Back up keeper

[CTID Hants]

Why is it ridiculous? Surely having another foreign outfield option that might actually play would be better than having a foreign backup keeper that's not likely to play?

Which outfeild player would you put between the sticks if Joe got knocked out or injured in some other way? Or would we not bother and just play with an empty net?

Out of interest, has any other team submitted team for UCL with just one keeper named in it?

[Foreverinbluedreams]

Why is it ridiculous? Surely having another foreign outfield option that might actually play would be better than having a foreign backup keeper that's not likely to play?

Which outfeild player would you put between the sticks if Joe got knocked out or injured in some other way? Or would we not bother and just play with an empty net?

Out of interest, has any other team submitted team for UCL with just one keeper named in it?

That's not what I'm suggesting. I'm saying we should have an association grown keeper which would open up an extra place for an outfield foreign trained player in the squad

[Nick]

why do chelsea get begovic but we have willy???

Chelsea's no1 keeper is a similar age to Hart...........

[CTID Hants]

Why is it ridiculous? Surely having another foreign outfield option that might actually play would be better than having a foreign backup keeper that's not likely to play?

Which outfeild player would you put between the sticks if Joe got knocked out or injured in some other way? Or would we not bother and just play with an empty net?

Out of interest, has any other team submitted team for UCL with just one keeper named in it?

That's not what I'm suggesting. I'm saying we should have an association grown keeper which would open up an extra place for an outfield foreign trained player in the squad

Fair enough, but it seems to me that we are going round in circles rather than accepting what it is for the foreseeable future. "The project" is still in it's relative infancy, we cannot just "grow" a homegrown over night, although we appear to be getting closer in Angus Dunn...

Reading what DH/TS/WW are saying it seems fairly clear that Angus Gunn appears to be the way forward, although he isn't quite ready yet. He was rumoured to be going to Aberdeen back end of last season and that never happened. IF we can get him out on loan to a Championship team in January and he plays regularly and does well there is an outside chance of him being replacement to Willy next season, but i doubt it.

As i said, i cannot think of any Prem 1st choice coming to us, so that would leave a stop gap for the next 18 months (by which time Angus should be ready), from Europe or further a field which will be defeating the object.

In short, quite clearly there isn't a viable option to satisfy the criteria of UCL that is (A) better than Willy (B) who'd be happy to join us as second fiddle, never to be used unless Joe was injured.

It is what is, as they say, a vicious circle with no real answer other than to accept it for the time being IMO.

[Wonderwall]

Why is it ridiculous? Surely having another foreign outfield option that might actually play would be better than having a foreign backup keeper that's not likely to play?

Which outfeild player would you put between the sticks if Joe got knocked out or injured in some other way? Or would we not bother and just play with an empty net?

Out of interest, has any other team submitted team for UCL with just one keeper named in it?

That's not what I'm suggesting. I'm saying we should have an association grown keeper which would open up an extra place for an outfield foreign trained player in the squad

Fair enough, but it seems to me that we are going round in circles rather than accepting what it is for the foreseeable future. "The project" is still in it's relative infancy, we cannot just "grow" a homegrown over night, although we appear to be getting closer in Angus Dunn...

Reading what DH/TS/WW are saying it seems fairly clear that Angus Gunn appears to be the way forward, although he isn't quite ready yet. He was rumoured to be going to Aberdeen back end of last season and that never happened. IF we can get him out on loan to a Championship team in January and he plays regularly and does well there is an outside chance of him being replacement to Willy next season, but i doubt it.

As i said, i cannot think of any Prem 1st choice coming to us, so that would leave a stop gap for the next 18 months (by which time Angus should be ready), from Europe or further a field which will be defeating the object.

In short, quite clearly there isn't a viable option to satisfy the criteria of UCL that is (A) better than Willy (B) who'd be happy to join us as second fiddle, never to be used unless Joe was injured.

It is what is, as they say, a vicious circle with no real answer other than to accept it for the time being IMO.

I have a really good feeling about AG, however, I dont think we will be able to hang onto him unless we do a Chelsea/Courtois and offer him a long term deal and send him out on loan to a top team for a few years. Gunn will not want to be second fiddle for long, I can see him spending a season on the bench but not much more than that.

[Dubciteh]

Gazzaniga is terrible, hes not even southamptons second choice, hes there third choice at best.

No chance in this world is he good enough for city.

John Ruddy as second choice next year if Gunns not ready. If chelsea can have begovic as second choice, united have valdez as third choice, arsenal scezney or ospina then we can have someone decent too.

Krul is association trained, don't know whether he's classed as decent?

You would have to wait until next summer to find out, that is his due date back from his current injury.........

Not sure who mentioned it further up the thread about "any other prem keeper would be better"..... Why would anyone of them (that are decent enough) want to come and bench warm for us when they can play weekly where they are? They are NOT like outfield players where rotation or form means they can break there way into the starting 11.

How many thought Begovic was mad to go to Chelsea before the season kicked off & he got lucky???

Good keepers rarely move and if they do it is because they can see the first choice where they are going is going/gone already or about to retire in a season.

Seeing as Joe is going nowhere for absolute years i cannot see us getting a current prem first choice keeper moving to our bench to get 3 games a season.

It seems to me that there are a lot of people writing Willy off too easily in some sort of fantasy manager way "oh let's just go and get so and so". The argument he is wasting a UCL spot is fucking ridiculous.

Money. Plain and Simple. If Chelsea can get a top class second choice keeper then so can we that fits the criteria ie HG.

This isnt anything against Willy, its more to do with giving us more outfield options whilst not being any worse than we are.

Ruddy, Kasper, Heaton, Krul(if HG), Forster maybe craig gordon who seems to be back fit at Celtic are options off top of my head that allow that. You say they wont move, i say look at begovic and throw some cash there way and watch them move.

[Ray78]

There are not any association trained keepers with the desired experience. Robert Green (Chelsea opted against that they and will end up selling either Begovic or Courtois), John Ruddy (would not be happy playing second fiddle, isn't any better than Caballero and has lost his place at Norwich) and possibly Krul (no good now seeing he is out for the rest of this season. Gunn in the future would be a great choice but is too raw for our first team at this present time and there seems to be not many clubs beating down our door to take him on loan.

[Spurge]

There are not any association trained keepers with the desired experience. Robert Green (Chelsea opted against that they and will end up selling either Begovic or Courtois), John Ruddy (would not be happy playing second fiddle, isn't any better than Caballero and has lost his place at Norwich) and possibly Krul (no good now seeing he is out for the rest of this season. Gunn in the future would be a great choice but is too raw for our first team at this present time and there seems to be not many clubs beating down our door to take him on loan.

Might be more than his place Ruddy loses......

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sports ... amera.html

[Ray78]

Which goes against our no dickheads transfer policy.

[Dubciteh]

There are not any association trained keepers with the desired experience. Robert Green (Chelsea opted against that they and will end up selling either Begovic or Courtois), John Ruddy (would not be happy playing second fiddle, isn't any better than Caballero and has lost his place at Norwich) and possibly Krul (no good now seeing he is out for the rest of this season. Gunn in the future would be a great choice but is too raw for our first team at this present time and there seems to be not many clubs beating down our door to take him on loan.

Not being better than WIlly is not the criteria, been as good as WIlly and Homegrown is......

Shay Given would of been ideal last season for me.

[Ray78]

Given is injury prone and we had to sign Fulop as an emergency (RIP) and wasn't happy with being on the bench either and we ended up signing Pants.

[ayrshireblue]

Part of my original post was that Gazzaniga may be association trained due to being at Gillingham from a young age, I'm not sure on the exact requirements. Any new back up keeper would need to be at least association trained as I feel that having a foreign place taken up by a back up keeper is a waste, as do most other posters I think.

[Ray78]

If you think Caballero is shaky then Southampton's back up is a lot worse even if he is association trained.

[Dubciteh]

Given is injury prone and we had to sign Fulop as an emergency (RIP) and wasn't happy with being on the bench either and we ended up signing Pants.

Im not buying Given is injury prone, That was just one bad shoulder injury. At the time he was younger and thought he was good enough to be a number one, he has now accepted that he is a second choice keeper and no better club to do at than ours.

Point is, with our resources, we shouldnt be wasting a foreign spot on a second choice keeper. Simple as that.

[Tokyo Blue]

Richard Wright is The Answer.

[Ray78]

Given is injury prone and we had to sign Fulop as an emergency (RIP) and wasn't happy with being on the bench either and we ended up signing Pants.

Im not buying Given is injury prone, That was just one bad shoulder injury. At the time he was younger and thought he was good enough to be a number one, he has now accepted that he is a second choice keeper and no better club to do at than ours.

Point is, with our resources, we shouldnt be wasting a foreign spot on a second choice keeper. Simple as that.

Caballero is just as good as Given.

[Dubciteh]

Given is injury prone and we had to sign Fulop as an emergency (RIP) and wasn't happy with being on the bench either and we ended up signing Pants.

Im not buying Given is injury prone, That was just one bad shoulder injury. At the time he was younger and thought he was good enough to be a number one, he has now accepted that he is a second choice keeper and no better club to do at than ours.

Point is, with our resources, we shouldnt be wasting a foreign spot on a second choice keeper. Simple as that.

Caballero is just as good as Given.

Mate, you keep missing the point over and over again........Willy is Foreign Given(or similar) is Homegrown, one less willy gives us an extra spot for non homegrown outfielder. So we need a keeper who is homegrown in similar ability to WIlly doesnt have to be better but similar and we are a better squad for it. Again this is nothing against Willy,

Sorry Im not explaining it again.

[Ray78]

Easy said than done in finding a homegrown keeper who has the desired experience is in good form, has performed at a very good level (European and beyond) and would be happy playing second fiddle to Hart. It is now a squad game and back up keeper is a position you cannot stick any random or home grown player who lacks experience and hope for the best even if you think Caballero is a waste of a foreign place in the Champions League. Caballero is a player who hasn't let down Pellegrini at his previous club and he knows his strengths and weaknesses..

Arsenal had that problem when they signed Cech, (who was really pissed off with his arrangement at Chelsea and decided he is still good enough to be first choice at a club challenging for the league title). They could of easily kept their homegrown option in Szczesny and sold Ospina (not much difference in either keeper) but Wenger decided Ospina is a keeper he trusted the most as Cech cover.

[Mase]

Should have just got Westwood on a free a couple of years ago while we had the chance. Club trained and a decent keeper.

[Ray78]

Westwood would be a poor choice.