He wasn’t good enough for most of time he was with us. Why do people on here look at players playing at a higher level since leaving us and conclude that everyone who wrote them off must have been wrong? Like it isn’t possible for players to develop after leaving us. Simon Francis, Morgan Fox, Nick Pope etc - these players clearly worked hard and improved after they left us, through better coaching or self-motivation but for whatever reason they progressed.
Is Nick Pope a good goalkeeper now? Yes clearly. Am I happy for him? Absolutely. Do we need to rewrite history and pretend he wasn’t a liability when he was with us who regularly dropped crosses, fumbled shots and cost us points? No.
He wasn’t good enough for most of time he was with us. Why do people on here look at players playing at a higher level since leaving us and conclude that everyone who wrote them off must have been wrong? Like it isn’t possible for players to develop after leaving us. Simon Francis, Morgan Fox, Nick Pope etc - these players clearly worked hard and improved after they left us, through better coaching or self-motivation but for whatever reason they progressed.
Is Nick Pope a good goalkeeper now? Yes clearly. Am I happy for him? Absolutely. Do we need to rewrite history and pretend he wasn’t a liability when he was with us who regularly dropped crosses, fumbled shots and cost us points? No.
In my opinion that is rewriting history. Did he make mistakes - yes, regularly - no.
He wasn’t good enough for most of time he was with us. Why do people on here look at players playing at a higher level since leaving us and conclude that everyone who wrote them off must have been wrong? Like it isn’t possible for players to develop after leaving us. Simon Francis, Morgan Fox, Nick Pope etc - these players clearly worked hard and improved after they left us, through better coaching or self-motivation but for whatever reason they progressed.
Is Nick Pope a good goalkeeper now? Yes clearly. Am I happy for him? Absolutely. Do we need to rewrite history and pretend he wasn’t a liability when he was with us who regularly dropped crosses, fumbled shots and cost us points? No.
In my opinion that is rewriting history. Did he make mistakes - yes, regularly - no.
He had quite a long spell when Henderson first was injured when he let a number of shots through him- a spell in which we went several months without winning.
He wasn’t good enough for most of time he was with us. Why do people on here look at players playing at a higher level since leaving us and conclude that everyone who wrote them off must have been wrong? Like it isn’t possible for players to develop after leaving us. Simon Francis, Morgan Fox, Nick Pope etc - these players clearly worked hard and improved after they left us, through better coaching or self-motivation but for whatever reason they progressed.
Is Nick Pope a good goalkeeper now? Yes clearly. Am I happy for him? Absolutely. Do we need to rewrite history and pretend he wasn’t a liability when he was with us who regularly dropped crosses, fumbled shots and cost us points? No.
In my opinion that is rewriting history. Did he make mistakes - yes, regularly - no.
I respect your opinion but it did happen regularly and I know someone who trained with him at the time too and he said it also happened most days in training.
Pope could possibly retire as a multi-millionaire having played only around a hundred league games .. he's 26 and has a good ten years 'playing time' ahead of him. Best gig in pro sport .. a talented but not quite talented enough goalkeeper sitting on the sidelines, travelling all over with all expenses paid, getting well into his training but hardly ever taking the field .. well paid but probably unfulfilling and rather boring with the best spectator seats in the stadium
He wasn’t good enough for most of time he was with us. Why do people on here look at players playing at a higher level since leaving us and conclude that everyone who wrote them off must have been wrong? Like it isn’t possible for players to develop after leaving us. Simon Francis, Morgan Fox, Nick Pope etc - these players clearly worked hard and improved after they left us, through better coaching or self-motivation but for whatever reason they progressed.
Is Nick Pope a good goalkeeper now? Yes clearly. Am I happy for him? Absolutely. Do we need to rewrite history and pretend he wasn’t a liability when he was with us who regularly dropped crosses, fumbled shots and cost us points? No.
In my opinion that is rewriting history. Did he make mistakes - yes, regularly - no.
I respect your opinion but it did happen regularly and I know someone who trained with him at the time too and he said it also happened most days in training.
Which is probably why a 21 yo shouldnt be first choice keeper for a an expectant championship crowd.
They have to learn so much, mostly through mistakes as a keeper.
Pope was a decent keeper with us but had one major weakness: failure to hold the low hard shot. This problem seems to have been coached out of him and he's turned into an excellent keeper. Burnley don't need Heaton, Hart and Pope so one has to go. Good luck to him.
That was his main weakness when he played for us but as you say seems to have got over this fault. Has reached a higher level than I expected.
He wasn’t good enough for most of time he was with us. Why do people on here look at players playing at a higher level since leaving us and conclude that everyone who wrote them off must have been wrong? Like it isn’t possible for players to develop after leaving us. Simon Francis, Morgan Fox, Nick Pope etc - these players clearly worked hard and improved after they left us, through better coaching or self-motivation but for whatever reason they progressed.
Is Nick Pope a good goalkeeper now? Yes clearly. Am I happy for him? Absolutely. Do we need to rewrite history and pretend he wasn’t a liability when he was with us who regularly dropped crosses, fumbled shots and cost us points? No.
I thought Pope showed potential and I wanted him to be our first choice in League 1 before he was sold. Saying that he’s done even better than I expected.
He made mistakes but he also did enough to convince Burnley to buy him. It’s not as if they sent him on loan for a few years either, they helped him improve and when he got his chance he took it.
he used the same barbers as me in Welling (useless fact)
decent keeper now and I'm pleased for him, however I'm very much in the camp that at the time he was nowhere near good enough for us (not his fault he was thrust into the limelight)
he used the same barbers as me in Welling (useless fact)
decent keeper now and I'm pleased for him, however I'm very much in the camp that at the time he was nowhere near good enough for us (not his fault he was thrust into the limelight)
Comments
Is Nick Pope a good goalkeeper now? Yes clearly. Am I happy for him? Absolutely. Do we need to rewrite history and pretend he wasn’t a liability when he was with us who regularly dropped crosses, fumbled shots and cost us points? No.
Best gig in pro sport .. a talented but not quite talented enough goalkeeper sitting on the sidelines, travelling all over with all expenses paid, getting well into his training but hardly ever taking the field .. well paid but probably unfulfilling and rather boring with the best spectator seats in the stadium
They have to learn so much, mostly through mistakes as a keeper.
EDIT: 'Never' should read 'rarely' really.
He made mistakes but he also did enough to convince Burnley to buy him. It’s not as if they sent him on loan for a few years either, they helped him improve and when he got his chance he took it.
he used the same barbers as me in Welling (useless fact)
decent keeper now and I'm pleased for him, however I'm very much in the camp that at the time he was nowhere near good enough for us (not his fault he was thrust into the limelight)
Pope has surprisingly signed a new four year deal