Matz Willy Els Sels of BELGIUM!

[Cureboy]

He should've been shouting at the ref for that nudge from the corner. Don't know why he wasn't, just accepted it. Clear nudge.

The fact no one complained made the VAR decision easier.

 

[YellowBelly Red]

My only worry with Sels, is that he doesn't command his 6 yard box. Quite often he stands rooted on his goal line.

 

[GregorRobertson]

I’m going to blame it on Ange filling his head with a load of nonsense about playing as a sweeper-keeper and hope he gets his focus back soon.

 

[Malwood]

I think he's been terrible for a couple of months. Hope he sorts it out quick, otherwise we have a problem.

 

[uptight9]

https://www.nottinghamforest.co.uk/...sels-nominated-for-october-save-of-the-month/

Whaaat, no way! 2nd time this season too - but haven't you heard, the narrative on socials and in several areas of fan forums is that he's been completely and utterly crap this season, because we've been looking (we always do) for new scapegoats to vent our Forest-related frustrations. So yeah, I'd rather believe the narrative than my own eyes. [/s]

 

[JonnoSnr]

I’m going to blame it on Ange filling his head with a load of nonsense about playing as a sweeper-keeper and hope he gets his focus back soon.

I'm sorry but for me this far too easy a cop-out and is letting a supposedly top level player off the hook for making basic errors.

Surely having his head 'filled with nonsense' about being a sweeper keeper (if that even happened) should not play a part when you're being out-muscled on a corner or you're letting relatively routine shots go in (Chelsea). It's completely irrelevant in my opinion.

I hate to say it but I fear that the Sels we saw last season is the exception to the rule and we had a one off freakish season where everything came off. He's not young and his overall career has been pretty unremarkable other than that and from what I've seen if he's not got defenders playing on his toes like last season he's exposed to be nothing more than an average keeper at this level, at best.

 

[GregorRobertson]

I'm sorry but for me this far too easy a cop-out and is letting a supposedly top level player off the hook for making basic errors.

Surely having his head 'filled with nonsense' about being a sweeper keeper (if that even happened) should not play a part when you're being out-muscled on a corner or you're letting relatively routine shots go in (Chelsea). It's completely irrelevant in my opinion.

I hate to say it but I fear that the Sels we saw last season is the exception to the rule and we had a one off freakish season where everything came off. He's not young and his overall career has been pretty unremarkable other than that and from what I've seen if he's not got defenders playing on his toes like last season he's exposed to be nothing more than an average keeper at this level, at best.

Calm down I was only joking. But I would say people are jumping to a lot of conclusions lately during what’s been a pretty turbulent time for everyone at the club. If it makes you feel better to think Sels is suddenly useless, go for it, I’m not going to argue.

 

[JonnoSnr]

Calm down I was only joking. But I would say people are jumping to a lot of conclusions lately during what’s been a pretty turbulent time for everyone at the club. If it makes you feel better to think Sels is suddenly useless, go for it, I’m not going to argue.

Fair enough I must admit I did wonder if it was serious but it is a thought process that's been posted several times on here about different players.

I don't think he's useless although I do think his performances this season have mostly been useless to be honest. He's directly cost us about 6 times at least.

 

[Alf-engelos Mindminackers]

I think he's been terrible for a couple of months. Hope he sorts it out quick, otherwise we have a problem.

Everyone has dude.

We're shaking off a break-up and follow-up fat-slag hang over. Might need a while to shake it off.

 

[uptight9]

I hate to say it but I fear that the Sels we saw last season is the exception to the rule and we had a one off freakish season where everything came off. He's not young and his overall career has been pretty unremarkable other than that and from what I've seen if he's not got defenders playing on his toes like last season he's exposed to be nothing more than an average keeper at this level, at best.

I've seen this a few times here and there these last few days and I find it rather odd that people can deem a whole season (which was said player's first whole season in the PL) "flukey", while the rest of his time with us (aka "the norm" according to the same people) has been the 4 last months of a season in an already relegation-threatened side with huge defensive issues and the first 2 very turbulent months of another season, plagued again by huge defensive issues and with the 3rd manager already at the helm. And besides, during the last part of last season our defence was already problematic, giving our opponents increasingly big chances.

Same goes for other players of course that you, and others, seem ready to dismiss as "reverting to the norm", like Wood for example. We'll be here and we'll see, as we say in Greece. For now, I can only view what you're saying as way out of proportion.

 

[witneyred]

Golden glove to

Jesting it hasn't helped numerous divorces and a defence devoid of confidence or totally out of place.

 

[Cloughie1975]

Golden glove to

View attachment 54494
Jesting it hasn't helped numerous divorces and a defence devoid of confidence or totally out of place.

Agreed-most of the players have been way off their best this season.

 

[JonnoSnr]

I've seen this a few times here and there these last few days and I find it rather odd that people can deem a whole season (which was said player's first whole season in the PL) "flukey", while the rest of his time with us (aka "the norm" according to the same people) has been the 4 last months of a season in an already relegation-threatened side with huge defensive issues and the first 2 very turbulent months of another season, plagued again by huge defensive issues and with the 3rd manager already at the helm. And besides, during the last part of last season our defence was already problematic, giving our opponents increasingly big chances.

Same goes for other players of course that you, and others, seem ready to dismiss as "reverting to the norm", like Wood for example. We'll be here and we'll see, as we say in Greece. For now, I can only view what you're saying as way out of proportion.

So what we're saying is that the conditions have to be absolutely perfect for Sels, or Wood or anyone else to thrive and if any sort of variable isn't right they're going to produce the kind of garbage we've seen this season? That isn't the sign of a top player. A top player is someone like Anderson who despite the shitshow this season still looks brilliant most weeks.

Sels had a great season last year when he was very protected. It allowed him to just focus on shot stopping which he did with aplomb. But the man is 33 and had had a decent but not spectacular professional career up to last season and at no point would've ever given anyone the impression he was going to be a Golden Glove winner. He cost us £5m ffs. And since last season has been awful frankly.

Does this mean he's an average/slightly above average top flight keeper who had one spectacularly good season? Or is he a brilliant keeper whose talent for some reason has only recently become evident? Who knows, perhaps he had bad managers sapping his confidence for 12 years before Nuno got hold of him...

Perhaps he was actually never that good and my problem is I'm holding him to standards that are beyond his mean average. It'd be like me going into the Ashes this winter getting mad at Crawley for not averaging 50 because I saw him score 250 a few years ago, despite his average being around 30.

 

[TrickyTree101]

Last season he did make some brilliant saves, yes the defence was a lot better but also he gave confidence to the defenders. Have seen in the past few games when he is passed back to, even when being charged at he is calm and gets the pass away. Still has my vote.

Has proved a great bargin for 5 mil. Think some people have short memories, or are blocking out Turner and Vlad due to PTSD ! - So thosse who want a change, be careful what you wish for.

 

[uptight9]

So what we're saying is that the conditions have to be absolutely perfect for Sels, or Wood or anyone else to thrive and if any sort of variable isn't right they're going to produce the kind of garbage we've seen this season? That isn't the sign of a top player. A top player is someone like Anderson who despite the shitshow this season still looks brilliant most weeks.

Sels had a great season last year when he was very protected. It allowed him to just focus on shot stopping which he did with aplomb. But the man is 33 and had had a decent but not spectacular professional career up to last season and at no point would've ever given anyone the impression he was going to be a Golden Glove winner. He cost us £5m ffs. And since last season has been awful frankly.

Does this mean he's an average/slightly above average top flight keeper who had one spectacularly good season? Or is he a brilliant keeper whose talent for some reason has only recently become evident? Who knows, perhaps he had bad managers sapping his confidence for 12 years before Nuno got hold of him...

Perhaps he was actually never that good and my problem is I'm holding him to standards that are beyond his mean average. It'd be like me going into the Ashes this winter getting mad at Crawley for not averaging 50 because I saw him score 250 a few years ago, despite his average being around 30.

"Since last season" has been 2 months and as I've said before, your definition of "awful" is quite different to mine. Also, if someone doesn't make it in the Prem by the time they're 25 it doesn't mean they aren't any good, hundreds of players have missed that train. And finally, that "very protected" and "perfect conditions" bit that you keep mentioning was hardly true after February and even more so after April. You can look up all the stats, it's all there, and we also saw it with our own eyes. We'll just have to agree to disagree I guess, at least we can agree on Radiohead.

 

[Master Yates]

I don't have much confidence in our scouting team to get anyone better.

Looking at their track record, Sels feels like the exception to the rule.

 

[SparrowsAnus]

The crux is, nobody (except Williams and Ando) have been anywhere near their levels of last year which in turn translates throughout the whole team making everyone look poorer. Sels has made a couple of big errors but then he did last year as well, but they are largely forgotten about due to his overall performance last year.

Ultimately, he biggest weakness is command of his area. It's been that in his whole time here but previously we've been a lot better at shielding him from that. He's a top level shot stopper, very good 1v1 and is calm on the ball (without being supremely good with the ball at his feet). He is exactly what was needed at the time and is about as reliable as it comes but you can see why he's never progressed above the level he is at now.

 

[Red in the trent]

The crux is, nobody (except Williams and Ando) have been anywhere near their levels of last year which in turn translates throughout the whole team making everyone look poorer. Sels has made a couple of big errors but then he did last year as well, but they are largely forgotten about due to his overall performance last year.

Ultimately, he biggest weakness is command of his area. It's been that in his whole time here but previously we've been a lot better at shielding him from that. He's a top level shot stopper, very good 1v1 and is calm on the ball (without being supremely good with the ball at his feet). He is exactly what was needed at the time and is about as reliable as it comes but you can see why he's never progressed above the level he is at now.

Completely agree. I think that last season covered over the fact that he's never been able to command his area very well nor has he ever looked completely comfortable dealing with crosses/corners.

Brilliant shot stopper and usually has really good distribution (which made him instantly better than Turner when he came in), the defence being sat deep and compact last season, as well as Milenkovic dealing with things well aerially, played to his strengths.

With Milenkovic struggling a bit this season and the team playing higher up the pitch, it's exposed Sels more. I think his organisation at free kicks has been poor, has been beaten several times from long distance where he perhaps should've done better and, as yesterday showed, he has become a bit slow getting down to shots.

Maybe this is down to match sharpness, which the whole team has struggled with this season, or it could be a sign of decline - he is approaching the final years of his career. Only time will tell which, he has now got a goalkeeping coach who did wonders with Pope and Pickford, so he should hopefully improve.

However, knowing that he's coming to the end of his career, maybe we should have used some of our summer transfer kitty to look at a long term replacement for him, as if he goes into decline then this will effect the whole defence. That and the full back situation seems bizarre to me, given the money we had to spend, in not properly reinforcing these crucial areas.

 

[Captain Sinister]

Completely agree. I think that last season covered over the fact that he's never been able to command his area very well nor has he ever looked completely comfortable dealing with crosses/corners.

Brilliant shot stopper and usually has really good distribution (which made him instantly better than Turner when he came in), the defence being sat deep and compact last season, as well as Milenkovic dealing with things well aerially, played to his strengths.

With Milenkovic struggling a bit this season and the team playing higher up the pitch, it's exposed Sels more. I think his organisation at free kicks has been poor, has been beaten several times from long distance where he perhaps should've done better and, as yesterday showed, he has become a bit slow getting down to shots.

Maybe this is down to match sharpness, which the whole team has struggled with this season, or it could be a sign of decline - he is approaching the final years of his career. Only time will tell which, he has now got a goalkeeping coach who did wonders with Pope and Pickford, so he should hopefully improve.

However, knowing that he's coming to the end of his career, maybe we should have used some of our summer transfer kitty to look at a long term replacement for him, as if he goes into decline then this will effect the whole defence. That and the full back situation seems bizarre to me, given the money we had to spend, in not properly reinforcing these crucial areas.

What do folks reckon to the young lad who warms up with Sels & John?
He looks smaller than Les Green, but I suppose he has time to grow.
I’d be nervous if we had to call on him in a game.

 

[FBS]

Noticed that at least two Utd players stood around Sels at each corner. Teams are targeting him now at corners. Blocking his way.

 

[valspoodle]

Obstruction, which used to be part of the Laws of the Game is not now, apparently, an offence, either in the penalty area or outside. I saw a game yesterday where a forward was running to take up position in an attack and the centre half blatantly stepped into him, knocking him to the floor. The co-commentator just joked about it, saying something like standing his ground, when there was clearly a move towards the other player.

In fact the penalty area now resembles a rugby scrum rather than a corner kick. Impossible for a ref to see it all, so I suppose they reckon to let them all sort it out themselves rather than show bias.

 

[Notcher]

I was listening to Nick Pope talking to Ben Foster the other day and he said that they've all been struggling with the new Puma ball.

He said they're so used to how the Nike balls behaved and moved but they're now having to learn the new behaviours of how the Puma ball moves and it's vastly different.

He said we're going to quite a few goals go in that you wouldn't normally see until the keepers have adjusted to it.

 

[MaxiRobriguez]

I was listening to Nick Pope talking to Ben Foster the other day and he said that they've all been struggling with the new Puma ball.

He said they're so used to how the Nike balls behaved and moved but they're now having to learn the new behaviours of how the Puma ball moves and it's vastly different.

He said we're going to quite a few goals go in that you wouldn't normally see until the keepers have adjusted to it.

Here's me thinking I'll use my new laptop and lack of familiarity with the keyboard to explain my 50% drop in productivity over the next 3 months.

 

[Notcher]

Here's me thinking I'll use my new laptop and lack of familiarity with the keyboard to explain my 50% drop in productivity over the next 3 months.

Only a 50% drop?

I once switched to a MacBook and mine probably dropped by 90% until I almost threw the c**ting thing out of the window.

 

[MaxiRobriguez]

Only a 50% drop?

I once switched to a MacBook and mine probably dropped by 90% until I almost threw the c**ting thing out of the window.

I'm only 10% productive currently.