Darryl Flahavan - Your Views

[Westcliff Shrimper]

Just thinking after reading the posts here, maybe being dropped this season was the best thing that has happened to Flavs. He has been playing almost every game for the last 4 years (stattos out there can confirm or pick me up on this) and maybe a season playing the CCC with the defence playing the way they did, shot his confidence to pieces. He had a couple of months out of the firing line, and has come back refreshed.

If we do go up, I think he has earnt another crack at the CCC, but a lot of people rate young Clark Masters very highly, and he could have the biggest test of his career to date...

 

[Andyhsufc]

Yeah i do, he has actually improved lately coming off the line. If we did go up then hopefully we would have a better defence aerially and he would have learnt from last times Championship tactics of not coming out. Don't forget at 30 years old plus keepers hit there prime and most on here want to offload him, ridiculous. Some are even calling for the very young, very inconsistent, very inexperienced Clark Masters, don't make me laugh!

Personally, I would much rather have an older goalkeeper (crossley etc) who may not have as quite sharp reflexes, but is much more likely to claim stuff in the air, have better distribution and better overall technique but i respect what you are saying in the sense that he hasn't yet his "peak"

 

[Cliff Pavilion]

How they can mock a true dedicated proffesional such as Flahavan is beyond me.

It shouldn't be. You mock dedicated professionals all the time.

 

[Stats]

He's 6'1 actually

http://www.football.co.uk/newcastle/players/shay_given_1320.shtml

I'm sorry, but height is an advantage to a goalkeeper. I think it's a credit to Flavs that he's had the career he's had despite this.

Hmmm think that might be stretching the truth I mean Darryl's height is listed as 5'11 on some sites I suspect they might be doing the same with Given's, anyway whats a couple of inches the point is he's not a tall keeper.

Also dont think I said that height wasnt an advantage just made the point if you can boss your box then you can still be successful. I'm sure I can reel off a shed load of other good keepers who are hardly giants.

 

[Kristof]

Great keeper, super shot stopper. I think he would have been a Premiership keeper if he was another three inches taller.

I've met him a few times seems like a nice guy too.

I'm sure he'll go on break Sammy's record of appearances, that alone shows his quality you don't play that number of games if you're a quality player.

Congrats Flavs

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

 

[Andyhsufc]

Great keeper, super shot stopper. I think he would have been a Premiership keeper if he was another three inches taller.

I've met him a few times seems like a nice guy too.

I'm sure he'll go on break Sammy's record of appearances, that alone shows his quality you don't play that number of games if you're a quality player.

Congrats Flavs

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

Don't you?!

 

[The Big Shrimp]

Hmmm think that might be stretching the truth I mean Darryl's height is listed as 5'11 on some sites I suspect they might be doing the same with Given's, anyway whats a couple of inches the point is he's not a tall keeper.

Also dont think I said that height wasnt an advantage just made the point if you can boss your box then you can still be successful. I'm sure I can reel off a shed load of other good keepers who are hardly giants.

I doubt if Darryl is 5' 10" as I have a photo of my brother stood next to him & they are the same height. My brother is 5' 9"!!

The main thing at this level & even more so at CCC level is the physical side is so obvious & that includes the high ball too. Why do you think that brick sh!thouses (alright he might be a bit fat!) like Dean Windass & Parkin do so well at this level? This is the main reason Darryl struggles, not just his height, but his lack of physical presence too.

 

[BILLERICAY BLUE]

Yep, was right and it must have killed the clueless zonies yesterday, especially Yorkshire Blue.

Why ? Becuase he saved a couple of pens ? Collis did that earlier in season, and you wanted Flavs back in.

 

[Andy_S]

My view is we still need a taller keeper for next season no matter what league we're in. And I'm still of the opinion Collis shouldn't have been dropped. Hey ho though.

 

[Irate Ian]

Goalkeepers

Why is he a good keeper though, what makes him good?

Perhaps his record over the 2nd longest period between the sticks in the clubs history.

Has always been a relaible shot stopper and to do so, it is perhaps his anticipation and positioning to be able to do so.

Has also improved his drop and dead ball kicking immeasurably in his time with the blues. there was a time when he could barely reach half-way, which immediately put pressure on defence, if we did not win the ball in that area.

Any keeper who can deliver the ball deep into opposition territory, gives them an immediate problem. The premiership goal this weekend, was it Villa or some other, whose attackers won from the long kick and had the ball in the net within seconds of the keepers kick.

 

[leeblue]

fantastic shot stopper no doubt, certainly third in my all time ratings for the blues (25 years) already proven that this is his level and very good he is too. But alas last season showed he was out of his depth(for whatever reason) as I said up top fantastic shot stopper

 

[Angell Delight]

Great shot-stopper, very poor aerially. Can't really sum it up any better than that.

 

[ShrimplyTheBest]

What he lacks in height he makes up for in agility... the most talented keeper I have seen in a Blues shirt and he hates Col U with a passion!!!

Darryl you are a legend :)

 

[leeblue]

deffo ledgend, but still not good enough for the ccc

 

[The Big Shrimp]

fantastic shot stopper no doubt, certainly third in my all time ratings for the blues (25 years) already proven that this is his level and very good he is too. But alas last season showed he was out of his depth(for whatever reason) as I said up top fantastic shot stopper

Carrying on from your point, I would, based on my 32 of watching SUFC, place him behind Neil Freeman, Sammy & Merv in that order. John Burridge was a different class too, but it would be unfair to include him in that.

I really like Darryl, but in goalkeeping terms he's not the best ALLROUND keeper.

 

[Sean 2]

Carrying on from your point, I would, based on my 32 of watching SUFC, place him behind Neil Freeman, Sammy & Merv in that order. John Burridge was a different class too, but it would be unfair to include him in that.

I really like Darryl, but in goalkeeping terms he's not the best ALLROUND keeper.

Yeh but to be an all-round keeper surely you have to be able to give a series of handstands along the goal-line as pre-match entertainment.

John Burridge (Budgie) wins this contest hands down.

 

[The Big Shrimp]

Yeh but to be an all-round keeper surely you have to be able to give a series of handstands along the goal-line as pre-match entertainment.

John Burridge (Budgie) wins this contest hands down.

I always looked forward to that as a kid & would always stand right by the goal to get a decent view! Neil Freeman would always touch the post, the crossbar & then the other post when he came out. Does that count!!! :cool:

 

[Sean 2]

I always looked forward to that as a kid & would always stand right by the goal to get a decent view! Neil Freeman would always touch the post, the crossbar & then the other post when he came out. Does that count!!! :cool:

At last,someone who remembers!

I mentioned this ages ago about Budgie but was met with a wall of silence.

Neil Freeman,come to mention it he did do that!

 

[Jedi Shrimper]

Firstly a great day for Darryl on saturday, getting the 2nd most appearances ever for a Blues Keeper and saving two pens in a match is no mean feat.

He is a great shot-stopper, really good reactions. And at league one level he is superb, one of the best.

These are his strengths, his lack of height is what leads to his indecision / tendancy to stay on his line, from where he probably believes he has a better chance of stopping a goal due to his good reactions.

However at Championship level this was often exposed because the strikers in that division are of a higher quality so have the ability to place it beyond his reach.

:soapbox:

 

[seany t]

Its hard to assess any defender or goalkeeper on their own I think. More than any other part of the side, they're a unit and one that can easily be let down by poor performances around them or a lack of concentration. Its easy to spot their weaknesses, but easier to forget the hard work they put in.

The times this season we've conceded heavily have often been due to poor defending / venturing forward by our back 4, a midfielder not tracking back, a lack of confidence (early on in the season) or a lack of ability to keep the ball up the pitch. It seems as a team we've addressed most of those things in recent weeks, and are starting to click very well.

I think we all know he COULD come off his line more (but few keepers do this very well these days) and that he isn't the tallest - but there's not much he can do about that second point is there?

And anyway, in the 6 or so years I've been going down to the games, I've not really had many other SUFC keepers to compare him against!