Goalies

Think it deserves a thread of its own.

For me Given is over the hill - and Guzan is more than good enough for where we are. I actually think it was an error to drop Guzan - although it could be argued we got the points needed with Given in goal.

Next season Guzan starts as no 1 - if funds allow bring in an understudy...but moving Guzan on would be a mistake IMO - We have other priorities.

I don't think either are top draw. Given on his day is a top keeper and better than Guzan, but is too old, Guzan is decent but prone to mistakes and awful distribution.

I'd go for Heaton or Begovic as #1

Guzan is a good keeper. His kicking is a big weakness but he is still much better than Given.

Given's best days are past him, but Guzan isn't a good enough, i'm sick of listening to villa fans going on about how good he is because he pulled off worldies, most keepers can, he kicks like a donkey, he can't command an area on freekicks and corners, he can't even set up players for walls etc.

Guzan has his faults - but the issue is do we blow a good whack of our transfer budget on someone better ? - I think there are other priorities and Guzan is easily a mid table keeper.

avfc85 wrote:Given's best days are past him, but Guzan isn't a good enough, i'm sick of listening to villa fans going on about how good he is because he pulled off worldies, most keepers can, he kicks like a donkey, he can't command an area on freekicks and corners, he can't even set up players for walls etc.

That's a little unfair. If he sets up a wall and players jump out of the way of the ball then who's fault is that!? I'll admit to his kicking not being great but he comes for, and catches crosses as good as anybody in the league for me. He should start as next seasons number 1 and challenge Steer to usurp him.

Guzan's biggest issue, as everyone knows, is his kicking. By Christ is awful!

If the team are set up to attack and he kicks it out/to the opposition/somewhere random, we are on the back foot and struggling.

I hope for the last few weeks he's been doing nothing but practicing his kicking.

Given, for me, is the keeper of choice at the moment. Not as good as a shot stopper but I just trust him more.

Do we need a new keeper? Let's see how Guzan rebounds from this bad patch.

Just three months ago Guzan being spoken of as a top Premier keeper and was being linked with a move to clubs like Arsenal. He was highly regarded by pundits. He's had a bit of a wobble lately but he's only human. He's got a full summer to work on his kicking technique and in my opinion he should remain our number one choice.

mefromhere wrote:

avfc85 wrote:Given's best days are past him, but Guzan isn't a good enough, i'm sick of listening to villa fans going on about how good he is because he pulled off worldies, most keepers can, he kicks like a donkey, he can't command an area on freekicks and corners, he can't even set up players for walls etc.

That's a little unfair. If he sets up a wall and players jump out of the way of the ball then who's fault is that!? I'll admit to his kicking not being great but he comes for, and catches crosses as good as anybody in the league for me. He should start as next seasons number 1 and challenge Steer to usurp him.

I disagree, my statement is true and for us to get our great club back up the table and away from being a relegation threatened club, we need to disregard sentiment and improve our team with players that are good enough to wear the famous claret and blue.

villabromsgrove wrote:Just three months ago Guzan being spoken of as a top Premier keeper and was being linked with a move to clubs like Arsenal. He was highly regarded by pundits. He's had a bit of a wobble lately but he's only human. He's got a full summer to work on his kicking technique and in my opinion he should remain our number one choice.

A top keeper that never got a sniff under Brad Friedel, the guy is 30 and is still nowhere near a top keeper in the Prem, he was brought in because he had been at the club for years and we were undertaking a massive reduction in spend and wages that's why he is/was our number 1.

avfc85 wrote:

villabromsgrove wrote:Just three months ago Guzan being spoken of as a top Premier keeper and was being linked with a move to clubs like Arsenal. He was highly regarded by pundits. He's had a bit of a wobble lately but he's only human. He's got a full summer to work on his kicking technique and in my opinion he should remain our number one choice.

A top keeper that never got a sniff under Brad Friedel, the guy is 30 and is still nowhere near a top keeper in the Prem, he was brought in because he had been at the club for years and we were undertaking a massive reduction in spend and wages that's why he is/was our number 1.

I disagree, if you go back eighteen months and look at his performances up until the last three or four months he's probably been one of our most important players. (in my opinion)

villabromsgrove wrote:

avfc85 wrote:

villabromsgrove wrote:Just three months ago Guzan being spoken of as a top Premier keeper and was being linked with a move to clubs like Arsenal. He was highly regarded by pundits. He's had a bit of a wobble lately but he's only human. He's got a full summer to work on his kicking technique and in my opinion he should remain our number one choice.

A top keeper that never got a sniff under Brad Friedel, the guy is 30 and is still nowhere near a top keeper in the Prem, he was brought in because he had been at the club for years and we were undertaking a massive reduction in spend and wages that's why he is/was our number 1.

I disagree, if you go back eighteen months and look at his performances up until the last three or four months he's probably been one of our most important players. (in my opinion)

He has been poor for most of this season and we are basing performances in a struggling/relegation threatened villa team that has been inconsistent since O'Neill left, is it because Guzan is really good or is it the fact he has shone in v poor teams?

avfc85 wrote:

villabromsgrove wrote:

avfc85 wrote:

villabromsgrove wrote:Just three months ago Guzan being spoken of as a top Premier keeper and was being linked with a move to clubs like Arsenal. He was highly regarded by pundits. He's had a bit of a wobble lately but he's only human. He's got a full summer to work on his kicking technique and in my opinion he should remain our number one choice.

A top keeper that never got a sniff under Brad Friedel, the guy is 30 and is still nowhere near a top keeper in the Prem, he was brought in because he had been at the club for years and we were undertaking a massive reduction in spend and wages that's why he is/was our number 1.

I disagree, if you go back eighteen months and look at his performances up until the last three or four months he's probably been one of our most important players. (in my opinion)

He has been poor for most of this season and we are basing performances in a struggling/relegation threatened villa team that has been inconsistent since O'Neill left, is it because Guzan is really good or is it the fact he has shone in v poor teams?

I think you're right that he was more noticeable in a very poor team because he had far more to do. Maybe his increased involvement helped him to concentrate more.

I hadn't thought about that, but I'm still hoping that Guzan will return to his best form because I really like the guy.

avfc85 wrote:Given's best days are past him, but Guzan isn't a good enough, i'm sick of listening to villa fans going on about how good he is because he pulled off worldies, most keepers can, he kicks like a donkey, he can't command an area on freekicks and corners, he can't even set up players for walls etc.

One hundred percent agree. Guzan is one of the most overrated players i've ever seen at this club. Yes a few times over the years he'd save us the odd point but isn't that what most keepers do? How many penalties has he saved since he became a regular too? two? It's an absolute crime that someone who let in 60 odd goals was actually picked as "player of the season" and yet two of the best talents we've had at this club in the last ten years in Young and Benteke has never won player of the year!!..it's especially shocking when you consider that Tekkers has kept us up pretty much on his own since he arrived here...and now this year people are talking about Clark being "player of the season"? LOL you couldn't make it up .