They did start strong, but how many saves or even difficult catches etc did he have to deal with? Even in that 20 minutes he wasnt be forced to make many saves, if any. He did have the one moment where he totally misjudged the flight of the ball and thankfully Foster headed just wide. Put that next to charging out against Derby with Mendez Laing messing up a lob over him and Pears passing it to a Norwich player 6 yards out and being saved by an incredible Tronstad block as big errors and lucky escapes. Its not just people clamouring for a look at the new lad. Its people realising that we have a keeper in Pears that is not Championship standard, that made so many errors last season and knowing that it was and is an area that has to be fixed for us to progress

Wherever he played in the youth team, and im sure I have read that he played as a wing back a lot of the time, I might be wrong. But as a first team player, he showed over a decent period of time that he is a good right back at this level. He has been shunted around especially since Eustace joined and has been poor in both positions that he has been tried in. He struggles at times in central midfield with being aware of what is around him, and he isnt athletic enough to pose a threat wide. He should go back to being considered as a right back. Duru isnt ready at this level yet and Brittain is not a very good defender.

Because Toth is on international duty with the stock reason that he will also need to settle etc. Kaminski like the team was poor that day. Pears made one howler that luckily went unpunished but was barely tested. But crucially, over the course of a season, Kaminski saved more points than he cost us.

If anything, the Gestede situation shows how even if an early negative opinion is held, that it is impossible to turn it around. There was a couple of mentions relating to refusing to play, notably from @RoversClitheroe but in the main it was talk of him being a vanity appointment due to him being a former player and considering the off the field neglect, and crucially due to a lack of experience. Fair concerns and ones that have quickly in the main gone away. But back to Pears. He has always been backed in the ground which is where it matters but im guessing you mean on here. It was one or two who mentioned that relationship, I am not having that he has always been up against it because of that. As you even admit, he isnt up to scratch. Opinions on him have become stronger over time as the mistakes have continued and his lack of competence at this level has become more and more evident. No need to find conspiracies, it is as simple as that. Player keeps playing bad, fan opinion worsens.

Im not sure you can get much of an opinion from someone whizzing a few weak shots and crosses into a goalkeepers hands to merely get him warmed up.

He has already put in more than enough stinking performances to not still have the shirt to lose.

Good job you dont have BT then, so you wont be frustrated that you arent missing out on the potential of a mouthwatering encounter between Bodo Glimt and Malmo.

Walton was not very good but not as error prone as Pears. He is as high as any in terms of mistakes made per games played. He made loads ranging from poor to downright dreadful.

As a neutral, and one who has enjoyed plenty of Champions League games. I would rather watch the likes of Arsenal, Barcelona, Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Liverpool etc play the likes of Real Madrid/Inter City than Malmo and Bodo Glimt. Would this idea based on the principle (over entertainment) of having only Champions be reduced/removed if it was called the European cup?

I think the main difference of opinion is that Pears is average at this level. If he was a steady pair of hands then the debate would be different entirely. Pears made so many mistakes last season, far more than average. You mention Ruddy, he fell off a cliff last season and his team got relegated before he was released. Krul is at a Championship club and is probably third choice even when fit and there seemingly was no other interest.

But equally, as a spectacle it wouldnt be as interesting if say the 2nd best in England/Spain/Italy/Germany were missed out in favour of the best teams in say Hungary, Estonia, Finland and Luxembourg. I think the format last season was fine, I dont know (well I do, money and power) why they changed it. This idea of all the champions playing seems to be putting principle (and maybe nostalgia) over the actual quality and IMO there has to be a balance.

Its not the same, Pears has made a typically mistake prone start, but the big difference is the extended period of time especially last season when he made so many hence the urgent need to upgrade. He has had more than enough chances and we know he isnt good enough. Whoever is in net will make mistakes, its the quantity that is the issue. If Toth comes in and makes a mistake, that doesnt put him on par with a player whose mistakes went into double figures in a season where he missed a big chunk.

I dont get how we can possibly know which backroom staff are good and which not. Standard media soundbites prove nothing. We cant possibly know so any judgement becomes based on random things, people like Mimms and Filan must be good as they played for us, if youve not had a reasonable career as a player then you must be bad. Obviously, players and managers, different story. You can directly judge their performance

He would only have to be average at this level to be an upgrade on Pears. He isnt a safe pair of hands in the mean time, hes the worst number 1 keeper in the league.

I dont think he did rate him over Kaminski, I think it was more that it was lateish in the season when Kaminski recovered and its a bit more complicated to revert back at that time. Kaminski I am sure would have been number 1 again had he stayed and was starting the main pre season games. But either way, why would people withhold opinion anyway if they felt like I did that Kaminski is and was a far better choice. Tomasson messed up with that decision. Gestede for the most part has been praised. The Benson stuff is a bit strange especially based on the misguided view that because he wasnt a good player he cant be a good coach. But either way, you have created this Pears narrative in your head. People have had enough of him because hes crap and has proven not to be Championship standard over a long period of time, making far too many errors. As I said, the Wigan performance would have been a potential moment where he would struggle to get the fans back. But it didnt. People simply do not rate him because he has proved himself as not capable and a big liability, and hiding behind narratives about why he signed is misleading. Take the supposed Mowbray's mate narrative out of it, assuming it exists. Do you think people would be still desperate to get shut of him without it considering his performance levels?

Come on, youve seen the odd comment about Mowbray and Pears. This idea that he hasnt stood a chance with our fans because of that is utter rubbish. In fact, even after the worst performance youll ever see a professional keeper make, he was given a chance. He had a number of people even supporting the crazy decision to play him over Kaminski. A season of constant errors later, thats why people have had enough.

Yep, the idea that Pears hasnt had a chance since he arrived is absolute rubbish. People have developed the opinion they have of him being not a capable Championship number 1 after an extensive period of time in which he has proven not to be up to it, making far too many mistakes. In fact, he put in one of the worst goalkeeping performances you will ever see at Wigan. After that, when he came back in the team next, our fanbase proved that they hadnt written him off based on that. We even had some supporting the choice to play him over Pears. But over a year of constant mistakes later, thats why people dont rate him.

Definitely ditch the 2 international breaks you mention and the Nations League in general. Just have a couple of friendlies prior to a tournament, otherwise just the qualifiers. The new FIFA club world club plans are ridiculous. Sort of understand the past theory of the champions of each continent playing each other but its getting silly and like with the Nations League, players seem to be coming out against it. I didnt see much wrong with the Champions League format of last season. This one group of 36 idea makes no sense though.

I dont expect him to do anything but arse lick the owners, as all employees do. Just commenting on it. Even if people are giddy at a late window flurry spending a trickle of the funds received and a good start. You arent going to get many people enticed by a season ticket that has rocketed in price from when they were first released unfortunately. Its a shame as reaspnable pricing coupled with a good start could have led to some sales. I wonder if Gueye and Ohashi like Cantwell were Broughton targets. The only reason you mention Filan and Mimms is because they used to play for us.

Pears is a keeper we know, a keeper we know isnt very good. Not a safe pair of hands, a keeper who makes loads of mistakes.

Seems like this summers business was a bit of a random amalgamation of targets from different players. Im unsure what he meant when he said that Gueye and Ohashi were targets from before. Had they come from when Broughton was at the club as im sure that I read that we bid for or enquired about Ohashi in January.

The "offside" Dolan goal would have been a very high xg if it had not been flagged to the point where because the xg for both sides were less than 1, it would massively change that. Also, we had 2 big chances bur because the shot wasnt taken at the ideal time, again that xg is massively affected. Dolan should have squared for a Weimann tap in and also released Travis far sooner at the end, they were both massive openings.

Regardless of what Eustace will do, we agree that Pears will remain but discussing what we would do. I was just wondering as to what has to happen before you would suggest a change of goalkeeper. Is it one strike and you are out, cost us a goal and then we change, is it a few mistakes, if you was the manager at what point would you make a switch? And also, if it had have been a domestic goalkeeper, say Ruddy who you seemed to be for the signing of, would the situation be different ie would you want him straight in or would it still be a case of continue with Pears? I feel like Wahlstedt has perhaps stung peoples trust in overseas goalkeepers. He had over a month of being here, a couple of cup games, Pears had been typically error prone up until then so you could argue that conditions were great for him. Bedded in, couple of practice games and not a case of having to replace a keeper in anything but dreadful forn. The benchmark was so low, timing wasnt an issue, but he was just so shit that regardless of when he was put in, he was going to struggle.

If Toth isnt better than Pears then he is a very poor signing. I think people wrongly box Toth off as either being Kaminski standard or perhaps more likely Wahlstedt standard, the likelihood is somewhere in the middle. I would understand the argument if Pears was an average, safe pair of hands but be is the total opposite. He hasnt kept a clean sheet this season and has been very fortunate that a number of big mistakes have not led directly to goals. The team is doing well but its not as if he individually has made himself undroppable. If Pears makes a solitary mistake leading to a goal, would that warrant him being dropped? Would he have to make 2 or 3? And would any goalkeeper we sign have had to wait in the same way, in your opinion?

Watched the Gestede interview and it is as you would expect. Constant arse kissing of the owners and saying how great they are. With it being in house media, the questions are very friendly and any answers are not challenged. It also cleverly feeds those who look for the same tag lines to defend the owners. FFP is a favourite, we should be absolutely nowhere near the line to the point that it didnt need mentioning. The installment line was also trotted out. We will also be signing players in installments but that wasnt said. I presume we will have a number of windows of money spent now if we will have regular installments coming in? Of course not. Its just Venkys propaganda, theyve done their bit by reinvesting £3m of £40m, so come on, do your bit by spending some of your hard earned money on our very expensive tickets.