Raya joins Brentford

[Stuart]

Just now, 47er said:

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?

We should have kept the receipt for Brereton. ?

[RV Blue]

Big mistake.

[Blue blood]

Big, big mistake imo. Decent keeper and the potential for so much more. We spend 7mill on Bereton who is not at the level of Raya progress wise and it's an investmen. we have a keeper showing much more promise (albeit with mistakes) with many more mitigating circumstances (a poor defence) and it's decided to cut our losses. Worst of all this is the last thing that needed to be fixed in the defence - a partner for Lenihen, a proper left back and letting Bennett nowhere near a defensive position all would come first. It's like your house flooding and sorting the new wallpaper before getting furniture. Bad move imo and most worrying is I suspect TM will think this fixes our defensive problems. 

Oh and if we were really serious about a top keeper and savvy business wise we'd have hired a proper keeper coach for a year and seen if/what progress Raya made. Or loaned him out. That much potential doesn't grow on trees. 

Rant over. 

[Mike E]

Genuinely sorry to see him go, but I believe this is win/win if we replace well.

He was stagnating here and was playing like a keeper with very little confidence after getting kicked in the face.

No good to us like that, but a change of scenery and his countryman as GK coach will help him progress further than he would here imo. We're a team that need something closer to the finished article to progress imo.

[Roverthechimp]

Good luck to him - great keeper in some respects and the money justifies keeping the Academy in good shape.

That said - shit gk coach that meant Raya didn't improve in terms of "presence" - something that is probably needed to help create a different mentality in our defence.

Wouldn't be surprised to see him in PL or La Liga in a few years if he gets better coaching.

[Mr. E]

So who in the world are we going to replace him with? TM can't even get a decent defender in so far, good goalkeepers are even harder to come by. We really have to be praying at this point that there is some kind of plan, or else things are going down the...

[Commondore]

Truly a cat-like presence on the line, and I feel that his lesser attributes could improve with training and experience. Not to mention he's an academy product. Wonder how much of the late season dropping from the team had all to do with Raya's actual performances or if he got into some kind of spat with Mowbray? I'm leaning towards the latter. 

[Bigdoggsteel]

Can anyone confirm why the line is trotted out again and again that the GK coach is shite? Is there any basis to this or is just one of those things that someone said once and others continue saying it as if it is gospel 

[DE.]

Just now, Bigdoggsteel said:

Can anyone confirm why the line is trotted out again and again that the GK coach is shite? Is there any basis to this or is just one of those things that someone said once and others continue saying it as if it is gospel 

I assume it comes from Raya not appearing to improve on his weaknesses at all since he first came into the squad. Could be that Raya is the problem, but then it was exactly the same with our defence - same mistakes over and over again - so I'm inclined to think the quality of coaching at the club in general is not very good. Hopefully Johnson can help with that as he's been promoted to the first team.

[MarkBRFC]

Just now, Bigdoggsteel said:

Can anyone confirm why the line is trotted out again and again that the GK coach is shite? Is there any basis to this or is just one of those things that someone said once and others continue saying it as if it is gospel 

I don't think its necessarily that he is "shite" as you so eloquently put it, more the fact that he has never played the game at any sort of competitive level. I think it's a fair point, I don't know for sure but I imagine most clubs of our stature would have a GK coach that has "been there and done it" before becoming a coach.

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just now, MarkBRFC said:

I don't think its necessarily that he is "shite" as you so eloquently put it, more the fact that he has never played the game at any sort of competitive level. I think it's a fair point, I don't know for sure but I imagine most clubs of our stature would have a GK coach that has "been there and done it" before becoming a coach.

But that's not evidence that he is bad though is it?  It's speculation. Yet it's repeatedly stated on here that he is a bad coach. 

[Mattyblue]

Well none of us know about any coach behind the scenes. 

But it is a fair summation to say Raya’s all round game hasn’t improved. The goalkeeping coach is a specific position and spends a lot of 1 to 1 time with his GK. 

Perhaps there’s a correlation, perhaps not, but if I was TM I’d certainly be looking at to why Raya stagnated.

[Bigdoggsteel]

Maybe he just doesn't have the ability? I don't think you could blame the coach for his shocking kicking. I mean that is basic stuff and yet he got it wrong repeatedly. 

[Mattyblue]

A lot of it is ‘basics’, improvement comes from working on your weaknesses over and over.

[Roverthechimp]

25 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Can anyone confirm why the line is trotted out again and again that the GK coach is shite? Is there any basis to this or is just one of those things that someone said once and others continue saying it as if it is gospel 

Fair point - i don't know it for a fact. It is my opinion that a decent coach would have got Raya to either improve his dealing with crosses - possibly by always staying on his line and using his reactions to full effect.

I suspect also that the poster suggesting a conflict between Raya and Mowbray may also have a point...

[Stuart]

15 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Maybe he just doesn't have the ability? I don't think you could blame the coach for his shocking kicking. I mean that is basic stuff and yet he got it wrong repeatedly. 

I’d expect a gk coach to live and die by the development of the players they are coaching.

Our goals conceded record was amongst the worst in the division - and our number two wasn’t really any kind of threat (another red flag). I’d have expected Mowbray to have looked at a different coach before a different keeper - they are certainly a lot cheaper.

That said, if the coach has gone to TM and said “look boss, he just isn’t getting it” then maybe it’s right to replace him. But that isn’t consistent with the new rumour that Raya wanted out.

Mowbray has to bring in a better, more established keeper than Raya to allay our fears.

[Husky]

26 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

But that's not evidence that he is bad though is it?  It's speculation. Yet it's repeatedly stated on here that he is a bad coach. 

Still not evidence, but there was a bit more fuel for the fire when our new number 1 Leutwiler came in and showed similarly dross glued to the goal line keeping 'skills'.

[Bigdoggsteel]

1 hour ago, Husky said:

Still not evidence, but there was a bit more fuel for the fire when our new number 1 Leutwiler came in and showed similarly dross glued to the goal line keeping 'skills'.

Leutwiler is 28, I don't think  a goalkeeper coach could be expected to turn him into Buffon

[Husky]

43 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Leutwiler is 28, I don't think  a goalkeeper coach could be expected to turn him into Buffon

I think there are literally thousands of goalkeepers that aren't Buffon yet can still come out and catch/punch a cross clear.

Are you Rovers' 'mysterious' goalkeeping coach by any chance? ?

[AllRoverAsia]

I see that there is a rumour that Raya wanted out. Is there any reputable Link to a quote from anyone at Rovers saying this. Rovers have been good at this since the early Venky days, passing the buck to the player that is.

I don't blame Raya if he did, playing behind a Mowbray organised defence must be soul destroying. Plus being panned in Public by his Manager.

Brentford meanwhile sees something in Raya and the need for protecting him or any goalie for that matter by going for Jansson. 

[JHRover]

4 hours ago, AllRoverAsia said:

I see that there is a rumour that Raya wanted out. Is there any reputable Link to a quote from anyone at Rovers saying this. Rovers have been good at this since the early Venky days, passing the buck to the player that is.

I don't blame Raya if he did, playing behind a Mowbray organised defence must be soul destroying. Plus being panned in Public by his Manager.

Brentford meanwhile sees something in Raya and the need for protecting him or any goalie for that matter by going for Jansson. 

Apparently, and I haven't heard his interview, Mowbray has said that Raya wanted to leave. 

That might be an attempt to pacify unhappy fans with the old 'the player wanted out, there was nothing more we could do' tale but if it is true that our first choice GK pushed for a move to Brentford I'd like Mowbray to explain more - why is it that a player who has been here since a young age, playing every week in the Championship, actively wants to move to a league rival?

Money? Better coaches elsewhere? More confidence in Brentford's prospects than ours? Whatever it is it doesn't reflect well on Rovers.

Unless it is just Mowbray trying to cover all bases by 'blaming' the player thereby protecting himself from criticism if/when this move doesn't work out for Rovers.

[AllRoverAsia]

Just now, JHRover said:

Apparently, and I haven't heard his interview, Mowbray has said that Raya wanted to leave. 

That might be an attempt to pacify unhappy fans with the old 'the player wanted out, there was nothing more we could do' tale but if it is true that our first choice GK pushed for a move to Brentford I'd like Mowbray to explain more - why is it that a player who has been here since a young age, playing every week in the Championship, actively wants to move to a league rival?

Money? Better coaches elsewhere? More confidence in Brentford's prospects than ours? Whatever it is it doesn't reflect well on Rovers.

Unless it is just Mowbray trying to cover all bases by 'blaming' the player thereby protecting himself from criticism if/when this move doesn't work out for Rovers.

Since I posted I've now seen Mowbray's comments in the LT. "Its only Football" buck-passing by Mowbray. IMO

Edited July 7, 2019 by AllRoverAsia

[Stuart]

Just now, JHRover said:

Apparently, and I haven't heard his interview, Mowbray has said that Raya wanted to leave. 

That might be an attempt to pacify unhappy fans with the old 'the player wanted out, there was nothing more we could do' tale but if it is true that our first choice GK pushed for a move to Brentford I'd like Mowbray to explain more - why is it that a player who has been here since a young age, playing every week in the Championship, actively wants to move to a league rival?

Money? Better coaches elsewhere? More confidence in Brentford's prospects than ours? Whatever it is it doesn't reflect well on Rovers.

Unless it is just Mowbray trying to cover all bases by 'blaming' the player thereby protecting himself from criticism if/when this move doesn't work out for Rovers.

He said exactly the same thing about Downing.

[cesus]

I have no issues with Mowbrays logic, Brentford bid and he made Raya aware. Raya fancies the move so he gets the best deal possible. 

My issue comes from not letting the deal go through until we have our first choice replacement in place.

[JHRover]

Mowbray also seems to be suggesting that the funds generated will enable him to strengthen in multiple areas. Presumably then whatever funds were available before selling Raya weren't sufficient.