Liam Roberts - Good enough?

Seen Dunn play 3 times . Conference standard if that . Certainly no improvement on Roberts

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Roberts is ok and nothing more than that. As it stands Walsall and League 1 is his level.

What was the point in signing Dunn !!!

I suppose he was signed as backup. Other keepers are too young.

It seems pointless and a complete waste of money signing a goalkeeper that is never going to play. Even when the other goalkeeper is playing badly. Wheres the sense in that

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Iā€™ve heard that Dunn helps Tom Bradley with the kitbag if it gets heavy. He also gives death stares to the awayteam in the tunnel when getting off the team coach #steelystare #unit

Ha ha. Can he do any goalkeeping ?

Could replace him with a cardboard model. Save a few quid

The problem is, Mark Gillespie went to other club. His wage too. Normally he would be first choice keeper, but something went wrong. So Liam Roberts, who normally would be second keeper now, gaining experience, playing in cup games, maybe few league games near the end of season, had to play as number one last season. This season too. So we can accept he is not ready yet, lost some form, but have to play or hope for signing experienced keeper, who would be his mentor. One option for sure, maybe both wonā€™t happen. Thatā€™s why I cross my fingers Liam will return soon and regain form. There are important games in January, so everything can happen.

Iā€™d have thought that was pretty obvious? To sit on the bench in case our first choice keeper gets injured. Which is exactly what heā€™s done. Because that is all our budget allows. Him or some kid.

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Totally agree , they may aswell give me a call , and some cash in hand when they might need me :joy:

Roberts will get back to his ā€˜bestā€™ now Martin has gone (if itā€™s true of courseā€¦). His relentless barking at the entire defence and goalkeeper even when he was at fault himself knocked confidence, even Roberts imo. Didnā€™t help that Martin tried to tell him every pass to make, every time to come out. The kid can finally start making his own decisions again without that clown trying to do it for him.

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Its a farce dunn. Agree with red and white. If hes that ā– ā– ā– ā–  ill go on the bench watch the game and u dont have to pay me !!!

Yeah with our budget they may as well.

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Chuffed he got a clean sheet yesterday.

Hopefully his confidence will begin to rebuild now. When he is confident in himself his defence will become more confident in him also which is really important.

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From Chris Marshā€™s article in the Express and Star

In 2019, the Saddlers have played five league games. In those matches, they have conceded eight goals despite facing just 11 shots on target.

That isnā€™t normal, and it is very, very concerning. It seems Walsall donā€™t have too many problems keeping teams at bay.

They are keeping them at bay when you look at the number of shots on their goal. But when teams do get through, they are scoring and that has got to stop. If you look at most sides, they will have to do deal with five or six shots on target during 90 minutes. But they wonā€™t be conceding two goals every week. For some reason the ratios at Walsall are wrong, and itā€™s up to the players to sort that out.

Chris Marsh is not going to criticise individual players, but the glaringly obvious conclusion from those comments is that our defence is being let down by the goalkeeper.

I had hoped that Keates would try to solve the biggest problem we have in the side by signing a goalkeeper during the transfer window, but it was not to be.

I donā€™t think Roberts is the problem, perhaps itā€™s more about how heā€™s being coached?

He was great last season, and obviously thrived under Cutler, even continuing his good form after Culter left and Steve Hale came in.

Not been the same since the arrival of Oakes though.

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I was amazed that in amongst the legion of players coming to the club in January that a ā€˜keeper wasnā€™t amongst them.

In answer to the question in the op, I think he is good enough. He just needs taking out of the firing line for a bit because heā€™s having a torrid time.

It is another example of Keatesā€™ muddled thinking. Liam Kinsella was in decent nick and yet canā€™t get in the 18. Roberts is having a ā€˜mare and his shirt seems completely safe.

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I think he is good enough but with mess we are in defensively has affected him in my view. Get the team set up correctly and his confidence will return.

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Heā€™ll be a decent keeper but now is not the time for him. Because of the tactics and defensive set up weā€™re adopting, we desperately need someone to command his 18 yard box and be shouting the odds at the defence. Heā€™s not at a stage where he can do that. It would have made a huge difference if weā€™d brought in an experienced on loan keeper, in the mould of Clayton Ince. I think weā€™d have stopped leaking goals pretty quickly and it completely baffles me why we got in all these players in January and totally ignored this requirement