So who should play on Saturday? Bass was excellent last Saturday, but Bazunu has been excellent for Ireland and most of the season for us. There's an argument that says Bass is our long-term solution and should keep his place, but IMHO Bazunu is currently the better player overall. I wonder if there's an option that they play alternate games, to keep them both happy and to keep them both on their toes.
To drop Bass after his performance v Wycombe would be a travesty and make Cowley's words about players needing to play their way in to the side ring hollow. Is he going to do the right thing or play politics? I fear his desire to keep 'in' with Man City will make him choose the latter.
I do not see this as a problem at all, the obvious answer is play both. Bass in his normal position in the six yard box and Bazz in his normal position between the 18 yard and half way line.
Did the way Pompey played with Bass, achieving that result at Wycombe, prove that our players are more comfortable with that set up than with the Cowley's "new" style?
Having 2 good keepers is a common but good problem to have. Much as I want to see Bass continue to develop and improve, however, I think we should stick with Bazuno. Everyone has been agreeing that along with Raggett and Morrell he has been one of our best players this season. If going away on International duty means you lose your club place we would discourage any player with international ambitions from joining us.
Both have a cast iron case for inclusion and it is a travesty for either to be left out.
Really it's a decision he cannot get wrong, because both are good keepers. both on good form. But the way social media works it is bound to be a decision he cannot get right because whichever he drops he will get criticism from those that favoured the other.
Personally I'd stick with Bazanu as first choice ... the style of the team, especially at home, is built around his strengths and his recent form of two clean sheets playing international football is probably better than one clean sheet at Wycombe.
I don't think Bazanu being a loanee will influence him at all (though no doubt if Bazanu is picked there will be those who say it must be part of his deal, which we have been specifically told it isn't). Saying we should be developing our own players sounds a convincing argument but it is actually an argument against having any loan players at all, but the financial reality is that using the loan system is the best way of us affording a better squad each season and once the player is there for the season you pick the best team for each game. Dropping a player because he is a loanee could prevent you from getting decent loan players from clubs in the future, which is at least as damaging to the future as developing your own players a bit more slowly.
(19-11-2021, 10:50 AM)DeepBlue Wrote: [ -> ]Both have a cast iron case for inclusion and it is a travesty for either to be left out.
Really it's a decision he cannot get wrong, because both are good keepers. both on good form. But the way social media works it is bound to be a decision he cannot get right because whichever he drops he will get criticism from those that favoured the other.
Personally I'd stick with Bazanu as first choice ... the style of the team, especially at home, is built around his strengths and his recent form of two clean sheets playing international football is probably better than one clean sheet at Wycombe.
I don't think Bazanu being a loanee will influence him at all (though no doubt if Bazanu is picked there will be those who say it must be part of his deal, which we have been specifically told it isn't). Saying we should be developing our own players sounds a convincing argument but it is actually an argument against having any loan players at all, but the financial reality is that using the loan system is the best way of us affording a better squad each season and once the player is there for the season you pick the best team for each game. Dropping a player because he is a loanee could prevent you from getting decent loan players from clubs in the future, which is at least as damaging to the future as developing your own players a bit more slowly.
So what has Alex Bass got to do to be picked, aside from waiting for Bazanu to get injured or play internationals?
Waiting for international callups or injuries is what second choice keepers have to do.
You could equally ask what more has Bazanu got do than keep international clean sheets, including one save so good it has gone viral.
Both deserve equally to be picked, but I suspect the fact that Bazunu is first choice will swing it.
I don't agree that Bazanu is better than Bass. He has been mostly good but also responsible for a couple of howlers which cost us points. It is also debatable whether playing out from the back has been a benefit or hindrance to the team. The players don't look comfortable with that style and any manager looking at their overall performance on Saturday must surely give Bass some credit for how we played as a team.
As I've mentioned before, what's the point of developing someone else's player? It seems madness to leave Bass on the bench when he is clearly ready for L1 football.
(19-11-2021, 12:26 PM)Pedalo_menders Wrote: [ -> ]As I've mentioned before, what's the point of developing someone else's player? It seems madness to leave Bass on the bench when he is clearly ready for L1 football.
I thought I'd covered that. The point is that loan players enable you to have a stronger squad for less money and if you play them then you get better loan players in the future. That stengthens your team and gives you more chance of success.
Would your view change if a chance to sign Bazanu appeared at the end of the season ?
But I agree Bass is ready, I think he is a top prospect and could be worth £1m+. We've got two of the best young keepers on the country IMO. Whichever you leave out is going to feel miffed, but its a good position to be in to have two such good keepers.
(19-11-2021, 01:28 PM)DeepBlue Wrote: [ -> ] (19-11-2021, 12:26 PM)Pedalo_menders Wrote: [ -> ]As I've mentioned before, what's the point of developing someone else's player? It seems madness to leave Bass on the bench when he is clearly ready for L1 football.
I thought I'd covered that. The point is that loan players enable you to have a stronger squad for less money and if you play them then you get better loan players in the future. That stengthens your team and gives you more chance of success.
Would your view change if a chance to sign Bazanu appeared at the end of the season ?
But I agree Bass is ready, I think he is a top prospect and could be worth £1m+. We've got two of the best young keepers on the country IMO. Whichever you leave out is going to feel miffed, but its a good position to be in to have two such good keepers.
It's a shame we don't have the same "problem" at centre forward.
Baz's distribution seems to be better (despite a couple of mares) and I suspect that has gone a long way to him securing the first choice spot.
Using your strategy DB seems a sure-fire way to demotivate your own players and end up losing them to other clubs. And then what happens? We just replace them with loanees? Is that the plan?
What is the contractual position on Bazunu? Is he guaranteed first team football?
Gerry,
Of course not. The plan is to have best team possible with the money you've got to spend.
Hardly rocket science.
Actually I don't particularly like the loan system as it is, they are far too many allowed and it would be better if it was limited to three rather than five. But the system is there, it provides benefits to smaller clubs and the players and any league one manager who did not make full use of it's current possibilties would be failing their clubs and supporters. And it works both ways, because we can get the benefit of loaning our younger players out to smaller clubs too - you can't have one without the other.
brick by brick means we develop our own if they are good enough and Bass is.
(19-11-2021, 01:54 PM)TBP Wrote: [ -> ]What is the contractual position on Bazunu? Is he guaranteed first team football?
No. The club have made it quite clear they would never take an player on those terms. Also he was in and out of the team at Rochdale last year so we know City did not insist on that.
(19-11-2021, 02:02 PM)Hammie Wrote: [ -> ]brick by brick means we develop our own if they are good enough and Bass is.
Agreed, and he seems to be developing quite nicely, given that he is pushing an international goalkeeper all the way for a place.
(19-11-2021, 02:03 PM)DeepBlue Wrote: [ -> ] (19-11-2021, 01:54 PM)TBP Wrote: [ -> ]What is the contractual position on Bazunu? Is he guaranteed first team football?
No. The club have made it quite clear they would never take an player on those terms. Also he was in and out of the team at Rochdale last year so we know City did not insist on that.
Thanks, but I am not convinced by the never.
Deep, your argument only holds up if there is a significant difference in quality / experience between the players. In this situation it s negligible and wouldn't have an impact on promotion or relegation.
I'm still trying to understand the benefits of starting Bazunu. To base an argument on the theory that Man City will loan us more players, without any requirement to do so is, at the very least naive. Good keeper as baz is, to decide to give playing time to another clubs player is ludicrous.
It's not a matter of whether Bazanu is contracted to play every game or not. It's not that explicit. It's the political undercurrent that concerns me. I'm not saying that Cowley is that cynical that he would hold back a player who has clearly earned a first team place to further his own coaching career but the influence of one of the country's biggest clubs might have a bearing on the decision. Unfortunately, that is the way of the world. But a strong character with integrity will always do the right thing regardless of the consequences.
The decision is very straight forward if you are considering what is in the best interest of the club. (Our club that is, lol).
(19-11-2021, 03:11 PM)Gerry Hatrick Wrote: [ -> ]It's not a matter of whether Bazanu is contracted to play every game or not. It's not that explicit. It's the political undercurrent that concerns me. I'm not saying that Cowley is that cynical that he would hold back a player who has clearly earned a first team place to further his own coaching career but the influence of one of the country's biggest clubs might have a bearing on the decision. Unfortunately, that is the way of the world. But a strong character with integrity will always do the right thing regardless of the consequences.
But Bazanu has surely earned a first team place just as much as Bass has. You've got two keepers on your books for a season, for the good of the team you play the one you think is best when he is available, no other consideration need apply.
Your argument that you should always play your own player first and never take a good player on loan would apply just as much if Bass had let two through his legs on Saturday. But I'd be willing to bet no-one would be arguing it. Similarly are all those championing Bass this weekend also demanding that Marquis or Harrison play above Hirst tomorrow? The argument is the same but I'm not hearing anyone say it. Cowley will simply play whichever centre-forward he thinks will do the best job on the day, no other consideration involved.
Yes, Bass played very well last week but better than this ? ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQ7qyIW3PZQ
If Bass had been in goal recently and committed the series of howlers that Bazunu has in recent games, I suspect he would have been roasted alive on this Board in the same way as Burgess was on previous incarnations of this Board.
Burgess was a solid if unspectacular performer but every mistake he made (and there weren’t that many) was micro-analysed and he was usually found to be the weakest link.
Despite a number of serious gaffs, Bazunu seems to have achieved near mythical status in a short period, probably being a Man City player has helped but he’s gone at the end of the season so Bass has to be very patient, he can use the time to develop a thick skin, he may well need it.