What is the most important position?

[Junior_Arab]

For me, as a goalkeeper, it’s a goalkeeper. Last time United got relegated we had 2 young, poor keepers as McNamara was looking to make money by selling one. I presume they looked good in training, but it’s when you start making mistakes that you find out what a keepers really all about. The turning point of that season was the first derby.
 

I remember Bain played out of his skin that night whereas one of our shit young keepers made a mistake for McPake to score a late equaliser. It was a draw but the momentum of both teams shifted that night and it wasn’t until we brought in Kawashima (too little, too late) that the defence had any sort of confidence in our keeper.  As folk have said elsewhere you don’t need a world class keeper, just someone who’s calm, won’t make too many mistakes, and not give his entire team the fear every time the ball goes near them. I remember being desperate for us to take someone like Jamie McDonald that season. That way you’ve got the young guy who might be great, but you know you’ve got a solid keeper at that level if it all goes horribly wrong. 

Edited August 21, 2022 by Junior_Arab

[bennett]

For celtic it's obviously the referee. 

[Derry Alli]

48 minutes ago, Junior_Arab said:

I remember Bain played out of his skin that night 

You must be thinking of another night. We played you off the park that night. Spittal's goals were against the play. 

Bain made a brilliant save in a derby from Murray but unsure if it was that game.

[Junior_Arab]

4 minutes ago, Mr. Alli said:

You must be thinking of another night. We played you off the park that night. Spittal's goals were against the play. 

Bain made a brilliant save in a derby from Murray but unsure if it was that game.

Trust me it was - tipped a bullet header from point blank range onto the bar. 

[Derry Alli]

11 minutes ago, Junior_Arab said:

Trust me it was - tipped a bullet header from point blank range onto the bar. 

I honestly can't remember that at all. I do remember him saving Murray's shot.

Edit : I've went and re-watched the highlights and read the match report. There's absolutely no mention of it happening or footage of it.

Edited August 21, 2022 by Mr. Alli

[Ludo*1]

1 hour ago, Junior_Arab said:

For me, as a goalkeeper, it’s a goalkeeper. Last time United got relegated we had 2 young, poor keepers as McNamara was looking to make money by selling one. I presume they looked good in training, but it’s when you start making mistakes that you find out what a keepers really all about. The turning point of that season was the first derby.
 

I remember Bain played out of his skin that night whereas one of our shit young keepers made a mistake for McPake to score a late equaliser. It was a draw but the momentum of both teams shifted that night and it wasn’t until we brought in Kawashima (too little, too late) that the defence had any sort of confidence in our keeper.  As folk have said elsewhere you don’t need a world class keeper, just someone who’s calm, won’t make too many mistakes, and not give his entire team the fear every time the ball goes near them. I remember being desperate for us to take someone like Jamie McDonald that season. That way you’ve got the young guy who might be great, but you know you’ve got a solid keeper at that level if it all goes horribly wrong. 

 

That was the only wonder save Bain made that night. Certainly wasn't a header.

What made that game all the sweeter was that United's young goalkeeper, Luis Zwick was acting like a prime Alan Main with the wind-up antics. Regularly doing gestures to the crowd, wasting time purely to antagonise the crowd rather than genuinely holding onto the game and pretending to boot the ball into the crowd. Just arsey things which come to haunt you when you make an absolute arse of an easy shot in the 90th minute.

[Junior_Arab]

That’s the one I meant. Confused with it being a header, but it was some save. Definitely secured a point for your mob. 

[oneteaminglasgow]

There isn’t one, I don’t think.

Assuming that everyone else in the side is average, then an excellent striker will make the biggest difference to any team in a positive way, and equally I’d say having a shite striker will make a huge difference in a negative sense. Like, last season, when Brian Graham got injured, then it basically didn’t matter how well the rest of the team played because it was going to be Juan fucking Alegria trying, and failing, to finish chances off.

A good goalkeeper is always a bonus, but it’s never going to make a decent side great, and often will just make an appalling side into a below average one. We got relegated with Tomas Cerny in goals, whereas if we’d had a good defensive midfielder that season and a worse keeper, we’d have probably been fine. That said, the defensive performance can often rely on how confident they are in a keeper, and it’s clear to see when a defence thinks the boy behind them is shite so it’s a tough one.

Still, overall a good striker is what’s required. 

[the tungston weasel]

I suppose really it has to be be two questions.

What the most important position to not have an absolute donkey? (For me GK)

Whats the most important position to have some genuine talent? (Not so sure)

[crazylegsjoe_mfc]

Speaking as someone of a fan whose best performing player is a goalkeeper, I don't think that it is the most important.

If you set up relying on your goalkeeper to be brilliant, the pressure will be relentless and even the best 'keeper would succumb to errors.

The best example of my own club I would use is Motherwell in 2013/14 and 2014/15. Motherwell somehow managed to finish second the first season with a combination of Lee Hollis / Gunnar Nielsen and Dan Twardzik in goals. The following season we finished 11th, yet with only three more goals conceded.

What was the difference between those two seasons? 

In 2013/14, John Sutton was scoring freely with either Henri Anier or McFadden chipping in to help. In midfield, Vigurs got 13 assists and Ainsworth got 10 (as well as scoring 11 of his own).

In 2014/15, Sutton's goals dried up, with Anier and McFadden away, he wasn't really helped out by any partner Ainsworth and Vigurs became uninterested when the going going got tough. 

Of course, Ainsworth's performances in the playoffs meant all was forgiven.

For me the most important players are those who enable you to play the game in the oppositions half.

[VictorOnopko]

17 hours ago, bennett said:

For celtic it's obviously the referee. 

 

[strichener]

On 19/08/2022 at 23:16, Sortmeout said:

For all the people saying goalkeeper (including me) I would like to ask who would you rather sign if you could. 
 

Either Mbappe (insert alternative top striker)

or

Ederson (or alternative top goalkeeper)

So even though I think goalkeeper may be more important I would have to say I would pick Mbappe over any goalkeeper in the world.

If you had used all your subs, who would you least like to get injured and have to go off.  That answers who is most important.

[LIVIFOREVER]

On 21/08/2022 at 20:49, oneteaminglasgow said:

There isn’t one, I don’t think.

Assuming that everyone else in the side is average, then an excellent striker will make the biggest difference to any team in a positive way, and equally I’d say having a shite striker will make a huge difference in a negative sense. Like, last season, when Brian Graham got injured, then it basically didn’t matter how well the rest of the team played because it was going to be Juan fucking Alegria trying, and failing, to finish chances off.

A good goalkeeper is always a bonus, but it’s never going to make a decent side great, and often will just make an appalling side into a below average one. We got relegated with Tomas Cerny in goals, whereas if we’d had a good defensive midfielder that season and a worse keeper, we’d have probably been fine. That said, the defensive performance can often rely on how confident they are in a keeper, and it’s clear to see when a defence thinks the boy behind them is shite so it’s a tough one.

Still, overall a good striker is what’s required. 

Yeah as long as you've got a good out ball to a player up front you'll do ok, we've won promotion to the Premiership with no strikers in the play offs, ok Lee Miller, who is hardly prolific in front of goals, but he gave us the out ball to get up the pitch.

In the Premiership our main striker was injured and we relied on Dolly Menga up front, again not a goal scorer, 2 goals for us, Sevco & Hearts, and don't think he had scored in 2 years previous to that, but he was a brilliant out ball, and got us up the pitch.

So as much a goal scoring striker is what everyone craves, one that is strong/quick/both, that gets you up the pitch and then your midfielders can score, is just as important. If you've got a striker that can do both you've won a watch.

Edited August 23, 2022 by LIVIFOREVER