Martin O'Neill has revealed Sunderland keeper Craig Gordon rejected the chance to leave before the loan transfer window closed. The Scottish shot-stopper is currently working his way back to full fitness after being injury-plagued since injuring his knee in February 2011. Simon Mignolet is O'Neill's first-choice number one at the moment and the former Aston Villa and Celtic boss had been keen on gauging Gordon's level of progress. However, the former Hearts keeper opted to remain at the Stadium of Light in order to prove his fitness and win an extension to the five-year deal that is due to expire this summer. Choice "There was a club interested in taking him out on loan," explained O'Neill. "I thought about it because it might have been an opportunity for him to play a couple of games to give us a better idea of his fitness, but I was concerned about it as well because Keiren Westwood has been out with a wrist injury and that could have left us in a delicate position. "I left it up to him and he chose to stay and continue his rehabilitation here, so that's where we have left it." "It's something I haven't considered yet," O'Neill added on Gordon's future. "The main thing is that, by the end of the season, he is fully fit. Everybody knows what he was capable of doing before the injuries."
Its a bit of a pickle for us, when fit he his by far our best keeper but he seems prone to bad injuries, he's a Keane signing which I think means he'll be on 45k a week. That's alot to pay for someone who isnt playing.
i think if we could get him on a one year extension as a pay to play that would be the best for all partys. That way he gets to prove his fitness and at the end of it we give him a better deal or worst case scenario we have him for an extra year and we can ship him off in jan and at least try and recoup some coin.
Think about this though. He will be on more money than both Westwood and Mignolet put together and is he really THAT much better? Far better IMO we let him go and take the wages of the bill. This could be better used towards strengthening our team in other places. There is no guarantee he is still able to perform and if we renew his contract it will be for bigger wages and at least a 3 year deal. He hasn't played 50% of the games in the last 3? Time to let him go and move on imo.
load of bollocks mig is easily on par,if not better and he's younger westwood also looked very good when he was in gordon's presence in the box is terrible (bolton at home and stoke away spring to mind).......he's extremely weak and is a one trick pony get rid pls!
I think that Gordon will get a new contract in the summer, I still think MON rates him by the way he is talking about him. If during pre-season who proves his fitness he will be No1 next season. Unfortunately I can see Westwood leaving in the summer.
Something has to give, and i think it'll be goodbye Gordon.... No denying he's a good keeper, but if he was a horse he'd be shot by now. Iv'e maintained all along he's our best keeper, but with the recent form of Mig....i'm no longer sure.... What-ever happens we will still have 2 good keepers.....but which 2?
You not seen O'Neils quotes... Basicall says he's a mint keeper, and if he proves his fitness they will look at it in the summer. I do think he will be No1 next season.
