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Serious comment here, Bazunu gets a lot of bad press on various posts on this site, but lets look at the facts.
1. He was a decent prospect when signed in 2022, but still only 20 and not ready for the Premier League.
2. He was thrown in behind a defence that was an utter shambles and changed week in week out, he needed experience in front of him.
3. Last season during our 22 game unbeaten run, in the main he was pretty solid.
4. Shot stopping stats weren't good but the way we played meant that most goals conceded were either the occasional long range shot that flew in, goals when we got caught on the break or close range efforts that he had no chance with.
5. Of course I do accept he made the occasional blooper, but not really much more than most keepers.
6. It went wrong for him last season after Xmas when Russell Martin started to muck around with the defence, dropping key players and shuffling the pack.
7. Possibly the best thing for Bazunu was to get injured, it has taken him out of the firing line for a year, hopefully when he returns he will be refreshed and not still shellshocked from his first season's experience, if are still be in the Premier League, but with a solid experienced defence perhaps, he can come in and compete for a place on even terms.
8. Bazunu can play with his feet, if he had played at Newcastle we probably would have won, Newcastle only had one on target and that was caused by the misplaced pass by McCarthy.
9. These days shots on target are not so plentiful, it may sound strange but the main job of a keeper is not shot stopping. it is being able to be a sweeper keeper and play with his feet, if you keep the ball then you reduce the attempts on goal now.
10. Whatever our opinions on Bazunu good and bad, he has never been anything other than a model professional for the club, what has happened over the past two years is not all his fault, fair enough if people don't rate him but he doesn't deserve abuse, he deserves support and if he gets that he might just turn into a decent keeper.
11. It should be noted that most of our keepers in recent times who have gone on to do well, started their career badly at the club and got abuse from the fans. Tim Flowers Kelvin Davies Artur Boruc.
If I added the list of those keepers that got stick at the start and never recovered it would be endless, even Peter Shilton got early stick in 1982, despite being the best keeper in the world at times.
There is a phrase used on a Facebook group which goes "Once A Saint Always A Saint" perhaps we should remember that when certain players are still here.
Satisfying The Bloodlust Of The Masses In Peacetime
"9. These days shots on target are not so plentiful, it may sound strange but the main job of a keeper is not shot stopping. it is being able to be a sweeper keeper and play with his feet, if you keep the ball then you reduce the attempts on goal now."
Not true. Shots on target are more plentiful than ever, as are goals. See here:
Those statistics say that shot stopping is more important than ever.
The main thing I'd say in Bazunu's favour is that keepers improve with age. As stated, it was the club's mistake to play him in the PL with so little experience. He will improve. Will he ever be good enough? Time will tell, but I don't think he was really any better last year than the year before, so he's still not ready.
Astonishing, even his family wouldn't give this defence. Massive clickbait. The bloke has clearly shown that he simply isn't good enough full stop.
The same was said about Tim Flowers in his early games for the club, as was said above Goalkeepers take time to mature, very few come into the first team at 21/22 as Bazunu did.
If Bazunu was not good enough, how did we go 22 games unbeaten in the league last season with the lowest goals against in the division during that period.
I made 10 reasonable points, not massive clickbait, I gave my opinion you choose just reply with sarcasm, I am sure his family would give this defence, to my knowledge his family are supportive of him
Now if I put up a story on the home page saying " Gavin Bazunu's Family Disown Him Due To Him Being S***" then that would probably be the biggest clickbait, but the frothing at the mouth would create a tsunami
Satisfying The Bloodlust Of The Masses In Peacetime
Bazunu's saves to shots on target ratio was the worst in the history of the Premier League: even worse than McCarthy's, and those goalkeepers were the main reason we got relegated the last time. Virtually every shot on target was a goal. Surely, we're not going to repeat the same mistake again?
Blimey Nick, that is one hell of an endorsement. Sadly, most Saints fans can see he is just not good enough.
Maybe he will come good in time who knows but tbh I’ve never seen a keeper who misses so many basic shots that just go to either side of him . His strengths are playing with his feet and reaction saves but definitely not from distance.
Bazunu's saves to shots on target ratio was the worst in the history of the Premier League: even worse than McCarthy's, and those goalkeepers were the main reason we got relegated the last time. Virtually every shot on target was a goal. Surely, we're not going to repeat the same mistake again?
[Post edited 21 Aug 12:56]
My fav game of Bazunu's was when he conceded 3 goals to 2 shots on target. (the other being a deflected off target OG).
"Playing Devil's Advocate since 15th January 2014"
Clubs fault for signing a L1 kid and putting straight into a Prem side.. Absolutely Mental.
Fans back Baz... His name is sung inside the stadium and he acknowledges this support. It's only on forums where he rightly gets criticised for his shot saving deficiencies.
Looks too small for me... Sorry it's a pass for me.
I genuinely think he may have an eyesight issue which affects his ability to save shots from distance.
There are not many successful teams around who have goalkeepers who are so young.
It is such a key position, which requires so much more mental strength and concentration than pretty much any other position on the pitch.
I am trying to be constructive here, but I am in truth hoping that we make a signing in the next few days which means Bazunu isn't just going to walk back in the team when he returns to fitness.
What's the point of the club buying all these good/promising midfielders, defensive additions and Diaz in order to give us a decent chance of staying up this season when arguably the most important position - a good solid capable goalkeeper - gets overlooked & ignored?
It's a case of undoing all your good work, surely?
I genuinely think he may have an eyesight issue which affects his ability to save shots from distance.
There are not many successful teams around who have goalkeepers who are so young.
It is such a key position, which requires so much more mental strength and concentration than pretty much any other position on the pitch.
I am trying to be constructive here, but I am in truth hoping that we make a signing in the next few days which means Bazunu isn't just going to walk back in the team when he returns to fitness.
He may indeed have an eyesight issue Pat, but I'd add a lack of sense of smell as well.
We all seem to have forgotten that he turned out for the Fishy Few not that long ago and that, frankly, would be enough to impair anyone's senses.
Seriously though, he may well have the making of a good keeper, so lets see once he's recovered, meanwhile the McCarthy problem remains existential..
hes just a poor keeper for the level saints play at,pretty much anything on target was a goal,also just wondered if the achilles injury he now has was troubling him for some time,either way saints need to improve the keeper quality.
Its hard to say at his young age if hes goes to be any good for PL, at the moment hes not. That said he or indeed anybody between the sticks will struggle with poor defending infront.
NONE of our keepers are good enough Baz isn't awful and in the Championship had good and bad games The fact is to be a good team you NEED a good keeper period.
Look at every other team in the PL, no one has a keeper as bad as us
We should have got Schmeicel in Dubravka, Johnstone they would all be an upgrade
Bad may come good in a few years but we can't afford to have a keeper learning on the job
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