Saints ready to sign Robert Green

[Dr Who?]

Green, is a fantastic English keeper. One of the reasons why West Ham held on or won games they should not have last season. Would be a great signing.

[Dr Who?]

Also goes to show (IF it does happen) that times have changed as he must see Saints as a better future than West Ham?

[Dr Who?]

So why isn't Davis in Kiev instead then?

 

Leighton Baines was in the premier league team of the year. Surely this means he's a better left back than Ashley Cole?

 

I have been saying that Baines should be in the England team for ages, the best English left back in the Premier league IMO. Just does not get noticed as much as he is at an unfashionable club.

[mcjwills]

if he was to sign then for the first time since we had both neimi and jones would have 100% confidence in our no.2 should our first choice keeper were to miss a game. two top keepers a very good headache to have to choose who plays and neither could slack off in training atall.

 

Squad rotation seems to happen a lot more in the Premier League.

Also our goalkeepers always do well in the past with England selection due to the ammount of work they had to do.

Edited 8 June, 2012 by mcjwills

[Turkish]

Also goes to show (IF it does happen) that times have changed as he must see Saints as a better future than West Ham?

 

Of course that would be the only reason. Not that the player doesn't get on with BFS. That the player wants a new challenge after 6 (?) years at West ham. That West Ham won't pay him what he wants and we will. That he is sick of living in/near London and wants to relocate. The only reason he would possibly come here is because he thinks he's got a better future here than at West ham.

[Turkish]

I have been saying that Baines should be in the England team for ages, the best English left back in the Premier league IMO. Just does not get noticed as much as he is at an unfashionable club.

 

Baines is good, but much as I hate Ashely Cole and don't want him to be, he is still one of the best left backs around.

Edited 8 June, 2012 by Turkish

[VectisSaint]

It would be a little odd, given that KD turned down going to Wet Sham as understudy to Green a few years back to stay with us. Green is a decent keeper, probably better than KD all round, but the dynamics of having 2 No1 keepers might exercise NA's man-management skills.

[toofarnorth]

Yet is still picked by West Ham and England...and offered a new deal by WHam as well!

 

That says more about those selecting the England team. Martin Kelly and Stewart Downing got in the team for heaven's sake, ahead of proven players like Micah Richards, Aaron Lennon, Adam Johnson, Rio Ferdinand and Chris Smalling to name but a few.

[Turkish]

Could you get much more black and white about it?

 

Davis aside, you don't think a better player has ever been left out the england squad? So Carrick isn't better than Henderson? Le Tissier wasn't better than Rob Lee or Darren Anderton? That's your logic on the issue.

 

I don't think Davis is better than Green, but it's subjective. I think Crouch is better than Carroll too, and IMO Adam Johnson is better than Stuart Downing.

 

You're making is so simplistic there'd be absolutely no point in having forums to even discuss it.

 

In the case of Davis and Green it is black and white. 4 England managers have picked Green, none have ever picked Davis. Goalkeepers aren't like other positions where they also have to fit into tactics and systems as much as outfield players. Why have the last 4 England managers picked Green over Davis everytime?

[Charlie Wayman]

Why would Green come here? He knows Davies is first choice and no way is he about to play second fiddle to another veteran. He wants a BIG team and BIG money and we don't qualify on either count. Lure of the PL isn't enough obviously otherwise he'd have stayed at WHU.

 

He'll never get past Joe Hart for Engerland so Champions League is the best he can hope for for glory medals to sell on e-Bay later.

[farawaysaint]

I don't want Green for one reason only, he'd want first team football and Davis deserves his premier league second chance.

[Verbal]

Why would Green come here? He knows Davies is first choice and no way is he about to play second fiddle to another veteran. He wants a BIG team and BIG money and we don't qualify on either count. Lure of the PL isn't enough obviously otherwise he'd have stayed at WHU.

 

He'll never get past Joe Hart for Engerland so Champions League is the best he can hope for for glory medals to sell on e-Bay later.

 

So which of the big teams has a keeper worse than Green?

[Thedelldays]

I don't want Green for one reason only, he'd want first team football and Davis deserves his premier league second chance.

surely, any keeper we sign will 'want' first team football?

[once_bitterne]

surely, any keeper we sign will 'want' first team football?

 

I guess if we signed Butland he would be happy to play 2nd fiddle to Davis for a short time. Tho, in reality it would only take until Davis makes his first howler of the season for this place to be full of 'play Butland' threads.

 

Green for me. Younger and better than Davis and a proven PL and international performer.

 

Would be a great signing for us.

[Professor]

I don't want Green for one reason only, he'd want first team football and Davis deserves his premier league second chance.

Sorry but that is about the most unrealistic reason for not signing a better player. There is no place for sentamentalism by the club, just as very few players would show loyalty if offered a big enough wad of money. We need a top quality GK, and for once that can be stated as FACT! With only KD and Forecast an injury to KD would be nothing short of disasterous. In the Prem you don't survive by having second string players who are not worth their place in the team, you need two players of genuine Prem standard for every position which means two Prem standard GKs. With KD at the age he is , it must make sense for the second keeper to be as good or better than KD is now. There aren't many GKs to choose from so if Green is available it would be madness not to be looking at him.

[Matthew Le God]

I don't want Green for one reason only, he'd want first team football and Davis deserves his premier league second chance.

 

Take out the Davis/Green debate over who is better and I'd prefer Saints to take the route of aiming to put out the best XI they can rather than pursuing team selection based on sentimentality.

[Lord Duckhunter]

Take out the Davis/Green debate over who is better and I'd prefer Saints to take the route of aiming to put out the best XI they can rather than pursuing team selection based on sentimentality.

 

It all depends on how much money we have to spend.

 

I know Green is a free, but there must be a budget for wages. If signing Green means that we can not strengthen in other areas, then I'm against it. My personal opinion is there are other areas of the team that need looking at , before we spend a shed load of money on a new keepers wages.

 

There is not much difference between Kelvin and Green, so if money is limited I would rather we got one who will be paid less, and kept Kelvin as number 1.

[Turkish]

It isn't sentimentality when players are that close in ability. It's not like we're wheeling out some 50 year old, Davis is a decent keeper. As Adkins has said, it's important to give players the chance and keep the spirit of the squad intact. Yes Green might be slightly better, but he's not used to our defence, our setup etc., so it wouldn't necessarily make us a better team overall.

 

We can definitely improve on Kelvin, but IMO if he's to miss out on his chance in the top flight, it should be to someone better than Green. Forget England, the keepers situation there is a joke. Green is a good Championship keeper and thus far a slightly dodgy Premier League one. Davis likewise, but with only 1 shot at the premier league. There's a chance Davis might thrive next season and his Sunderland nightmare was something he's learned from, rather than down to lack of ability. I hope he gets the chance and surprises people.

 

Anyway, as I said, Green will go somewhere for big wages. WH seem to pay more than us yet he wants out and probably wants a big pay day. QPR would no doubt offer him a fortune.

 

Like who? Joe hart maybe?! It's only him stopping him being England number one! Name 3 goalkeepers better than Green who would realistically join Saints.

[Matthew Le God]

It isn't sentimentality when players are that close in ability. It's not like we're wheeling out some 50 year old, Davis is a decent keeper. As Adkins has said, it's important to give players the chance and keep the spirit of the squad intact. Yes Green might be slightly better, but he's not used to our defence, our setup etc., so it wouldn't necessarily make us a better team overall.

 

We can definitely improve on Kelvin, but IMO if he's to miss out on his chance in the top flight, it should be to someone better than Green. Forget England, the keepers situation there is a joke. Green is a good Championship keeper and thus far a slightly dodgy Premier League one. Davis likewise, but with only 1 shot at the premier league. There's a chance Davis might thrive next season and his Sunderland nightmare was something he's learned from, rather than down to lack of ability. I hope he gets the chance and surprises people.

 

Anyway, as I said, Green will go somewhere for big wages. WH seem to pay more than us yet he wants out and probably wants a big pay day. QPR would no doubt offer him a fortune.

 

It all depends on how much money we have to spend.

 

I know Green is a free, but there must be a budget for wages. If signing Green means that we can not strengthen in other areas, then I'm against it. My personal opinion is there are other areas of the team that need looking at , before we spend a shed load of money on a new keepers wages.

 

There is not much difference between Kelvin and Green, so if money is limited I would rather we got one who will be paid less, and kept Kelvin as number 1.

 

I was talking in general terms about a team selection policy shouldn't be based on sentimentality, which is why I said at the start of my post...

 

Take out the Davis/Green debate over who is better

[del boy]

Maybe we could sign both Green and Butland!

 

...or am I just putting 2 and 3 together?

[Thedelldays]

Maybe we could sign both Green and Butland!

 

...or am I just putting 2 and 3 together?

not a bad idea. Sign them both and let brum (or another NPC TEAM) have butland on loan for a season

[rshephard3]

Saints fans in arrogant we deserve the best players in the world shocker. Is anyone able to come up with a better keeper than Green who would move to SFC? I personally think we've done pretty well to be linked with Englands no 2 keeper. Would be a superb transfer to pull off if this is a genuine possibility. Kelvin as backup in the prem would be very tidy too.

[itchen_dan]

SimonPeach: Daily Star reporting #WHUFC's Robert Green a target for #SaintsFC. I understand there is some truth to that story.

[CanadaSaint]

Despite the easy cheap shots about him, he's still a very good keeper with his best years arguably ahead of him. However, if I was going to seriously damage the Club's salary structure and risk creating dissent in a dressing room known for its harmony, I would be looking for someone who could improve us more than Robert Green.

 

Yes, we certainly need another quality keeper but I'd prefer to see an "up-and-comer" than an expensive star.

Edited 8 June, 2012 by CanadaSaint
Afterthought

[fez]

Despite the easy cheap shots about him, he's still a very good keeper with his best years arguably ahead of him. However, if I was going to seriously damage the Club's salary structure and risk creating dissent in a dressing room known for its harmony, I would be looking for someone who could improve us more than Robert Green.

 

One thing in favour of Green is that he'd be good for dressing room spirit. As an earlier poster said (I think) he's a really nice character and would not be disruptive.

[CanadaSaint]

One thing in favour of Green is that he'd be good for dressing room spirit. As an earlier poster said (I think) he's a really nice character and would not be disruptive.

 

I don't have any concerns about Robert Green the guy, but with what his arrival could do to the carefully-woven salary structure at the Club. Nothing creates unhappy players more than feeling that they're underpaid relative to others in the room.

 

Yes, he'd be an upgrade IMO, but I wouldn't risk the dressing room spirit that has brought us so far - and I don't think Adkins or Cortese would, either.

[RonManager]

notBigSam ‏@TheBig_Sam

Farewell, Rob Green. You were like an affectionate, remedial son to me. I'll miss your confused, jam-stained face.

 

notBigSam ‏@TheBig_Sam

I'll miss the way you dribble in between sentences. I'll miss the adorable sight of your soggy mittens lying on the shower room floor.

 

notBigSam ‏@TheBig_Sam

I'll miss your cute little baseball cap with the plastic propellors on top of it. I'll miss your devastating fear or fire & electricty.

 

notBigSam ‏@TheBig_Sam

I'll miss long and cosy afternoons spent teaching you how to read using Birds Eye 'Alphabites'.

 

notBigSam ‏@TheBig_Sam

But most of all, I'll just miss you. And the government payments the club recieved for employing you. God speed, Robert. Always in my heart.

 

 

[SaintRobbie]

Why leave West Ham?

[david in sweden]

A very good keeper in my view and the kind of quality signing we will need to improve our somewhat suspect defence. It seems to me a player of this stature would not come here to be second choice keeper behind Kelvin - this may well put KD's nose 'out of joint' I'd have thought.

 

People are talking about 1st and 2nd choice. We are talking Premier League. Most Prem.clubs have one, if not two international goalies,

and with the exception of Joe Hart at Man.City many of them get dropped or changed out a lot of the time - even clubs in the top six.

 

Logically, we are all thinking that KD will carry on as before, have another season with 17 clean sheets and be hard to replace. But what if he doesn't

have a good start, say we lose 3 or 4 games early season ..or worse...he gets injured...what are the options?

 

I'm not completely sure I warm to the idea of Green as alternative (not a no.2 ), at least it's someone on a par with, or better ? ..than KD, and even as England no. 2 ...he's not bad.

 

However, I think the story....is probably just The Star trying to get a hit before the weekend rumour mill starts up.

Edited 8 June, 2012 by david in sweden

[david in sweden]

I don't have any concerns about Robert Green the guy, but with what his arrival could do to the carefully-woven salary structure at the Club. Nothing creates unhappy players more than feeling that they're underpaid relative to others in the room.

Yes, he'd be an upgrade IMO, but I wouldn't risk the dressing room spirit that has brought us so far - and I don't think Adkins or Cortese would, either.

 

 

Yes -.. to some extent, but any sensibly-minded player surely doesn't expect to be on the same salary level as an England 'keeper !

[Greedyfly]

The fact that 4 Different England managers over a 7 year period have consistently picked Green and not one of them has ever picked Kelvin Davis is pretty strong evidence which one is better, no?

 

Yeah and several picked bloody Heskey too. Please stop using that argument...The two who are actually better, Robinson and Foster, have both retired and NOT because they were being kept out by Green. Foster retired because he was a bottle job and can't handle the pressure and Robinson was hacked off (rightly so) at seeing Calamity James picked ahead of him in the squad. So just because a very average international team who has very average selection of goalkeepers picks Green doesn't make Green a decent keeper.

[thegaffer]

Robert Green will sign with either Spurs,QPR or Malaga and not Saints

[alpine_saint]

The Robert Green who caused England to get off to their usual sh*te start in South Africa ?

 

No thanks...

[Thedelldays]

I would suggest that we would not get much better than Green...who is probably better than davis..

[Chez]

Saints fans in arrogant we deserve the best players in the world shocker. Is anyone able to come up with a better keeper than Green who would move to SFC?

hard to say who would join us and that includes Green, but how about Craig Gordon or Jussi Jääskeläinen, both out of contract.

[Thedelldays]

hard to say who would join us and that includes Green, but how about Craig Gordon or Jussi Jääskeläinen, both out of contract.

I would have green over those two..green is at his peak...and been playing regularly

[alpine_saint]

I would suggest that we would not get much better than Green...who is probably better than davis..

 

There seems to be an old axiom about not buying better than you already have.

 

For me, this fits the situation of Green and Kelvin perfectly.

[Hopkins]

Wouldn't mind this happening but I don't see it happening.

 

Don't see Green wanting to change like for like. Especially if Malaga are interested. The move wouldn't really make sense on his part.

Don't see us dropping Kelvin just like that. His influence in the dressing room is huge and upsetting him could back fire.

 

We'll see. He's a cracking keeper though. Not even sure how that is up for debate.

[Thedelldays]

There seems to be an old axiom about not buying better than you already have.

 

For me, this fits the situation of Green and Kelvin perfectly.

well, I don't agree

[Chez]

but with what his arrival could do to the carefully-woven salary structure at the Club. Nothing creates unhappy players more than feeling that they're underpaid relative to others in the room.

We need to look to bring in players that are better than we have already. Unless we just buy players from the lower leagues (which could well do) we'll more than likely have to raise the level of our highest earner.

[CB Fry]

Yeah and several picked bloody Heskey too. Please stop using that argument...The two who are actually better, Robinson and Foster, have both retired and NOT because they were being kept out by Green. Foster retired because he was a bottle job and can't handle the pressure and Robinson was hacked off (rightly so) at seeing Calamity James picked ahead of him in the squad. So just because a very average international team who has very average selection of goalkeepers picks Green doesn't make Green a decent keeper.

 

So despite all these keepers retiring none of those England managers got anywhere near to picking Kelvin.

 

And Capello has won the Champions league but obviously knows nothing about football or goalies.

[CanadaSaint]

We need to look to bring in players that are better than we have already. Unless we just buy players from the lower leagues (which could well do) we'll more than likely have to raise the level of our highest earner.

 

I fully agree with that. I'm just questioning whether Green is enough of an upgrade for us to do it with him, when there are some good, younger keepers out there who could soon develop into quality starters.

 

I'm not sure that the Dutch guy we were looking at is off the radar screen yet - or Butland, and they'd come a hell of a lot cheaper than Green.

[Chez]

I fully agree with that. I'm just questioning whether Green is enough of an upgrade for us to do it with him, when there are some good, younger keepers out there who could soon develop into quality starters.

 

I'm not sure that the Dutch guy we were looking at is off the radar screen yet - or Butland, and they'd come a hell of a lot cheaper than Green.

fair point. Personally I can't see us affording Green and the two you mention could be more likely. I suggested Butland earlier in the season and still think raiding brum makes a lot of sense as they need the cash big time and they have some real quality.

[The Kraken]

There seems to be an old axiom about not buying better than you already have.

 

For me, this fits the situation of Green and Kelvin perfectly.

 

Rob Green is a better keeper than Kelvin Davis.

[wadesmith]

Is he hungry?

[Surrey Saint]

There is something I'm not understanding here. Why would Green want to come to us? What can we offer that WHU can't?

I'm assuming he (understandably), feels his talent is equal to CL or Europa League standard. So why take a chance that he might - and only 'might', achieve that in a years time with Saints? He'd surely be better setting his sights on a team qualified for a European competition in the coming season.

 

This is of course an assumption. He may be persuaded that the chuminess of the dressing room and the 'Southampton Way' is what he has been searching for in the past 15 years of his professional life.

[Mr X]

What we he offer he that kelvin cant? A few years younger thats about it, we need to bring players in that are clearly a step above what we currently have

[krissyboy31]

Take out the Davis/Green debate over who is better and I'd prefer Saints to take the route of aiming to put out the best XI they can rather than pursuing team selection based on sentimentality.

 

This.

[krissyboy31]

Rob Green is a better keeper than Kelvin Davis.

 

Agreed! KD had a very good season but overall Green would be picked over Davis 9 times out of 10.

[The Kraken]

What we he offer he that kelvin cant? A few years younger thats about it, we need to bring players in that are clearly a step above what we currently have

 

Several years of Premier League experience, including being voted in the PFA Premier League team of the year.

Appearing for his country 12 times.

 

If Green isn't a step above what we already have then I can dread to think what the expectation level is amongst some of our fans.