Not good in the air.........?
What in the name of Holy God are you on about!
He is peerless under a high ball! Some times a FF is just brilliant and you acknowledge his greatness, but Cluxton is literally peerless under a high ball. Between his ability under the high ball and his distribution, he is like a second full back.
Honestly, to say SC is not good under a high ball is to show staggering ignorance!!

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts:6573 - 14/04/2016 19:02:02

You don't understand Liam. He kinda made a mistake once so he's rubbish under the high ball now!

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13718 - 14/04/2016 19:41:08    1845749

Peerless no less.. I can think of 4 of the top of my head that are as good if not better than he is in the air... Our own hennelly is better, and he is not particularly outstanding in the air.
Do you understand what peerless means?

This is exactly the type of over egging that people are talking about. You are peerless on that front alright.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 14/04/2016 21:16:55    1845785

The thread was started in regards an article stating how important Cluxton still is to the Dublin team. That's the topic to be debated not this lazy revisionism like exhibit a:
"2013. . .ye won Sam, but stevie getting caught in no-mans-land for Andy Moran's goal almost cost ye!"
Sigh, I couldn't be bothered arguing a statement like this which supposedly sums up Cluxton's contribution to a game he dictated, I'll let Kevin McStay do it for me
link

Cluxton has his faults and because he gets so much attention there are people out there that want to pick out his faults and magnify them more than most. That's ok, that happens with the great players. But I would say that people also like to cherry pick certain incidents / games and forget some of his better points just as much s those who praise everything he does.
For example shot stopping, anyone that was at any of the games during the Pillar days would surely agree that when Dublin had a non existent back line Cluxton was called in to deal with point blank saves numerous times. I'm surprised that so many seem to have forgotten some of the saves he pulled off back then. I think he conceded something like 3 goals in 3 seasons, quite a statistic when you think that Dublin started off each championship with a new number 3 during that period.
People say he's not a great shot stopper now but I'd argue that there have been very few times in the recent past where you could say Cluxton should have done better in one on ones. You'd swear Cluxton had fallen into the same bracket as say David James or Bruce Grobbelaar when they talk about him under the high ball. My favourite cherry picker is the Meath game in 2010 when Dublin conceded 5, none of these goals were down to mistakes he made. When Peter Schmeichel conceded 5 against Newcastle or 6 against Southampton would people point to them in the same way and say he wasn't that great a keeper because of games like that?
If you add up the good and great parts of Cluxton's career and put them in column A and put the bad in Column B, I think you'll find column A filling up a lot faster

keithlemon (Australia) - Posts: 920 - 14/04/2016 21:29:35    1845792

Master, if u think Hennelly, who isnt even Mayos keeper half the time, is as good as SC then you might as well walk away from it now :)
And if u think he is as good as SC in the air then you already have walked away from it, you just havent realised it yet!!!

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8166 - 15/04/2016 14:09:37    1845934

Does Cluxton play out the field for Parnells?

Superglue (Kerry) - Posts: 1283 - 15/04/2016 16:09:23    1845963

Does Cluxton play out the field for Parnells?

Superglue (Kerry) - Posts:1001 - 15/04/2016 16:09:23


I have seen him play outfield , equally he has chosen in the past not to play for their senior team choosing to play with local lads in Intermediate , not sure if that is still the case , I know he didn't line out two years ago v Lucan Sarsfields in senior choosing to play Intermediate that year.

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 15/04/2016 17:12:52    1845996

Spuerglue, yeap, midfield on the Intermediate team not the seniors. Thats why he started taking the '45s for Dublin as he does for the club.

Reason he plays for the 2nd team?? Didn't like the way his own club where throwing around the money bringing players in, so dropped to the 2nd team to play with the real Parnell's lads. Parnells made a fortune at the height of the boom selling off land and have a lovely club house and grounds now.

witnof (Dublin) - Posts: 1604 - 15/04/2016 17:19:23    1845999

Peerless no less.. I can think of 4 of the top of my head that are as good if not better than he is in the air... Our own hennelly is better, and he is not particularly outstanding in the air.
Do you understand what peerless means?

This is exactly the type of over egging that people are talking about.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts:15370 - 14/04/2016 21:16:55 184578


Not sure I agree about Hennelly but apart from that, you're 100% right - SC's supporters on this thread seem to be missing the point.

cavanman47 (Cavan) - Posts: 5017 - 17/04/2016 09:22:07    1846314

Thank God Stephen rarely misses the point ; umpire put up that white flag.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 17/04/2016 09:54:18    1846321

Cluxton past it??

God no!

He is the best goalkeeper I have ever seen in my lifetime and is still the best keeper out there.He has the whole package that a keeper needs in GAA.

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 17/04/2016 10:48:59    1846334

Cavanman, there are a few guys missing the point on purpose as far as i can see. I make a point that one player is better in the air, and the counter argument is about me thinking he is a better keeper. So basically, completely change what was said and make a big song and dance about a point that was never made.
This is why people cant have a decent debate around here any more. Too many guys acting like they are in a schoolyard. Its like people have to tell them that every player on their team is perfect in every way for them to be happy. Ffs, grow up a bit.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 17/04/2016 10:56:45    1846335

You know your keeper is doing something right when opposition teams have to develop their game strategy around trying to stop him. All Ireland finals included.

I don't think worry about other teams keepers in the same way.

TheUsername (Dublin) - Posts: 4445 - 17/04/2016 20:17:08    1846518

I can't remember any keeper that would delight the fans of his opposition counties by retiring before, but you can be sure Cluxton is that keeper!

KerryKillers (Dublin) - Posts: 711 - 17/04/2016 21:19:17    1846554

Hennelly is poor in the air his flap in the 13 final had a big bearing on the outcome. A match in which Cluxton was incredible with his kickouts.Typical of some Mayo fans who can't see the weaknesses in their own team despite the evidence

centerfield (Mayo) - Posts: 360 - 18/04/2016 09:03:09    1846586

Can't really comment on Hennelly in the air as it is not something I've noticed about him apart from his mistake in 2013. I like Hennelly as a keeper in general. Made some cracking saves off Kilkenny and O'Gara in that final.

All I know is that I've been watching Cluxton for 15 years in goals and that he is excellent in the air. I've never understood why his detractors always focus on it like despite the lack of evidence to support their view that he is poor in the air.

Have a go off him for his shot stopping decline alright but stop claiming one of his strengths is a weakness.

Cluxton's entire strategy is based on high risk/high reward. It is natural that he'll get some wrong and his detractors will pounce upon those mistakes with glee but they ignore 95% of the time he gets the high reward and Dublin reap the benefit. As long as he keeps the percentages of high reward up he'll be a shoe in for Dublin. Some people see this, others are incapable of seeing it or don't want to acknowledge it for whatever reasons. Each to their own.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13718 - 18/04/2016 10:10:59    1846637

Spuerglue, yeap, midfield on the Intermediate team not the seniors. Thats why he started taking the '45s for Dublin as he does for the club.

Reason he plays for the 2nd team?? Didn't like the way his own club where throwing around the money bringing players in, so dropped to the 2nd team to play with the real Parnell's lads. Parnells made a fortune at the height of the boom selling off land and have a lovely club house and grounds now.

witnof (Dublin) - Posts:919 - 15/04/2016 17:19:23 18459

Fair play to him

Superglue (Kerry) - Posts: 1283 - 18/04/2016 10:17:42    1846644

Just by him starting means the opposition have to centre most of their tactics in dealing with this one player. Wouldn't even contemplate considering another option until Clucko himself decides to call it a day.

poguemahone (Dublin) - Posts: 365 - 18/04/2016 11:57:29    1846717

Cluxtons basic goalkeeping skills are no better or worse than half a dozen keepers around at the minute. What sets him apart is his accuracy from the kicks out. In an era when possession is vital he must be worth five or six points a game to Dublin. I know the runs off the ball are being worked on in training, but for the run to be effective the kick out has to be accurate and Cluxtons accuracy is uncanny. How often do you see keepers take a step up to the ball, look all around, wave their hands helplessly and then drive the ball aimlessly down the middle. Cluxton knows as he's walking up where it's going and he can put the ball almost exactly where he wants it. Dublin might think they miss McCaffrey and O Carroll but wait until Cluxton and B Brogan go. Those lads are irreplaceable.

Llaw_Gyffes (Mayo) - Posts: 1113 - 18/04/2016 12:18:32    1846730