HOW we English love a scapegoat and David James is the latest man to be placed in the footballing stocks in order that all kinds of rubbish can be thrown at his head.
Let's get one thing straight from the start, the Manchester City goalkeeper, no matter what happened in Austria on Saturday night, is the best we have got.
The Viennese whirlpool that has been created to suck the last vestiges of self-belief out of the unfortunate goalkeeper will not take James under and I fully expect him to be in England's goal in Poland on Wednesday night.
And no-one who knows him would be surprised if he had the game of his life in Chorzow.
At 33 years old James has reached the level of maturity that will allow him to shrug off this latest disappointment and trial by media. He showed with his interview after the game in Austria that he has already moved on - if everyone will let him.
Teammates in the City and England dressing room know that like all goalkeepers he can be slightly eccentric and detached when it comes to the build-up to the game but they also know that mentally James is as tough as they come, you have to be when you have lived with the nickname "Calamity" for a large proportion of your professional life.
No one prepares better or more thoroughly than James who is an assiduous trainer and a perfectionist. He believes strongly in sports psychology and if anyone can put Saturday into perspective then it is certainly him.
He has shown already this season for the Blues that he is in the prime of his form and, just as crucially, he still has the total confidence of those defenders, both in sky blue and the white of England, who stand in front of him.
A stream of his international teammates couldn't wait to back James after the Austria equaliser and Eriksson should do the same and tell the world as quickly as possible that the City man is still his number one.
To drop James now would send the wrong signals to his teammates, the opposition and to the player himself.
Carry on David - you're still the best we have!
Should David James be dropped or should he stay on as England's number one? Have your say.
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There is no doubt that James got down poorly to a deflected but somewhat weak shot. Of course goalies are not allowed to make mistakes. However, nobody has yet picked up on Beckhams dreadful performance. He simply is not good enough right now to play for England. He should be dropped. His passing was atrocious.Witness how he petulantly picked up a Yellow card for no reason. SGE must drop Beckham now and play Wright-Phillips. He should also remove him as captain.
Sadly if you make a mistake as a goalkeeper it invariably leads to a goal being conceded and the keeper concerned being vilified from all quarters. A striker can miss chances and get away with it, a defender can make blunders and the keeper can bail him out. That is football. However, I actually do think that David James is capable of blunders like this on a regular basis and the only reason he continues as England's number 1 is the lack of a quality replacement. Robinson is no better and Kirkland is forever injured so we'll have to stick with him for now and keep our fingers crossed for Poland!
why has there been no mention of owen completly missing the ball when put through by gerrard or the miss by smith when one on one with the keeper or the bad passing by most of the team in the second half which led to the two goals
If we had been 4-0 up when he made that error and we won 4-1 he would not have been vilified in this manner. He is a good goalkeeper who is prone to the odd error! He is also the best we have at present so stick with him! The press should be looking at one or two other so called superstars who were dreadful on the night. David Beckham's contribution in the second half was a disgrace. In one five minute spell when we were still 2-0 up he touched the ball five times! Three passes straight to Austrian players and two straight in to touch! That's world class? You're having a laugh! Owen might as well have stayed in the dressing room. His one chance he messed up when all that was needed was a coll head and I can't remember him touching the ball after that! Wayne Bridge was decidedly average on the left. He passed when he should have crossed. He went inside when he should have gone down the line and he went down the line when he should have cut inside! Lampard, although generally OK and scored, has to take the bulk of the blame (more than James) for letting the Austrians back in to the game. Fo it was his stupid foulf when there was absolutely no danger and plenty of cover that gave away the free kick that led to the first Austrian goal! Carragher was a complete waste of space when he came on and Defoe and Cole were too frantic in the last few minutes. And SVE for remarkably substituting Gerrard when there was nothing wrong with him! Plus not playing SWP! He said before the game tat SWP wouldn't be in the squad if he wasn't ready so what went wrong in SVE's mind after the game started? I'll tell you what! Calcio. Hold what you have, use the experience even if experience tells you it isn't working. Don't use youngsters unless you absolutely have to because they miught let you down (even though all three on the bench have proved that they won't)! In fact, had it remained 2-0, the TV and press would have carried on prasing that "superb" England display and just ignored the cracks that were there for all to see in the first half and only became evident towards the end. I think, in many ways, we might as well find out the problems now not later! We have the players. I do not buy in to the idea that the plaayers aren't good enough! However, we have problems at the coaching level with tacics (i.e. the wrong ones), substituions (i.e. the wrong ones) and personnel (i.e. the wrong ones). Something needs to be done!
Stay!
What about the great games he has had with England, the crucial saves made - that of course went unseen from the mad press.
Listen, I agree with a comment made, Beckham! What a dismal - Joe Cole Dismal, and to top the bill no SWP.
If anybody needs to go try SVEN!
The whole team was a JOKE! Not just James!
he has been outstanding in a city shirt ever since he came to the club. so he made a mistake, alan smith missed an open goal, the referee missed a handball outside the area, lampard gave away a soft free kick for their first goal so why do we only talk about one mistake out of the four?????? LEAVE HIM ALONE!!!
what exactly does stuart brennan know about keepers after watching howard the duck, bartez the clown and of course there was that italian that lasted a couple of games taibi? even schmeichel made his fair share of howlers so give it a rest you muppet
David James will admit it was a mistake but I think if he was in the same position again and it happend again he would make the same mistake because I think he was trying to get across and catch at waist height but took a deflection and just simply could not possibly get his body down quick enough, as he is a big lad and as he gets older his reactions will get slower having said that he is still the best at one on ones as he proved with the save bravely at the feet of the Austrian striker.
But we all know his judgement and his decision making isn't the best but give him the credit he deserves for traits that he is good at ie probably the quickest on his feet and one of the best shot stopers in the prem his never goes down now lets look at the other mistakes other keepers have made.
Let's see had Smith scored we would not be looking in to this that much Lampard hands on the striker's back why is that how you tackle now NO then there is the wall had lampard jumped it would had hit him in the face no goal on the hole yes we were winning but can you honestly say we were the better team?
No.
As the stats show same amout of chances shots we had a lot of luck with 1st goal although it was well worked the 2nd was gerrard class but then the subs Gerrard mistakenly taken off so that's mistakes from the ref, the manager, the keeper, then there's Smith's "should of been a goal" chance, then there's lampard, and to top it off Beckham's booking - all silly mistakes.
The game was full of them from start to finish and yet we blame one person why because he is a keeper it would have been the same who ever was in net had they made that mistake so WHO WOULD BE A KEEPER ?
David James admitted he made a mistake, and his attitude in looking forward as positively as possibly is refreshing. The press reaction has been hysterical and over-the-top (no surprises there). People should get behind him if they are true fans. After all, it's not as if he wants to make errors or doesn't try hard enough. Good luck David. We're behind you at City, even if the shambolic press and some of the so-called England 'fans' aren't.
All the so called self appointed experts are having a field day criticising David James.Most of these critics have never kicked a ball in their life and those that have were probably never any good at it.There sole intention is to insult,undermine and discredit him.As a Manchester City fan I say ignore them all David--he who never made a mistake never made anything--and on Saturday along with 45,000 other fans we are going to give him a great reception--and the critics can go to hell.
Well, well, well, if it isn't Chris "Blue Spectacles" Bailey spouting his usual drivel about the Blues. Come on Chris for goodness sake just admit James is dodgy. Would he be defending James if he played for another club than the Blues? NO of course he woldn;t. He spouts the same rubbish about Robbie Fowler - talk about trying to stay on the right side of the players, very unprofessional Mr Bailey!!
I may be a blue, but hang on a minute....yes James made a cock up, but a GK's mistake is highlighted as it usually leads to a goal. In fairness, Beckham has been poor for most of 2004, so has Owen and others have made individual mistakes recently. OK James may not be worlds best, no-one said he was, but he is the best English Keeper for the job. Robinson may take the jersey but at the moment I don think he has great confidence, he certainly doe not have the personality and presence of James...yet. If we can stick by Messrs Beckham and Owen, we can surely stick by James. Anyway, is this not merely a ploy to deflect attention from SVEN, what does he really offer. He made a cock up taking Gerrard off, then replaced him with Carragher?...he insists on tryin got play 4 central midfielders when clearly there are better mor balanced options. He is the one who is on borrowed time.
do you need to be an expert as suggested to see james is a joke is excuses oh theybrought the wrong video come on calamity paddy roach springs to mind when i watch you i honestly believe you do the work of two LAUREL AND HARDY when did the blues last make a good goalkeeping signing Bert TRAUTMAN who after breaking is neck never looked back. get it?
Reading this article and then these blue comments on this, dear, oh dear, oh dear. City fans never change do they! Started to read them with interest, then half way through, forgot what the point was. I thought the artical was in reference to the latest Calamity James episode?? Then why all the comments about Real Madrid's D.B.?Because Beckham is playing poorly (and he is), does that now mean that Calamity is ok "so long as David is crap". Dont understand the mind set on that one. Or is it two poor players make a good one??
Anyway whatever, if Calamity is our best goalkeeper for England, then we really are in trouble. He is average, always has been, never won anything, known for his blunders. OK for City I guess, but cannot be considered good enough for the national team surely? If you blue one siders are using this site, fine, but stick to the point.
Tom N.Y.
Dont take the bait fellas - we all know the press (and the charlies on here) love to hammer someone; be it Beckham, Owen, Gerrard or in this case James. Ericsson may not be the best in the business but at least he doesn't go Houllier on us and blame one person. Grow up.
its amazing how a win will mask the way we played there was still cracks in the performance but i thought the defence did not play well or the team but there was a bit more aggresion out there wanting to win and getting bodys in to block a lot more shots they defended there new goalie with a lot more passion i thought robinson did oky all but one mistake but he got lucky with a droped ball he came for but misjudged but to be honest what he did do after a nervey start he did well at but given the opposition he didn't have much to do he did not come for one cross all night although he could have relieved a couple of situation when the ball came over but got away with it but i think he will grow in confedence if given a few games but knowing sven it will be james back in net again .but he should give robinson a chance now to have a run in the team not much point in undermining james confidence then missing a game and sticking him back in net it would send a mixed response to both keepers not knowing if either were to lose there place at any time keeprers need confidence. we won thats all that matters is it ????????? its the same old story ithink both keepers are good but not the best in europe james has more experience but then how does robinson get the experience if he cant get the games he will also make mistakes but he may well get away with them some people seem to be luckier than others not so fortunate ie with injuries like weaver promising .r wright good keepers but not much luck injuries great saves yet prone to big mistakes if robinson makes afew mistakes what then that green chap from norwich . then what if he makes afew mistakes ?? if you make a mistake you should be droped so why was smith droped that one on one miss then should not owen have been droped as well and beckham as he does not seem to beat the first man with the ball he puts in any more and also gives the ball away to easy and has not won a tackle since ?? can some one please tell me when ??? and why does defoe get a chance and yet still shaun wright phillips misses out it amazes me why we won but only by a own goal and that is the only way we looked like scoring we have become the wimbledon of international football give it becks and 60 yard passs run for that owen can becks not pass just ten feet and keep it simple at times (no disrespect to wimbledon intended )just look how easy we were cut open by polands well taken goal good build up and what a goal .our goal was not a good build up but bad pass in box by becks defoe wanting it infront of him to have acrack made the most of a ball played behind him then cleverly turned the man and cooly finished good football no just a moment of brilliants by a very good and improving forward and either him or roony will be on the bench as we persist with owen . who is still good but gone abit stale as he knows he is one of the firet names on the team sheet i think we need a bit more chopping and changing with the forwards to give them the hunger to have to score to get in the team play the inform players rather than the tried and trusted ones and that rule should also apply to the whole team . before i go just one thing when seaman made a mistake against germany 0-1 at wembly why was he not droped from the team or that mistake against brazil or what about the corner that whent straight in the net and still not droped . see even the best keeper we have had has had his off moments now good night god bless and please dont have nightmares you budding young wannabe goalies out there cos if your any good the england team will make you look bad