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have to say, really liking the look of big WIlly in pre season, going to be a very tough decision as to who to start.

I have no clue, i would've assumed Hart a few weeks ago but not now.

Who is it to be?

Joe for now as he's the incumbent and did well at the end of last season.
Two mistakes though and I'm sure he will be quickly dropped

I have a feeling it won't end well for Hart. Especially given Caballero's distribution is excellent and Hart's is appalling. You'd have thought Hart would have addressed this aspect of his game but apparently he doesn't even work on it in training.

Peter Doherty (AGAIG) wrote:I have a feeling it won't end well for Hart. Especially given Caballero's distribution is excellent and Hart's is appalling. You'd have thought Hart would have addressed this aspect of his game but apparently he doesn't even work on it in training.

Shocking if true... and would reflect badly not just on him but Pellers and his coaching staff.. how credible is your source on this?

I would be gobsmacked if Hart didn't work on his distribution. With a higher defensive line, the keeper's role changes from stopping shots to almost being a sweeper. Accurate distribution is a part of the keepers;skill set and is crucial for a fast attacking side.

Not sure where you got this info from Peter but if true, it would be remiss of the coaching staff and unprofessional of Hart.

For me it's Caballero, i've been very impressed with him during pre season and some of the stuff i've seen in training as well,

I think who ever Pellegrini goes with in the community shield against Arsenal is the keeper we start the season with, no matter what happens Joe has his work cut out for him.

I'm not really buying it that Joe doesn't work on his distribution. I'm not really sure he'll be given the choice to flat out refuse to do it if told to. From all accounts he's a very hard trainer and there has never been any questions regarding his professionalism.

i'll trust manuel to decide

You put your Willy in,
Your Willy out,
In, out, in, out,
Shake it all about
You do the Caballero
And you turn around
And that's what it's all about.
Oh Willy Caballero
Oh Willy Caballero

Just to clarify, and not to paint Hart in too bad a light. I've heard that he doesn't do 'extra' work on his distribution beyond what the other 'keepers do. I'd have expected him to, given his abjectness in this aspect of the game.

Peter Doherty (AGAIG) wrote:Just to clarify, and not to paint Hart in too bad a light. I've heard that he doesn't do 'extra' work on his distribution beyond what the other 'keepers do. I'd have expected him to, given his abjectness in this aspect of the game.

It doesnt matter if you're right or wrong about his training because his distro is shit no matter what he's doing, so it doesn't matter.

He's despicable in this regard and has always been. Sadly.

Cheers

I'm a great believer that football intelligence is a prime asset and can often be gleaned by examining a players speech, demeanour etc. Only one winner on that criterion. However, it might come down to whether Cab is confident on crosses in the hurly burly of Prem life. Arsenal will find that out if he plays.

take off the blond tinted specs and this is a VERY easy decision. willy is miles better in every respect except perhaps shot stopping, in which he's at least joe's equal.

Sideshow Bob wrote:take off the blond tinted specs and this is a VERY easy decision. willy is miles better in every respect except perhaps shot stopping, in which he's at least joe's equal.

I take it you've studied plenty of footage of Caballero then?

Foreverinbluedreams wrote:

Sideshow Bob wrote:take off the blond tinted specs and this is a VERY easy decision. willy is miles better in every respect except perhaps shot stopping, in which he's at least joe's equal.

I take it you've studied plenty of footage of Caballero then?

I've seen enough of willy at Malaga and in preseason - and I've DEFFO seen enough of our joe - to reach a strong conclusion.

big willy's halfway in

Foreverinbluedreams wrote:You put your Willy in,
Your Willy out,
In, out, in, out,
Shake it all about
You do the Caballero
And you turn around
And that's what it's all about.
Oh Willy Caballero
Oh Willy Caballero

Hahaha very good

Sideshow Bob wrote:

Foreverinbluedreams wrote:

Sideshow Bob wrote:take off the blond tinted specs and this is a VERY easy decision. willy is miles better in every respect except perhaps shot stopping, in which he's at least joe's equal.

I take it you've studied plenty of footage of Caballero then?

I've seen enough of willy at Malaga and in preseason - and I've DEFFO seen enough of our joe - to reach a strong conclusion.

So have I, but we've come to different conclusions. I like Cabs but joe is our number one and is the best shot stopper in the league. Yes he has flaws but he has played it short a lot more in recent seasons and that's his way of dealing with it IMO.

hart has shown to be top class in many areas of keeping which are vital to success but i tend to think he will likely never be a good distributor of the ball.

i hate to go by how a player "looks" since that could place one deeper into the "lescott is quality so don't base it on how nervous he looks with the ball" camp (except he is gone for some reason...hmmm), but hart seems to be an awkward looking player if he wasn't a keeper. sometimes stiff and rigid looking with how he moves and makes his touches with his feet, if you ask me. and the awkwardness leads to crap goal kicks...too often. he does his job VERY well, and is excellent in many areas that have helped us succeed, but i have a hard time seeing his distribution skill level improve too much.

of course, we need english players to play, in general, so he is likely not going to be replaced by caballero so fast (i.e. lead to his moving on), and hart appears to be better in many other areas, and is not a finished product. this is about giving pellegrini another option that is different, especially against certain teams (where we can use caballero's distribution to make poor clubs pay...i.e. league cup), and perhaps if hart responds poorly to the competition we will do something when more academy/eds players, or english players can come into the team to address the home grown player status issue that will be not as bad next year, one can assume.

but willy hasn't kicked (or caught) a ball in the prem yet? Yes harts kick outs are under 9 level, he is a keeper with two prem titles under his belt, all considered, still its a tricky one.