Welcome Mads Hermansen!

[Barty888]

[El Scorchio]

Needs a chance in front of a defence that's not a total shit show from set pieces and crosses, but it's not looking great. What a mess. Far below expectations, but then again everything has been this season up until Nuno rocked up- let's see if he can turn it around.

[Eerie Decent]

It's looking like a poor signing, and if it doesn't work out with him, we still need a keeper.

I don't actually think Areola had a lot to do against Everton, the one thing we really needed him for was the header they scored which was closer to the centre of the goal than it was the corner. Horrendous positioning.

Although it was Diouf that lost his man, as much as everyone was desperate to blame Mavro, myself included at first.

[fraser]

£18 million and Forest bought the Brazilian striker we'd been tracking for £10 million, a player in a position we desperately need and we could have bought the keeper who's at Sunderland that we were also linked to who has been fantastic for them for £11 million... We'd be so much stronger, but who needs a striker with legs and a keeper that can defend crosses when you have a keeper who can play tippy tappy with his defence 

[southbankbornnbred]

Basically, we've overpaid for a backup keeper with Hermansen.

He's clearly not better than Areola, which is what Potter hoped. He just needs to get his head down now, play a lot of games for the stiffs, work on his big weaknesses and get his confidence back. But it's a stint as a backup for him, realistically.

[dealcanvey]

Hoping it works out for him but cant help but feel like that money could have been used better elsewhere!

[southbankbornnbred]

Overall I thought Areola had a good game at Everton. Punched the ball clear under a lot of pressure before the goal did eventually go in when the Defence were far too deep. Made some decent saves especially late on to keep the scoreline at 1-1 for an important point away.

I think Nuno made the right call selecting him and getting a decent performance out of him under the circumstances having just rocked up.

It's also right to point out that having been a decent Keeper himself, Nuno should get a better grip of the situation and cecertainly lot better than how the clueless twat dealt with it before him.

Both Keepers confidence will be shot after how they've both been chopped and changed so easily. Got to keep Areola in now for the foreseeable so to breed some much needed confidence and build some continuity at the back. 

Totally agree. Thought Areola looked more confident coming for crosses. Didn't really try to catch much - but attacked the ball and got decent clearance on his punches.

When he plays like that, we're OK with our keeper. We just need to see more of it. Maybe it's the warrior haircut.

[southbankbornnbred]

The ultimate insult would be that he ends up being loaned back to Leicester, with them paying only a fraction of his wages.

£18m in the bank, pay 25% of his wages, get your keeper back.

That's the "West Ham way" under Sullivan! And would be a fine legacy for Partridge.

[Monsieur merde de cheval]

We'll never see this geezer  again.
He'll end up at Norwich city or Swindon toon  or some similar 2 bob outfit. ( Oldham )

[Massive Attack]

Overall I thought Areola had a good game at Everton. Punched the ball clear under a lot of pressure before the goal did eventually go in when the Defence were far too deep. Made some decent saves especially late on to keep the scoreline at 1-1 for an important point away.

I think Nuno made the right call selecting him and getting a decent performance out of him under the circumstances having just rocked up.

It's also right to point out that having been a decent Keeper himself, Nuno should get a better grip of the situation and cecertainly lot better than how the clueless twat dealt with it before him.

Both Keepers confidence will be shot after how they've both been chopped and changed so easily. Got to keep Areola in now for the foreseeable so to breed some much needed confidence and build some continuity at the back. 

[Sir Alf]

You’re correct Eerie, Areola came far too far off his line before the second phase cross from Garner was launched and then stayed there. The Keane header went over his outstretched hand for that reason. Madesson had a similar problem in the Spurs game I think it was where a header for the second goal just looped over him as he was way off his line. He was rightly given pelters. Claims he was too small ( which might still be correct btw ) but I guess a 0-3 drubbing alwsys exposes any player. Areola’s mistake airbrushed over because we got a battling point I suppose?

[Eerie Decent]

Areola has the same problem, just has the benefit of being taller. I thought his positioning for the goal the other night was shocking, if that was Hermansen, he would've got pesters for that.

One positive all round is Nuno was a keeper, so I'm expecting him to get that position right.

[Massive Attack]

I can't see how he would've been so good for Leicester in the Championship if he couldn't deal with crosses and high balls into the area. That's bread and butter for 75% of the teams in the Championship. I wouldn't know the actual stats but I reckon as  keeper in the Championship you are dealing with double the crosses / high balls than you would in the PL. 

I was hoping that some of this might have to do with him playing for 3 months last season with a groin injury. Carrying an injury like that makes it difficult to generate force to jump, so he might have got used to not jumping with full power and getting that extra height needed to reach high balls.

Unfortunately, I just had a look at a Leicester forum from when he first signed for them and most of them said he was generally great but was shit at dealing with corners and commanding his area. Apparently Brondby fans said the same about him. 

If that's the case then clearly Potter and Macaulay didn't do their due diligence properly  on that part of his game that needs serious work on it.

The situation got more laughable when they then convince the Club to bring in not 1 new Goalkeeper Coach but 2 which have now both left as soon as they rocked up. So much expensive waste this has created with Potter arriving.

I also noticed on the weekend our former decent Goalkeeper coach Xavi Valero is now working at Liverpool after Potter sacks him. We are so fucking thick at running this Club it's unbelievable. 

[Jean-Luc Paul Goddard]

I can't see how he would've been so good for Leicester in the Championship if he couldn't deal with crosses and high balls into the area. That's bread and butter for 75% of the teams in the Championship. I wouldn't know the actual stats but I reckon as  keeper in the Championship you are dealing with double the crosses / high balls than you would in the PL. 

I was hoping that some of this might have to do with him playing for 3 months last season with a groin injury. Carrying an injury like that makes it difficult to generate force to jump, so he might have got used to not jumping with full power and getting that extra height needed to reach high balls.

Unfortunately, I just had a look at a Leicester forum from when he first signed for them and most of them said he was generally great but was shit at dealing with corners and commanding his area. Apparently Brondby fans said the same about him. 

[Massive Attack]

I said at the time of his debut up at Sunderland it was mindless for Potter to chuck him straight in at the deep end having only arrived a few days earlier with no real Training with his Team mates. He had no chance to get up to speed and I think he was even recovering from an injury having had surgery in May. Totally mismanaged by an irresponsible Potter and Nuno is now going to have to pick up the pieces.

[Russ of the BML]

Needs a lot of coaching and improvement on crosses and any ball into the area.  Needs to be fearless and aggressive.  His improvement in this area will make or break him as a top tier keeper. Currently he isnt.

Respectfully - I can't see how he would've been so good for Leicester in the Championship if he couldn't deal with crosses and high balls into the area. That's bread and butter for 75% of the teams in the Championship. I wouldn't know the actual stats but I reckon as  keeper in the Championship you are dealing with double the crosses / high balls than you would in the PL. 

But, I am only summising for the purpose of debate. 

Basically, I think you are dead right in that he isn't a top tier keeper and he needs coaching, but I would say he needs that generally all round. But he is young and will improve. I think he has the ability - I just feel he has been dropped into a shit storm, had a bit of a mare in his first game and his confidence is shot to pieces. 

Am I being too kind?

BTW and FWIW - If we wanted that top tier keeper ready for the here and now, we should've bought Suzuki from Parma who for me is a real talent. However, Parma wanted £33m and we offered £22m and so where shall we bookmark that? .... I would suggest the Sullivan Out thread. 

[Sir Alf]

Needs a lot of coaching and improvement on crosses and any ball into the area.  Needs to be fearless and aggressive.  His improvement in this area will make or break him as a top tier keeper. Currently he isnt.

[Russ of the BML]

He will come good. Young keeper with huge potential. Bought for a big fee and dropped into a team low on confidence who had a coward as a coach and a defence about as solid as baby shit. Loads of pressure on him and was obviously not managed or helped by Potter. I am sure Nuno has faith in him but, for now, has taken the weight off the kid. I can see him slowly integrated over this season by Nuno.  

[honky cat]

Thank you Agent Mads for getting rid of cock piss. Your mission is complete.
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watch him turn into the danish donnarumma by Christmas 
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[northbankboy68]

Ridiculous acquisition, as was dumping Areola, letting Fab go then bringing Fab back again.  We are a laughing stock.

[Eerie Decent]

Maybe the goalkeeper coach we've just pumped will convince his next club to sign him? 

[Lee Trundle]

I'd be surprised if he gets in over Areola now.  I get the feeling Nuno will pick goalkeeping ability over if he can do loads of keepy ups and tricks with the ball with his feet.

Destined to be an expensive mistake, unless you think spending that much on a reserve was the right thing to do this summer.

[Eerie Decent]

He clearly has a massive flaw, but he is behind the worst centre backs in the league. Probably struggle to find a worse centre back collective in the Championship.
 

[GBHammer63]

Agree with Scorchio, Hermansens height isn’t the main issue, yep he’s a bit on the short side but having big central defenders in front of him who are either incapable of moving or frightened of heading a ball is more of a problem, every corner that came in we never attacked the ball or even marked a man.

[Sir Alf]

Yep whoever recommended Mads was Mad

[southbankbornnbred]

Genuinely, you could make a case for saying that Fab is our best keeper once again - after we released him, signed a shite alternative for too much money, tried his long-term understudy, and then had to re-sign him within months, aged 40.

We are a fucking joke of a football club. Everything about West Ham is broken right now. It has been left to rot under such a terrible ownership that nobody knows what "top-class" looks like any more. And that includes a massively over-promoted manager and coaching staff, recruitment team, scouting network and others. But the rot starts in the boardroom.