Burgoyne breaks his ankle (and possible replacement)

[Knibbsworth]

...

 

[Knibbsworth]

I’m not sure we will get another keeper in.

Letheren did a decent job last season. What’s the point of having a squad if every time you have an injury you don’t think the back up is good enough. If that’s the case we shouldn’t really sign them as back up because effectively we are saying we don’t trust them.

Only a few days ago some people weren’t even sure who was our no1 was gonna be as people thought it was too close to call.

'Back up' is coming in for a game or two, or at a push, a month.

Injuries happen all the time, as do suspensions and personal circumstances. That's why it's sensible to have back up, for when a player is at the hospital witnessing the birth of his child while we're at Coventry away.

At this stage Burgoyne might not be fit to play before Christmas. We have ample time to get a replacement first team League One quality keeper. DA would be mad not to go and get one.

If Letheren starts the season then he's not the back up keeper. He will effectively start the season as the senior goalkeeper and Cooper will be the back up.

Is this the best situation Adams can arrange, and is it a goalkeeping set up worthy of promotion to the Championship? I'd imagine the answer to both questions is no.

That's why I suspect we will not be a team worthy of promotion to the Championship this season.

I'm sure DA's objective will be to better last season's finish, and that would be top 7. Difficult but achievable. Starting the season with your reserves though won't be conducive to achieving that goal.

 

[phil thefluter24]

I like Letheren as a back up but starting the season with him would mean we’ve gone backwards and not forwards.

Need to sign another keeper ASAP.

Agree entirely. Sorry but what I saw of Letheren last season would not fill me with confidence,his kicking is very wayward, this goal keeper curse is getting ridiculous now

 

[Dan Ellard]

Disagree with those saying that Luke is better than Letheren.

The Luke of four years or so ago was better than Letheren is now, no doubt. But over the past few years he's had more and more mistakes creep into his game. Adams clearly thought this too as he released him.

Luke is an ok League 2 keeper right now imo. Letheren meanwhile has shown he can hold his own in L1 and I'd say he's ok for this level.

 

[macleanie]

It might be worth considering that the plan was to loan Cooper out for some serious game time and experience. Harry's injury could have affected this too. Easy to assume Letheren will take his place and Cooper on the bench, but then Cooper won't be able to go out on loan until January.

Will be interesting to see what happens. Our luck with goalkeepers is quite astonishing of late!

Loan rules are different for non-league clubs so Cooper will be able to go out on loan earlier than January, if that turns out to be a plan.

I stand corrected, thank you for this info. Good news for Coopers development!

 

[Tom Cobbley]

Rab C Douglas being lined up apparently.

Who needs Rab, when Crudgie can still play in goal AND still drive the team bus!

He could park the bus which is what we would have to do if he played, mind you half the goal is filled by him just standing there.

 

[Mark Pedlar]

Disagree with those saying that Luke is better than Letheren.

The Luke of four years or so ago was better than Letheren is now, no doubt. But over the past few years he's had more and more mistakes creep into his game. Adams clearly thought this too as he released him.

Luke is an ok League 2 keeper right now imo. Letheren meanwhile has shown he can hold his own in L1 and I'd say he's ok for this level.

From Wiki

2005–2006 Swansea City 0 (0)
2005 → Newport County (loan) 1 (0)
2006–2009 Barnsley 0 (0)
2009 → Doncaster Rovers (loan) 0 (0)
2009 Plymouth Argyle 0 (0)
2010–2013 Kilmarnock 11 (0)
2013–2015 Dundee 50 (0)
2015–2016 Blackpool 5 (0)
2016–2017 York City 28 (0)
2017– Plymouth Argyle 7 (0)

Letheren is cheap and a back up. 28 games for York City as they said farewell to League Football or 50 over 2 seasons for Dundee, which was the bit that showed he was up to League 1 football?

 

[Quintrell Green]

IMO Letheren is an upgrade on McC but I’d still like to see another brought in as first choice keeper.

I agree with this opinion when Letheren first came into the team last season, but I thought his form tailed off before he received his big injury and was sidelined for the season.

 

[Ray Stidwell]

His last half was, at least, superb; indeed that single goal he conceded at Ewood Park was in those few minutes between the injury incident & the HT whistle. ( although Dack did take it well, & I’m not too sure that it was stoppable even if he had not been hampered)

 

[Knibbsworth]

Disagree with those saying that Luke is better than Letheren.

The Luke of four years or so ago was better than Letheren is now, no doubt. But over the past few years he's had more and more mistakes creep into his game. Adams clearly thought this too as he released him.

Luke is an ok League 2 keeper right now imo. Letheren meanwhile has shown he can hold his own in L1 and I'd say he's ok for this level.

From Wiki

2005–2006 Swansea City 0 (0)
2005 → Newport County (loan) 1 (0)
2006–2009 Barnsley 0 (0)
2009 → Doncaster Rovers (loan) 0 (0)
2009 Plymouth Argyle 0 (0)
2010–2013 Kilmarnock 11 (0)
2013–2015 Dundee 50 (0)
2015–2016 Blackpool 5 (0)
2016–2017 York City 28 (0)
2017– Plymouth Argyle 7 (0)

Letheren is cheap and a back up. 28 games for York City as they said farewell to League Football or 50 over 2 seasons for Dundee, which was the bit that showed he was up to League 1 football?

Exactly Mark, Letheren has had a few good games for Argyle but the notion that he's better than McCormick and a real League One level keeper is fanciful.

 

[samjones]

Oh FFS just what we needed.
#goalkeepercrisisagain

Need to get a decent replacement in on loan asap.

Letheren was a spent force at the end of last season.
He looked massively overweight and not fit like Neville Southall at Torquay

 

[Dan Ellard]

Disagree with those saying that Luke is better than Letheren.

The Luke of four years or so ago was better than Letheren is now, no doubt. But over the past few years he's had more and more mistakes creep into his game. Adams clearly thought this too as he released him.

Luke is an ok League 2 keeper right now imo. Letheren meanwhile has shown he can hold his own in L1 and I'd say he's ok for this level.

From Wiki

2005–2006 Swansea City 0 (0)
2005 → Newport County (loan) 1 (0)
2006–2009 Barnsley 0 (0)
2009 → Doncaster Rovers (loan) 0 (0)
2009 Plymouth Argyle 0 (0)
2010–2013 Kilmarnock 11 (0)
2013–2015 Dundee 50 (0)
2015–2016 Blackpool 5 (0)
2016–2017 York City 28 (0)
2017– Plymouth Argyle 7 (0)

Letheren is cheap and a back up. 28 games for York City as they said farewell to League Football or 50 over 2 seasons for Dundee, which was the bit that showed he was up to League 1 football?

In (in my opinion) the games he played for us last season. His kicking leaves a bit to be desired (so does Luke's), but his shot stopping was nearly equal to Luke's and his command of area (a real problem area for Luke in recent years) was substantially better.

His history isn't as good as McCormick's for sure, but we're always saying how Adams gets more out of some players than other managers seem to. Letheren is one of those for me.

Also, Letheren is 30 - still a good age for a keeper. McCormick is about to turn 35. It showed last season.

 

[Mark Pedlar]

I appreciate your opinion Dan but if Luke had been a cheaper option he'd still be here as back up. Letheren can stand between the posts if we're desperate until a proper goalie is brought in but that's about it (in my opinion).

 

[Dan Ellard]

Fair enough - we'll agree to disagree.

 

[Tony Flags]

My goodness, what an odd thread this has descended into. It seems we know who the Gary Miller haters have moved on to.