He is indeed a very good goalkeeper and one we have been keeping an eye on. I was at West Ham yesterday to watch the Reading keeper and I am at Reading on Good Friday afternoon to watch him again......
Contrary to what Holte may have told us, Villa have dropped as low as the third tier in their history... please log in to view this image ...and have been within three points of The Drop in 1994-5 and 2002-3. As for McLeish, it's likely due to Lerner being on a cost-cutting drive in the past few season, after MO'N failed to get them above UEFA Cup/Europa league football, which implies he was also responsible for inflating the wage bill in order to try and crack through the glass ceiling beyond their means.
How long do you think Brad can maintain his current level. There must come a time when the reflexes go a bit?
Well pleased with that, quality finish from VDV, and another goal from a corner. Plus no goals conceded from a set pieces - again. I think it was wrong to drop Jake, but hey we won so fair enough. Pleased to see Lennon back and making a goal, well done Aaron. Ade showed again how much we'll miss him if we can't match his wage demands.
Ok people- a mission to find Spurcat at Reading on Friday- look for the person not watching the game, just the Reading keeper. Whoever finds him gets to have drink with me and others next week. Yes fellow Yids I will be in London next week and hope to meet up if poss.
His stop at the beginning of the second half was unbelievable, for me he's still as good as any in the league he just needs his defenders infront of him to concentrate a bit more at times. I second Al-Habsi as a choice to replace him though. Vorm looked okay yesterday but I'm not sure why he allowed himself to get wrong footed for the opener, I guess he's just not really at the level we need.
i don't think any keeper would have stopped our opener yv.even if Vorm was'nt wrong footed he would'nt have stopped it,no one was expecting vdv to pop up like that,he seemed to come from nowhere
All true, was after Spurcat's view of how long Brad would stay at this level, whether there is any planning for when the level would start to drop. As a layman on this, I would say he is good to be our No1 next year and so we should be looking at a younger keeper to shadow for a year and then possibly phase Brad out after that. (That sounds more callous than intended, but you know what I mean)
The club is definitely planning for next season with Friedel remaining the number 1 keeper. I am told he lives a very disciplined lifestyle and is super fit for a man of his age. He is of course, very lucky when it comes to injuries, and although he has sustained injuries over the past few seasons, they have coincided with the International breaks, and so he has had time to recover and so not miss games. As for how long he can carry on playing at this level, well that's pretty difficult to answer. What I will say is that with keepers, there is a tendency to see a sudden and rapid decline. Look at David Seaman, who suddenly started making the occasional error, and then within 6 months became almost a weak link. Ditto with Peter Shilton, who although he extended his career by playing in the lower divisions, was a shadow of the keeper he had been 12 months earlier. If and when, Friedel makes a couple of errors in the space of 3 games or so, it might set some alarm bells ringing, but for the moment, let's be thankful he is still capable of the saves he made yesterday.
I agree but I always like to see the 'keeper go for it. In hindsight maybe I was a little harsh but in real time I felt he had time to move a yard or so to the right as VDV hit it, the way Rafa was shaped you knew where it was going. please log in to view this image FYI I'm the one with the rolled up sleeves on Rafa's right
I notice every time we play how much more relaxed I AM with Friedel between the posts. He rarely looks flustered and always organises set pieces with authority. Just remember how the opposite was true with Gomes, every time the oppo had a corner your heart was in your mouth.
VDv often shoots early, which gives him a great advantage. It was a superb finish, and the keeper had no chance.
I would imagine that is what Vorm will be telling his keeper coach this morning. I was looking at the goal from a keepers point of view, and at the time did have a wee doubt about the keeper as the gap to his right did seem too large, but having had the opportunity to analyse it again last night, I have to say the keeper stood no chance and it was a quality strike.
Letting that goal in doesn't prove Vorm is a bad keeper, it just proves it was a very good strike. Vorm showed throughout the rest of the match that he is in fact a good keeper. It's a split second thing, just to have his weight going the wrong way and he isn't able to react when he realises where it's going. I'm no keeper expert, but for whatever reason he didn't move I just don't see it as an error.
How on earth can you see the goalmouth action at the other end from there ?? I guess you have to rely on the Jumbotron don't you ??
