Summer Transfer Window 2023

[Lerner's Driver]

Just now, Kiwivillan said:

Yes. Waiting for transfer window to end and willing on the team. Other than that, learning to play piano

Most admirable, don't let us less able drongos keep you from tinkling the ivories.

[Kiwivillan]

5 minutes ago, Lerner's Driver said:

Most admirable, don't let us less able drongos keep you from tinkling the ivories.

Drongo is an Aussie term you flaming galah!

[PerryBarrPet]

2 minutes ago, Kiwivillan said:

Drongo is an Aussie term you flaming galah!

No drama!

[Spoony]

38 minutes ago, jackbauer24 said:

Back up keeper is one of the hardest positions to recruit for. You're either offering a last pay day for a veteran of taking a risk on a kid normally. Having two strong goalkeepers normally comes from replacing your number 1 and pushing them in to the back up position.

The problem has been exacerbated by the fact there is naturally a massive drop off between, arguably, the no.1 goalkeeper in the world and Olson. Is Olson that bad? He's still an international, he still can do a job in an emergency but I'm not sure we'd be happy relying on him long term obviously.

So what are the options? Pipe dreams of De Gea sitting on our bench are ridiculous. Who, realistically, do you get in who is happy being a clear number one but is also so massively talented that we don't worry if he has to come on. Think people would be worried at the drop off with De Gea to be fair!

Oakes was no Bosnich, Guzan was no Friedel, Enckleman was no James, Postma was no Sorenson... I can't think of a time where our goalkeepers were evenly matched... but with Martinez, that task is practically impossible.

Fair point but Olsen is a catastrophe waiting to happen. Surely we can do better. I’d go for the veteran option. 

[skarroki]

Look at Arsenal bringing in Raya, there's questions of who will be the number 1 once he's signed. That never ends well. You only ever have 2 good goalkeepers if one is leaving. 

De Gea and Henderson, Henderson goes on loan

Mendy brought in to replace Kepa, then Kepa regains his place and Mendy goes.

Areola and Fabianski, shared number 1 spot. Both are good but one is approaching 39 and there's no doubt which will be number 1 long term. 

We got Martinez because Arteta couldn't guarantee he would be number one ahead of Leno. Then eventually Leno leaves too when he's not promised number one ahead of Ramsdale.

Is Kelleher or Adrian better than Olsen?

I'd say the best genuine number 2s currently in the league are Strakosha and Ortega, one is at one of the best clubs in the world and the other is at a club that feared their number 1 would leave and he is now leaving. Both are unproven in English football never mind the Prem. 

 

The fascination with signing someone to replace a keeper that only played last year because Martinez went on a 3 week bender in Buenos Aires, instead of returning to train, baffles me. 

Martinez doesn't have dips in form where he needs games out and rarely gets injured. 

We've won games with a clean sheet against top 10 Prem teams, you think Olsen can't handle playing against the team that came 2nd in Serbia? 

[duke313]

2 minutes ago, skarroki said:

Look at Arsenal bringing in Raya, there's questions of who will be the number 1 once he's signed. That never ends well. You only ever have 2 good goalkeepers if one is leaving. 

De Gea and Henderson, Henderson goes on loan

Mendy brought in to replace Kepa, then Kepa regains his place and Mendy goes.

Areola and Fabianski, shared number 1 spot. Both are good but one is approaching 39 and there's no doubt which will be number 1 long term. 

We got Martinez because Arteta couldn't guarantee he would be number one ahead of Leno. Then eventually Leno leaves too when he's not promised number one ahead of Ramsdale.

Is Kelleher or Adrian better than Olsen?

I'd say the best genuine number 2s currently in the league are Strakosha and Ortega, one is at one of the best clubs in the world and the other is at a club that feared their number 1 would leave and he is now leaving. Both are unproven in English football never mind the Prem. 

 

The fascination with signing someone to replace a keeper that only played last year because Martinez went on a 3 week bender in Buenos Aires, instead of returning to train, baffles me. 

Martinez doesn't have dips in form where he needs games out and rarely gets injured. 

We've won games with a clean sheet against top 10 Prem teams, you think Olsen can't handle playing against the team that came 2nd in Serbia? 

Stop talking sense!

[CarryOnVilla]

We really need some embedded tweets to chill us out

[duke313]

1 minute ago, Tomaszk said:

As soon as the January window thread opens, will you be straight in there rubbishing links?

Because it'll open probably within three weeks of the summer window one closing.

Poor use of your time that.

Why wait, let's open it now.

[Tomaszk]

1 minute ago, duke313 said:

Why wait, let's open it now.

Get next summer's one sorted as well while you're at it!

[nick76]

3 minutes ago, Kiwivillan said:

I'm just looking forward to Buendia winning player of the season

Rangitoto Observer has heard through a source that Buendia is up for player of the season 2023/24.

[AvfcRigo82]

41 minutes ago, Ginko said:

Pretty sure Bosnich and Spink overlapped at some point, didn’t they? Not sure how good Spink was by then, though, as I was still in single figures at the time.

They did.

IIRC Spink was our No.1 for years, and around 94' during the league cup, Spink had to go off injured in a game. Bosnich came on and also saves a Penalty in that game.

He also saved a penalty in the next game in the same tournament vs. Tranmere that seen us go to Wembley.

I don't recall seeing Spink in goal again after that as it was usually Oakes that then replaced Bosnich in games.

[Zatman]

1 hour ago, The_Steve said:

A backup who’s made just 7 appearances, 4 in the league, gets a disproportionate amount of comments that go far beyond fair criticism. It’s also because of who signed him. 

Lange signed him, he worked with him in Denmark like Augustinsson

[PieFacE]

I fully appreciate that whoever our number 2 goalkeeper is isn't going to be anywhere near the level of Martinez. But for the way we play, Olsen just feels the wrong fit. His ability to play out from the back is poor and leads to mistakes and wobbles in confidence and that's not good for a team who primarily always try to play out from the back. That isn't knocking Olsen completely, it's just not his game which is fair enough. I feel like there's got to be a better backup option who's better at playing out from the back out there who could do a similar job.

Edited August 1, 2023 by PieFacE

[PeterSw]

1 minute ago, PieFacE said:

I fully appreciate that whoever our number 2 goalkeeper is isn't going to be anywhere near the level of Martinez. But for the way we play, Olsen just feels the wrong fit. His ability to play out from the back is poor and leads to mistakes and wobbles in confidence and that's not good for a team who primarily always try to play out from the back. That isn't knocking Olsen completely, it's just not his game which is fair enough. I feel like there's got to be a better backup option who's better at playing out from the back out there who could do a similar job.

Great point. For instance Olsen would probably be a solid #2 for a club who are a more direct team and don't need their goalkeeper to be good on the ball - He's a fairly decent shot-stopper

[jacketspuds]

I always thought Meslier was decent in his first season at Leeds, but was then shit last season.

I think he’d be good as an understudy to Martinez, but again you come back to the issue of him wanting to be a backup keeper.

The one positive we have is that any backup keeper will undoubtedly get games as we can potentially play 60+ games this season.

[GingerCollins29]

Shame if he goes there, one I would have loved at Villa

 

[Delphinho123]

1 minute ago, GingerCollins29 said:

Shame if he goes there, one I would have loved at Villa

 

Not surprised. They have the squad to be able to manage his minutes as well and keep him fit. 

He's an explosive player - one of the best dribblers you'll see. 

[sne]

Monchi is an ex GK, granted in the era before keepers were required to be good passers and comfortable with the ball at their feet but still. With him and Emery I feel we should be in safe hands when it comes to figuring out the GK situation. 

Personally I'd like Olsen be somewhere where he plays regular football and I don't want that place to be Villa. Would be great if we could find someone who fits both the rotation/bench role who also is good enough with his feet that we can play the same football with him on the pitch that we do with Martinez. Big ask thou.

[duke313]

15 minutes ago, jacketspuds said:

I always thought Meslier was decent in his first season at Leeds, but was then shit last season.

I think he’d be good as an understudy to Martinez, but again you come back to the issue of him wanting to be a backup keeper.

The one positive we have is that any backup keeper will undoubtedly get games as we can potentially play 60+ games this season.

Even if he was content with being a backup keeper, Leeds would not be looking backup keeper money for him.  He was atrocious last season anyhow.

[sne]

4 minutes ago, GingerCollins29 said:

Shame if he goes there, one I would have loved at Villa

 

Very different player to Mahrez, much more direct and relying on pace and dribbles. Be interesting how he'd fit into a passing oriented City who has the ball 70% of the time and play against a deep sitting defense. Guess Sterling did OK but not the type I thought they would add. He'd offer them something different thou.