God Damn, I must say that I am impressed on how many threads have been created in regards to Donovan Ricketts Is he that good?
no, bigsoccer was having some problem that would allow the creation of threads but no actual content. so guys were trying to redo the threads thinking it was thier computer... then we all figured out that it was bigsoccer, not our individual computers
maybe the moderators can go in and clean up that mess and close out 13 of the 14 threads or whatever the count might be...
This guy any good? I think I've seen him play, but I dont remember having positive or negative memories on him. Anyone wanna fill us in?
If Paul Bravo found this guy i'm pretty sure it will be another useless signing. My guess is we bought him because he is cheap and is an "experienced" GK. Played for Bolton Wanderers, got dumped out down to League Two(!) side Bradford City, then dumped out down to Village People United of Jamaican Premiere League.
I watched him play in that Cup final last month between Jamaica and Grenada. He didn't have all that much to do since Jamaica dominated the game, so I can't really comment much on his stop-shopping and decision-making - but the dude looks damn athletic. When you think of a physically intimidating goalkeeper, you should think of Ricketts. He's a legit 6' 4" and really fills up the goal, not in a tubby Zach Thornton way but in a buffed-out muscular sort of way. I'd be scared coming in one-on-one against him... Maybe some of our friends across the pond have seem him in league play and can comment on his abilities.
I found this Bio http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donovan_Ricketts check out the external references at the bottom
Early career Ricketts started his club career with Village United in his native Jamaica. In 2004 he came to England to sign for Bolton Wanderers. Bradford City He never played a game at Bolton and instead moved to Bradford City initially on a year-long loan in July 2004. He spent most of his first season in English football as understudy to Australian Paul Henderson before he finally made his debut in April 2005 and played in the final four games. During the season break he signed permanently on a two-year deal keeping him at City until 2007. He missed nine games because of a broken foot early in the 2005–06 season and was replaced by Russell Howarth. He regained his place against Port Vale, before he again missed a game in December 2005 after he was sent off for celebrating a City goal in a game at Southend United. He was immediately recalled to the side following his suspension, and played the following 80 league games, including as ever-present in the 2006–07 season. His run of games came to an end when he was dropped in October 2007 after a poor run of form. He was recalled for the game against Brentford on 3 November2007 after Rhys Evans' loan was cut short by injury, playing the next 13 games. He was expected to make a move to Queens Park Rangers during the January transfer window and was replaced by loan keeper Scott Loach for Bradford's 4–2 victory over Shrewsbury Town, but his move collapsed when he was refused a work permit. Despite Rickett's return, Loach kept his place in the City side for their 1–0 win at Macclesfield Town, saving a second half penalty, but manager Stuart McCall told Ricketts he could still have a future at the club. Loach continued to keep Ricketts out of the team since his arrival on loan from Watford. And after Ricketts had played for Jamaica in March 2008, he was stopped by immigration officials at Heathrow Airport and sent back to New York because he did not have the correct paperwork. Bradford were also told a new work permit application would be turned down. Instead, Ricketts returned to Jamaica to train with the country's under 21 side, before being one of 13 players to be released by Bradford manager Stuart McCall at the end of the season. Return to Jamaica Having spent the summer, training and playing with the Jamaican international side, he returned to his former side Village United in August 2008, under the management of Dean Weatherly. He lasted only 45 minutes in his return to the Village United side, after he complained of double vision at half-time after he was hit with the ball during the first half of a game with Portmore United. The game ended 1–1, with Portmore's goal coming from a mistake from Ricketts. Full name Donovan Ricketts Date of birth 7 June 1977 (1977-06-07) (age 31) Place of birth Montego Bay, Jamaica Height 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) Playing position Goalkeeper Clubs 2002–2004 Village United games played unknown 2004 Bolton Wanderers games played zero 2004–2005 → Bradford City (loan) games played 4 2005–2008 Bradford City games played 104 2008 Village United games played 1 country 1998– Jamaica games played 67
I remember a US Nats game vs. Jamaica a year or two ago. I think we won 1-0 or maybe it was 0-0. Either way, the dude was heroic. He kept his squad in the game with a ridiculous amount of saves. Even outplayed Howard. I am fairly sure it was Ricketts. So that was impressive, but the fact that he couldn't stay on a league 2 team in England is kinda disappointing. He should at least challenge Cronin though, and probably beat him out for the #1. He's better than Wicks, but that's a given.
Hi there, I am a Bradford City fan and have watched most games that Ricketts has played over the past few years. I am really pleased for him as i always liked him as a player and felt he deserved to be playing at a higher level. Donovan is an excellent shot-stopper, one of the best i have ever seen. In many games he will stop certain goals by producing world class saves. He can throw the ball three-quarters of the length of the pitch and he often sets up counter-attacks by doing this. His kicking, however, is very powerful but not overly accurate and often goal kicks end up out for throw-ins. He can also lose confidence fairly easily and despite is height is poor at coming out and catching crosses, often flapping at corners and losing the ball. Once a game he will have arush of blood to the head and end up chasing a ball 30 yards up the field and trying to dribble the ball past the opposing attacker, usually getting away with it. These are the reasns why he has never played for a big club, but he does have some good qualities and this is why opinion of him is split among Bradford City fans, some loving him and some hating him. I believe that Donovan saved Bradford from conceding many goals over he years, far more than he cost us from his mistakes. Hope my opinion of him helps! Good luck for next season!
Another Bradford fan here, somewhat agree and somewhat disagree with your assessment. When he first joined us we were in league 1 and he spent the year sitting on the bench due to the excellent form of Paul Henderson, Henderson then went on to join Leicester and Donovan was given his chance in the first team. With his first full year as first choice keeper he impressed, we had a relatively boring season in midtable but he became a fan favourite with sections of the crowd due to some of his antics. He's known to take insane risks, including running out of his area to clear balls when its only 50/50 that he'll get there before the opposition striker, attempting fancy footwork in front of opposition strikers in his own area, in a friendly against Darlington the club almost fined him because he ran out of his area and attempted to dribble the ball halfway up the field almost costing us a goal. Oh and he can throw the ball far, REALLY far, i recall him throwing it almost up to the opposition area from a kick out once or twice. This gave people a laugh in his first full season but by his second it was becoming tiring and worrying. We went on a dreadful run of form, leaking goals here there and everywhere which culminated in us being relegated to league 2. We gave Big Don another chance thinking he might look good in league 2. We were tipped by the bookies to win the league and that's what everyone was expecting, granted our subsequent midtable finish wasn't by any means all Big Donovans fault, but lets put it this way, in December we were something like 17th in the table, we replaced him with a kid on loan from Watford in January (along with a few more signings) and by the end of the season our form at improved and we finished 11th. Don't get me wrong he has his positives, he's fast and athletic for a big guy, but its worrying that he's so hesitant at coming for crosses and corners and commanding his area, like i said in his first full season he looked good, one of our better players. Who knows, maybe years of playing in front of league 1 and 2 defences knocked his confidence? But im skeptical, if teams from the Championship considered him too much of a risk to take on and theres still question marks over his head with regards to his consistency in League 1 and 2, then i can't see him fairing brilliantly in Major League Soccer. Im happier having the quieter but more steady and assured Rhys Evans in goal, thats for sure.
A Jamaican fan here and I am more inclined to agree with bennettpaul4. Ricketts is a very good keeper and when he is on he is darn good. He can get down on himself sometimes lose confidence but overall is a very good goal keeper and should do just fine in MLS. Like at Bradford, opinion of him are also split amongst the Reggae Boyz supporters.
Just what we need another goal keeper who can't do jack with a cross... is that the curse of the Galaxy or what?
hoo boy... reading the analysis of those that know him well.... i'm not having a good feeling about this. loses confidence easily? with our defense, he's bound to have his nerve tested. and if he loses it and goes downhill, we're going to be in for it.
keeping with my steadfast cynicism for the '09 season. i don't like this signing. we're trying to replace three (or is it four?) goalies who at best are wildly inconsistent and at worst are plain awful. so we go out and use up an international slot and probably a hefty salary for a goalie that's statistically just a little bit better than cronin? donovan 2007/2008: 23 games; 8-9-6; 31 GA. cronin 2008: 21 games; 6-9-6; 44 GA and then there's this little nugget who knows maybe this guy will be amazing, but color me really unimpressed and our off-season trades so far have not done anything to convince me '09 is going to be any different than '08. interesting to note that both the ricketts and kirovski press releases it's arena talking not bravo as it was under gullit and later day frank.
ANYONE REMEMBER THE USA v. JAM MATCH IN JUNE 2001? Or, I think it was June .. .. anyhow .. .. RICKETTS was just breaking into the JAM side and he was PHENOMENAL tha night, keeping an anemic JAM in the match with world-class saves .. .. He robbed ANTE RAZOV on a point-blank, flicked-on header that would have scored against 99.99% of the world's great GKs! Clearly, Arena remembers that match well! He seems to be a great, reactionary GK who has the all the normal downfalls of a great athlete playing in the net - reading crosses, etc .. .. But, seeing the state of our goalkeeping, it seems a pretty safe move! Much better than paying bigger $$$ for a foreign GK .. .. And, with a surplus of GK's, maybe we can now get rid of a few and pare down our payroll a wee bit .. .. Anything has to help, huh??
more quotes from nick greens comment section: http://www.insidesocal.com/soccer/2008/12/galaxy-chasing-jamaican-goalke.html this one in particular makes me nervous- "Great shot stopper - doesn't come for crosses. Likes to throw the ball rather than kick it. Is prone to a comedy moment in every game he plays. Good entertainment value. Couldn't organise a drunk night out if he was manager at the JD distillery in Tennessee. Other than that he is a nice chap." prone to a comedy moment in every game he plays?? sounds like a keeper to match our defense from last year. i know with all the goals we scored AND gave up, the galaxy was a good entertainment value last year, but i'm getting tired of this type of entertainment [well, us losing...] and his comment about organizing the defense... yikes. added in this little quote too: "As was said above - the Don is a good shot-stopper but lacks the ability to properly organise a defence. He deserves his place in the Jamaican national side and is most effective when used with a strong defence."
seriously - that's cronin to a T. NSFW again - we're billy bob, aeg/arena is the fat kid [YOUTUBE]HxWCAJS7Co8[/YOUTUBE]
All I can think about is that Arena brought in Waterreus (sp?) to the Red Bulls. And boy, didn't that work out nicely. Oh, well, at least they're making sure there's a Donovan on the roster for 2009.
maybe that's what leiweke meant when he said "beckham and donovan will both be here for the start of the season."
I would think since its like a big deal we are signing him and he is a national team GK, he automatically gets bumped to the top of the GK list... no?
Maybe we are signing Ricketts for the entertainment value he will provide once or twice a game with his blunders.
You know, I suppose this signing really comes down to how much we actually paid him. I think he's a risky signing, and he obviously has good stretches and bad stretches. Not exactly the steady, experienced keeper you'd normal get at age 31 or whatever he is. However, if we got him for a good price, I still think he's going to be better than Cronin (pretty hard not to be, although Wicks managed) and good shot stopping ability is certainly not something that we had at ALL last year. So provided we didn't go out and give him $250K a year, I'm interested to see how it plays out.