Vasilis Barkas

Livi's penalty was a decent one. Can't say Barkas could've done better. He even went the right way and got close to it.

 

Not panicking over this guy at the moment, he's just in the door.

Forster was a liability when he first came on loan, was big as a house and wouldn't leave his line.

Give the guy a bit of time, that * show in front of him aint helping.

 

Was there much movement in Serrano’s strike?

Gerry McCulloch and Strachan were comparing it to Nakamura’s volley against the huns for the swerve on it

Only seen it the once but didn’t look like it moved that much.

Give Barkas a break ffs. If it wasn’t for a number of his big saves we would have got beat by County. It’s the shambles of a midfield that are meaning he is a lot more exposed and getting tested a lot more than he should be!

 

Not as much as Nakamura's goal, but aye there was a bit of swerve on it.

 

You almost never see goalies save penalties hit relatively high and sideways.



These stats are taken from penalties taken at European championships and World Cups, but it shows how likely you are to score if you get it on target, high and wide.

 

Burke's at Rugby Park?

No chance..

 

Thought so

 

Not sure what to make of Barkas so far, he hasn’t had a lot to do in games, Ross County game aside where ironically he kept a clean sheet.

The goals he has conceded two have been pens, two good strikes outside the box, a one on one from a tight angle and a corner where someone lost his man at the back post.

Of those I feel he should have done better with the one on one (CL game), the goal was not his fault but given the footage of him it looks like the type of situation where he has pulled off big saves before. The second today I felt he should have got something on it but it was a good strike. The others are not his fault two well taken pens and good finishes or let down by his defence.

It is also hard as FF is genuinely one of the worlds best shot stoppers (not GK overall), there are few who I would rather have trying to pull of a reflex save. So it is not a surprise Barkas isn’t at that level.

Where I think Barkas does look better than FF is at cross balls and commanding his area, despite the size of FF he was poor at crosses and stayed on his line all the time. On distribution Barkas is far better than FF who was limited.

However I am old fashioned and would take a GK with amazing reflexes over someone with all the other attributes. I think Southampton are insane not to give him a run.

 

* poor for that goal, a good strike but nowhere near the corner and one you'd expect your keeper to save.

 

He wasn't even standing centrally for the strike!

 

Forster is taller than Barkas, and that was an advantage in itself against long shots. Harsh to say, but a good keeper loses out to an excellent one. And we bought the former.

 

Jury's still out on this guy. At first glance I thought he had no chance with Livys 2nd but it was far more central than I had thought. Should have got a hand to it in my book.

 

He’s going to be quality, thought he could have gotten something behind what was an excellent strike tho.

 

HaHa You of all people having a go at people for irrationally criticising a player/manager with no foundation or basis for doing so. Hysterical. There are certain people within Celtic that could put in a world class performance and you'd still be splaffing off about how they're no good. Are you for * real?

 

Just seen the second goal, that is a strike in a half and anyone who blames the keeper for that has not got a clue about football

 

I don't blame him. As I said in the match thread, I don't think he necessarily should save it and I doubt that Gordon or Bain would have; but yeah, I do think Forster would have.

However, as Devlin made me recognise, comparisons with a world-class shot stopper are neither helpful nor fair.

I do miss Forster, though.I really do.

 

Hit a raw nerve have I? hahaha

 

5'8" when he jumps though.

 

It's hard to judge so early but I think he'll be fine, it's not like the goals we've conceded have been * the bed blunders on his part, if christie or ntcham rattled that second one for us today we'd be creaming ourselves not saying the keeper should have had it.

I'm much more concerned about the amount of chances our midfield and defence in front of him are letting slip, first half against ross county last week especially they were waltzing through us at times, he did well to keep a clean sheet.