Raya joins Brentford

[Stuart]

Undisclosed fee.

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2019/july/david-raya-departs/

Edited July 6, 2019 by Stuart

[philipl]

Huge thanks to Raya for making some unforgettable saves.

 

[matt83]

Shot stopping-excellent

Catching-poor

Commanding a box-poor

Distribution-poor

Capable of big mistakes but he really nailed the most important attribute of a keeper. I also think in a transfer market valuing Sam Gallagher at 5 million, 3 million is good value for Brentford.

On balance thought I’m not too fussed by losing Raya. But if I have any gripe it’s not so much about the keeper we’ve lost but the keeper he might become. There’s no guarantee he will fulfil his potential of course but best of luck to him. 

[cesus]

Just now, matt83 said:

Shot stopping-excellent

Catching-poor

Commanding a box-poor

Distribution-poor

Capable of big mistakes but he really nailed the most important attribute of a keeper. I also think in a transfer market valuing Sam Gallagher at 5 million, 3 million is good value for Brentford.

On balance thought I’m not too fussed by losing Raya. But if I have any gripe it’s not so much about the keeper we’ve lost but the keeper he might become. There’s no guarantee he will fulfil his potential of course but best of luck to him. 

Agree with all of this post. Time will tell who gets the best side of this deal, good luck to the lad. Could never question his commitment, he even smashed his mush for us!

[OJRovers]

Shame to sell one of the academy players.

He was MOTM in a number of games last year, but also had a few poor moments, hence why we can absolutely find someone better than him.

I just hope he hasn't taken the blame for the poor defensive record of last season. We need 2 new better defenders in that back 4.

 

[pick32]

Left back was the issue for me, let a good goalkeeper go for far too cheap

[DE.]

Raya was fortunate to come into the team at a time when we were at our lowest ebb in terms of GK quality. We'd just come off the back of Jake Kean, Simon Eastwood and Jason Steele. He didn't exactly have big shoes to fill. He has some decent attributes and some poor attributes, about what you'd expect for a lower-mid table Championship goalkeeper. I agree that he came into the first team too early in his development and it may have hurt him a little bit. He's not the first young player who has suffered from being thrust into the first team without enough development time elsewhere - Henley and Lowe immediately spring to mind - but genuine top players thrive in adversity and become better through making mistakes and learning from them. I'm not sure Raya ever has. That may say something about Rovers' coaching though, and it'll be interesting to see if Raya improves on his weaknesses at a different club with different coaches. 

I think Raya was treated harshly by Mowbray at the end of last season with some unnecessarily blunt public comments which may have reduced his value. If Raya plays to the end of last season and Mowbray continues to back him as a top young prospect in the press maybe we get more for him than the reported £3m he's been sold for. I imagine TM was aware by that point that he wanted to replace Raya, so there was no need to attack him publicly and shine such a bright light on his weaknesses.

Anyway, one assumes TM already has a replacement lined up and we can move on. It shouldn't be difficult to find a keeper that is at least on par with Raya, although I'm hoping for better.

[tomphil]

Undisclosed fee which usually means it's nothing like the figures quoted and that would add to the theory Brentford don't shell out big money often.   2 mill tops with add ons i'd say.

The statement about him suited Brentfords high line and him playing it out from the back and operating in that space is also very relevant to this move I think and why Raya fancied it.  Mowbray came out with exactly the same yet it was his hot air yet again because we rarely played that way which probably added to why Rata never looked totally comfortable because he wanted to do things the manager didn't want him to.

He did try to be a bit of a show pony at times when his concentration should have been more on the basics hence the rushes of blood. Reason he stands out a bit is because of this, he's a bit different I said ages ago he's a continental style keeper who would suit the top Spanish league rather than the Prem and I stand by that and wouldn't be surprised to see him there one day but he'll never be a top Prem keeper even if he gets a stint there.

Best of luck to him though he's played his part in the past 2 seasons, I hope they've secured good add ons and I wish him a great career.

I'll personally nail TMs arse to the Wainwright Bridge if he tries to replace the lad with shite but I really don't expect them to spend big to replace him that's not how things are done at Rovers.

Edited July 6, 2019 by tomphil

[Exiled_Rover]

Just now, pick32 said:

Left back was the issue for me, let a good goalkeeper go for far too cheap

Bell improved as the season went on. We need a commanding CB along with a solid GK (who does the basics right, besides just shot stopping).

[pick32]

Just now, Exiled_Rover said:

Bell improved as the season went on. We need a commanding CB along with a solid GK (who does the basics right, besides just shot stopping).

Bell can’t defend, he is ok going forward. I’d say he is an average league 1 winger.

[Sparks Rover]

Raya's problems are in-built.  Basically, if he has no time to think he's good, as soon as he needs to make a decision he's not up to it.  On top of that he's not big enough and his groundwork is some of the worst I've seen , the number of times his goal kicks have gone skew whiff, panics when its into his feet with oncoming forwards, etc....loads of weaknesses and we need better

Edited July 6, 2019 by Sparks Rover

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Good luck to the lad.

[Exiled_Rover]

Just now, tomphil said:

Undisclosed fee which usually means it's nothing like the figures quoted and that would add to the theory Brentford don't shell out big money often.   2 mill tops with add ons i'd say.

The statement about him suited Brentfords high line and him playing it out from the back and operating in that space is also very relevant to this move I think and why Raya fancied it.  Mowbray came out with exactly the same yet it was his hot air yet again because we rarely played that way which probably added to why Rata never looked totally comfortable because he wanted to do things the manager didn't want him to.

He did try to be a bit of a show pony at times when his concentration should have been more on the basics hence the rushes of blood. Reason he stands out a bit is because of this, he's a bit different I said ages ago he's a continental style keeper who would suit the top Spanish league rather than the Prem and I stand by that and wouldn't be surprised to see him there one day but he'll never be a top Prem keeper even if he gets a stint there.

Best of luck to him though he's played his part in the past 2 seasons, I hope they've secured good add ons and I wish him a great career.

I'll personally nail TMs arse to the Wainwright Bridge if he tries to replace the lad with shite !

His distribution was awful - surely they're not going to ask him to play it out from the back!

[bazza]

Bona sort, David.

[tomphil]

Just now, Exiled_Rover said:

His distribution was awful - surely they're not going to ask him to play it out from the back!

That's what they've said but so did Mowbray but we rarely played with a high line however they do and probably see him operating on the edge of or just outside his box at times which it looked like he was itching to do.

His style of keeper will work better for them than us.

Edited July 6, 2019 by tomphil

[Mattyblue]

[philipl]

Provided we make it back to the Prem, nobody will begrudge David becoming Spain's regular number 1...

At Stoke we coasted to a 3-0 away lead. 

What happened in front of Raya for that to become 3-2 was absolutely no way Raya's fault but what David did in keeping it at 3-2 was easily the best individual ten minutes from any Rovers player in the whole of last season.

[Sparks Rover]

Just now, philipl said:

Provided we make it back to the Prem, nobody will begrudge David becoming Spain's regular number 1...

At Stoke we coasted to a 3-0 away lead. 

What happened in front of Raya for that to become 3-2 was absolutely no way Raya's fault but what David did in keeping it at 3-2 was easily the best individual ten minutes from any Rovers player in the whole of last season.

And at home to Birmingham.......exact opposite. That's the problem 

[deryck guyler's spoon]

I got my first look at Raya in a live game in December of last year and felt straight away that he lacked physical presence. In an era when we are used to giants between the sticks Raya didn't exactly fill the goal. That said, I saw him pull off some spectacular saves and he's clearly an athlete with sharp reflexes. His rashness  and occasional poor decision making however meant that he wasn't really my cup of tea to be honest. I like keepers that aren't necessarily worldies but make regulation saves, catch crosses and keep mistakes to a minimum. I don't think that's Raya. It seems that he lost Mowbray's confidence and the writing was on the wall although I think he should be cut some slack re his dip in form as I reckon that bang in the mush at West Brom rattled him (understandably). Now that he's gone I'm sure he'll be lionised by some and portrayed as a martyr of the Mowbray regime. Never the less I wish him well and hope he gets a warm welcome back to Ewood on his return with his new club. 

[Husky]

He pulled off a few amazing saves. But the truth is, you can't have a keeper that contributes to causing panic in the box almost every time there's a cross or corner.

He didn't improve in that regard and it would be far too simplistic to say it was because of his head injury - as all those faults were obvious way before that happened.

It will be interesting to see if he improves in that regard at Brentford - if so, then we could probably lookt o blame the GK coaching at Rovers (just part of the gravy train?). Time will tell. I look forward to him saving a penalty against Rovers and possibly pulling off a Worldie. ?

Edited July 6, 2019 by Husky

[Stuart]

9 minutes ago, philipl said:

Provided we make it back to the Prem, nobody will begrudge David becoming Spain's regular number 1...

At Stoke we coasted to a 3-0 away lead. 

What happened in front of Raya for that to become 3-2 was absolutely no way Raya's fault but what David did in keeping it at 3-2 was easily the best individual ten minutes from any Rovers player in the whole of last season.

But we still had to score three goals.

Personally I think we should have kept Raya a number two and brought in a new keeper and centre back.

Chances are Raya didn’t fancy that and his agent put the feelers out.

As always though Raya will be judged on who replaces him.

Can’t help but feel that we will be rolling out Joe Hart.

[47er]

Just now, Stuart said:

But we still had to score three goals.

Personally I think we should have kept Raya a number two and brought in a new keeper and centre back.

 

That would have been the best outcome for us but, as you say, Raya wouldn't have thought so I suspect.

Isn't it likely there was no money for a new keeper unless we sold Raya?

 

[Stuart]

Just now, deryck guyler's spoon said:

I got my first look at Raya in a live game in December of last year and felt straight away that he lacked physical presence. In an era when we are used to giants between the sticks Raya didn't exactly fill the goal. That said, I saw him pull off some spectacular saves and he's clearly an athlete with sharp reflexes. His rashness  and occasional poor decision making however meant that he wasn't really my cup of tea to be honest. I like keepers that aren't necessarily worldies but make regulation saves, catch crosses and keep mistakes to a minimum. I don't think that's Raya. It seems that he lost Mowbray's confidence and the writing was on the wall although I think he should be cut some slack re his dip in form as I reckon that bang in the mush at West Brom rattled him (understandably). Now that he's gone I'm sure he'll be lionised by some and portrayed as a martyr of the Mowbray regime. Never the less I wish him well and hope he gets a warm welcome back to Ewood on his return with his new club. 

Playing Brentford this season will be an interesting subplot. Raya conceded 5 against them - although Mowbray throwing the towel in 5 minutes into the second half didn’t help him.

It’s a shame that we have had to experience his apprenticeship and having developed him somebody else will probably get the benefit. Even more galling is “undisclosed fee”. The fee would definitely have made a difference in people’s view of the deal.

[Husky]

'Undisclosed fee' is just code word for bungs and backhanders isn't it? ?

Someone call the tax man.

[Ewood Ace]

There is no doubt that Raya was an excellent shot stopper (although even that got worse as the season went on) but his weaknesses far outweighed his strengths, his kicking, his decision making and command of his area was atrocious. I was just thinking back over last season about goals that Raya was at fault for in games that we failed to win and of the top of my head I came up with Ipswich away, Reading home, West Brom away, Birmingham home and away, Bristol City home and away, Brentford away, Rotherham away, Sheffield Wednesday away and in the cup home to Newcastle. And that is without even getting onto games like Forest away where we won.

Now of course Raya's mistakes were not solely responsible for all of those lost points but they certainly played a part and even if his replacement makes half of those mistakes then we would still be 9 or so better of. £3 Million is excellent money for him but it must be reinvested.