big that Plymouth blokes throw was.

Lucas is a novelty at Town as we actually have a keeper who opens his mouth and long may it continue, since he's been here he's probably cost us about 5 goals and done far more good than he has bad. Smith is here as backup to Lucas who is our number 1 and when fit he should play, his leadership and experience is vital in a young team.

Fuck me. One defeat and it's time to drop the keeper.

When's the Wilson out thread starting.

Fucking hell.

DW has made it clear that Lucas will be number one barring injury or a long run of bad form.
The Plymouth keeper was shocking last night on a few ocasions but they won........so the Muff fans wont be concerned...thats the nature opf the beast.
Smith is a decent keeper and a fine shot stopper but for me and more importantly DW Lucas is the better all round keeper.

A keeper in league 1 who makes the occasional mistake, bloody hell thats a shocker!

If he didnt make the odd mistake he wouldn't be in league 1, no keeper at this level will be error free.

lucas is better.

we should be more concerned that our team shape has changed for the worse,and have a weaker side this year.

If it was smith that made the mistake he would be dropped.

Lucas = Scapegoat? Not a chance he is a good keeper. Just stating that Lucas has made quite a few mistakes whilst Smith has done quite well this season, surely you play the stronger keeper??  The difference with Brezovan was he was just a shit keeper, He hit a purple patch when he arrived and was shit pretty much ever since, some would argue he lost his confidence after his injury. I was talking in general terms that I think Smith has been a better keeper this season and dont think its fair he gets dropped just because Lucas is fit again.

Lucas IS the stronger keeper though, you need to look at the bigger picture and what he brings to the defence overall ie a voice as Smith says fuck all during games, he's a reasonable back up but Lucas is a better keeper as his career has shown playing for years in the Championship whereas Smith is unlikely ever to get any higher than this division. Smith doesn't get dropped in the usual sense as he is backup so only plays when Lucas can't or is rested and as soon as he is fit he plays, it happens at all clubs who have clear number 1 keepers. Shit examples but citing the Premiership Cech plays for Chelsea when fit, Reina plays for Liverpool when fit. Most clubs have a clear number 1 keeper and we are no different.

After about 10 minutes last night I was ready in the Smith for Lucas camp. But after that Lucas was pretty good, a couple of excellent saves which I'm not sure Smith would have got to. So Lucas is back in my good book.

Gazza has a Phil Smith duvet cover and lots of posters on his wall and a little shrine with a lock of smith's hair that he uses to perform druidic voodoo rituals to make smith love him back.

Has Phil Smith ever had locks of hair?

Pubic?

best not to think about it.

I agree with this
Let's see how we do on Saturday hopefully everyone will be a hero again

I'm sure Phil Smith's shagging Gary's sister or cousin or something like that.

Fuck that, let's go into full-on panic meltdown RIGHT NOW!!!! BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!!!!

Yes, I'd have Phil Smith back in for Saturday.

...but...thats not just because Lucas has cost us a few goals this season. I firmly believe if you come in and play well you keep the shirt. Since Wilson has been here Smith has been faultless.

He came back in for Brez at the end of the Malpas/Wilson season and played a huge part that often gets over looked in that final push to get away from the bottom 4. Last season every time he was called upon he was decent, putting in many match winning performances - most notably Southampton away and Charlton in the Play Offs.

I would have had him in at Wembley and I would have had him as first choice since then. He's come in played well and has deserved to keep the shirt and he hasnt. Outfield players have.

As many decent saves as Lucas has made between his mistakes, Smith has made just as many decent saves in the games he has played.

That was my point about as soon as Lucas is fit he plays depsite Smith having some great games doing nothing to lose the shirt.

Utter bollox. Lucas is by far the superior keeper. He takes more risks so leaves himself open to fucking up like the first goal yesterday. Lucas commands his area while Smith is like a quivering fucking jelly when he comes off his line. The defence generally know what Lucas is going to do because he tells them. They haven't got a fucking clue what Smith is going to do. Lucas is also by far a more physical presence. In shot stopping ability I'd put them equal. The really annoying habit Smith also has is racing out then crapping himself, back pedalling and when you're back pedalling you can't dive - that has cost us 2 goals this season already.
Smith is Ok as a back up but he's nowhere near as fucking good as Lucas.

:nod:

It isn't utter bollocks.

Smith has been the better of the two this season.

We'll have to agree to disagree

I think it's time Smith got a decent chance. It was only last week or the week before that Wilson was claiming they were pretty much level pegging. Lucas has made a few decent saves this season but he's also made some mistakes the worse being last night's. On the other hand Smith has come in when Lucas has not been fit and has done nothing wrong. I'd be tempted to change it. After all it wouldn't be right for Wilson to have Lucas believe he's untouchable when he's making errors IMO.

This thread is a complete over reaction, before last night we had conceded just 1 goal in 5 games.  The defence look alot more confident with Lucas behind him as he commands his box, organises the defence and is much more dominant.  Lucas has made mistakes but Phil Smith has also made plenty, I agree with the earlier comments Smith is a good backup but Lucas should remain our number 1.

On the first page pauld and Arriba both hit the nail on the head.

Would be very silly to drop him, can't see it happening.

Do not agree with this comment in any shape or form. Lucas played the whole season and hardly put a foot wrong. Smith had a good semi final but no way should he have taken Lucas' place. Like saying we shouldve kept Paynter on the bench because Ward had a very good game in the first leg against Charlton.

It has been mentioned numerous times before. But Lucas offers so much more than Smith. He adds alot more experience to the defence, hes alot more vocal than Smith.

We should have kept Paynter on the bench because Ward had a very good game in the first leg against Charlton.

Although I expect that was much to do with AOB not being able to manage another game within a few days what with no having played for the previous 6 months.

Haha fair enough..

Lucas was a pivotal part in getting us to Wembley in my opinion (maybe not yours). Do you not think that was a good enough reason to play him.

Or Paynter being our top scorer?

Excactly.


So you would've dropped Lucas and Paynter.  Im not Jose Mourinho but don't think that would've been the best choice.

Dont get me wrong, Lucas certainly played his part over the season but when off injured the game before. Smith came in and played a huge part in getting us to Wembley.

Lucas was rushed back and imo didnt look 100%. Almost concious of a bad landing or something. I also think he got caught out for the Millwall goal. It sounds like a hindsight but I said on the coach on the way up id start Smith.


He was injured. It showed.

Disagree. Both would not have played unless fully fit

You cant possibly tell me Paynter was fully fit for the play off semi final second leg and the final, because he wasnt.

Anyone could see that.

His body was.............but the grey matter was more concerned of preserving what he had for Leeds.
He wasn't....and didn't want to put his head or his body in ware it hurt.
Dont blame him as he wanted his big move with the big money...........so he shouldn't have played in either games  when the club knew he was deffo on his way.

He didn't look as explosive as usual that's for sure, but should'nt have been dropped.

I always thought if Ward played up front he would've got 30+ goals, when he was on the last man he was uncontrollable. However in my opinion, the semi final and final is a bit late to be tinkering with the team we had throughout the season and got us to that stage.

I wouldnt have tinkered with it - unless forced to.

Lucas went off injured against Charlton which forced the change of keeper and Paynter missed the first game through injury and clearly wasnt fit for the next two.

Forced changes.

I feel much more confident with Lucas in goal. He's commanding and vocal, comes well for crosses, and practically acts as a second captain. He's number one, and should play whenever fit

Smith, although a great keeper and adequate cover, still fills me with nerves when coming for crosses, and being less vocal doesn't really help.

Lucas to remain in goal for saturday, and hopefully the return of 4-4-2.

You said you would've dropped Lucas in the final. I didn't say anything about Smith playing in the semi final, obviously that change had to be made. Lucas said himself in an interview on points west he was '500%' fit to play in the final. If you chose to drop him in the final, that is an unforced change as he was fully fit...

Taking the keeper who played in the semi final (Smith) and playing him in the final (Smith) isnt making a change, is it?

I couldnt have dropped Lucas from the final because he wasnt in the team that finished the semi final anyway.

Smith got dropped and Lucas came back in.

If Smith had played he'd have kept his place.

if you chose to drop him, even if he was fit would that not be an enforced change, as oposed to your unforced change :hmmm:

Who started that match?

Yes thought so- Lucas.

If O'brien starts in place of Dossevi of Saturday, is that dropping Dossevi or O'brien? It's dropping Dossevi because he started the game.

Great that the TEF is arguing on which keeper to play...sign of the recent times.

Apart from all the arguments about brez/smith a couple of years ago.

I think we should give Jesionkowski a run in the side...how are we going to get a fee for him if he doesn't play?

Lucas played about 27 seconds.

Smith played about 130 minutes.

Come on, use some common sense.

If Rose doesnt play Saturday, he wont have been dropped despite playing the majority of the game last night? no.

No he won't have been dropped. Sheehan would be dropped. Dropping players refers to dropping them from the starting lineup.

smith does ok when deputising and i dont have a problem if he plays.that said i do feel he is a bit jittery off his line,and not anywhere near as commanding and vocal as lucas is.
lucas is blatantly wilsons no1 anyway as he has had ample opportunity to play smith.

No it doesnt. It refers to dropping them from the team.

In both instances Smith and Rose played the majority of the game, thus being out of the team the following game would be dropping them. End.

We both have different views of the term 'dropped'- thats fine.

Anyway back to your first point. There's no way Smith should've started in goal at Wembley. Whether its dropping Lucas or not. And saying he should've been in goal ever since Wembley that's just riduclous, considering the season Lucas had last season and the proportion of games Lucas has played in comparison to Smith..

:headhurts: :headhurts: :headhurts: :headhurts:

We're Poles apart on this one, Reg.