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When is a #1 not a #1?


SW11_Saint
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When he's a #2, or a #3...

 

And that is what we have in the goalkeeping department - two #2's in Boruc and Davis, and Gazzaniga and Cropper as back-up to them.

 

In my view we have never adequately addressed the goalkeeping issue. Boruc is a decent shot-stopper, but doesn't have the focus to be totally trustworthy (as Arsenal and other occasions proved). Kelvin is past his best, but a great guy to have around the club. Gazzaniga is quite simply not up to it and needs time at a lower level to hone his skill.

 

If Cortese really has ambition for the club to progress then he needs to sort out this critical position and buy a true #1 in January. Begovic is the obvious choice, but his currency is likely too high and a move to a bigger club beckons, but there have to be others out there. Yesterday proved beyond doubt that some of the guys who have served us well on our incredible journey are really not up to Premier League life, we need better quality back-up.

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We should have signed a new goalkeeper when we were promoted to be honest, that along with an experienced top level CB should have been a priority. But unfortunately we spent all summer chasing attacking players it seems, or players which were out of our reach at that time. I felt we left the CB till the last day (although I'm sure Maya was a target for a while, but it stank of us missing out on who we really wanted) and the GK as a bosman signing mid-way through September.

 

Should have shown a bit more urgency back then. I don't think we'll get a new GK in January though, maybe just a loan to tide us over - but it's a position we do need to 'evolve' for next season.

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We should have signed a new goalkeeper when we were promoted to be honest, that along with an experienced top level CB should have been a priority. But unfortunately we spent all summer chasing attacking players it seems, or players which were out of our reach at that time. I felt we left the CB till the last day (although I'm sure Maya was a target for a while, but it stank of us missing out on who we really wanted) and the GK as a bosman signing mid-way through September.

 

Should have shown a bit more urgency back then. I don't think we'll get a new GK in January though, maybe just a loan to tide us over - but it's a position we do need to 'evolve' for next season.

 

We've had plenty of time since then to rectify things, so not sure of its relevance to the here and now. Most people were delighted with our business this summer and the shape of our squad going into the season.

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If you could guarantee he cut out the lapses in concentration - which you can't. I see him more as a solid deputy.

 

How may lapses of concentration are we talking about here? He was talked up as the one the best keepers in the league and better than Niemi on here not long ago. Now he's not good enough for no.1 spot :facepalm:

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Fraser Forster was mentioned in one of the red tops over the weekend.

I suspect whoever Boruc's long-term replacement is will - in addition to doing the usual stuff you expect from PL keepers like saving shots, catching crosses, etc - be good with the ball at his feet, able to distribute the ball quickly to the full-backs 50 yards away. From what I've seen of Forster, his kicking is terrible.

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***Rumour alert***

 

The bloke who sits next to me was adamant that Begovic is coming as he's just bought a house down here.....

 

I think he's bought Martin O'Neil's old place. Carsten Janker has been renting it the last couple of years.

 

I've always rated Begovic but I can't see Stoke selling him either cheap or in January. I don't see why he would want to move either unless we offered him top dollar and we aren't really in the habit of doing that.

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I think he's bought Martin O'Neil's old place. Carsten Janker has been renting it the last couple of years.

 

I've always rated Begovic but I can't see Stoke selling him either cheap or in January. I don't see why he would want to move either unless we offered him top dollar and we aren't really in the habit of doing that.

 

 

Apparently, the milk-man has only just cancelled Michael Owen's 3 pints a day there because the bottles were blocking up the drive and he had an outstanding bill for 3000 odd pints of gold top.

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We should have signed a new goalkeeper when we were promoted to be honest, that along with an experienced top level CB should have been a priority. But unfortunately we spent all summer chasing attacking players it seems, or players which were out of our reach at that time. I felt we left the CB till the last day (although I'm sure Maya was a target for a while, but it stank of us missing out on who we really wanted) and the GK as a bosman signing mid-way through September.

 

Should have shown a bit more urgency back then. I don't think we'll get a new GK in January though, maybe just a loan to tide us over - but it's a position we do need to 'evolve' for next season.

 

We showed no urgency in the summer transfer window this year and before. I was virtually alone in flagging this point up in the summer months but was lambasted with torrents of abuse. seems that once again time has proved me right.

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Shay Givens loan spell at Boro is up on Jan 1st.

Surely it is worth getting him in on loan until Boruc is fully fit ?

 

 

depends whether he renews at Boro surely, don't know what the situation is with Steele (their number 1 right ?) or the greek wallah that's supposed to deputise for him. Big problem with PL rules, only 25 senior pros and no loans if you've got a keeper that can stand up by himself. If we'd been allowed a loan with our number 1 and 2 out we'd surely have gone for one.

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How may lapses of concentration are we talking about here? He was talked up as the one the best keepers in the league and better than Niemi on here not long ago. Now he's not good enough for no.1 spot :facepalm:

Off the top of my head - Stoke, Hull, and Arsenal of course. His distribution is appalling too.

 

Believe me, I have never, and would never, put him in the Niemi bracket...

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Bizarrely amongst some of our fans on here Boruc's reputation seems to have got worse since his injury despite the performances of his deputy. Other than the Arsenal one I can't think of many glaring errors since he's been established as first choice.

 

As far as I'm concerned he's fine as our number one for the next couple of seasons. His kicking isn't brilliant but his throwing partly makes up for that and he adds a calmness to the back four that seems to have disappeared without him.

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If you could guarantee he cut out the lapses in concentration - which you can't. I see him more as a solid deputy.

 

You mean the ONE moment of madness V Arsenal? The Stoke goal was not his fault, and if you were there and were trying not to get blown away like the rest of us you'd have known that. Nearly everyone in the ground said that the wind was going to affect the game, and lo and behold 12 seconds in it did.

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You mean the ONE moment of madness V Arsenal? The Stoke goal was not his fault, and if you were there and were trying not to get blown away like the rest of us you'd have known that. Nearly everyone in the ground said that the wind was going to affect the game, and lo and behold 12 seconds in it did.

I think you'll find Arsenal was THREE moments of madness in one move. Re. Stoke, regardless of the weather, if you can't be focussed in the first minute of a game when can you be? It was somewhat freakish, but his positioning was poor.

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