Player Watch: Hugo Lloris

[wrd]

His form over the past 18 months has been a real worry. And whilst I'm obviously grateful to him for sticking through the AVB/Sherwood years and for bailing us out of trouble many times over his career, the fact is the errors are creeping more and more regularly into his game, and most worryingly of all, these appear to be coming not in the games against weaker sides where we have a two or three goal cushion or are likely to fight our way back into the match - they are coming with alarming regularity in big games that cost us important points. Off the top of my head:

• Liverpool - Yesterday's last minute howler.
  
  
• Man City - both games last season, one where Sterling nutmegged him at the Etihad, then he gave away a penalty in the home game. Seem to remember some ridiculous missed diving header there a couple of years ago too.
  
  
• Chelsea - Both games last season, first when he let a simple shot from Alonso slip through him to give them the winner at Wembley, then he completely missed a cross for Morata to score at Stamford Bridge. There was also this season's debacle with the Pedro near post shot and then Trippier's own goal which probably wasn't all Hugo's fault to be fair but still looked ridiculous.
  
  
• Barcelona - Inexplicably charged out of his goal when they were going out wide to allow Coutinho to tap into an empty net in the first minute, destroyed our game plan.
  
  
• PSV - 2-1 up away from home and cruising to our first CL win of the season - then Lloris charges out of goal, gets himself sent off and we concede.
  
  
• Man Utd - Felt he should have saved Rashford's winner at Wembley.

The World Cup final - Got away with it as France were clearly the better side, however that was arguably the biggest goalkeeper fuck-up ever in a WC final.

Yes the Aubameyang penalty save and the Dortmund masterclass was great, but games like that are becoming all too rare compared with the number of big mistakes he's making at crucial moments of big games. It's so sad to see because he has been unquestionably our best keeper since at least Thorstvedt, if not Clemence, however people are going to remember him more for this kind of crap if it carries on than the match winning performances we used to associate him with.

Would be a huge decision to drop him now though. To drop our captain and one of our longest serving players for the opening game at the new stadium with the Champions League game to follow would be a colossal fuck you to him. If we did and it Gazzaniga doesn't work out in those games then we've effectively killed two keepers careers in one go. It's definitely something Poch should consider, and even more so in the summer if anyone is available, but the timing now is bad...

Sweet sweet revisionism.

The rest of your post except maybe the PSV game, I agree with.

 

[DFF]

Pep didn’t even necessarily go for the very best keeper he could’ve got (albeit a massive talent), he went for the best keeper that fit their style.

Clangers aside, Hugo just isn’t good enough with his feet to play the game we appear to be trying to play, especially against teams that pressure us. Either we change the player or change the system. But watching us trying to play out from the back is cringeworthy sometimes.

 

[dondo]

People will mock but I think Butland would be a good choice.

Heaton for me

 

[Shadydan]

People will mock but I think Butland would be a good choice.

Not good enough with his feet I'm afraid.

 

[dtxspurs]

No doubt wasn't good enough yesterday and has made a few errors but saying he needs to be dropped for Gazzanigga is over the top. And he'd also be pretty far down my list of needs to replace after CM, DM, LB, RB, & backup striker.

If we had Man City money, sure go ahead and find some one but since we don't I'd rather prioritize other areas of the squad.

 

[Spurs72]

It all starts at the back from our Goalkeeper, if he is prone to making errors, that will creep into our Team, what good is it to just say, " we have a World Cup winning Goalie" , get a keeper in who is confident of himself first, Hugo has looked past it for a while now, and after France won the World Cup, that may have been the best time to Cash in.

Gazzaniga right now is a good stop gap, but that's all he might be right now he has some growing to do.

 

[doctor stefan Freud]

Pep didn’t even necessarily go for the very best keeper he could’ve got (albeit a massive talent), he went for the best keeper that fit their style.

Clangers aside, Hugo just isn’t good enough with his feet to play the game we appear to be trying to play, especially against teams that pressure us. Either we change the player or change the system. But watching us trying to play out from the back is cringeworthy sometimes.

This is absolutely on the money. His kicking is atrocious by the standards of the modern game. It’s made noticeably worse when teams press us high and he’s not able to pass accurately beyond them, which he can’t with effective regularity. Factor in the absence of a Dembele type ball carrrying midfielder who can receive a simple pass deep in our half and beat the press, and we’re putting ourselves under pressure whenever we play out from the back. He’s not technically good enough to play long, accurate passes under pressure, and he no longer has Dembele to steady the midfield from deep. It’s a combination of both that’s made us more error prone this season. His other blunders are more likely mental concentration rather than technique. It definitely seems he’s more error prone now than he was in his twenties

 

[ikky]

I thought it was very telling that Toby had an opportunity for a simple back pass to Hugo but thought the safer option was to kick it out for a throw instead. Worrying that our own players have/are losing faith in him also.

 

[Fredo]

Ffs

 

[LexingtonSpurs]

"Oh! That does not look good!"

 

[am_yisrael_chai]

No doubt wasn't good enough yesterday and has made a few errors but saying he needs to be dropped for Gazzanigga is over the top. And he'd also be pretty far down my list of needs to replace after CM, DM, LB, RB, & backup striker.

If we had Man City money, sure go ahead and find some one but since we don't I'd rather prioritize other areas of the squad.

Is there any circumstance in which you would support Gazza replacing Hugo ? If so what is it ?

 

[fortworthspur]

Is there any circumstance in which you would support Gazza replacing Hugo ? If so what is it ?

if Hugo broke his leg. or pretty much any limb.

 

[dtxspurs]

Is there any circumstance in which you would support Gazza replacing Hugo ? If so what is it ?

I'm just of the opinion that the grass isn't always greener on the other side. Just look at life after Walker & Dembele. Everyone always thinks the backup is so great until they're playing every week and you see why we were able to buy him from Southampton for a can of beans.

 

[shoggy33]

There will be at least one clanger before the end of the season, probably more. Would anyone be willing to bet there won't be? Shouldn't be saying that about a top class goalie. He has to be replaced.

 

[dtxspurs]

By the way, how many fuck ups did Alison happen to have yesterday? I remembered quite a few and just so happened to get a lucky bounce after wards.

 

[fortworthspur]

By the way, how many fuck ups did Alison happen to have yesterday? I remembered quite a few and just so happened to get a lucky bounce after wards.

plus he has a girl's name.

 

[JimmyG2]

It all starts at the back from our Goalkeeper, if he is prone to making errors, that will creep into our Team, what good is it to just say, " we have a World Cup winning Goalie" , get a keeper in who is confident of himself first, Hugo has looked past it for a while now, and after France won the World Cup, that may have been the best time to Cash in.

Gazzaniga right now is a good stop gap, but that's all he might be right now he has some growing to do.

He's 6ft 5'' now!

 

[am_yisrael_chai]

if Hugo broke his leg. or pretty much any limb.

I'm just of the opinion that the grass isn't always greener on the other side. Just look at life after Walker & Dembele. Everyone always thinks the backup is so great until they're playing every week and you see why we were able to buy him from Southampton for a can of beans.

So if I get you both right what you are saying is that absent injury it doesn’t matter how badly Hugo plays you don’t trust Gazza to replace him ? I could understand that if we had never seen Gazza play or if he had played badly when called upon but I think it is really strange to take that view given how well he has played when in the team.

 

[LexingtonSpurs]

By the way, how many fuck ups did Alison happen to have yesterday? I remembered quite a few and just so happened to get a lucky bounce after wards.

That's because his aim is true...

 

[am_yisrael_chai]

By the way, how many fuck ups did Alison happen to have yesterday? I remembered quite a few and just so happened to get a lucky bounce after wards.

All the top GKs make mistakes, it is part of the game, the difference between Hugo and Alison/Ederson/De Gea is that Hugo is making a lot more of them and when he does they are directly leading to goals and lost points.