Gavin Bazunu

[Whitey Grandad]

Just now, James said:

Not really. His parries into the danger zone could easily have cost us another couple more.

Eh? So he gets blamed now for not letting the shots go straight in.

[Jimbo]

2 minutes ago, Whitey Grandad said:

And exactly how should he have done that?

Looked to me like it bounced over/past his arm and was very saveable

[James]

1 minute ago, Whitey Grandad said:

Eh? So he gets blamed now for not letting the shots go straight in.

If you parry it straight back to an attacker to give them a tap in but for a defender at full stretch then yes. Did it v Norwich and at least twice today. 

[saintant]

9 minutes ago, Whitey Grandad said:

Eh? So he gets blamed now for not letting the shots go straight in.

For someone who comes across as thinking he knows about goalkeeping that is a ridiculous comment. Every keeper is taught that if you parry the ball you need to make sure it goes somewhere relatively safe. That parry from the free kick sent the ball straight into the middle of the goal and we were only saved because the guy who latched onto it either lost his footing or miskicked it.

[Miltonaggro]

Essentially Bazunu is the Juan Larios of goalkeepers. The main difference is the number of games played for our first team and a £12m rather than a £6million fee. Of the Man City starlets only Lavia has worked out and the perseverance with Bazunu seems to come from the very top, Ankersen and those who signed him for a big fee effectively allowing him to learn on the job. It’s not fine, it cost us dearly last season in terms of relagation and it will cost us this season in terms of promotion.

From what I have seen he’s small for a modern day keeper in terms of height (he’s certainly not the height stated in Wikipedia, I’d say around 5ft 10 / 5 ft 11 - on par with Russell Martin), he’s physically small with poor strength (compared to likes of Shilton and Neimi who weren’t tallest but brick shithouses), he appears physically weak and needs to develop his upper body, he lacks decision making, is mute during matches and lacks consistency in terms of technique. On his side is his age and he has time on his side, but SFC doesn’t!  
 

I can see why the board persist in the hope of another payday or avoiding admission of their error, but the Bazunettes on here puzzle me - what are they seeing that many of us dimwits aren’t? During games you can feel the unease from the vast majority of our fans whenever play is near our goal, and the opposition are on to Bazunu as a weak link too. With set pieces the tension is palpable. Yes central midfield and defence needs work but having a rookie keeper is compounding it! 
 

Last year when the chips were down and our chances of staying up were hanging by a thread Selles finally dropped GB for the appalling mcarthy, and I wonder now how long it will be before Russell Martin is asking his DOF for permission to drop him for Lumley, probably not until we are in free fall sliding down the table. If it were up to me I’d be looking for a Boruc, and they are available, Kasper S would help immensely but maybe too obvious for our innovators. 
 

 

Edited 2 September, 2023 by Miltonaggro

[HKsaint]

Just give Baz more chances to grow up. Let’s be patient. 

[Yorkshire Saint]

21 minutes ago, James said:

If you parry it straight back to an attacker to give them a tap in but for a defender at full stretch then yes. Did it v Norwich and at least twice today. 

..and against Plymouth for a goal that should have stood.

[saintant]

Analysts from other teams will know that Baz is weak at saving low shots from outside the box. We can expect opponents to be encouraged to try their luck with speculative efforts because they know it's a good route to scoring against us.

[Turkish]

8 minutes ago, HKsaint said:

Just give Baz more chances to grow up. Let’s be patient. 

Results aren’t patient. He cost us badly last season and looks like he will this.

[SaintTex]

33 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

Just seen the goals. All terrible. Defence a shambles. Marking is abysmal.

Bazunu has perfected the art of looking busy whilst getting nowhere near some saveable shots, diving over/under the ball etc. Reminds me of Gazzaniga.

1st goal - should have saved it. Goes right past him. 

2nd goal - benefit of the doubt due to deflection

3rd goal - should never have been beaten at the near post from there

4th goal - not his fault

5th goal - should be saving that

 

yeah.. pantomime goalkeeping.

.....or maybe he is this ghostly apparition in which earthly object can easily pass right through.

whatever it is, it isn't goal stopping.

[JRM]

I think back to the fans forum when a perfectly good question was asked about the weakness of the spine of the team to be addressed starting with the goal keeper, rather than respond calmly Martin launched into an unnecessary long defence of Bazunu showering him with praise, definitely felt like a case of "the lady doth protest too much" , deep down Martin knows Baz is a fucking liability who let's a high percentage of shots on target in.  We're handicapped as a team because of this and will concede far too many over the course of the season.

just makes it worse the Skates call him "Agent Bazunu" as well whilst laughing at his calamity efforts 

[James]

10 minutes ago, saintant said:

Analysts from other teams will know that Baz is weak at saving low shots from outside the box. We can expect opponents to be encouraged to try their luck with speculative efforts because they know it's a good route to scoring against us.

It was obvious Sunderland were doing this. Shooting from anywhere knowing there was a chance of a goal.

[OttawaSaint]

Can't get near most shots, those that are right at him go through his foam hands. When he does get a stop he pushes it straight back out. Makes a huge meal of any routine scuffer. 

Worst Saints goalie in my memory and that includes Ian Andews and Tommy Fourpast.

Edited 2 September, 2023 by OttawaSaint

[Weston Super Saint]

After today, I'm convinced he's a skate.

[HKsaint]

Get rid of him now please. He is no more important than the club right? 

Edited 2 September, 2023 by HKsaint

[Saint_clark]

3 hours ago, FarehamSaintJames said:

Clark is one of those that clearly gets off to proving people wrong, even if it means the team plays shit as a result. 😂

Not really mate, today was depressing as fuck. 

I'm confident in my opinion, from what I've seen, that he is a terrible keeper and isn't going to improve to the extent we require. He may be brilliant in 5+ years time but right now I don't give a solitary fuck about that. 

It's a position that is SO easy to make an immediate and drastic improvement to the sides chances, and yet we continue to blindly put our faith in him. 

I don't get off on proving people wrong, it's just that the more and more people who finally admit he is terrible the higher the chance one of those people is the manager and we replace him.

[Lee On Solent Saint]

1 hour ago, Whitey Grandad said:

The defence’s job is exact that. To get in the way of attackers, to make it difficult for them to get a shot away and in particular to challenge for headers. I saw none of that today. Their third that you’re so annoyed about would have beaten most keepers.

I get far more annoyed about the non-existent defence than anything else. Put any other goalkeeper in their and the result would have been little different.

You can't keeping coming out with this rhetoric every game. It's quite clear that he should have done better with at least three of their goals today. Yes, the defending was shite, but he just doesn't inspire any confidence, have you ever seen him go crazy at his defenders? Does he organise a defence? He's so quiet out there he should work in a library. He needs to come out of the firing line, but how can he? Martin claims he is the best keeper in the division, when you come out with an comment like that, you know you aren't getting dropped. Even if we did drop him, the options behind him are just as bad. 

[Turkish]

2 hours ago, JRM said:

I think back to the fans forum when a perfectly good question was asked about the weakness of the spine of the team to be addressed starting with the goal keeper, rather than respond calmly Martin launched into an unnecessary long defence of Bazunu showering him with praise, definitely felt like a case of "the lady doth protest too much" , deep down Martin knows Baz is a fucking liability who let's a high percentage of shots on target in.  We're handicapped as a team because of this and will concede far too many over the course of the season.

just makes it worse the Skates call him "Agent Bazunu" as well whilst laughing at his calamity efforts 

I’d be very concerned if anyone didn’t think he was a liability. His gushing praise was definitely a bit OTT. You’re probably right as to to why

[AlexLaw76]

Said be before, Angus Gunn will have a better season than Baz. 

Our keeper is awful 

[IFHP]

He looks like he dives with no intention of getting the ball .

He either needs to go to the optician or he’s just shit . 
 

Perhaps he is an agent that the Portsmouth fans think ?

either way he needs dropping before the crowd start to turn on him .

McCathy had a solid couple of seasons for us and we need him to reach those levels again . 

[Turkish]

Just now, IFHP said:

He looks like he dives with no intention of getting the ball .

He either needs to go to the optician or he’s just shit . 
 

Perhaps he is an agent that the Portsmouth fans think ?

either way he needs dropping before the crowd start to turn on him .

McCathy had a solid couple of seasons for us and we need him to reach those levels again . 

Is it just me who thinks he goes down incredibly slowly?

[IFHP]

1 minute ago, Turkish said:

Is it just me who thinks he goes down incredibly slowly?

Nope . 

One of his many faults is I don’t think he reads the game . 

[Fan The Flames]

Just seen the highlights, he didn't have a great game.

[S-Clarke]

I'd have expected my GK to save at least 2 of the goals today, at any level. 

The scary thing though is that he did actually make some good saves in that second half, but still let in 5!

What is going on in front of him is a huge concern for me, the openness of our game is there for all to see. We will probably refine it, I think we'll have to as we don't seem capable of stopping opposition attacks.

[Saint in Paradise]

A question for those defending Bazunu, if a young plumber made many costly mistakes whilst working on the plumbing in your house

and which caused lots of extra expense would you have the same attitude towards that plumber as you do with Bazuna?

 

[stknowle]

5 hours ago, sfc4prem said:

He is porous. He has a particular ability to make the goal look absolutely massive, and his wrists are made of fucking crisp packets. The bread and butter of goalkeepers is made to seem like rocket science by this young man.

Brilliantly put and so so true. How tall is he actually? He has the presence of a munchkin, the agility of a snowman, and the handling of a boiled egg.

[badgerx16]

This is all moot whilst the manager and coaches see him as our number 1, and RM is the fourth manager to play him.

Edited 2 September, 2023 by badgerx16

[Lord Duckhunter]

4 minutes ago, badgerx16 said:

and RM is the fourth manager to play him.

That’s a bit disingenuous. Ralph & Jonesy didn’t get much time with him, and Selles binned him eventually. For AM FFS, that tells you everything. Continue like this & he'll get binned again. It’s criminal that we have such shite options in nets. 

Edited 2 September, 2023 by Lord Duckhunter

[Golac's Cunning Stunts]

3 minutes ago, badgerx16 said:

This is all moot whilst the manager and coaches see him as our number 1, and RM is the fourth manager to play him.

The 3 previous managers all got the sack... just saying

[badgerx16]

1 minute ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

That’s a bit disingenuous. Ralph & Jonesy didn’t get much time with him, and Selles binned him eventually. 

In how many matches did Selles play him before switching him out ? ( Considering he had been sat alongside Ralph and Mad Nate for however many matches already, watching Bazunu's performances, plus watching hime in months of training  ).

[Lord Duckhunter]

2 minutes ago, badgerx16 said:

In how many matches did Selles play him before switching him out ? ( Considering he had been sat alongside Ralph and Mad Nate for however many matches already, watching Bazunu's performances, plus watching hime in months of training  ).

When the alternative is Alex fucking McCarthy, being picked regularly doesn’t necessarily mean the manager rates you. 

[badgerx16]

3 minutes ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

When the alternative is Alex fucking McCarthy, being picked regularly doesn’t necessarily mean the manager rates you. 

True, but we had the January transfer window and all of this summer to find an new stopper but the club seem to be happy with the roster of GKs we have.

[stknowle]

4 hours ago, HKsaint said:

Just give Baz more chances to grow up. Let’s be patient. 

Sorry but I simply cannot agree with that one HK my old pal. My patience with that man as a first choice starting GK has snapped. He’s shit.

[stknowle]

5 hours ago, Whitey Grandad said:

Their third that you’re so annoyed about would have beaten most keepers.

 

Zookeepers maybe. Half competent goalkeepers? Nah. Seriously of all the goals today he was most at fault for that one.

[JRM]

For me he just doesn't save enough shots, every team we play against will just plan to get as many shots on target as possible, goals will come

 

 

[Stu Man Do]

Have to feel he should do better with at least 3 of those goals. I’m yet to work out what his strengths are.

[Crowds]

Bazuno will cost us promotion, when he’s letting in shots straight at him and at his near post. Game after game, especially with the ticytacy sideways crap we are playing we won’t get to the promised land.

Play McCarthy, and utilisE our attacking full backs and plethora or attacking pace 

[bpsaint]

The keeping for that first goal is even worse than I remember. Probably could have flung a leg out and stopped t going in, all avoidable with the time and space he had to come and claim the cross with his hands in the first place.

[Lord Duckhunter]

He’s fucking pony. End of. 

[Miltonaggro]

12 hours ago, Turkish said:

Is it just me who thinks he goes down incredibly slowly?

Watch set pieces as well, like a fan who has won a competition with his school, jumping up and down as a foot shorter than everyone else. 

[Miltonaggro]

14 hours ago, James said:

It was obvious Sunderland were doing this. Shooting from anywhere knowing there was a chance of a goal.

So were Norwich and QPR, clearly the weakness has been picked up. Anything on target has a chance of going in.

[AlexLaw76]

On 23/08/2023 at 20:59, derry said:

I've nothing of interest to add and by the looks of this thread neither does anyone else.

What about now?

[Pilchards]

That free kick when he palms it back towards a striker, I don’t get it as it’s coming at his body so you either catch it or push it to the side. Bloody awful performance yesterday and for most of all his seasons with us.

[Charlie Mealings]

Did a quick 600 words on Bazunu this morning, post-Sunderland.

I don't have a view on what we should do about him, at least not a clear one.

But if you'd like some nice juicy HINDSIGHT I think Sports Republic's youth-first strategy is weaker when recruiting GKs, and we maybe we could have relaxed it just in that position:

https://www.statemarys.com/p/quick-one-on-bazunu

Edited 3 September, 2023 by Charlie Mealings

[Wade Garrett]

Been banging this drum since the start of last season.  He is shite.

[AlexLaw76]

On 30/06/2023 at 08:43, Pamplemousse said:

 

 

I think he'll be fine this season. You would expect (hopefully) he won't have to face as many shots as he did last season

This is not working out, sadly. He is letting in the about the same amount

[Turkish]

4 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

This is not working out, sadly. He is letting in the about the same amount

He got a hand to 3 of the goals yesterday, but wasn’t strong enough to push them round the post. None of them were particularly hard. You can make a case for Holgate being at fault for two, the defenders losing their man for the first and the fifth so not being Bazunu completely at fault but the it’s still the case that any attempt on target has a very good chance of going in.
 

Aside from being alright with the ball at his feet what is he good at? He isn’t strong, isn’t commanding, isn’t agile, he’s a shit shot stopper. We might as well put an outfield player in goal if it’s his ability on the ball we’re after. 

[JRM]

10 minutes ago, Turkish said:

He got a hand to 3 of the goals yesterday, but wasn’t strong enough to push them round the post. None of them were particularly hard. You can make a case for Holgate being at fault for two, the defenders losing their man for the first and the fifth so not being Bazunu completely at fault but the it’s still the case that any attempt on target has a very good chance of going in.
 

Aside from being alright with the ball at his feet what is he good at? He isn’t strong, isn’t commanding, isn’t agile, he’s a shit shot stopper. We might as well put an outfield player in goal if it’s his ability on the ball we’re after. 

I think you are spot on mate, need to get you a ticket for the next fans forum to make this argument to Martin. 

[Turkish]

16 minutes ago, JRM said:

I think you are spot on mate, need to get you a ticket for the next fans forum to make this argument to Martin. 

I wouldn’t waste my question on that when there are more important issues like the women’s team a safe space for LGBTs and what are we going to do for Ramadan this year to ask the board. 

 

[Holmes_and_Watson]

When someone said the other day that Martin had called him the best in the league, I thought they were joking. Not to slate Bazunu, but just that it couldn't possibly be so, could it? It came up again yesterday.

I thought there must be some context. We had some stats posted about last season from Saint Matty 76 (I think) and they showed Baz at the bottom. I think they might have showed him as the worst in premier League history.

Here it is (pinched from a rival forum, as we have no search function worth a bean)

"Just a quick disclaimer that a few people are going to moan about this post so if you're one of them, please just don't read it. Nobody cares if you think it's nonsense or you can't/don't want to understand it, it's not meant for you. It is just a further indication of quite how bad Bazunu has been this season.

The best way to judge keepers statistically is post-shot expected goals, as it actually takes into account the level of the shot being taken. If a player scores from 40 yards from a shot of 0.01 xG, it doesn't reflect properly on the fact that a keeper has a far larger chance than 0.01 of saving it. Bazunu has a PSxG of -11.1, which means statistically he's conceded 41 goals where the expectation is just 25.9. The most interesting thing about that to me is the fact that 25.9 is actually the 6th lowest in the league, behind just Newcastle, City, Arsenal, Brighton and United. 5 times who are a million miles further up the league than we are. This indicates that we haven't been terrible defensively this season, we've just been drastically let down by a goalkeepers underperformance. For comparison to the rest of the league, the next worst is Leeds (Meslier) at -5.8.

It's actually statistically the worst season by a goalkeeper in Premier League history. Bazunu has also made 54 saves in the league, with only Arsenal, Brighton and City's keepers making less. This has him at a 55% save rate, meaning he's now almost conceding a goal for any save he has to make. We have had 92 shots on target against us, which again is within the top 5 of the league. The argument here could be that our defenders are constantly leaving him in situations where he's not able to make the saves, but that's why the PSxG number above disproves that point.

TLDR - statistically we are within the top 5 fewest chances and shots on target faced each game, but Bazunu's underperformance is both the worst in the league by almost double, and the worst the PL has seen."

In terms of influencing results, goalkeeper is the most important player in a team. Successful teams always have a good one. Having the worst condemns you to fail. "

Our common sense was seeing this too. Our defence chopped and changed. There were errors. We'd lose by creating little, a defensive error that in the narrow margins we'd lose by proved costly, and relying on a goalkeeper with that 55% save rate.

And we're seeing the same thing this season.

Martin said “I've been made aware of this narrative around Gav. Last season has happened; you can't impact that. What he can impact is that he’ll be one of the best goalkeepers in the division for how we want to play. If I was going to look at a goalkeeper, I'd want to go and sign Gavin Bazunu. His mentality and how he's been, how he's trained, and how he played on Saturday - he can't do anything.

It's a glowing endorsement. But highlights are "will be" rather than "is" and "for how we want to play rather than "for what you'd normally expect a goalkeeper to be excellent at"

Presumably, our data analysts are seeing that Baz might be okay at passing it out from the back, compared to others. That his build may make him a little quicker to react under some situations. Things like that. And all what Martin wants. Because if Pep can bin Joe Hart for not being able to pass, we must be ahead of the game here with our passing 'keeper! And Martin can't get 80% posession, if the goalkeeper kicks it long or folds under a backpass (which Baz doesn't).

But the goals go in from positioning, from just making the wrong decision (often by just a second), from lack of strength in the parry or in the save.

I still think SR thought Ralph was a great fit, because they looked at figures over the term, rather than noticing that he'd been countered, and couldn't adjust.

With Baz, I often feel it's the same. Too much focus on the data of an individual while the team continue to lose. They may be seeing improvements, but at what cost to the wider team, and our actual goals for the season? Especially, when there were plenty of experienced options available last term.

Martin's right about his mentality. There's plenty to improve right across the team, and they often do Bazunu no favours. He's in a spotlight because of the importance of the position, and as the first person people look at when it goes in. He's had a torrid time, but is focused and committed.

If goalkeepers were judged on having scowly expressions, Baz would win the golden gloves every year.

But Matty's stats showed we weren't that bad in front of him, compared to what went in.

If Martin sorts out our defending, to at least reduce the efforts on our goal, we can only hope that Baz's save stats improve. Martin's tactic looks as though it would mentally test any goalkeeper, never mind a developing one.

I want all our players to do well, and for Baz to have a great season. I get the feeling it's going to be a painful journey, and at the risk of impacting our larger goals.

Edited 3 September, 2023 by Holmes_and_Watson
decided to complete one of the sentences.