Coleman credits Robles for vital save

Saturday, 21 January, 2017 23comments  |  Jump to most recent
Seamus Coleman says the Joe Robles's 79th-minute stop to deny Scott Dann was "as good as a goal" for Everton in the 1-0 win tat Crystal Palace.

With the match still level at 0-0, the Spaniard dived to his right to palm away the defender's powerful header and preserve his third successive clean sheet in the Premier League and allow Coleman to go on and win it for the Blues late on.

The Irishman collected Tom Davies' pass just inside the box and finished emphatically with less than three minutes of the 90 to go and Robles's command of his box at the other end meant that Everton were able to hold on for three precious points.

“I thought we played well and their keeper was brilliant to be fair,” Coleman said after the game. "We just had to keep going. When it got to the last five, 10 minutes they were sitting back and they were hard team to break down but thankfully the winner came.”

“To be fair to Crystal Palace, they had a great chance that Joel saved when the score was 0-0. That save is as good as a goal for us and it kept us in the game. Thankfully, we kicked on from there.

“Obviously it's good to score goals,” Coleman added in reference to his fourth strike of the season. “I'm a full-back and my job is to defend but there's no better feeling on a football pitch than to score a goal. Hopefully that can continue.”

 

Reader Comments (23)

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Tony Hill
1 Posted 22/01/2017 at 00:36:39
If Robles carries on in this vein then what a massive bonus it will be. I have to say that Hennessey's save from Funes Mori was one of the best I've seen for a long time.
David Price
2 Posted 22/01/2017 at 00:39:10
Well said Seamus. Joel deserves full recognition in the victory. Great save at 0-0.
Anthony Dwyer
3 Posted 22/01/2017 at 00:41:07
Big Shamus is right to speak up Robles, he's a bit of a unsung hero atm.

This has become a big part of Shamus make up, imo he's the standout contender for captain once Jags moves on.

Baines is a great blue, but he's not a leader.

Ross can grow into the job over the next few years.

Barry is as washed up as jags (well almost).

Rom is another good contender, but mainly to see if it can blah him to stay for a couple of years more so than his natural leadership ability.

Shamus is a born leader and a winner.

Tim Greeley
4 Posted 22/01/2017 at 02:38:13
My daughters are only 6 and 3 but if they were 26 and 23 I'd be more than plum pleased if one of them brought Seamus home and said "Dad I met this goofy Irish man and he is RICHHHH".

Joke's on them cuz I'd already know who he is and I'd give him a high five and a cold American microbrewer IPA and we'd become best friends.

David Ellis
5 Posted 22/01/2017 at 10:22:02
I thought Robles was great today - best performance by an Everton goal keeper for a long time. And taking the ball out of the air at corners - so old school and refreshing. He used to punch the ball a lot but now seems to catch it. Well done lad - keep this up and the job is yours
Mark Dunford
6 Posted 22/01/2017 at 11:04:59
I was also very impressed with Joel today. He played with an authority that I'd never seen in his game. - as others noted, he cauaght crosses where he used to punch , notably in the last few moments when he took a dangerous cross and calmed the whole game.

One great save but an equally great performance. There was a confidence in his play that seemed to flow to the other defenders. If he keeps this up, he'll solve one of our biggest problem positions.

Terry Underwood
7 Posted 22/01/2017 at 13:14:23
Robles has taken his chance well even if he only played due to injury to MS. He grows in confidence with every game, which makes defenders more confident. Should be our first choice keeper, excellent shot stopper and is starting to command his area.
Alastair Donaldson
8 Posted 22/01/2017 at 13:39:25
Who's the keeper coach these days...maybe that is where the change has come from. But I agree it's encouraging to see a goalie who's not afraid of trying to catch it... the trade has been weakened by too many foreign imports whose first instinct is punch in every scenario.

He has the size behind him so he should be encouraged to own the 6yd box, as long as his decision making and technique is sound, it inspires the defence in front of him.

Ian Bennett
9 Posted 22/01/2017 at 13:44:54
I am really pleased with Robles, another clean sheet and great save low down yesterday. Holgate has looked flawless, and is another who is adding to the clean sheet record. I really like the 3 at the back.

Barkley looks like he's thriving with youngsters below him in the team. It's almost as if it's taken the pressure off, stepping up to be that older player.

Would love 2 top quality players to come in, and more dead wood out.

Colin Metcalfe
11 Posted 22/01/2017 at 14:33:19
I have been banging on about Robles having the potential to be a our No 1 for about 18 months! He is man-mountain, his handling and positional sense are getting better each game.

There is no reason he can't become a great keeper for us and maybe start to challenge De Gea for the keeper's jersey for Spain – and he is still only 27!!!
Mike Allen
12 Posted 22/01/2017 at 16:35:27
Yes Robles looked good he looked more confident coming for crosses. The art of goalkeeping for me has deteriorated over the past few years. It has to be the coaching; instinct and reflexes seen to have gone out with the new coaching methods, keepers looking to make themselves big like handball goalies rather than attacking the ball.

So many are flat footed and just stand and watch the ball go past with little or no effort so it was nice to see TWO old fashion keepers on show.
Bill Watson
13 Posted 22/01/2017 at 16:57:27
Tim # 4
IPA is best at room temperature. The clue's in the name!!
Jim Hardin
14 Posted 22/01/2017 at 17:32:54
Robles did well. The formation takes away having to think and that helps him just react. Still some poor distribution allowing a break or two to disappear but I can live with that. I worry about his ability to "scrape" as we call it where I train keepers in getting low and flat along the ground, especially to his left for low balls but every keeper has a weakness or two and he has done well. I still do not believe he is a season long #1 keeper but on this team at this time, there is or should be no competition for the spot.

As for the Funes Mori doubters, FFS what else can he do? If he had an English name on his back everyone on here would be crowing that we stole a gem from under the big teams' noses. This is only his second season and the formation allows him to showcase his talents. That and not playing next to Jags or Stones. I am tired of the "looks like he has a mistake in him" bs. Many on here backed a player who they all thought looked like silk, but who actually always had a mistake in him (or two) after playing more games in the Premier League.

James Morgan
15 Posted 22/01/2017 at 17:53:46
Tim #4, haha you've thought about that in detail I think mate.
Here's hoping, eh.
Darren Hind
16 Posted 22/01/2017 at 18:28:22
Seamus is right about Robles. Like last week his contribution was immense. The guy has had to be patient (that's an understatement) He sat through years of Howard Howlers only to find himself behind the second rater Koeman signed.

Only by playing can Goalkeepers find consistency. Its wonderful to see an Everton keeper relieve pressure coming 8-9 yard of his line and confidently taking it. In the last two matches, Joel has been catching balls he would definitely have punch in previous seasons.

A consistent Goalkeeper is a must for any team with ambition

Mick Davies
17 Posted 22/01/2017 at 21:10:19
It seems to me that the players prefer Robles, especially after Chelsea and the Ibrahimovic calamity
Dave Abrahams
18 Posted 22/01/2017 at 21:19:35
Jim (#14), who do prefer between the two keepers?

Do you think it is fair to say that Robles has never had a consistent run in the team, while he has been at Everton and maybe he would continue to improve if he was given the number one spot.

He is twenty six now, and while that is young for a goalkeeper maybe Koeman giving him the nod as his preferred keeper would increase his confidence and thus his form.

Anthony Dwyer
19 Posted 22/01/2017 at 22:07:14
Jim (#14);

I wasn't too sure on Robles, still not 100% convinced, but what more can he do, he definitely deserves his chance now, he's earned the remainder of this season at least.

As for Funes Mori, I'm 100% with you, he's by far our best centre half, and imo we should be looking to build a defence around him as it stands. We have stole a little gem, and he will go onto have a very good career.

All this talk about a mistake in his game, come on ffs, every centre half has a mistake in them.

Players like Funes Mori are expensive, we should be proud to have him.

Jim Hardin
20 Posted 23/01/2017 at 02:17:09
Dave,

At this time, I choose Robles. I don't like him in a four-back set as he tends to freeze and be slower in his decision-making because the space in front of him is more crowded and the players are closer. Also, coming out for the ball removes one of my other complaints about him, namely, that when he does dive, in prior seasons, he tended to deflect the ball weakly into dangerous areas instead of holding it, or a strong push around a post or out into relative safe areas to the sides. He is improving. Both he and the GK coach must work well together.

As for an extended run last season, I do not now, nor will I ever, think that Robles deserved the #1 spot over Howard, period. I can understand giving him games when Howard decided to come back to the USA to the wrong MLS team however. Tim was very good for Everton before RM and Stones set about ruining the defense.

However, I do think Robles should have been given the chance at the beginning of this season to establish a claim to the #1 spot over mis-Stek once it became clear that Everton were not pursuing a stronger #1 keeper. If I am wrong about Robles and he becomes a solid #1 then excellent for Everton and for Robles and the club can spend the money on Pulisic.

Nicholas Ryan
21 Posted 23/01/2017 at 03:36:20
Isn't it 5 clean sheets from 6 Premier League starts, this season? That stat. brings an end to all arguments!
Dave Abrahams
22 Posted 23/01/2017 at 09:30:33
Jim (20), thanks for your reply, I think, if he is given a deserved extended run, we might realise we can save money on the goalkeeper's spot.

One of your reasons for not going with him was he is/was weak diving low to his left, maybe, but I saw him make a great save in that situation versus a German team in anU23 game two seasons ago, only one save I know, but it was excellent.

Over Tim Howard I don't think we will ever agree about that, I thought he was gone long before he went home, but fair play to you for defending a fellow countryman.

Keep sending your views Jim.

Laynald Hansen
23 Posted 23/01/2017 at 11:12:04
Robles is our No 1 and should be given the gloves now, despite Stekelenburg nearing fitness.
Steve Ferns
25 Posted 23/01/2017 at 14:15:45
I always thought Robles has the physical attributes to be a good keeper, if not even better than that, and now he is starting to show the confidence that is required.

I think it is under-estimated just how important confidence is to a footballer, and none more so than the goalkeeper.

Over the years, since Big Nev hung up his gloves, we've seen a great number of highly rated keepers, mainly wilt under the pressure and fade away.

Firstly, starting with Big Nev, the veteran model from 1995 onwards, here was a keeper that was past his best, his back had gone (hence the weight gain due to a lack of training) and yet because of the confidence that he had from his vast experience, and the calmness that came from that, Southall was still able to marshal the defence like no one else.

Then on to the first great pretender, Paul Gerrard, here was a keeper that had all the right physical attributes and in the relegation scraps that followed, he showed himself to be a good shot stopper and very reactive. However, he often lacked confidence and things he had to think about such as crosses often saw Paul come and flap and as the confidence went he faded badly.

The second great pretender was Thomas Mhyre, here we watched Norway's number 1 for a year and he seemed to be the replacement we needed, but after a couple of bad games, his confidence went and he was never the same as in that first season.

Steve Simonsen was potentially such a great keeper. A good height, very athletic, a great shot stopper, and at 17 he kept a record number of clean sheets for Tranmere, but the crowd never felt confident in him, there was a nervousness in the Street End any time the ball came near him and he never grew into the game. I feel that had him been able to develop at a smaller club, then Simonsen could have been a top class keeper, instead he never developed the important mental strength needed to play at a top club.

Nigel Martyn was like the veteran Big Nev, past his excellent best, but so experienced, so confident, that his fading agility was really exposed and the defence fed off the confident air.

Richard Wright was for me, the best keeper we have had since Southall. That first season when we finished 7th, with a crap side and an emerging 16 year old wonder kid, was down to some real heroics from the England keeper. He came as an international, he had made that one big mistake that derailed his Arsenal career, and he had initially recaptured his form. Then it all went wrong in the second season. I recall there being a joke about "the gun". The gun was the action Wright made when he kicked the ball from deadball situations, such as goalkicks and freekicks. He would finish in an action with his hand cocked as if a child pretending to shoot someone with his finger gun. Wright became aware of people pointing out he did this and seemed to work on stopping doing it in the second season and suddenly he was booting the ball out of play and distribution became embarrassing. He then lost all confidence and never got it back, and looked like he was a fragile man. He did not help himself by falling out of the loft and hurting his shoulder. How on earth he went from that first season to the dross that followed I don't know, but he was at city until last season or the year before as 3rd choice, so perhaps they felt he still had something to offer.

Tim Howard was a favourite of mine. I really liked the guy. As I understand it, Tourettes affects your concentration, and if so, he really did well to overcome this and have a top class career. This makes it all the more understandable that he had severe lapses in concentration that cost him his place at Man Utd and then crept into his game here. After always exuding calmness, he cut a figure who seemed anything but at the end of his career. Was it just me or did a clean cut Howard always seem to play well, whilst a long bearded Howard seemed to make mistakes? On an aside, didn't a shaven headed Pistone play well and the long-haired Pistone make fatal mistakes?

My point here is that ultimately, confidence and experience count for more than physical attributes as a goalkeeper, as we have seen with two veterans, both well past 35, both past their illustrious bests, and both performed far better than younger guys, even of an international class level (wright and mhyre). So Robles whilst Robles has all the physical attributes to be a top class keeper, it counts more for me as to whether he has that confidence and calmness that comes from experience.

Right now, as a straight choice between the Dutch international keeper, who has played in a World Cup final, and Robles, a still inexperienced young keeper, I find it remarkable that I, and most of my friends, would say that they feel more confident with Robles between the sticks, and I think the Street End agrees. It's just a question for me of giving him until the end of the season before deciding if he warrants being our permanent number 1, and as a back up I would look for a Nigel Martyn type to bring in, but I can't think of anyone myself, certainly not British (other than Hennessey or Hart - but neither are back-ups).


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