Give him a new contract. Give him a medal. Make him a Freeman of the City, if such a thing exists. Fraze you ****ing legend
Just back and not even read the match thread. 100%. He got us 3 points on his own today. Simply stupendous.
I'd like to know what he's thinking when the Northam are singing his name when not so long ago the same pricks were sarcastically cheering him for catching a cross.
I'd also like to know what we think on here. I think the consensus has probably bemoaned having someone on such a large wage be out of form and out of the frame for such a large portion of their contract. It's hard to argue that he hasn't rediscovered his form though. What does the club do?
I love a story of redemption, it shows great character and creates such a strong bond with the fans when a player has stood at the edge of the abyss only to return to a ticket-tape celebration It happened here before and it was a goalkeeper who’s arrival wasn’t welcomed, competence was questioned from the start and then became a bit of a legend ... Step up Kelvin (Edit: Anyone got any more examples?)
It's a no for me. For the money he would want it simply wouldn't be worth it despite a couple of good peformances recently - he's proven over the course of this season (and this entire contract tbf) that he simply isn't good enough to be a starting keeper for us. Every keeper in football is capable of the odd worldie game but he's lacking in too many basics of goalkeeping to be a regular at this level on 80 bags a week. If Alex hadn't been given a new deal (assuming that's true) then I'd have been open to him remaining as a back up on a vastly reduced wage but I doubt he'd have taken that anyway. To start next season with those two as our GK options would be nothing short of criminal given they were both out contract imo.
It is a yes from me. The money we pay him is irrelevant as that is up to the club to decide and doesn't affect me in any way. I often think too much is made of what certain players earn. The "oh x is on 50k a week and y is on 100k". Let's face it, in the scheme of things none of them are 'worth' 80k a week or even 10k a week. So I just roll with it. Better the devil you know - a new keeper may turn out pants...or may not. We know what we have got - give him a 1 year extension.
I'm in the Keep Fraz camp if, big if, he's prepared to stay. Another club can afford to match or improve his wages as there's no fee so I can't see him signing a short contract on lower pay. Difficult to identify a replacement that's available, affordable and an improvement.
I expect the clubs that are prepared to offer 80-100k a week even with no fee are not that numerous Up until very recently he was considered (and the stats showed him) to be very similar in quality to McCarthy . And McCarthy seemingly failed to leverage his expired contract into a new deal at those figures given he has signed an extension here at what is likely similar wages to what he was on before (from what I understand) Sure Fraser has had a couple of shop window performances. But enough to get people to offer him a similar deal to what he is on now? I am not so sure. Saints fans consistently made the point that neither our goalkeepers get in as number 1 for many of the sides in the league. I don’t see a newly promoted club gambling on matching his currently deal. So you are side looking at a select few clubs who will offer that to a number 2 goalkeeper - not least because we are a lesson for clubs our size at size of contract for goalkeepers that aren’t guaranteed first choice. From there it is only really City that are an option (I would suggest). Liverpool have a very good number 2 who is almost certainly on a smaller contract. Perhaps I am thinking about this all wrong and clubs look at the the overall value of the deal and one for him will work out lower than the fees plus wages for a new signing. I’m just not convinced the market is out there for goalkeepers of the level of our two getting the sorts of wages Fraser is currently on. Maybe for a shorter deal but security of a longer deal might be preferable Now if we are debating over whether he would sign a deal on a similar level to McCarthy (so a substantial pay cut) for multiple years then there will be more clubs interested I expect. And probably with a bigger signing fee. So with that said it seems unlikely that he stays So I kind of disagree on another club matching or improving his current wages. But matching what we would actually offer on the other hand is definitely something I could see
Yes and no. It's irrelevant in the sense of its not our money and doesn't affect us. But it's absolutely relevant to the clubs success and ability to operate in the transfer window. We've been haemorrhaging money for years due to giving average players big contracts and then being unable to shift them, with Forster being the best example of this. This has directly impacted the ability to bring in players and is the main reason why Ralph has had so few permanent signings during his time here. FF was deemed not good enough to be first choice 3/4 years ago and yet we've not gone and purchased an established GK in that time instead having to go for freebies or gamble on young players. There's a direct correlation there. We're not a United or similar who can write off a big mistake and bring in another player. If we **** up then we're stuck with them likely for the duration of their deal as we have been with FF. Three seasons ago we were paying a 3rd choice keeper 80k which is beyond mental for a club of our stature. My concern is that we're just coming out the other side of all those **** ups and we might be fooled into making another one on an incredibly small sample size. I honestly don't think he'd be that difficult to replace either. If we're prepared to pay similar money and our scouts can't find anyone better then they should probably be lobbed in the sea tbh.
He's had a couple of great games, he'll have a mare again soon as (nearly) all keepers do. But he showed against Chelsea how much he really hated letting in six, and that attitude counts for a lot imo. He'll always have his limitations, as will Alex, so we should really be looking to offload one of them and trying to find better. Who, though?
Sorry for what Loco? Any player in the teams I played for that had such an impact on the pitch had a positive impact in the dressing room.
I think it is because “impact on the dressing room” is now just a snarky comment people make since it is apparently the club’s justification for giving Walcott a two year deal on what is rumoured to be the second highest wage at the club (when he signed it - third now) And so the “sorry” is likely an acknowledgement that such a comment didn’t really add anything Indeed to be pedantic there is a chance that such a high wage for someone who has up until recently been a reserve goalkeeper is more likely to have a negative impact on the dressing room. And potentially also hampered signings beyond just eating into the budget Imagine trying to go to a prospective first team striker and offering then X and they say - well your sub goalie is on 1.5X. If I am starting striker I want at least that but closer to 2X. Could well have happened at points
Greg is correct. It’s my irritating, repetitive humour. Just when a non-joke is worn thin is when it comes into its own for me. Adding an insightful comment takes something away from the comedy for me. But back on the topic of Frazer. I don’t think he should be given a new contract. I like him, he is a good guy, but he’s spent so long on the sidelines and didn’t want to move for first team football. We don’t really know what happened behind the scenes but he’s cost us a lot over the years as a 2nd keeper. Im very grateful for the 3pts but my opinion stands; he’s capable of first class performances but isn’t consistent enough to be nailed on no 1.
