The keeper debate......i know again.

Does anyone really think Westwood could dis-lodge Mig as the man in goal?

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MARTIN O’NEILL wants Keiren Westwood to push Simon Mignolet hard for the number one spot, now there is a two-way fight to be Sunderland’s first-choice stopper.

Republic of Ireland stopper Westwood has not travelled with Sunderland’s squad to South Korea after being granted extra time off following his participation in the summer’s European Championships.

That means Mignolet, who started 29 of Sunderland’s 38 Premier League outings last season, will get an early opportunity to stake his claim to remain first-choice, in tomorrow’s opening Peace Cup encounter against Korean outfit Seongnam.

But after the summer departure of Craig Gordon, O’Neill is eager for his two remaining international keepers to scrap it out to start the opening Premier League encounter at Arsenal on August 18.

Westwood, who is due to return to pre-season training next week, was between the sticks for O’Neill’s opening four games in charge and only lost his place in the side through illness.

O’Neill told the Echo: “Simon Mignolet went in last season and did really well, but Westwood had done fine before that and was unlucky to lose his spot.

“Keiren did well when he played for the Republic during the summer too in the friendlies and he might have been disappointed not to have played the last game at the Euro’s.

“He’s coming back to pre-season looking to try to get back as the first-team goalkeeper and I want him to challenge for that.

“I’ve got really good competition in there.”

O’Neill opted not to renew Scotland international Gordon’s contract at the end of last season, due to both the £9million keeper’s wages and the presence of Mignolet and Westwood.

Gordon is yet to find a new club after turning down a decent offer to join SPL champions Celtic.

And despite rumours of interest from Premier League outfits Spurs, Arsenal and Wigan, Championship side Bristol City are understood to be the only English side to have shown a firm interest in the 29-year-old.

“In an ideal world, it would have been great to keep Craig,” said O’Neill. “But that means you’ve got three quality goalkeepers and that’s an impossibility at any stage.

“Players want to play and it’s hard enough keeping a second goalkeeper, never mind a third. And of course the financial restrictions are there, like with everything else.

“Both of those factors combined as the reason why I couldn’t keep him on.”

 

both very good goalkeepers and whoever plays will not let us down

Mig is number 1 at the minute IMO and until he gets injured or has a bad run of games he starts for me

 

Westwood for me. Think he will be a bit more solid than Mignolet.

 

Apart from his free kick positioning I strongly believe that Mig is the stronger of the 2 keepers, when it comes to one on ones and ridiculous saves there arent many keepers better imo

If he sorts out his positioning I think he would be one of the better keepers in the league

Westwood looked solid when he stepped in, but I would want to see more of him before I passed judgement

 

Mig!!! I think he's cracking.

Weary has always done well when needed too, very pleased with both

 

I think they are both excellent keepers, and I would be very happy with either one of them as our number 1..

 

We'll swap you one of them for Rob Elliott?

 

In a word,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,NO.

 

Westwood wins just for me. Mignolet is a cracking keeper but is too flappy with crosses. Westwood commands his box much better and if the ball comes in from a corner with mig, he might or might not get there. Mostly not and he's over eager for it. Westwood, if he comes, is likely to claim that ball. Just my opinion like

 

Mig all day for me.

Hope to see the lad make 500 appearances for us, but I think people will start sniffing around soon enough.