Mike Cooper

[greenpilled]

Easy answer, Cooper is a better keeper than Palmer. Palmer made loads of errors in this division last year.

Yeah, Palmer's first dozen or so games at Argyle we shipped loads of goals (there was a game in East Devon that some people might remember). As the season went on we tightened up at the back and the team gradually gelled meaning he had a lot less to do.

You can't compare Palmer's record for a promotion winning league 2 team with Cooper last season, playing in a higher division behind a bunch of half-interested kids who were getting steamrollered every week. In the second half of the season pretty much the entirety of every game was played in our penalty area. We'd have had one of the worst defensive records in the division if we'd been allowed to play Palmer and Cooper together.

I liked them both, but personally feel Cooper is clearly the better of the two (and incidentally, also still nearly a year younger than Palmer was when he signed for Argyle, which is perhaps some indicator of their respective potentials).

 

[Nobby]

I don't know Nobby, I think if you look at the frequency of goals we've conceded in the last season and a half (regardless of who's fault they might be), you might well think our goal concession is a little excessive.

Goals conceded doesn’t mean bad goalkeeper. Aaron Ramsdale was relegated two years in a row and conceded bucketloads, now he’s one of the best in the PL because he’s behind a competent defence.

Cooper needs to command his box better, particularly at set plays, but he’s an excellent shot stopper and his distribution is largely very good (particularly his throwing).

More to the point, last year was his rookie season in football and L1. A more reasonable assessment is: Has he improved this season? Are we conceding less? Is there evidence he is getting better at the things he struggled with last year? Can we compete with Cooper as first choice? The answer to all of those things is yes.

How about a loan out?

No chance. Same as dropping him. If I was Cooper and got farmed out on the back of a couple mistakes (in games where I’d performed well), I’d be absolutely furious. If he keeps making mistakes in the next few games then by all means consider playing Burton, but Schuey and Behcet see the keepers train everyday, if they thought Burton was better or good enough to drop Cooper for, they would’ve used him by now in a game that wasn’t in the PJT, but they haven’t.

 

[Tugboat]

He’s conceding goals but even more worrying is he’s saving loads also which shows just how easy it is to get shots away at our goal.

 

[Larry David]

Loyalty is one thing blind faith is another. If being left out for a few games to give him a breather and have a proper look at Burton destroys Coopers confidence I would argue he can’t have much to start with.

Outfield players get taken out of the firing line from time to time nobody moans about that. It may be just the motivation he needs.

 

[MGM]

Cooper wasn’t just to blame. The ball was allowed to bounce in our 6 yard box. So what on earth were the defenders doing?

Cooper’s weakness is his commanding of his 6 yard box. He does flap at crosses. As a GK you should be smashing your way through the crowd. As more times that not the ref will blow for a foul.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t physical enough in that situation.

He is a great shot stopper. If he wants to be a top level championship GK though he is going to have to figure out a way of commanding his box better.

 

[vibratingspider]

Goals conceded doesn’t mean bad goalkeeper. Aaron Ramsdale was relegated two years in a row and conceded bucketloads, now he’s one of the best in the PL because he’s behind a competent defence.

Cooper needs to command his box better, particularly at set plays, but he’s an excellent shot stopper and his distribution is largely very good (particularly his throwing).

More to the point, last year was his rookie season in football and L1. A more reasonable assessment is: Has he improved this season? Are we conceding less? Is there evidence he is getting better at the things he struggled with last year? Can we compete with Cooper as first choice? The answer to all of those things is yes.

I've said very similar things already in this thread and others. Conceding goals is not solely the fault of the keeper, that's obvious. Agree also that he's a great shot stopper and his distribution is great too. What I would say, and I've said before, is that quite often a shot will fly past him and I'm sat there thinking "how did he not get to that?". He often makes great saves, but he also doesn't make the saves you don't expect him to make. The ones where you think "a top keeper would make that save". The saves he makes are within the realms of those that a decent keeper would make. Only my opinion of course.

Regarding the questions you've raised:
1. Yes, he's improved this season.
2. Are we conceding less? Not since we lost Galloway - is that Cooper's fault? No, but we're now missing the protection Galloway offered from balls into the box, so we're back to where we were last season in that respect.
3. Is he getting better? Same question as the first one really!
4. Can we compete with Cooper as first choice? Yes but as above, I think we'd been protected from Galloway's excellent prevention of crosses into the box, and we're without that now - hence, Cooper's weaknesses are being exploited once more.

We all know that Cooper lacks physicality in the 6 yard box - he simply doesn't have the presence to claim crosses. Our only option therefore is to stop them coming in and that's what Galloway was great at. That's where part of the problem lies, in my opinion. Set pieces are another one but again, it's down to being able to command your 6 yd box and claim the ball above everyone else. At this level it's a complete bunfight every time the ball comes into the goalmouth so we need someone who can punch it clear or claim it outright. I very rarely see Cooper doing that successfully, yet it's a fundamental part of a keeper's toolbox.

 

[Graham Clark]

If someone were to suggest that we should replace Mike Cooper with a third choice Championship keeper whose only first team game this season was when he conceded six goals and where his club had announced his availability for a half season loan last month without any takers there would not be much support for such a signing. Unfortunately, that is where Alex Palmer is at the moment.

I think we have greater priorities elsewhere on the pitch and if we are to generate transfer income Cooper is the sort of player we have to remain faithful to. Otherwise that transfer income will be going to the likes of Accrington with Toby Savin interesting Premiership clubs.

 

[Green guile]

I guess football is all about opinions but the choice of goalkeeper for me is a no brainer. It has to be Mike Cooper everytime. The additional wages needed for another keeper would be far better spent on other areas of the squad and more importantly Mike Cooper is a fantastic keeper and a great prospect who will eventually play at a higher level. He has my support!

 

[JannerinCardiff]

Cooper wasn’t just to blame. The ball was allowed to bounce in our 6 yard box. So what on earth were the defenders doing?

Cooper’s weakness is his commanding of his 6 yard box. He does flap at crosses. As a GK you should be smashing your way through the crowd. As more times that not the ref will blow for a foul.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t physical enough in that situation.

He is a great shot stopper. If he wants to be a top level championship GK though he is going to have to figure out a way of commanding his box better.

Dead right.. Cooper got zero protection from his defence on that 3rd Fleetwood goal in particular I’m still furious 😡 that Critchlow just stood there planted to the floor and even turned his back on the ball at one point When they just bundled it in.!! 😠

Cooper is an excellent keeper, I can see him being a star one day and we’ll hopefully look back with fond memories when he played for ‘lil old Argyle… when his huge talent was first noticed.

 

[PL2 3DQ]

There's been a slight tweak at defending corners which probably hasn't helped Cooper.
Previously at corners all three centre-backs would line up across the six yard box, a version of zonal marking, with one of the strikers - usually Jephcott or Garrick on the front post and the rest of the players marking the opposition players elsewhere in the penalty area.
But now only two centre-backs are on the six yard line - Scarr and Wilson - and now Critchlow as the third centre-back is with the rest of the players marking the opposition runners.
This might have changed due the scouting done on the opposition.


Also we are the joint worst in L1 for conceding goals from counter attacks (the space behind the wing-backs being exploited perhaps?) and 8th worst for conceding from set-pieces.
The stats also show that Cooper saves 68.9% of shots that are on target - the joint 12th best in L1.

 

[Cobi Budge]

I don’t actually look back at Alex Palmer in the way that most people seem to, most seem to remember him as this incredible brick wall of a goalkeeper, I remember him being a good keeper but certainly not a faultless one.

Cooper has been very good for 80% or so of the season so far and he deserves to be given chance to get back to form, and if he doesn’t then maybe Burton or McCormick will be given a go - that’s why we have squad goalkeepers.

 

[gaspargomez]

Cooper is a bit over-rated. He is excellent at reflex saves, which have sometimes won games for Argyle, but does not dominate his penalty area very convincingly when it comes to crosses. Given the importance of corners and free kicks, its an aspect of his game that needs improving if he is going to make it as a top keeper. This is probably why the bigger clubs have decided against signing him so far.

I saw an old game on YouTube where Rhys Wilmot was in goal for Argyle, and he looked very dominant on crosses. Its a shame he isn't around to coach Cooper anymore. He was a really solid goalkeeper- probably one of the best I have seen at Home Park.

I know Argyle have a new goalkeeping coach, but the bloke appears to have little experience of a actually playing the game professionally. I wonder about the worth of football coaches who learn their trade through books and going on courses. Surely you need to have played at a decent level to pass on experience?

There is quite a lot of this sort of thing at Argyle. Dewsnip was a a schoolteacher- not a footballer. His mate Downing may have had a football career (unlike the goalkeeping coach) but have mainly coached kids or held very short term caretaker roles. They are not really in a position to be offering lots of management advice to Schumaker. In fact, there is distinct lack of management and coaching experience within the club right now.

 

[jerryatricjanner]

I don’t actually look back at Alex Palmer in the way that most people seem to, most seem to remember him as this incredible brick wall of a goalkeeper, I remember him being a good keeper but certainly not a faultless one.

Cooper has been very good for 80% or so of the season so far and he deserves to be given chance to get back to form, and if he doesn’t then maybe Burton or McCormick will be given a go - that’s why we have squad goalkeepers.

I agree with your sentiments on Palmer Cobi but McCormick, seriously?

 

[Cobi Budge]

I agree with your sentiments on Palmer Cobi but McCormick, seriously?

I was just stating who our two other goalkeepers are, it would obviously very likely be Burton.

 

[Fergy]

Mike Cooper is the absolute last player in our starting XI that we need to worry about.