Ben Foster

Discussion in 'Former Players Archive' started by UEA_Hornet, Aug 8, 2018.

?

Players featuring in the media while contracted to the club?

  1. It’s fine

    22.9%
  2. No it’s an unnecessary distraction

    77.1%
  1. UEA_Hornet

    UEA_Hornet First Team Captain

  2. DaveWFC

    DaveWFC Five Star Man

    Exactly. Annoying as Foster's lobotomy-smiled tweets were (and his total lack of self awareness), thats pretty bloody rich coming from our ******* rent-a-gob excuse for a captain.
     
  3. GoingDown

    GoingDown "The Stability"

    I do enjoy his YouTube show. Even non-football fans I know like it. He's a very infectious character.

    But **** me, he's dropped a b*ll*ck with these tweets. Which he's double downed on by even promoting it to Swansea fans.

    But, at the same time, it's not a Watford FC show, he's not a Watford fan, is very much a 'this is a job' player like Deeney and most of our squad - and has the full support of the club, captain and league to do it. Our leisure centre manager of a coach isn't going to stop him.

    So, really, should we be that bothered?
     
    lm_wfc and wfc4ever like this.
  4. hornetboy1

    hornetboy1 First Team Captain

    Just watched the latest video. The winning goal was off Lowe's arm. He wasn't even looking at the ball. Oh well........it's all a big joke anyway.....no point in getting too upset about it.
     
  5. wfc4ever

    wfc4ever Administrator Staff Member

    Sound like they had a whale of a time ..




    Flying , singing, countdown ..

    Shame about the game !

    Probably got in the way .
     
    Eastcoastorn likes this.
  6. Burnsy

    Burnsy First Team

    Couldn’t agree more.

    Can anyone imagine Jamie Vardy having his own radio show every week? Or Hugo Lloris wandering around with a Go Pro on matchdays? Of course not...because they are serious players who are trying to make the most of their twilight years whilst they are still in them. They are focussed professionals.

    Our club is currently a circus. And the players rule the roost because the owner allows it to happen.
     
  7. Burnsy

    Burnsy First Team

    I think this is the issue though. I don’t think standards are high enough. I have no problem with players living in the modern era etc - but there’s a time and a place for it. Use all the technology you want after a match and after training - but beforehand, I think it’s ridiculous and a needless distraction.

    But there needs to be give and take on such issues - the picture that’s painted to fans is that it’s a circus behind the scenes and anything goes.
     
  8. UEA_Hornet

    UEA_Hornet First Team Captain

    VAR definitely overrules that one.
     
    wfc4ever likes this.
  9. hornetboy1

    hornetboy1 First Team Captain

    Well last season maybe, but even last season we were conceding handball goals, so the rule has never applied to us anyway.

    However, this season it would probably have been judged the shoulder/top of the sleeve, so it counts. Having said that, the striker knew nothing about it. He ball just hit him and flew in. He wasn't even looking at the ball. It's the type of goal Andre Gray would have been proud of.
     
  10. DaveWFC

    DaveWFC Five Star Man

    Yeah, that's a really good point re players from bigger clubs. If they were pulling this ****, they'd be absolutely crucified for it. Because we've slipped back into Championship irrelevance and Foster is a nice bloke, it's all seen as a bit of a laugh and a joke.

    That'd be fine were it not for the fact that it makes us look like a basket case and that we're desperately trying to get promoted because if we don't we're in serious financial trouble.

    I think the thing that really pisses me off is that fans of other clubs (not to mention some of our own ******ous fans) are coming out to defend him and saying we shouldn't get upset about it. I feel they wouldn't be saying the same if it were their goalkeeper.

    I do often enjoy the videos (hypocrite that I am), but his blatant Twitter signposting that he doesn't really care that much is infuriating.

    The idea that we, the supporters, for whom the club means so much of our time, money and emotion, shouldn't be angry at this stuff just really pisses me off. Its just another thing that enables our players to act like tw@ts and get away with it.
     
  11. Burnsy

    Burnsy First Team

    I think if this was our 5th-6th season back in the Championship, and we'd settled back into being a mid-table outfit at this level, it would be more palatable. But it's the fact the players are carrying on like this in the immediate aftermath of an extremely poor season and where the clear stated aim is immediate promotion.

    I do wonder...if Xisco had walked in exactly the same as he has - easy-going, approachable, attacking etc etc...but had pulled (for instance) Foster aside and said 'no more youtube videos' and Deeney 'I want you to be my captain but I need you to pull the radio appearances'...what would the reaction from them have been? As serious, dedicated players, focussed on promotion, it should have been a simple 'yep, no worries'...but we all know it wouldn't have been. And there within lies the crux of the issue.

    They don't appear serious even if they are. And if you put these concerns to them, their immediate response would be 'You don't me, you don't see what happens behind the scenes'...and as much as that may be correct, their response ought to first be 'Why do the fans have this impression of me and what am I doing to encourage it?'
     
  12. wfc4ever

    wfc4ever Administrator Staff Member

    I don’t think having a video every so often showing what life is like for a pro football makes us a basket case really but joking about the results does give a negative impression for our fans even if really it’s for all football fans - not just us.

    He could just commented on it without the funny message and happy smile .
     
  13. DaveWFC

    DaveWFC Five Star Man

    To be honest, its more the actions of Gino, Duxbury, Deeney (and to some extent Gray) that make us look a basket case. Foster's moronic tweet is just a small cherry on the top of that repugnant cake.
     
    wfc4ever likes this.
  14. Burnsy

    Burnsy First Team

    That alone, no. But it's not any one thing alone that makes us a bit of a circus. It's all these things together.

    Foster is clearly well-meaning with the videos but I find that aspect a bit irrelevant really. It still plays into the look that they aren't serious or focussed on what they should be. And while mistakes are made by him, Deeney etc, and form remains patchy, those accusations will rightly linger.
     
    I Blame Pozzo and wfc4ever like this.
  15. Steve Leo Beleck

    Steve Leo Beleck Squad Player

    Why does he go to every away game when he's not in the squad? And stay at The Grove for home games? Seems like a waste of money!
     
    põder likes this.
  16. wfc4ever

    wfc4ever Administrator Staff Member

    To promote the hotels ...
    Or say “Come on the boys”?

    Maybe he is actually pretty much fit and just going as cover /support.
     
  17. ForzaWatford

    ForzaWatford Squad Player

    He was described to me as a 'self serving *****' when I asked someone who works at the club the exact same question.
     
  18. Captain Mandibles

    Captain Mandibles Academy Graduate

    Not sure I understand... what’s self serving about travelling to help and support the team when not fit?

    Ben has made his fair share of mistakes this season, but he hasn’t ever come across as anything other than a good bloke imho
     
    Knight GT and Vic like this.
  19. The Voice of Reason

    The Voice of Reason First Team Captain

    Ben can't win can he, if he chose to concentrate on his cycling instead of going to support the lads he would be getting it in the neck from certain elements on here, but somehow going to games is wrong too :rolleyes:
     
    FromDiv4 likes this.
  20. ForzaWatford

    ForzaWatford Squad Player

    He's not doing it to support the team, he's doing it for content for his YouTube channel. It's pretty obvious...
     
    Whippendell Woods likes this.
  21. GoingDown

    GoingDown "The Stability"

    I assume the club have block booked rooms at these places so it doesn't make a lot of difference whether Foster goes or not.

    The hotel stay after the home games is the weird one. Can't imagine the players actually enjoy that at all.
     
    UEA_Hornet likes this.
  22. Hogg-DEENEY!!!

    Hogg-DEENEY!!! Squad Player

    I thought that was just under Ivic? I didn't know we did that under Xisco too
     
  23. a19tgg

    a19tgg First Team

    It would be interesting to know, it was used to chuck Ivic under the bus, but if it’s just general club policy then it’s a good insight into the club spin machine.
     
  24. ForzaWatford

    ForzaWatford Squad Player

    I presume he stayed in the hotel because it was 1am and he lives in Warwick. Probably didn’t fancy being home at 3am
     
    wfc4ever likes this.
  25. Hogg-DEENEY!!!

    Hogg-DEENEY!!! Squad Player

    When is Foster back? Not being reactive off the back of a poor goal conceded by Bachmann, but with our next game being against Wycombe, we could do with someone more commanding from crosses
     
  26. LeedsOrn

    LeedsOrn Reservist

    Maybe Bachmann could have done a little better for the goal, but thought he made a couple of really smart stops today and had a good game.
     
    The Voice of Reason likes this.
  27. The Voice of Reason

    The Voice of Reason First Team Captain

    I agree DB did make a few decent saves yesterday and generally played well, but he should not have conceded that goal at his near post. However I do not agree that DB should replace Big Ben as our No1 keeper despite the clamour for him to do so by many on this forum.

    Personally I still believe that Foster is our best keeper and should retain his number one slot as long as he fully recovers from his current injury without any serious loss of his usual high quality keeping standards.
     
    ruisliphorn likes this.
  28. Hogg-DEENEY!!!

    Hogg-DEENEY!!! Squad Player

    That's not my point, apart from the goal he was fine, and to be quite honest, I wouldn't have been surprised if Foster had made the same error, but my point is that Wycombe are going to try to test us with lots of crosses and Bachmann might get caught out if we're not careful
     
  29. RS2

    RS2 Squad Player

    Let's not pretend that Foster is excellent from crosses though. He lost us two points at home to Bournemouth by flapping at a cross and his poor positioning gave Swansea the winner which looked like a routine cross to gather. He also got lobbed by a header from outside the box against Coventry due to his positioning. So while Bachmann could have done better with a few I don't think Foster is much better to be honest. That's not taking into account his other errors this season (Blackburn home and Huddersfield away), plus his kicking is awful compared to Bachmann's.
     
    WatfordTalk likes this.
  30. a19tgg

    a19tgg First Team

    Neither are great to be frank, I personally favour Foster, though, although ideally we need an alternative to both. This just may be my perception but Bachmans spell has coincided with us playing better and our defence and as a result him being under less pressure than perhaps we allowed ourselves to come under earlier on in the season. There have been a few games where Bachman has had almost nothing to do, yet as soon as he’s come under a bit of pressure he’s looked incredibly suspect.

    I think Foster has far greater ability and is just better all round, unfortunately he’s at the end of his career and winding down so he makes mistakes due to lapses in concentration rather than lack of ability, but I think Bachman makes mistakes more due to lack of ability.
     
  31. hornetboy1

    hornetboy1 First Team Captain

    It's vital to get Ben back. Bachmann has had a decent run, and has done well to be fair to him, but now the cracks are beginning to show. He's making good saves, but also some poor mistakes. The goal yesterday was a very poor one to concede. I thought the goals at Blackburn were poor from him too. Elliot's shot went in at the near post (although Masina massively let him down leading up to it), the second goal came about because (as always) he was rooted to his line. (again massively let down by Wilmot's positioning on the wrong side of his man), but he needs to deal with routine crosses far better.

    For me, even though Foster has the odd mistake to his game, he gives me a lot more confidence. We need his experience too. These games from here on in are massive. Yesterday showed, we need experience men on the field.

    Even though "fans" have been throwing Foster under the bus (similar to the barbs thrown at Deeney) and have lauded Bachmann, we're far better off with Foster in the side. Bachmann will never be our number one (or shouldn't be) until he sorts out his command of the 6 yard area.
     
  32. WatfordTalk

    WatfordTalk First Team

    Daniel Bachmann starts:

    Points per game: 2.09
    Goals conceded per game: 0.63

    Ben Foster starts:

    Points per game: 1.61
    Goals conceded per game: 0.77

    Obviously there's additional context to the figures, but I hink it's hard to say for certain that we're "far better off" with Foster in the side.
     
    RS2 likes this.
  33. a19tgg

    a19tgg First Team

    Fans expect and hope for professionalism from players who are paid vast sums of money to do a job most would do for free.

    It’s ok and natural to criticise a player for a jokey Twitter post, promoting his YT channel immediately after making a calamitous mistake in a game, just like it’s ok and natural to criticise our club captain for deriding the club who pay him live on national radio.

    It’s possible to both criticise players and acknowledge their positives, the two aren’t mutually exclusive.
     
    PowerJugs, DaveWFC and Jumbolina like this.
  34. Hogg-DEENEY!!!

    Hogg-DEENEY!!! Squad Player

    If we get Foster playing in front of a 4-3-3 with the fixtures we have to come, there's every chance he can get close to those figures
     
    The Voice of Reason likes this.
  35. Jumbolina

    Jumbolina First Team

    No you’re a “fan” if you do that. Calling the other keeper “Flapmann” is fine though because of reasons.
     

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