“Carson has made crucial saves (and the odd cock-up)…”
B44 Tommy writes…
To me the problem with Carson is not so much “cock up” as a a complete lack of “crucial saves”. Top 8 keeper? Who’s better? Here’s my list in no particular order.
Cech, James, Van De Sar, Friedel, Given, Hanneman, James, Howard, Green, Reyna, Jaskelinan, even Schwarzer.
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“Stained Glass in The Trinity” comments…
A good goal keeper can win you games. Not once this season can I say that about Carson. In fact, I’d go as far as to say I haven’t seen him make a really good save apart from the one against Newcastle when we had already scored 4.
He should have saved the free kick against Reading, fortunately that didn’t matter but he should also have easily saved the free kick at Fulham when it did.
I’d still have him though as I think he could get better. His kicking is good and he does talk to his defence. But he isn’t worth the £10 million muted, maybe half that or less.
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B44 Tommy adds…
Spot on, I wouldn’t mind him either but he’s not worth anywhere near 10 mill. I’m hopeful the young American will be the man. They seem to produce good keepers in Friedal, Hannaman and Kasey Keller.
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Claret & Light Blue says…
Points taken – good ones. Stained Glass is correct – “a good keeper can win you games”..I would add, “a poor or average keeper can lose you games”. Yes, he should have saved the Fulham free-kick which cost us a point, but he has not cost us many other points, has given some solid, “error-free” performances, and has numerous good aspects to his game, as pointed out by “Stained Glass”. He is a decent keeper, aged 22, and, according to O’Neil, has a great attitude and will get much better as a result. At the same time, we are a decent team, including many youngsters, with a superb team spirit and attitude and we will get better. Sounds like the two could go hand-in-hand?…
Admittedly, the price is high but does that really concern us? Really? If he turns out to be a bad buy what does it mean to us? An extra fiver on the season ticket, 25p on the curry sauce?..Besides, what are the alternatives – forget Sorenson and Taylor and don’t pin your hopes on the American just yet..As pointed out by B44 Tom, Brad Guzan is the latest in a increasingly long-line of good keepers from the U.S. – a position that they excel at whilst the rest of their team remains fairly average…It’s been a long time since English goalies were regarded as the best in the world hasn’t it?…
Guzan is very good indeed. He won the best keeper award last season and recently made his international debut. If Martin can get him – the money has been agreed but it’s a work permit issue – then that might be our answer but unless the permit is an absolute “gimme”, as they say, then I have to go with Carson, who I have to emphasise is just 22. O’Neil clearly thinks highly of him and he could well develop into a great Villa goalie and an international goalkeeper of some standing…Lots of speculation obviously but that’s part of the Game…
Tom lists the keepers he believes are better than Carson – strangely he lists James twice which is particularly ironic as this prat was an absolute disgrace during his last spell as England’s keeper (how soon we forget his inept flapping at cross after cross after cross – I can vividly remember pleading that he never plays for England again). Obviously he has performed well of late but how often? I have not seen Portsmouth very much this season. Rednapp talks up all his players as if they should be a World XI…
Anyway the other keepers on Tom’s list are all arguably better than Carson at this point, although I personally wouldn’t put Schwarzer or Howard above him. That leaves the obvious Cech, Van de Saar, and probably Reina as my top three. The others – James, Green, Friedel, Given (who gets plenty of practice), Hanemann, and Jaskelinaan are in the second tier, along with Carson. So it’s a top ten, not eight – who’s counting? Carson is one of the youngest on the list, although it’s hard to believe that Cech is still only 25! (Is that right? – “cech his papers, comrade”)
I say that unless there is a clearly better alternative, he is our best option and we try to get him…and then hire Jim Cumbes to coach him!…
It’s all very interesting…Claret & Light Blue and remembering Geoff Sidebottom…
