The Aynsley Pears depreciation thread.

[rigger]

5 hours ago, Rogerb said:

Give it a week and Nixon will have him signing for Man U again

Please.

[Tom]

I don’t think he inspires confidence and I wouldn’t want him as first choice but he’s done a steady job since he’s been back in the team.

Shaky in his first game at Preston but didn’t cost us anything and I don’t think he’s been the reason we’ve dropped any points, credit where it’s due.

Hopefully Toth knows he has to be on his toes to keep his place at least now.

[bluebruce]

15 hours ago, Tom said:

I don’t think he inspires confidence and I wouldn’t want him as first choice but he’s done a steady job since he’s been back in the team.

Shaky in his first game at Preston but didn’t cost us anything and I don’t think he’s been the reason we’ve dropped any points, credit where it’s due.

Hopefully Toth knows he has to be on his toes to keep his place at least now.

I absolutely think he has cost us points vs having Toth in goal. The sudden change in goals conceded when Toth got injured tells the story.

However, he has not really cost us any points vs a typical bog standard Championship keeper and hasn't made many obvious mistakes. And that's good by his standards, and as you suggest, befitting of a second choice keeper.

[Hasta]

32 minutes ago, bluebruce said:

I absolutely think he has cost us points vs having Toth in goal. The sudden change in goals conceded when Toth got injured tells the story.

However, he has not really cost us any points vs a typical bog standard Championship keeper and hasn't made many obvious mistakes. And that's good by his standards, and as you suggest, befitting of a second choice keeper.

This season we conceded more goals per game with Toth in goal than we have with Pears.

Edited December 26, 2025 by Hasta

[bluebruce]

7 minutes ago, Hasta said:

This season we conceded more goals per game with Toth in goal than we have with Pears.

I'm talking about immediately following the injury. The defence had found its way recently, doesn't seem a coincidence they suddenly started conceding again.

[RevidgeBlue]

3 minutes ago, bluebruce said:

I'm talking about immediately following the injury. The defence had found its way recently, doesn't seem a coincidence they suddenly started conceding again.

You seem to be imagining that what you thought would happen when Pears came into the side did happen.

It didn't.

[bluebruce]

5 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

You seem to be imagining that what you thought would happen when Pears came into the side did happen.

It didn't.

We had just kept two clean sheets in a row. We then conceded in every single game until the Millwall game.

[Hasta]

34 minutes ago, bluebruce said:

I'm talking about immediately following the injury. The defence had found its way recently, doesn't seem a coincidence they suddenly started conceding again.

Clutching a straws a bit no matter how you frame the stats. He conceded 4 in first 4 games, same as Toth last 4 games. 
 

 

Edited December 26, 2025 by Hasta

[bluebruce]

42 minutes ago, Hasta said:

Clutching a straws a bit no matter how you frame the stats. He conceded 4 in first 4 games, same as Toth last 4 games. 
 

 

I don't need to clutch at straws. Toth is a superior goalkeeper, end of discussion really.

[Hasta]

5 hours ago, bluebruce said:

I don't need to clutch at straws. Toth is a superior goalkeeper, end of discussion really.

I completely agree. 100%

But I can acknowledge this isn’t true:-

“I absolutely think he has cost us points vs having Toth in goal. The sudden change in goals conceded when Toth got injured tells the story.”

[philipl]

Been pleasantly surprised and relieved by Pears' performances and his hair looks good too. Early on there were a  couple of goals conceded Toth would have got to but I suspect Toth is going to have a tough time displacing him. I hope Michalsky gets a chance to redeem his Bradford howler when we go to Hull.

[Tomphil2]

We are in a strong position now in the keeping dept with these two.

Take away the crazy recurring errors and there was never anything wrong with Pears in terms of being a capable enough Championship level keeper. 

Not as good as Toth nor Kaminsky but steady enough in his own way and as good as plenty others in this league. 

This position won't last something will give, the bean counters will be beside themselves paying 2 first team standard keepers when there could be a fee and wage cut possible getting rid of one.

[Andy]

But that was the point - the crazy, recurring, match-defining errors.
All GKs make errors and, at this level, you expect a few over a season.
But Pears was a lot worse than the average prior to being dropped.

He has been fine since covering for Toth's injury, but there's no way that Toth isn't coming straight back in.
Some of the saves he was making before injury were some way beyond Pears' ability.

They did try offloading Pears in the summer, but those aforementioned errors have been so bad/regular, that nobody was willing to touch him.
Maybe this run of decent form may have changed some opinions, we'll find out in January.