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Brice Lauriche Samba - „Magic Hands“

witneyred

Viv Anderson
So right now our ex keeper is playing in the CL against Arsenal. In the meantime we have had a sicknote, a 36 yr old on loan, another 36 yr old who is totally past it, a keeper who can't kick, and now one who won't come off his line.

I get that Samba wanted to leave, and also that he was indeed unproven at the top level, but just goes to show.

I think it's actually the one position where we are weaker now than in the promotion side.
I get your point but your timing of this post isn't the best.
 

Statto

Free Kick Specialist
I get your point but your timing of this post isn't the best.
It was posted before the match though.

He is still better than any of the keepers we have had since, with the exception of Navas possibly, who was never young enough to be anything other than a half season stop gap.
 

Rzar

Bob McKinlay
But so what? It's been done to death. You said yourself he wanted to leave, if he wanted to go then there is nothing that could be done so it's pointless going over it over and over.

I also think your judgement of our current keepers is premature & a bit hyperbolic so you can have a rant. Plus Brice isn't have a great season so far, we know he's quality but the top level is demanding.
 

Monkman

Grenville Morris
Still a bit early to judge Vlachodimos - yes he's conceded 6 in 2 (!) but I don't think any of them were his fault at all. Even the West Ham corners - he'd never have reached the ball if he'd come for those imo, so crowded was the penalty area. Plus Turner was actually fine bar a couple of wobbles, but it's unrealistic to expect perfection. Look at Onana, Raya, Ramsdale, even Alisson - they're all capable of wobbles and those 4 all cost (or would cost) significantly more.
 

trentside69

Viv Anderson
Still a bit early to judge Vlachodimos - yes he's conceded 6 in 2 (!) but I don't think any of them were his fault at all. Even the West Ham corners - he'd never have reached the ball if he'd come for those imo, so crowded was the penalty area. Plus Turner was actually fine bar a couple of wobbles, but it's unrealistic to expect perfection. Look at Onana, Raya, Ramsdale, even Alisson - they're all capable of wobbles and those 4 all cost (or would cost) significantly more.
It doesn't matter who is in goal if the defence can't win a header you are going to lose goals.
Too many times we lose 2 or 3 headers on the trot
 

Subin Hwang

Not that Korean guy
Oops, wrote something in the wrong thread!
Anyways he's doing absolutely great these days - Lens is in a 9-match unbeaten streak and climbed up to 6th place thanks to his heroics!
He even made a double save against Lyon that could have been their equaliser today! (poor Lyon)
 
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It's Baggio

John Robertson
Saved 3 consecutive pens in a shoot out v Monaco last night in the French Cup.

However, Lens somehow managed to lose.
 

Statto

Free Kick Specialist
Saved 3 consecutive pens in a shoot out v Monaco last night in the French Cup.

However, Lens somehow managed to lose.
Where on earth did his pen saving come from? He was almost universally useless at that for us until the play offs.
 

It's Baggio

John Robertson

Statto

Free Kick Specialist
Saved 3/15 for us, not including the playoff shoot-out, which is about average.

However is record is shoot out's is ridiculous;

Saved 3 yesterday v Monaco, 3 v Sheff Utd for us and 4 for Caen v Metz in 2018 according to this: https://www.dzairsport.net/brice-sambas-crazy-statistics-on-penalties/
Yet you look at something like this...

 

DizzyBala

Jack Armstrong
The mishandling of him in July 2022 for me is going to go down as one of the worst bits of business for the club in recent history. Yes, Henderson and Navas were really good keepers but a ball playing goalkeeper is up there with the left sided centre back right now, they're quite sort after and Brice's distribution was frankly excellent. All we had to do was make him a good offer, especially considering how much we were throwing money about.

Consider how much we've spent on Vlachadimos and Turner and they're nowhere near Brice.

Financially, I can't see Lens letting him go for less than £20m and I cannot see us spending that on a keeper in the summer and he has a contract till 2028 so I don't see him returning.
 

Chappers85

Can't Play Left-Back
Where on earth did his pen saving come from? He was almost universally useless at that for us until the play offs.

I think it's a different psychology in a shootout. As a keeper you're facing inferior penalty takers who are tired, who have that long lonely walk from the halfway line and then if they're up against Samba they have that massive shithouse in front of them messing with their head. Whereas in a match you're typically up against the best penalty taker the opposition has, there isn't the same level of pressure on the player usually (injury time potential winners and equalisers aside), you've got all your teamates behind you providing you support, and even if the keeper saves it you might get to the rebound. As @It's Baggio said, his record in games is pretty average (about 20% saved) because he's not a Crossley or Bosnich where they instinctually knew where the player was going and had the reactions to get there, but he's a master at psychology and a maniac to boot. I do sometimes think we get a bit overly misty-eyed Brice and forget there were issues in his game (e.g. used to get beaten at his near post a lot, and could be a bit reckless when coming for crosses, not to mention he must be the most booked keeper in our history), but he's so much better than what we currently have. If we could ever get him back it would be amazing, but I doubt that'll ever happen 😔
 

EmmersonForest4

Steve Chettle
There is a bit of revisionism with Samba though. Remember he got dropped for a period the season we went up for Horvath. His distrubution was ace but he went through 2 or 3 periods of poor shot stopping. Dont get me wrong Id love to have him here now instead of the poor keepers we have now but he wasnt Henderson or Navas level.
 

Quntib Hollox

Jack Armstrong
The mishandling of him in July 2022 for me is going to go down as one of the worst bits of business for the club in recent history. Yes, Henderson and Navas were really good keepers but a ball playing goalkeeper is up there with the left sided centre back right now, they're quite sort after and Brice's distribution was frankly excellent. All we had to do was make him a good offer, especially considering how much we were throwing money about.
I cling to the thought the reason why he didn’t stay was because his wife was homesick and went back to France for family reasons. Nothing else makes sense when we were spending cash like it was going out of fashion.
 

lavelleuk

First Team Squad
There is a bit of revisionism with Samba though. Remember he got dropped for a period the season we went up for Horvath. His distrubution was ace but he went through 2 or 3 periods of poor shot stopping. Dont get me wrong Id love to have him here now instead of the poor keepers we have now but he wasnt Henderson or Navas level.
Tbf he's been capped by France multiple times and was voted 10th best keeper in the world in the last couple of years. Not sure why that'd put him below Henderson who had 4 months in goal for the side bottom of the prem then a big injury or Navas at his current age and just coming off a big injury too

He was also dropped for the red card wasnt he? I don't think it's revisionism when the people who rated him when he played for the club still rate him now, its not like everyone slated him and are suddenly rushing to say we should have kept

That's called "Wes Morgan Syndrome " I believe
 

incident

Viv Anderson
There is a bit of revisionism with Samba though. Remember he got dropped for a period the season we went up for Horvath. His distrubution was ace but he went through 2 or 3 periods of poor shot stopping. Dont get me wrong Id love to have him here now instead of the poor keepers we have now but he wasnt Henderson or Navas level.
He got dropped because he picked up a stupid red card for twatting a Stoke player.

Both the card and being dropped for an extra few games after serving the suspension were absolutely deserved, of course, but being dropped really wasn't anything to do with his shot stopping - it was purely down to temperament, especially as that had also shown signs of becoming an issue in some of the games leading up to Stoke.

There was also the one game at the start of the season where Hughton dropped him, but again that wasn't down to shot stopping, it was just a desperate change from a desperate manager in a futile attempt to turn things around.
 

EmmersonForest4

Steve Chettle
He got dropped because he picked up a stupid red card for twatting a Stoke player.

Both the card and being dropped for an extra few games after serving the suspension were absolutely deserved, of course, but being dropped really wasn't anything to do with his shot stopping - it was purely down to temperament, especially as that had also shown signs of becoming an issue in some of the games leading up to Stoke.

There was also the one game at the start of the season where Hughton dropped him, but again that wasn't down to shot stopping, it was just a desperate change from a desperate manager in a futile attempt to turn things around.
I disagree when Hughton dropped him he made a few gaffs at the start of the season. If he’s improved and is truly the 10th best keeper in the world, which of course I am sceptical about than ace. I’d still have him now but I don’t rate him higher than Henderson for example. Unless he’s mega improved since we had him.
 

GOBIAS

Ian Bowyer
I disagree when Hughton dropped him he made a few gaffs at the start of the season. If he’s improved and is truly the 10th best keeper in the world, which of course I am sceptical about than ace. I’d still have him now but I don’t rate him higher than Henderson for example. Unless he’s mega improved since we had him.
For me I was a bit disappointed in Henderson because for the money and reputation and him being around the England setup I didnt think there was a step up from Brice in terms of goalkeeping and I was a big jump. There was also a big step down in terms of distribution.
 

It's Baggio

John Robertson
He undoubtedly let the odd poor goal in but he consistently performed extremely well on the shot stopping metrics. In 20/21, he was just above average but in general he saves far more than expected. Plus he's confident in possession, can pass long & short, comfortable claiming crosses, etc.

In hindsight, we should have paid him £100k a week & apologised to him for giving Horvath a better contract.

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