I agree with you but Forde won't leave as Ireland will drop him and the other two will cost a fortune, do we want to spend a fortune on a number two? Or do we get a cheap free who won't play? I know my choice.
Fairly sure he didn't retire, footballers e.g. Barton were talking about the big names that were retiring and then saying that Harper was leaving Newcastle but they didn't say he was retiring.
This is fine. In the situation an excellent addition. One year contract. Only used in emergencies as backup to McGregor. Cheap. Frees up budget to be spent elsewhere. In a year's time we'll take Schmeichel for free and we move on.
Very happy to see that Harper is surely coming here. Good solid backup keeper who will be very useful.
I think he could be a good influence on the wayward McGregor. Assuming he gets through the bloody medical, anyway...
the initial post refers to him as number 2 and Jak going out on loan? I understand Oxley has gone on loan so does that make Jak 3rd choice for the season? Or is there emergency recall on Oxley?
We'll probably keep Jakupovic as a third choice; Bruce mentioned that having witnessed what happened to Watford on the last day of the season, you need three keepers with experience. If we loaned out Jakupovic, we'd have just Cracknell on loan and he probably isn't ready for the first team yet. Harper is a great keeper and will get his chance in the cups at least. As has been said an astute piece of business.
Perfectly adequate understudy. Largely irrelevant as it seems old man Harper is next on the 'Signed' list.
@mikewhitesport 3h Checked with sources in north east & confirmed reports that Steve Harper will undergo a medical with #hcafc tomorrow.
With goalkeepers you don't need a recall option. If a team is left with only 1 fit goalkeeper on a senior contract they are permitted to make additions to their squad outside of the transfer window. The order they're allowed to make the additions in is: 1) Recall any senior keeper from a loan spell elsewhere if they have a recall clause. 2) Recall any senior keeper from a loan somewhere else even if they don't have a recall clause. 3) Sign a keeper on an emergency loan. Obviously where a team has more than 1 keeper out on loan which one they recall is up to them, the exception being where they have named a full 25 man squad with neither keeper in it, if one of the keepers qualifies as U21 they would have to recall them before recalling the older one. (Recalling the older one would mean getting dispensation to bypass more rules)
