After reading this post I've watched the highlights video on DAZN a number of times and really can't see where Hayes was at fault for their first goal. What mistake do you think he made?
Hi Blake, you asked
@JCB why he thought Nick Hayes made a mistake for the first goal. I'll also provide an answer with my thought process and reasoning, which hopefully will give you an insight.
running, stopping and making the star shape, then trying to tackle with his feet was a total error rather than diving to his left hand side, taking the ball with his hands or stopping the shot deflecting it out with his hands or body.
why?
The reason Rodney made the ball, after the brilliant turn, leaving Goodliffe chasing shadows, which I really admired, and opened us up completely, was the delay in getting to the ball by stopping and make like a star.
As soon as he stopped he gave Rodney the advantage and ability to reach the ball first. once he had made that turn, the ball was a good 6 to 7 foot in front of him. Hayes comes forward and dives straightaway and spreads as a first reaction and goes for it with his hands he definitely makes that and as a minimum diverts the ball wider from Rodney's path, but probably holds it.
The ball is on the left side of Hayes' body, perfect for him to spread his body, which also blocks the cross shot if Rodney had got to the ball first. All that was natural for me. In my prime and I say prime, I'd have backed myself to make that and did with similar efforts from a similar range and I NEVER went feet first, you have defenders for that. (Not with such a good a turn as that turn was, but plenty where you need to take at feet).
That is why I was, at the time and still now, critical of Hayes for that goal, because that had his name on it and he made the wrong decision plain and simple. Also, as an ex keeper, at a decent level, all the third paragraph went through my mind when watching in a split second, as it should have done for Hayes, it didn't and we paid the price. The finish from the tight angle was superb and coupled with the turn, makes it a splendid, but avoidable goal to concede.
It's that old adage, that an outfield player can make a mistake and nine times out of ten a team-mate gets you out of it. For 'keepers it's not the same, a mistake usually costs a goal. All a 'keeper can do is make the next save, take the next cross and be as solid as possible as the game goes on. I think Nick Hayes did that yesterday and did get stronger. I don't hold him accountable at all for the second goal, another great finish. Glancing headers are the hardest to anticipate at the best of times, but that was perfect! He had no chance from the penalty, well struck, but he went the right way and was close, but not close enough to it.
Nick then pulled off at least three creditable saves to keep the score down, took crosses, dropped to work the clock and waited on the through ball until the striker got near him in the late stages. All round an average performance, for me on the back of what I viewed as a mistake. Worth a 7 if I was scoring him. (Wiggy's score of 3 an utter JOKE btw!)
blake you have your answer from me, with the background to my view, I hope it is what you wanted and gives you a little insight to those of us that was/are critical of that first goal and why.
