During the first two months of this season, continual mistakes by the Liverpool's senior players led to the club leaking goals left, right and centre, with Pepe Reina particularly culpable. Thankfully, with two clean sheets in a row now, the club's defensive mistakes seem to be over for now, and Reina's understudy Brad Jones helped the recovery with his excellent performance during Liverpool's 1-0 victory against Reading at the weekend, something that pleased Reds manager Brendan Rodgers.
In his post-match press conference on Saturday, Rodgers was full of praise for Jones. He raved:
"I thought Brad was outstanding: what he had to do he did very well.
"When I came in during the summer he had been the number three keeper but I've seen massive development and it's a great credit to him.
"What he is absolutely outstanding at is shot-stopping and he made a great save from (Gareth) McCleary."
If Jones is 'absolutely outstanding' then surely he should keep his place in the team, even if Reina recovers from injury this week? Why would you drop a goalkeeper who put in an 'outstanding' performance and kept a clean sheet?
Rodgers has a habit of wildly over-praising players; in every interview he describes individuals as 'outstanding', 'amazing', 'brilliant' etc - well, that can be a double-edged sword, and to avoid coming across as insincere, Rodgers must ensure that his actions mirror his words.
In this case, it will look bad if Rodger drops Jones after labelling him 'absolutely outstanding', and I doubt it will do much good for the Aussie's confidence either.
Over the last eighteen months, Reina's patchy form has cost Liverpool a lot of vital goals, and the club is crying out for someone to challenge the Spaniard.
Well, Jones could be that man, and in my view, it will be massively unfair if he is dropped to make way for Reina on Thursday. And looking forward, if Jones puts in another good performance against Anzhi then he should also keep his place for the Merseyside Derby against Everton. If not, why not?
If Rodgers drops Jones for Reina then it will show he doesn't have the guts to make tough decisions when it comes LFC's long-serving senior players, and that will be a massive negative IMO. It's not as if Reina deserves to be first-choice at the moment, is it?
Reina probably feels that all he has to do is be fit to get into the team; Rodgers should make him fight to regain his place, and that means keeping Jones as no.1 unless and until he makes mistakes that necessitate a change.
Rodgers has stated many times this season that players stay in the team on merit, so it will be interesting to see if he has the courage of his convictions when it comes to Jones and Reina.
Jaimie Kanwar
In his post-match press conference on Saturday, Rodgers was full of praise for Jones. He raved:
"I thought Brad was outstanding: what he had to do he did very well.
"When I came in during the summer he had been the number three keeper but I've seen massive development and it's a great credit to him.
"What he is absolutely outstanding at is shot-stopping and he made a great save from (Gareth) McCleary."
If Jones is 'absolutely outstanding' then surely he should keep his place in the team, even if Reina recovers from injury this week? Why would you drop a goalkeeper who put in an 'outstanding' performance and kept a clean sheet?
Rodgers has a habit of wildly over-praising players; in every interview he describes individuals as 'outstanding', 'amazing', 'brilliant' etc - well, that can be a double-edged sword, and to avoid coming across as insincere, Rodgers must ensure that his actions mirror his words.
In this case, it will look bad if Rodger drops Jones after labelling him 'absolutely outstanding', and I doubt it will do much good for the Aussie's confidence either.
Over the last eighteen months, Reina's patchy form has cost Liverpool a lot of vital goals, and the club is crying out for someone to challenge the Spaniard.
Well, Jones could be that man, and in my view, it will be massively unfair if he is dropped to make way for Reina on Thursday. And looking forward, if Jones puts in another good performance against Anzhi then he should also keep his place for the Merseyside Derby against Everton. If not, why not?
If Rodgers drops Jones for Reina then it will show he doesn't have the guts to make tough decisions when it comes LFC's long-serving senior players, and that will be a massive negative IMO. It's not as if Reina deserves to be first-choice at the moment, is it?
Reina probably feels that all he has to do is be fit to get into the team; Rodgers should make him fight to regain his place, and that means keeping Jones as no.1 unless and until he makes mistakes that necessitate a change.
Rodgers has stated many times this season that players stay in the team on merit, so it will be interesting to see if he has the courage of his convictions when it comes to Jones and Reina.
Jaimie Kanwar
If Rodgers keeps Jones on the team sheet it can only be good for us! By doing so it sends out the clear message that you must fight for your place each week and no matter how long you've been playing with us before, nothing is guaranteed! Perhaps this competition for the GK spot could be good for Reina also as it sends out a clear cut message that nothing is guaranteed and if he wants 1st team football he must, like everyone else, fight for that right! It would have an overall positive effect on the whole club with a hopeful view to raising performances of players who still have yet to prove themselves!
ReplyDeleteThis is a hard one, Jones played well, but during the whole game i was worried everytime he touched the ball. I think Reina is the better keeper but has also made mistakes. To be honest Reina is the better keeper and i live in hope that he will come good. I don't think if Jones is dropped this shows BR has a lack of guts, it just shows he thinks the same way i do, that Reina is the better keeper, even though he has been dodgy at times.
ReplyDeleteWhen has Jones been dodgy? Reina has made far more serious mistakes than Jones ever has.
ReplyDeletegood time to freshen things up with Jones in goal. Also good for Reina to rest and reflect and hopefully comes back stronger.
ReplyDeleteIn the game against Blackburn last season. In general I don't feel comfortable with him in goal. He doesn't look like a top keeper. I would not be happy with him as our #1. To me Reina is a better keeper even with the mistakes. I'm not saying Jones did anything wrong at the weekend, he played well, but it's not like he had a lot to do. I would still trust Reina more in a tough close game against a top team
ReplyDeleteI do agree in principle to what you are saying jamie about keeping jones in, however we have the derby on sunday and hypothetically it could be a bit of a nightmare, if he sticks with jones and he has a bit of a howler (pressure game and all) through in-experience, BR will no doubt get slated. we have seen the likes of stirling and suso come in to replace downing and hendo but to be fair they where never world class. If he does stick with jones, he has big balls. if it wasnt everton then maybe yes but if we get beat on sunday and renia is on the bench, you know instantly fans will use it as an excuse!!
ReplyDeleteGood points, Philip. With the intensity of the Derby, I can see the need for an experienced head between the sticks.
ReplyDeleteI think that Jones should be the number 1 Keeper for Liverpool. He did well at the end of the season when both Reina, and Alexander Doni got suspended. Brad Jones came off the bench and put in a great performance when Liverpool needed him . I have watch Jones play I feel he is a more agile person than Reina. Maybe it's just me but i feel that Brad Jones does commit to actually making more dives than Reina. That is a great quality for your keeper to posses no matter the level. Another strong quality of Jones in my opinion is that i feel he comes out for more crosses than Reina. Maybe i am biased about Reina, but I think that he maybe took his not as sharp as he was when he first came to England from Valencia. He has definitely lost a step that is for sure.
ReplyDeleteRodgers is a man manager who is not afraid to make tough decisions concerning the big name personalities who play for him. He was able to make a decision about Andy Carroll after just getting the manager's job. He knew he was going against the grain due to the fact that the striker had almost achieved cult hero status. Rodgers stood to his guns and sent him off on loan. If Rodgers decides that Reina is a liability there is no doubt in my mind that he will do something about it. No one man is the team , the team is a collection of individuals. Reina just like you and me should keep his job only if he is doing it properly. If i goof off at my job i am instantly shown the door this should be no different big name personalities.
I think he should experience life on the bench for a while. It will give him a new sense of purpose (on another team maybe)
Or he might think Pepe is the better keeper
ReplyDeleteI think if both players or in top form then Reina is the better keeper, we just haven't seen that for a while from Reina. I guess we shall see what happens at the weekend
ReplyDeleteIT was a solid performance from Jones. Let's see his performance against Anzhi and take it from there for the weekend derby.
ReplyDeleteDidnt they throw stones and coins at him(Jones) when he was at Sheffield Wednesday, to get him to leave.
ReplyDeleteThey labelled him "Padré Pio",(he was the Saint who regularly developed holes in his hands"Stigmata"). Apart from that I dont think he has been dodgy, and seems to have improved. .:)
To be fair to Jones, he has come a long way since that game against Blackburn.
ReplyDeleteIt could be the unfamiliarity of having Jones between the sticks which lead to some worries. I admit to feeling somewhat hung-up every time the ball was crossed into the box.
However, he dealt with the long balls and crosses even better than I imagined Reina doing and his shot blocking and saves lately have been superb. It is evident that Jones is putting some solid effort in training because he plays better every game he features in.
Jones's ball distribution from the back has also improved dramatically, especially considering that this improvement happened only since the Carling Cup (or whatever it's called now) game against West Brom.
I am very impressed with the positive effect Rodgers is having on both the individual game of players and our playing system. Normally, these two philosophies (sum of the individual is better than system vs. system is better than the sum of the individuals) are viewed in opposition to each other, however Rodgers has managed to mix both together and it is having a very good effect on the team.
It was a decent performance from Jones, but in fairness GK is the most important position on the pitch. One decent performance is not a reason to drop Pepe. Reina's last two performances were decent, so really it comes down to talent, which Reina has bundles of.
ReplyDeleteThe fact remains that Reina has far better handling and distribution skills... I watched the footage of him on Saturday in the game. he couldn't sit down! He's itching to get back on the team. If BR decides not to drop Brad Jones, sure, fair game... A bit more hunger from Pepe would be a great thing, but the fact remains that Pepe will almost definitely have to reclaim that number 1 spot...
ReplyDeleteHe is the better keeper, pain to see...
oh come on reina is finished .he lets us down in every big game we have. ajoke at the near post and crosses not even a good shot stopper . his time is up .give jones the shirt till jan .and if he does well thats fine ,if not sign butland .but reina has had his day .sell him in jan and get a £80 000 aweek hasbeen of the payrole
ReplyDeleteAs long as he focus`s on playing goal and not author I'm all for it.
ReplyDeletelike the fa cup semi final jamie? reina ran on at fulltime to brad and gave him a big hug he then got his place back and blew it in the final .sorry mate your only as good as your last game and bj should keep his place.
ReplyDeleteyour last coment sums reina up. a pain to see!
ReplyDeleteIf your being fair then where exactly has Jones let us down? When Reina let us down at Newcastle and got himself sent off and lost us another 3 points , Jones came in and did all that was asked of him. Take the rose tinted glasses off Reina has not made a significant save for years, and has made blunders. That of course deosnt make him a bad keeper, but Jones has not put a foot rong in any game he has played for LFc, so what more should he do?
ReplyDeletenever ever thought id clcik like to your comment Jamie, but fair play!
ReplyDeletejamie, i guess from your article you would of favoured keeping jones in goal for the next few games but as philipdean points out we have a derby coming up and experience is vital. and from above article you acknowledge this and give kudos to the point. well fair play to you and this site. nice to see. bit longwinded but there a compliment in there!
ReplyDeletehow can reina's time be up, he still a youngish goalkeeper. if anything his career just beginning. hope we don't make a brad friedel type mistake again!
ReplyDeleteAre u kiddin we have everton sunday we need reina in net and jones has been shaky how about vs west brom when he fumbled the first goal. Didnt u also say we should drop gerrard before the man u game. Wake up
ReplyDeleteWhat if Reina was fit for the game..and he was dropped..?
ReplyDeleteI don't rate him as seems a bit shaky but admittedly that is based on not much and I am somewhat rash in not rating him I guess. So if he continues his last performance into the next game, than he deserves another consecutive game afterwards at least. Because something needs to be done about Reina, whether it be a wake up call of seeing Jones take his place for a few games or a long term replacement. Whatever it is, it needs improving in terms of performances in the long run, in the GK position.
ReplyDeletefriedel was sold by gh very quick and was never given a chance. reina has been here since2005 and for the last 2 years has been pisspoor no we are not making the same mistake as friedel .dont forget barca were his club.and played against us in2001 for barca. so he is no rookie. he has had his day. sell him and move on .spent force. if he was any good would barca have sold him??
ReplyDeleteHe may have been full of praise for Jones but that does not mean he thinks he is better. A player doing a good job is not reason enough for him to replace a clearly superior player. I know Reina is better, you know it and im sure Rodgers knows it too. Based on that alone, not picking Reina is tantamount to negligence .
ReplyDeleteI know it might sound ridiculous, but if suso missed a match through injury and Downing filled in and had a blinder, would you advocate him replacing Suso?
Jones was dodgy last season when he deputised and should have been sent off against Blackburn, I have to admit i never feel entirely comfortable with him in goal. I'm not doubting his potential but Reina is world class on his day and I doubt that Jones will ever reach those standards. He's the same age as Reina and hasn't ever done more than deputise in his career. Jamie I really can't believe you seriously want Jones as first choice over Reina. I accept he had a bad season last term but so did the rest of the team, he has won 3 golden gloves in his time here. Not to mention his distribution is second to none. I have no qualms about pressure for his position but he is undoubtedly the better keeper. Remember class is permanent form is temporary and like all keepers confidence is a massive factor so let's get behind him rather than calling for his head!!!
ReplyDeleteno he should experience life on the beach hopefully back in spain worst keeper since hooper
ReplyDeleteA little harsh. Drop Reina or Rodgers has no guts! It's a difficult decision, at their best, Reina is the better keeper. But as you say, he hasn't been at his best for a while now. Going back to He who should not be mentioned's first game against Arsenal, we played brilliantly with 10 men, and with only a few mins left Reina conceded a howler that cost us the 3 points and a lot of confidence. Having said that, Rodgers is the manager. He gets to see the players on a daily basis, and in him we should trust. He's already proven that he is willing to make the big decisions, so if he decides to go with Reina it won't be due to lack of bottle, but rather because he thinks it's the best thing for the team. If you want to talk about brave decisions, then maybe it's time to consider pushing Gerrard on to the wing. We have young, talented central midfielders queuing up. He's played on the wing before, and can cross as well as Beckham. But that might be a big call?
ReplyDeletehopfully we have replaced downing .but my 1st priority over the last 2 seasons is to get a keeper to replace reina who is the most overrated keeper i have seen in the reds goal .if brad jones gets is chance and does well fine if not get the cheque book out and sign butland. jersy dudeck u were shit on from a great height !!!!
ReplyDeletemore moaning from Kanwar
ReplyDeletewhy dont you put some input into the debate ? instead of havin a pop at jamie?
ReplyDeleteIt's crazy to call Reina overrated, his reputation was built on the back of many many consistent performances at a high level. Yes hes had a slump but over rated is the wrong term. If Reina does not get back to his best very soon then yes, the cheque book will need to be opened, Jones will never be number one at liverpool or any other big club
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like moaning to me like when he moaned for gerrard to be dropped
ReplyDeletehe 'moans' because he cares about liverpool- all he wants is the best possible from them.
ReplyDeletepepe is our no 1 keeper. its obvious he has made mistakes this and last term but you are only as good as your team in front of you ie skerts who everytime he gets the ball at his feet i shudder at his decision making. what this means is that there is competition for places this is good and no one should doubt reinas class no matter about his cock ups how many assists does he provide a season brad was kicking the ball out . what i like about brad and im sure rodgers does to is determination and fight after all hes been through thorough good lad and able deputy but i know that i would want pepe in goal even though he has had me gasping at what iu think are just lazy mistakes but we all do that . reina is world class lads one of about three players in our squad so i cant see how you can drop him
ReplyDeleteLol, remember Blackburn, put a few feet wrong. Not knocking Jones, just your silly comment :-)
ReplyDeletenah man. when pepe got sent off against newcastle, in a match that we didn't look like we were going to win, all subs were used and jose enrique went in goal.
ReplyDeletedo recall the west brom game! when he came out to punch and it ended in the goal!
ReplyDeleteIf Jones played as many games as Reina in pass 5 years we's probably be playing in Leauge 1! 3rd rate keeper, move him on!
ReplyDeleteFact is Jones can't lace Pepe's boots! Fans really are deluded if we are calling for him take the no1 spot after a clean sheet against READING!
ReplyDeleteRodgers needs to keep Jones in goal a very good performance against Reading and as good as any of Reinas performances this season.
ReplyDeleteThe main reason for doing so is to send the message clearly it does not matter who u are if u are not doing the job get out of the team and Reina needs a good kickin in the butt.
I agree. Jones should stay in goal for the game on Thursday and providing he puts in a good game should keep his place for the Everton game. Alternatively Reina could play the Europa league match with Jones coming back in on the weekend. That would keep both keepers fighting for position.
ReplyDeleteAll of you who think Jones is even in Reina's league are surely having a laugh. How much did he have to do against Reading? 2 saves ? 3 ? . Against young boys if they hit the target it looked like they would score. Really don't think Jones is good enough to challenge Reina.
ReplyDeleteHe was in goal when we conceeded 3 to young boys and looked very dodgy in that game. Jones is not a great keeper.
ReplyDeleteOn merit, Reina has no place in this team.
ReplyDeleteRightly said, over the last 18 months, Reina is always where the ball isn't.
If LFC want to build 'fortress Anfield', theres no place for Reina there...