We need a good season from you Maarten. http://www.express.co.uk/sport/foot...news-Fraser-Forster-knee-injury-summer-return Poor Fraser.
Tough on a sportsman to be laid up for a long time. No point in rushing back a valuable player, though remember the Express is only quoting the Sun.
I think it would be a good idea to sign the permenant number two now and play him as number one. Stekelenberg as back up. If Stekelenberg gets injured we're back to square one with Davis/Gazzaniga again
Reed has mentioned that he would like to sign another young keeper. However, he will want to sign the right player when he comes along....if that person doesn't appear/isn't immediately available, there is no point in splashing the cash. And if he did appear, my guess is that he would be behind Maarten anyway. Saints have done the right thing...we needed a proven number one, rather than take chances. A good experienced GK would be wary of signing for us with Forster in the wings....a loan was the obvious answer.
Reed said in his interview he was happy with Stekelenberg, with Kelvin and Gazza in reserve Reed continued: “We feel with Kelvin [Davis], Maarten and young Gazza [Paulo Gazzaniga] in there, we have some strength. “Back four and goalkeeper wise we are covered, but with the news that Toby’s not coming we have to plug that hole as well. We have targets we had as options who we will pursue to make sure we get the right player and then I think defensively we are pretty sound.”
How about sign a permanent number two now and let him fight Maarten for his place? Or have you already decided that Maarten won't be good enough?
I'm willing to give Stekelenberg a chance as there is no doubt he was a good goalkeeper a few years ago. His performances in the last 3 or so years don't give me too much confidence though.
Imagine what playing behind Fulham's defence would have done for his confidence. You have to wait and see what he's like behind our (hopefully better!) back four and DM's.
You mean that one appearance on loan for Monaco? Or playing in goal for that awful Fulham team two years ago? I would say it is very difficult to judge his ability at the moment. However, he looked good in the friendly the other day.
I'm willing to give Stekelenberg a chance as there is no doubt he was a good goalkeeper a few years ago. His performances in the last 3 or so years don't give me too much confidence though. Yes his time at Fulham, where he was replaced by top goalkeeper David Stockdale who did a much better job than him in that awful Fulham team. And also his time at Roma where he was also not great and their fans were very happy to see the back of the him, almost as much as Osvaldo.
With any luck, these condemnations of Maarten will be in line with Joe and Dan writing off Pelle last summer Hi guys (we know you're reading) Come back if you're not already on under a new name.
I don't believe I have written him off (though I was firmly with Joe and Dan on the Pelle deal and have not changed my opinion), the first I had really heard/watched Stekelenberg was in the 2010 world cup where he was a good keeper. After looking out for him a bit more I am just hoping that that wasn't a fluke tournament or something and he is as good as that tournament suggested.
Depending on whether we get past Vitesse we could play, what, eight games before the summer transfer window closes (excluding friendlies). That's a decent number of games to have a look at Maarten. Not ideal of course, but if those matches don't go well for him then as an emergency we could always delve back into the transfer market and try and sign another keeper before the window slams shut. For now, I have complete faith in the club over Maarten.
Not you particularly, but since he signed, a lot have. FWIW, I feel there is a lot a miss with Pelle's game too, but he has been a success for us in his first season.
I don't want to recover old ground as it seems I am in the minority on my feelings towards Pelle (though there are people who agree with me to an extent on here), but I don't feel he has been a success. He is a below average to average Premier League striker and the fact he scored 12 goals last year doesn't change my opinion, as I said on one of my rants about him, put a majority of the other strikers from a PL team in our side last year and I'd fancy them to do better than Pelle. But yeah, hopefully Stekelenberg is good, and proves myself and the other doubters wrong.
Pelle scored 12 league goals and played an important part in the team who had highest Premier league finish - that makes a successful first season to me. That said, I felt that I was the only one questioning his play earlier this season. I do feel there is a lot missing.
