Mark Flekken (Closed Thread)

[taxi driver]

Flekken excellent tonight…. But before we start piling into those who have been critical of him this season…… you can (a) think he had a good game tonight, (b) believe that he’s not delivered this season and been pretty average and (c) wanengat him to do well moving forward….. they are not all mutually exclusive.

That's my take @Twickenhamben ?

I'm in the same place for Nathan

 

[longtimeagobee]

Bloke behind me in West tonight “Whooah he’s caught one “ in first couple of minutes, went quiet after that?

 

[TW3Bee]

Only caught the highlights, being out of the Country but imagine the confidence, which would've been lacking, this will give him for the rest of the season.

 

[Hampshire Bee 2018]

Superb tonight. Can only do him the world of confidence. Please continue to prove your doubters, *admittedly, myself included* wrong.

 

[Beelated]

View: https://x.com/brentfordfc/status/1754651436875432430?s=46


A total contrast to the interview he gave a couple of weeks ago where he said that he was still having issues about not feeling that he was performing at his preferred level. He’s obviously not the type to be shouting his achievements from the rooftops, but this is a huge step in right direction for him and bodes well going forward. Great performance tonight, Mark.

 

[Dearden28]

Great performance from him. Hopefully he keeps going like this.

 

[aawharris]

Are you not concerned that he “risked injury” making some of those saves?

Have a day off fellla, you will appreciate it.

 

[HerefordB]

I thought Mark was quite brilliant. Easily his best performance, looked very calm and assured. Excellent assist.too

 

[Beezy]

Bloody brilliant. ??
First half performance that got West Stand singing his name.
Hope he can kick on from here and we really get behind him as he’s shown he’s got what it takes. ??

 

[big neil]

Perhaps he struggles to concentrate?
Yesterday he was peppered with shots & had to be constantly alert. Often in games he won’t face a shot for long periods of the game.

 

[aslan]

Quality needs a better song

 

[The Pipe]

Outstanding performance

 

[hanworthbee]

Should sort out his Xg… lol

He did really well last night and was superb in the first half

Have looked at the PSXG table and and only moved up slightly to -7.7

 

[Les Beeavinu]

He did really well last night and was superb in the first half

Have looked at the PSXG table and and only moved up slightly to -7.7

Can you look at your spreadsheet and tell us the movement in the last 3 or 4 games please?

 

[hanworthbee]

Can you look at your spreadsheet and tell us the movement in the last 3 or 4 games please?

There's been none...was bottom and still bottom just not as far adrift today....-7.7 to next one -5.9

 

[Bumbling fool]

That's the kind of performance that can kick start the form-confidence spiral to start spinning in the other direction. Taken a decent bite out of that pesky xG prevented stat in just 45 minutes! With Flekken back to his Freiburg form, a proper left back starting each game, Toney back from his ban, and Maupay on fire I think we could well rocket up the table now. Most positive I've ever felt after losing by a 2 goal difference

 

[Les Beeavinu]

There's been none...was bottom and still bottom just not as far adrift today....-7.7 to next one -5.9

The stats have moved haven't they or are you not interested in current form.

 

[Gazza Bee]

Very quiet from the Flekken naysayers since last night - it's almost as if they cannot be fair and actually admit he was excellent. Of course I'm not massively shocked by this...

 

[unBEEliveable]

Great performance and if he can build on that moving forward we’ll have forgotten all about Raya by the end of the season!

 

[josht]

Feel quite sorry for him. Had by far and away his best game yesterday, with his Spurs performance pretty decent too... and still manages to concede six goals across those two games.

Encouraging signs yesterday.

 

[Bumbling fool]

Very quiet from the Flekken naysayers since last night - it's almost as if they cannot be fair and actually admit he was excellent. Of course I'm not massively shocked by this...

Find this a bit odd. For one, it's not true. I've seen tons of positive sentiment from his critics including myself, (the "days since a Flekken f*** up" gimmick account on Twitter even changed its whole theming to a flekken fan account at half time).

Then also I find the tone ur strangely gloating, like you've known the whole time he was great and everyone else has just been blinded by bias. He was massively underperforming, objectively. Eye test and stats both said he was just not making enough saves for any but the easy shots. He's had a couple of decent performances sprinkled throughout, and last night he had an incredible performance. None of this is contradictory.

It was also my and probably many other flekken "naysayers" assumption that it was always a question of form/confidence and not quality, since we had the evidence of his Freiburg seasons to show he wasn't anywhere near his usual level, which he as much as admitted himself in that interview. So I don't think it invalidates any previous criticisms that he was brilliant last night. Long may it continue!

 

[JollyOllie]

That's my take @Twickenhamben ?

I'm in the same place for Nathan

That's true. That'll be inbreeding to see is how he does in the next match.

 

[Bumbling fool]

That'll be inbreeding to see is how he does in the next match.

Blimey

 

[brentfordfc4ever]

View: https://x.com/brentfordfc/status/1754651436875432430?s=46


A total contrast to the interview he gave a couple of weeks ago where he said that he was still having issues about not feeling that he was performing at his preferred level. He’s obviously not the type to be shouting his achievements from the rooftops, but this is a huge step in right direction for him and bodes well going forward. Great performance tonight, Mark.

That's a fantastic interview. We'll done, Mark.

 

[Sheerwater Bee]

Amazing what a new signing can do for the incumbents form.

Had a brilliant game last night, especially first half. However, that doesn't mean he couldn't be pulled up for his previous performances this season. They weren't at the required level. Hopefully last night will be the start of a bit of consistency around his performances.

 

[kullyrai]

That's true. That'll be inbreeding to see is how he does in the next match.

So you think webbed toes caused his performance issues earlier in the season?

 

[aslan]

Okay, you're on but let's make it more interesting than just cash.
If I'm wrong, I'll post on here that I'll keep my big gob shut in future!
If I'm right then you admit to my superior knowledge of goalkeepers!
My charity by the way is Princess Alice Hospice in Hersham.

My charity is YoungMinds BTW ?

 

[hanworthbee]

The stats have moved haven't they or are you not interested in current form.

Maybe they haven't updated yet as not sure how his xg last night was +4 and it's barely moved....

 

[Gazza Bee]

Find this a bit odd. For one, it's not true. I've seen tons of positive sentiment from his critics including myself, (the "days since a Flekken f*** up" gimmick account on Twitter even changed its whole theming to a flekken fan account at half time).

Then also I find the tone ur strangely gloating, like you've known the whole time he was great and everyone else has just been blinded by bias. He was massively underperforming, objectively. Eye test and stats both said he was just not making enough saves for any but the easy shots. He's had a couple of decent performances sprinkled throughout, and last night he had an incredible performance. None of this is contradictory.

It was also my and probably many other flekken "naysayers" assumption that it was always a question of form/confidence and not quality, since we had the evidence of his Freiburg seasons to show he wasn't anywhere near his usual level, which he as much as admitted himself in that interview. So I don't think it invalidates any previous criticisms that he was brilliant last night. Long may it continue!

There is literally zero posts from the posters on here that are normally quick to criticise him. It is not gloating to say that - I've said before that he hadn't lived up to his Freiburg performance levels but equally hadn't been as terrible as some made him out to be either.

I think it is fair to say when he has been excellent as well as say when he hasn't covered himself in glory rather than only focus on negatives which you have done and fair play to you for sharing a balanced viewpoint - if only some of his more vociferous detractors could do the same....

 

[Rob-BEE]

I've been critical of him this season and so it's only right to also give praise where it's due.

He simply looked a different player last night, a confidence and determination that's been lacking so far. Whether it was because we were facing City and he was mentally prepared for a busy night, or maybe that early save just set him up for the game, I'm not sure. I really hope he can kick on from this though and become the keeper I assume the club saw when they were scouting him.

 

[North London Bee]

I think we are going to see a vast improvement now in his confidence and overall performances.

Got something right for once!

 

[Stanley]

He seems a very deep type of guy. That was a quite stunning performance last night.

 

[Jay Bee]

No champagne moment thread yet, so I'll put it here.

My Arsenal friend text me at half time and said
"Can we steal your keeper THIS time? ?"

 

[Paul O'Brien]

That was probably the best goalkeeping performance in terms of saves that I've seen since (Paul Smith?) for Southend against us. Stunning.

Having said that, my son and I were on the way to the bus stop after the match when a couple of guys in their late 20s, I'd guess walked past us. As they did so, one said "Well, Flekken made a couple of saves tonight". The other said "Yes, but they were at the perfect height for him." Assuming that they weren't joking - and by the tone of their voice they weren't - what an unbelievable comment. Shows that people see what they want to see.

 

[smiffy superbee]

A glory night for you Flek ..... Surprises so many doubters on here!

Well done Flek .... great performance ...easily MOM

 

[LP_Brentford]

Bloke behind me in West tonight “Whooah he’s caught one “ in first couple of minutes, went quiet after that?

Yeah, a fella near me in West chanting "Flekken made a save". ?

I've been a critic of Flekken previously, but what a performance and irrespective I would never be caught chanting "Flekken made a save".

 

[WARFIELD BEE]

Not been his biggest fan, but very good last night, he will need performances like that from now on to help our situation.

 

[Jay Bee]

Bloody brilliant. ??
First half performance that got West Stand singing his name.
Hope he can kick on from here and we really get behind him as he’s shown he’s got what it takes. ??

Repeated by those that stuck around when the team came round after full time too, he clapped back and acknowledged the credit.

 

[LingfieldBee]

There is literally zero posts from the posters on here that are normally quick to criticise him. It is not gloating to say that - I've said before that he hadn't lived up to his Freiburg performance levels but equally hadn't been as terrible as some made him out to be either.

I think it is fair to say when he has been excellent as well as say when he hasn't covered himself in glory rather than only focus on negatives which you have done and fair play to you for sharing a balanced viewpoint - if only some of his more vociferous detractors could do the same....

The frustration you feel, I totally agree. He has been over critically analysed to the point of desperation by his critics. Unfortunately we have a section that needs a scapegoat every season and it's him this season. I was thrilled with his performance, unfortunately no matter what he does good some will continue to dislike and find faults. Same people who comment when we lose but rarely when we lose.

 

[petsknee]

Bloody brilliant. ??
First half performance that got West Stand singing his name.
Hope he can kick on from here and we really get behind him as he’s shown he’s got what it takes. ??

What was the song? Didn't quite carry over to the East Stand...

 

[ICANBEEFORMILES]

Big performance last night from Flekken, have felt for a while now that the pressure on him hasn't been helped by some of the woeful defending in front of him.

 

[Banana]

Can you look at your spreadsheet and tell us the movement in the last 3 or 4 games please?

Still crap, but should catch the slightly less crap Raya and Ederson soon.

 

[taxi driver]

There is literally zero posts from the posters on here that are normally quick to criticise him. It is not gloating to say that - I've said before that he hadn't lived up to his Freiburg performance levels but equally hadn't been as terrible as some made him out to be either.

I think it is fair to say when he has been excellent as well as say when he hasn't covered himself in glory rather than only focus on negatives which you have done and fair play to you for sharing a balanced viewpoint - if only some of his more vociferous detractors could do the same....

I've posted @Gazza Bee

I think Flekken himself alluded to his performance being more like his old self ?

Let's hope he continues to build confidence.

 

[aslan]

Still crap, but should catch the slightly less crap Raya and Ederson soon.

View attachment 44391

Another reason this stat is crap is, for example, Walker's shot last night. Must've been very low xG but takes a magnificent save to keep it out

 

[aslan]

Find this a bit odd. For one, it's not true. I've seen tons of positive sentiment from his critics including myself, (the "days since a Flekken f*** up" gimmick account on Twitter even changed its whole theming to a flekken fan account at half time).

Then also I find the tone ur strangely gloating, like you've known the whole time he was great and everyone else has just been blinded by bias. He was massively underperforming, objectively. Eye test and stats both said he was just not making enough saves for any but the easy shots. He's had a couple of decent performances sprinkled throughout, and last night he had an incredible performance. None of this is contradictory.

It was also my and probably many other flekken "naysayers" assumption that it was always a question of form/confidence and not quality, since we had the evidence of his Freiburg seasons to show he wasn't anywhere near his usual level, which he as much as admitted himself in that interview. So I don't think it invalidates any previous criticisms that he was brilliant last night. Long may it continue!

That just isn't true (on the whole, not aimed at you). The majority of the criticism has been "sell him/replace him" & "he's not good enough".

 

[Beezy]

Repeated by those that stuck around when the team came round after full time too, he clapped back and acknowledged the credit.

Fantastic support - just what our boys need. Crowd were on it yesterday, very proud.

 

[aawharris]

Still crap, but should catch the slightly less crap Raya and Ederson soon.

View attachment 44391

What makes this worse is that anybody that has seen Turner this season knows he is absolute dog s**t and that Flekken 100 x better.

 

[BFC1997]

He didn’t have anywhere near as much to do against Spurs but it felt, watching him in that game, as though there had been a change.

Can’t put my finger on it, maybe it was subtle body language, or a couple of individual actions, but he seemed different and confident in that game.

He’s then followed it up with a performance, which if we are honest, is possibly the highest level of performance a Brentford goalkeeper has ever put in.

He’s mentioned in an interview a few weeks back that he was beginning to feel himself again after a non-perfect start. Perhaps this natural “settling in”, combined with the fresh blood and competition in the GK unit, with Valdimarsson, is what has brought him back to his top level. Great to see.

 

[PGH_Bee]

Hopefully it is a turning point for his time here. We can only wait to see!

 

[SC]

Ok. I'll join you lot. Flekken deserves the golden glove for letting in 3 goals a game. Fantastic goalkeeping.

Amazing how some people go very quiet. I'm sure he'll back when it suits his agenda.