Conceded 45 goals in 36 games for City by my reckoning, still conceding over a goal a game despite being at a stronger club than Newcastle.
Throughout his Newcastle career he conceded goal after goal and made great save after great save, which I thought implied he's a great shot stopper but his organisation of the defence was poor. There was a reason that time after time good defenders failed to flourish at Newcastle. Players like Cacapa, Boumsong, Colocinni, Bramble were all talented players before they came and were established at big clubs before they came with the exception of Bramble who was one of the brightest young defenders in the country. That's only a small list of some talented defenders that have been ruined at Newcastle.
People put that down to some mystery around Newcastle that they just ruin defenders. I believe that it's really Shay Given who was the problem.
Boumsong's now getting games at Lyon, Bassong's getting games for Spurs and relishing it, Bramble's excelling for Wigan. Once they moved away from Newcastle, or Shay Given, they've improved.
Then he moved to City and he got his chance to show that it was just because he was at Newcastle that he was conceding goals and it wasn't just a convenient excuse, with some people even regretting us not signing him instead!
He's playing behind undeniably better defenders; Toure while not on top form is still a good defender, Lescott while not worth £24m is still a good defender, Bridge while not good enough for a top club is still a good defender. Yet he's still conceding goals at a poor rate for a supposedly world class goalkeeper.
There's still the excuse that the defence hasn't yet settled yet, but personally I think it's all bollocks. He's a good keeper but that's it. Not good enough for us over a number of years and not good enough to be called world class.
To call him world class is laughable, IMO. Was a year ago, still is now.
Throughout his Newcastle career he conceded goal after goal and made great save after great save, which I thought implied he's a great shot stopper but his organisation of the defence was poor. There was a reason that time after time good defenders failed to flourish at Newcastle. Players like Cacapa, Boumsong, Colocinni, Bramble were all talented players before they came and were established at big clubs before they came with the exception of Bramble who was one of the brightest young defenders in the country. That's only a small list of some talented defenders that have been ruined at Newcastle.
People put that down to some mystery around Newcastle that they just ruin defenders. I believe that it's really Shay Given who was the problem.
Boumsong's now getting games at Lyon, Bassong's getting games for Spurs and relishing it, Bramble's excelling for Wigan. Once they moved away from Newcastle, or Shay Given, they've improved.
Then he moved to City and he got his chance to show that it was just because he was at Newcastle that he was conceding goals and it wasn't just a convenient excuse, with some people even regretting us not signing him instead!
He's playing behind undeniably better defenders; Toure while not on top form is still a good defender, Lescott while not worth £24m is still a good defender, Bridge while not good enough for a top club is still a good defender. Yet he's still conceding goals at a poor rate for a supposedly world class goalkeeper.
There's still the excuse that the defence hasn't yet settled yet, but personally I think it's all bollocks. He's a good keeper but that's it. Not good enough for us over a number of years and not good enough to be called world class.
To call him world class is laughable, IMO. Was a year ago, still is now.
