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Mignolet


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So he's been here one season and we've seen enough of him to form a solid view of what he brings (or not, as the case may be) to the team.  With a defensive record as poor as ours it seems sensible to focus on issues at the back.  For me Mignolet's lack of aerial command has a profound influence on the rest of the defensive set up although I know others don't see it the same way.  I think he was a bit better at this aspect of his game towards the end of the season but there's definitely room for further improvement.

 

Thoughts?

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Poor in the air, doesn't command his area, doesn't sweep very well and distribution leaves a lot to be desired.

 

Great shot stopper although we've seen one or two poor efforts squirm past him.

 

Will never forget the massive penalty save against Stoke but cant help thinking we could do better. Not 100% convinced by Joe Hart but there is a rumour.....

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Guest Numero Veinticinco

Would like to see us have a settles side that doesn't allow so many shots and crosses in, plus a group of CBs who can deal with ballsnin the air.

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Guest Numero Veinticinco

I don't rate him, at all - but we have other positions that need looking at first.  If we have surplus transfer money left after all our business and we can move him on, I'd look at a replacement.

Whilst he isn't the player I'd have bought (I listed about 10 at the time, he wasn't one of them) but I think his weaknesses have been massively overstated, especially his distribution, and I think he has had a tough time of it with a back four playing like it has. Of course, if a keeper came along who was better I'd not hesitate to swap them out, but for me it's without doubt that he had a positive contribution to our season.

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Whilst he isn't the player I'd have bought (I listed about 10 at the time, he wasn't one of them) but I think his weaknesses have been massively overstated, especially his distribution, and I think he has had a tough time of it with a back four playing like it has. Of course, if a keeper came along who was better I'd not hesitate to swap them out, but for me it's without doubt that he had a positive contribution to our season.

 

His distribution I can live with.  It's the fact I need a clean pair of boxers every time he comes for a cross.  His decision making is up there with the worst I've ever seen.

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Guest Numero Veinticinco

His distribution I can live with.  It's the fact I need a clean pair of boxers every time he comes for a cross.  His decision making is up there with the worst I've ever seen.

It's partly because of the defence, in my opinion. Not a strong point of his, but with a settled defence all that will improve.

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We have defended too deep under pressure with no natural leader in the back 4 and he hasn't looked comfortable much of the time. Without Carra I doubt Reina would have done any better for us this year between the sticks other than his distribution is lights years ahead of Migs.

I think we probably need a better keeper in time but we damn near won the league with Mig so sorting out the defense to give him more space and cover is first priority then see how he gets on. A better No 2 is a must . Jones is hopeless.

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Jury's still out but I wouldn't be looking to replace him, maybe give him some stronger competition. He looked nervous on the run-in.  That's not to say he was bad as he wasn't but he's not commanding or confident enough at the minute.  Great shot stopper of course.  He's pretty young though, first season at a big club and under bigger pressure than we'd have expected, so hard to be too critical of him.

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I don’t think he’s poor in the air at all. 

 

In the recent Norwich game he was plucking everything out of the air in the first half no matter what way they came at him.  Fast, high, loping, and all under pressure from the forwards.  But then he makes an elementary error by coming for a ball he should have left to the defence.

 

For me, Mignolet has two weaknesses he needs to work on. His decision making is one.  He needs to be taught when to come for a ball and when to trust the defence, or his ability to make the save should the attacker win the header.  He also needs to work on his concentration.  Keepers at smaller clubs can look great because they’re constantly under pressure and making saves.  Come to a bigger club and you can be standing around for 20-25 mins doing nothing, but are then expected to be fully switched on.

 

One worry, is that those two attributes are hard to teach.  I think he has next season, and if it’s more of the same, Rodgers may replace him.

 

But also don;t rule out how exposed our defence has left him at times.  They've a lot to answer for.

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It's partly because of the defence, in my opinion. Not a strong point of his, but with a settled defence all that will improve.

 

I usually agree with you, but I can't think how this would improve with a settled back 4. 

 

His fuck up against Villa at home (their 2nd goal), the weird thing he did against Arsenal at home and his punch into Skrtel's head against Norwich - are 3 mistakes which I couldn't even explain if I watched them 500 times.

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I don’t think he’s poor in the air at all. 

 

In the recent Norwich game he was plucking everything out of the air in the first half no matter what way they came at him.  Fast, high, loping, and all under pressure from the forwards.  But then he makes an elementary error by coming for a ball he should have left to the defence.

 

For me, Mignolet has two weaknesses he needs to work on. His decision making is one.  He needs to be taught when to come for a ball and when to trust the defence, or his ability to make the save should the attacker win the header.  He also needs to work on his concentration.  Keepers at smaller clubs can look great because they’re constantly under pressure and making saves.  Come to a bigger club and you can be standing around for 20-25 mins doing nothing, but are then expected to be fully switched on.

 

One worry, is that those two attributes are hard to teach.  I think he has next season, and if it’s more of the same, Rodgers may replace him.

 

But also don;t rule out how exposed our defence has left him at times.  They've a lot to answer for.

Agree with this. He's not hiding, which is fairly crucial.

Still coming out to punch etc.

And as far as i can see, he's improving in that dept.

If/when the defence sorts itself out, he will improve accordingly.

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I don’t think he’s poor in the air at all. 

 

In the recent Norwich game he was plucking everything out of the air in the first half no matter what way they came at him.  Fast, high, loping, and all under pressure from the forwards.  But then he makes an elementary error by coming for a ball he should have left to the defence.

 

For me, Mignolet has two weaknesses he needs to work on. His decision making is one.  He needs to be taught when to come for a ball and when to trust the defence, or his ability to make the save should the attacker win the header.  He also needs to work on his concentration.  Keepers at smaller clubs can look great because they’re constantly under pressure and making saves.  Come to a bigger club and you can be standing around for 20-25 mins doing nothing, but are then expected to be fully switched on.

 

One worry, is that those two attributes are hard to teach.  I think he has next season, and if it’s more of the same, Rodgers may replace him.

 

But also don;t rule out how exposed our defence has left him at times.  They've a lot to answer for.

 

Yep.

Good analysis.

Especially for a Nortsider.

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His distribution I can live with.  It's the fact I need a clean pair of boxers every time he comes for a cross.  His decision making is up there with the worst I've ever seen.

 

Yep, same for me.

 

Surely it can be worked on though? If it doesn't improve next season he'll have to go the following summer.

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2014-15 will be the season which shows how much of a future he has at the club. If he improves his distribution and commands his area better (although the latter sounds like something a keeper can either instinctively do or not, I do feel that although his indecision has not helped the defence, it cuts both ways and a more settled, improved defence in front of him would help him) then I think he can be our keeper for the next ten years. If he continues to show the same hesitation (both with his distribution and leaving his line) then I suspect we'll be looking for an upgrade next summer.

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I like him, but i liked him at Sunderland as well before we got him. His stop stopping is world class, when an opposition player hits the ball from 25 yards it'd take an impossible save for him not to get to it. He needs competition (Vorm?) to keep him from being complacent, but i reckon he'll be here for the long haul.

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I don’t think he’s poor in the air at all.

 

In the recent Norwich game he was plucking everything out of the air in the first half no matter what way they came at him. Fast, high, loping, and all under pressure from the forwards. But then he makes an elementary error by coming for a ball he should have left to the defence.

 

For me, Mignolet has two weaknesses he needs to work on. His decision making is one. He needs to be taught when to come for a ball and when to trust the defence, or his ability to make the save should the attacker win the header. He also needs to work on his concentration. Keepers at smaller clubs can look great because they’re constantly under pressure and making saves. Come to a bigger club and you can be standing around for 20-25 mins doing nothing, but are then expected to be fully switched on.

 

One worry, is that those two attributes are hard to teach. I think he has next season, and if it’s more of the same, Rodgers may replace him.

 

But also don;t rule out how exposed our defence has left him at times. They've a lot to answer for.

I remember reading an assessment on him by a Mackem journo before he signed last year, and the very thing you have raised regards the differing demands on keepers between a smaller club to one like Liverpool were the questions he mentioned back then as largest for Mignolet to answer. He also said he had mistakes in him but was an honest keeper who knew what he had to do to improve them and didn't shirk away from focusing on doing so.

 

Agree next season is a huge one for him. That I still personally felt he was an improvement on Reina this season despite his weaknesses may say more about how I saw Pepe in his last few years. That definitely can't be the extent of his achievement, so improvements needed. I have a feeling I heard Sunderland fans were only fully won over by him in his second year, but that is just something ringing a bell as I write this.

 

Confident he can make the adjustments necessary though, and agree with those of you pointing out the defence this year really hasn't helped him, especially while acclimiatising to a new environment which is such a step up.

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The best teams often have the highest acclaimed keepers, even though, paradoxically they tend to have the least to do. 

 

One great save at a top club is deemed as saving the entire match, but 3 or 4 great saves at a bottom club get applauded and forgotten.

 

By the time your (any club's) keeper is highlighted as an issue, the chances are, the bigger problem is right in front of him.

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difficult to know whether to blame him entirely or the defenders. He certainly doesn't command his area, but maybe that is because he doesn't trust his defenders.

 

It's a two way street.

 

He's a young keeper. Give him time.

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Great shot stopper which is a relief after Reina the two previous seasons. His use of the ball has improved massively since August and looks quite comfortable now. He needs to be more commanding on crosses and coming off his line, think he'll only get better personally. 

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