Emi Martinez

[paul_e]

That's last bit sums it up for me. Too many refs 'play the man' with him. For a while it was booking him for time wasting whilst ignoring the keeper at the other end taking just as long over things and now it's become him getting very little protection from refs. It is happening with other teams though so not just us and there's clearly been something agreed to change how much shit they'll let go at corners, which has made them fucking shit this season, so many scrappy goals where there's all kinds of nonsense going on and being waved away.

[brontebilly]

Been weak in the air all season. One for the coaches and him to work on. He's going to catch it when he should be punching and vice versa. After Onana went off today, Watkins probably the only player we had left strong in the air.

[rougegorge]

Generally he is pretty good on crosses. It's just the ones from corners where he has recently been costing us goals when he's far too busy having a wrestle with players instead of concentrating on the path of the ball and making the right decisions.

He got away with one at Brentford at the start of the season from a long throw so maybe teams have sussed out a weakness.

I don't think he has been treated any more harshly than other keepers by referees, and the bar is probably a bit higher for fouls,  but he should be aware of that.

[Drummond]

He spends the prep time fighting and pushing the opposition to clear space and then is out of position when the ball comes in.

Pre kick he should just stand there, and be the victim rather than the aggressor, he'll then get noticed as such. When the kick is taken he just needs to go for it, punch first, catch if possible.

[eamonn]

As Rob Green on MOTD pointed out, it's not just the Chelsea and Arsenal goals he's been caught out like this. It happened at Leeds and somewhere else (Brentford?). It took us until Arsenal's second goal for us to rectify things by putting one of our lads between Martínez and that irritant Gabriel.

Also to go from teams scoring their first shot on target against us last season to now conceding to the opponents' first corner of the game is a bit... blose.

[brontebilly]

As Rob Green on MOTD pointed out, it's not just the Chelsea and Arsenal goals he's been caught out like this. It happened at Leeds and somewhere else (Brentford?). It took us until Arsenal's second goal for us to rectify things by putting one of our lads between Martínez and that irritant Gabriel.

Also to go from teams scoring their first shot on target against us last season to now conceding to the opponents' first corner of the game is a bit... blose.

Brentford he got away with it, very fortunate free out if I recall correctly. Burnley late on he got involved in another pushing match at a set piece rather than dealing with the guy getting a free header a few yards ahead of him. Seems like a few more too.

[Percy McCarthy]

As Rob Green on MOTD pointed out, it's not just the Chelsea and Arsenal goals he's been caught out like this. It happened at Leeds and somewhere else (Brentford?).

At home v Burnley.

[Steve67]

To be fair, I had another look at one of the Arsenal corners and it’s like watching the keystone cops with them pulling shirts, pushing, elbows, aggressive movement etc. They get away with it nicely. It reminds me of the old Wimbledon tactics.

That said, Martinez was undone at both Chelsea and last night because he got involved with the man rather than concentrating on dealing with the ball. I’m sure the analysts will put him right.

[john2710]

It should be outfield players dealing with the opposition players impeding Martinez, not Martinez himself. That's a problem with the setup & coaching rather than Martinez himself.

Although he could be stronger or try to punch the ball rather than catch it.

[London Villan]

Happened to bizot too. Pushing and shoving, gets caught out, concedes.

[Dante Lavelli]

It might be something we have to prepare for now as it's becoming a common tactic against him.

It’s not just him. 

I’m not sure if it’s the prevalence of set piece coaches or whether the rules are interpreted differently, but most keepers are targeted.  I guess they’ve also less protected nowadays as the ref will let the game play on and any clash is checked afterwards.  Back in the day, the GK would squeal and a foul was nearly always given, despite the ref watching the ball rather than the incident.

[RamboandBruno]

I didn’t see anything wrong with the goals Chelsea and Arse scored against us.
Had emi been concentrating on the flight of the ball rather than pushing everyone around him, he may have been able to catch/punch them.
He was never ‘set’ for either goal.

If teams subsequently score through their own attacking prowess, then you have to accept that.
But we have conceded 2 shocking goals from corners in 2 games, because of the same situation.
In both circumstances, the player closest to emi has scored without even bloody realising.

The Chelsea one I agree. Last night, the problem is in all my football supporting life, I don’t really want challenges like that called as fouls, but in all my football supporting life they have been called as fouls, so the seeming change has swung the advantage wholly away from keepers. It must be confusing as anything.
And then there is all the jostling and blocking off that has been mentioned by others. Its almost Tony Pulis has wormed his way into FA HQ to amend the thinking here.