personally, I'd keep Raya as far away as possible, the last thing we need is him picking up an injury for the competitions that actually matter.
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personally, I'd keep Raya as far away as possible, the last thing we need is him picking up an injury for the competitions that actually matter.
That's why I'm trying to work out why he's agreed to this.
Could it be that being Chelsead has messed with his head that that being rich, he's happy for a relatively stress-free but well-paid life as a number two?
Remember that before Cech, AW had never paid more than ?1m for a 'keeper. The most expensive won he had was inherited from GG, signed six years before he arrived.
I much prefer Kepa to Cech, btw.
Remember in the old days when 'keepers caught the ball? The first time we saw 'keepers in Blighty punching the ball we considered them wrong'uns for their fancy, forrin ways.
But now everyone punches. I don't remember 'keepers dropping the ball much - the likes of Lukic or Spunky. So why do they punch now? Is it harder to catch the ball - perhaps it's lighter and/or moves more in the air. {Though if the latter were true, you'd be better off trying to catch it.}
Why did the change come about?
I agree. I do not know where they got the idea from and I don't like it.
All I can imagine is that it allows for the employment of men who are otherwise good in goal but are simply not very good at actually catching the ball. Rather like the fashion for wicketkeepers that are, under other circumstances, pretty good at cricket but cannot catch very well.
Wicket-keepers nowadays are just slip-fielding batsmen in pads and gloves.
I'm starting to worry that in non-Asian countries where you only play one spinner that they'll have to be able to bat at 8 {unless it's a Murali like talent} in the same way that if a 'keeper isn't able to bat at 7, he won't play no matter how good he is behind the stumps.
Look at Foakes, who has actually scored test centuries at 7, and many FC ones. He lost his place, despite being the best WK, because he doesn't score fast enough at 7.
And I think what they did to Bash in the winter, depressing as it was, was to say that they can't have a spinner who can't bat well given they won't bowl that much, especially in the first innings.
So we'll have spinners who can't turn the ball and on the odd occasion they do beat the bat, the 'keeper will miss the stumping by dropping the ball. But they can both slog a quick 15 or 20 at 4.5 an over.
Raya has to start. It's a trophy. It's against City. He HAS to start.