Betts is shocking

[Jim©]

Ill revert to stats I used last Friday- Betts has a very low % of shots saved v shots faced. Wigan, Luton and Stoke have lower %.
We have the most shots on target- 72.5%.

I also saw that Marcus Bettinelli - The Championship spectator. Fulham's 27-year-old stopper has been the least busy man in the division when it comes to shots faced per 90 minutes- 1.69. Yet we're conceding almost a goal a game. Not great stats really.

[colinwhite]

He should have stopped the Cardiff goal. It was poor goalkeeping against WBA but Austen should be marked with aplayer not allowing him to bully our keeper and blocking his closeness to Betinneli. Without these 2 mistakes we could have had 4 more points. Its harsh I know. Think his distribution has been fine and I thought he was playing well until the goal. Its going to be difficult to keep concetration levels high whoevr our gK is ,playing in a team with 70 per cent possession and little to do. Should he be dropped ? Well that depends on how well Rodak has been doing in training.

[The Rational Fan]

I don't know if Betts deserves to be dropped, but "Rodak seems Ready" (top keeper Fabri left to a Liga A team to get on the bench so Rodak must be good) and Betts is not doing enough to stop a keeper commanding his place in the starting XI.

Fabri was playing Champions League well and yet he was number three goalkeeper, Rodak must be a very good keeper to get ahead of him and based on the Southampton game it seems he might be. Betts hasn't made so many mistakes, but with Rodak as competition he cannot make any half mistakes; Betts has made a two half mistakes and one full mistake in the last three games. "Rodak is Ready" must be considered.

[hovewhite]

Re Betts Saturday ,I want my keeper taking responsibility going through players and either punching away or claiming it,it's about letting everyone in the box it's your area and it's something he's week at doing ,also with coaching on training pitch something that can be put right;

[toshes mate]

I would agree that he's been off the mark lately. I also would like to see Rodak. However, the goal he conceded shouldn't have happened because he should expect that physicality, and instead was acting as if a foul should've been called. That's where his focus was - and that is what was shocking to see. It was the most basic of not being switched on. He got caught out - and it cost us dearly. I hope Parker addresses that lack of focus for the next match.

I agree and disagree with this at the same time. 

For sure Bettinelli's response after the goal was conceded seemed an inappropriate reaction given the nature of Austin's 'foul' which simply should not have been allowed to happen in a well organised and methodical defensive formation.   Who is responsible for protecting the goalkeeper at set pieces other than Bettinelli?  Did he or anyone else (e.g. captain) communicate the danger?  Was anyone actually taking a defenders view of the dangers?  The flapped save was because he was off balance from the timing of Austin's shove - he is on the wrong foot and unable to get the height and position needed to catch the ball rather than flap at it.

The other issues around this incident is that the team - overall - lost control of the match after it proving that confidence is not exactly at its optimum.   Many things to consider other than the goalkeeping error that will not necessarily be solved by switching goalkeepers.   The defence needs a lot of work on it because, lacking height, it needs a dominant personality enforcing and commanding it.   

[Bassey the warrior]

I would agree that he's been off the mark lately. I also would like to see Rodak. However, the goal he conceded shouldn't have happened because he should expect that physicality, and instead was acting as if a foul should've been called. That's where his focus was - and that is what was shocking to see. It was the most basic of not being switched on. He got caught out - and it cost us dearly. I hope Parker addresses that lack of focus for the next match.

I agree and disagree with this at the same time. 

For sure Bettinelli's response after the goal was conceded seemed an inappropriate reaction given the nature of Austin's 'foul' which simply should not have been allowed to happen in a well organised and methodical defensive formation.   Who is responsible for protecting the goalkeeper at set pieces other than Bettinelli?  Did he or anyone else (e.g. captain) communicate the danger?  Was anyone actually taking a defenders view of the dangers?  The flapped save was because he was off balance from the timing of Austin's shove - he is on the wrong foot and unable to get the height and position needed to catch the ball rather than flap at it.

The other issues around this incident is that the team - overall - lost control of the match after it proving that confidence is not exactly at its optimum.   Many things to consider other than the goalkeeping error that will not necessarily be solved by switching goalkeepers.   The defence needs a lot of work on it because, lacking height, it needs a dominant personality enforcing and commanding it.   

Agree we should've had a man on Austin but it wasn't a foul and Betts should've been able to tip it over the bar. No excuse for not doing so.
Think it's time for Rodak. Take Betts out the firing line.

[Sting of the North]

I prefer to keep Betts, since he has finally looked like he is able to contribute to our possession game. That is very important to our play, and I believe the number of weak performances are not par for the course, but rather a bad spell. He will not let in soft goals every game.

This is also partly due to me not knowing much about Rodak, but no-one seem to be claiming that distribution is his strong side.

[love4ffc]

Agree that Betts has improved his distribution and that it's vital to have that for working out of the back.  Also agree he should not be dropped currently.  I do however think that it would be important to bring an experienced keeper in the January window.  If for no other reason than to give Betts better competition for the number 1 spot. 

[Statto]

He will not let in soft goals every game.

No doubt many of us will have different definitions of the term "soft goal" but IMO he's let in soft goals in 5 out of 7 games so far, and in the other two games combined, he only faced one shot on target

It's perhaps also worth noting that had we played the season so far with no goalkeeper at all, we'd still have 9 pts currently

[Matt10]

I would agree that he's been off the mark lately. I also would like to see Rodak. However, the goal he conceded shouldn't have happened because he should expect that physicality, and instead was acting as if a foul should've been called. That's where his focus was - and that is what was shocking to see. It was the most basic of not being switched on. He got caught out - and it cost us dearly. I hope Parker addresses that lack of focus for the next match.

I agree and disagree with this at the same time. 

For sure Bettinelli's response after the goal was conceded seemed an inappropriate reaction given the nature of Austin's 'foul' which simply should not have been allowed to happen in a well organised and methodical defensive formation.   Who is responsible for protecting the goalkeeper at set pieces other than Bettinelli?  Did he or anyone else (e.g. captain) communicate the danger?  Was anyone actually taking a defenders view of the dangers?  The flapped save was because he was off balance from the timing of Austin's shove - he is on the wrong foot and unable to get the height and position needed to catch the ball rather than flap at it.

The other issues around this incident is that the team - overall - lost control of the match after it proving that confidence is not exactly at its optimum.   Many things to consider other than the goalkeeping error that will not necessarily be solved by switching goalkeepers.   The defence needs a lot of work on it because, lacking height, it needs a dominant personality enforcing and commanding it.   

Agreed, we should have had someone on Austin. Didn't make sense to me either.

I understand why he made poor contact with the ball. I just think in the split moment he's worried about Austin, he should be worried about the ball. Before the ball was kicked he was protesting to the referee as well. This did not seem to be where his focus should've been - but that's where it was at.

Lack of off-the-ball focus aside, he then has another opportunity to either punch or push the ball behind him, but instead he flops it sideways and in a more threatening spot. His hand is not facing to slap the ball backwards for another corner, nor is it in a fist position to punch it. I don't think it is a technique issue. I think it was him losing focus at the wrong time. Keepers practice for being out of balance and wrong-footed. The push/shove and physical alteractions are already expected when you step on the pitch. He got caught out being worried about that instead.

I wouldn't mind Rodak, but I also don't mind Betts. Keepers have to be focused 100% of the time, especially when they are not under threat very often in a match. Betts didn't pass that test in that scenario. However, it's sports; you will always have another chance - but it's up to Parker for when those chances have run out, or if he just needs a mental break.

[Two Ton Ted]

Probably just my unpopular opinion but I don't think we've had a top quality keeper at the club since Schwarzer left.

All good teams are built from the back with a good spine and we've lacked that quality number 1 for some time. Now that may be down to coaching as I've not seen many Fulham keepers be able to catch a ball in the 6 yard box for the last few years, the punch/palm seems to have taken over from the fist and catch.

Either way, as long as we look like we are unlikely to keep many clean sheets this season, then our promotion aspirations are going to suffer.

[The Rational Fan]

He will not let in soft goals every game.

No doubt many of us will have different definitions of the term "soft goal" but IMO he's let in soft goals in 5 out of 7 games so far, and in the other two games combined, he only faced one shot on target

It's perhaps also worth noting that had we played the season so far with no goalkeeper at all, we'd still have 9 pts currently

We would be on 19 points now if both keepers in our games let every "shot on target" into the net. We have had more shots on target every game, except Barnsley.

"Rodak is Ready" makes the decision to drop Betts a no-brainer. Betts might not deserve to be dropped, but Rodak deserves his chance.

Ray Clemence was a great keeper for England that was dropped in favour of Peter Shilton, because Shilton was even better.

[Spirit of 2000]

Probably just my unpopular opinion but I don't think we've had a top quality keeper at the club since Schwarzer left.

All good teams are built from the back with a good spine and we've lacked that quality number 1 for some time. Now that may be down to coaching as I've not seen many Fulham keepers be able to catch a ball in the 6 yard box for the last few years, the punch/palm seems to have taken over from the fist and catch.

Either way, as long as we look like we are unlikely to keep many clean sheets this season, then our promotion aspirations are going to suffer.

Agree - We were blessed with a number of quality keepers for a period, Taylor, EVDS, Niemi & Schwarzer were all top class ... even Crossley & Keller weren't too bad. Since that period Rico, Betts, Stockdale, Lonergan aren't awful keepers – but nor are they particularly great either. Hopefully Rodak will hark back to being closer the standard of the 1st group listed (optimistic I know)

[Chesh]

Probably just my unpopular opinion but I don't think we've had a top quality keeper at the club since Schwarzer left.

All good teams are built from the back with a good spine and we've lacked that quality number 1 for some time. Now that may be down to coaching as I've not seen many Fulham keepers be able to catch a ball in the 6 yard box for the last few years, the punch/palm seems to have taken over from the fist and catch.

Don't see it as an unpopular opinion, as imo we haven't had a consistently decent keeper since Schwarzer

[Riverside]

I dislike the headline here
Betts is not shocking . Indeed I think his distribution is improving

But Rodak could be better

The telling moment for me was not when he conceded the goal but earlier when he got a load and genuine round of applause for intercepting and catching the ball . Something that we should be taking for granted


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[Sting of the North]

He will not let in soft goals every game.

No doubt many of us will have different definitions of the term "soft goal" but IMO he's let in soft goals in 5 out of 7 games so far, and in the other two games combined, he only faced one shot on target

It's perhaps also worth noting that had we played the season so far with no goalkeeper at all, we'd still have 9 pts currently

The first part here is of course subjective, I agree with that. The second part I believe is not noteworthy at all, since that is most likely not how things would have worked out if we didn't play a goalkeeper.