Villa Keeper?

To be honest, he has huge shoes to fill. Tim Howard was a rock for the national team for over 10 years straight. He was always our most consistent performer and rarely made any of the mistakes he's prone to make for Everton. Hes arguably the best player to ever play for the American national team.

As far as the comments go, most American soccer fans are blissfully ignorant of the game or love to complain about anything and everything (sound familiar? Lol). Klinsmann is a fantastic manager and has singlehandedly transformed us from a defend and counter side under Bob Bradley, to a dynamic attacking force. He has polarized fans by the fact that he is recruiting all kinds of european players whose parents are American, but have never lived in America themselves. He also has openly criticsized, and IMO rightly, MLS and the low quality of play, encouraging our players to move to Europe. He often selects primarily selects players plying their trade in Europe to those in form in MLS, and this angers a lot of USA supporters. Many see him playing Guzan over a few MLS keepers only because he plays his club football in Europe. Combine that with the fact that he isn't Tim Howard, or as polished as Timmy was/is, he'll always be the scapegoat, even after a solid performance like he had the other night.

Aitor Karanka pratically confirming Shay to Boro very likely and confirms "they're working on it." Talks about how he has worked with him previously and hopes to conclude the deal soon.

In the last 4 matches Guzan has collected 4 wins including wins over germany and netherlands.

Last night again he made stellar saves, commanded his box well, and have good distributions. He really did not do a single thing wrong. Granted, in the US team he is not passed the ball back to him as often as maybe villa. But if he can win games with the shittiest defense in the world (USA) then he can do more than win at Villa.
We dont need to replace him, just give him confidence.

Shay Given looks like going to Stoke City now....which means he will be 2nd choice to young Jack Butland.....Begovic definitely off then!

Stoke? Where has that come from?

I just read the Teeside Gazette half hour ago and they were practically welcoming Shay to the club.

Could Begovic be happening to us? I know I'm being optimistic. But could be that we've offered the money for him and Stoke have said...."Give us Given then."

I think Hughes signed him when at Man City?

From the Teeside Gazette:

Boro were left reeling this afternoon after Shay Given slipped through their fingers at the final moment.

Club chiefs thought they had secured the Republic of Ireland keeper after he was released from the final year of his contract at Aston Villa.

Boro thought they had agreed a two-year deal for the 100 times capped Republic of Ireland man and expected Given to head to Teesside today to finalise a Riverside return.

But the Gazette understands Premier League side Stoke made a last gasp raid to snatch the veteran shot-stopper at the eleventh hour.

The fans’ favourite, 39, was expected to wrap up the move today.

Boro had been keeping a close eye on the keeper since a successful loan spell in 2013-14 when he kept 10 clean sheets in 16 games.

But it appears the move unravelled over the course of the day.

The deal got so close that normally reticent head coach Aitor Karanka spoke openly on the move at a lunch-time press conference at Hurworth.

“We are working on the keeper position,” said the boss earlier on Wednesday.

"Shay was here, I know him, he knows me, so we are working and let’s see.”

But this afternoon it emerged that top flight Stoke had stepped in and are in pole position to sign him.

Stoke have made their move with Manchester United and Chelsea both rumoured to be set to pounce for first choice keeper Asmir Begovic.

Potters boss Mark Hughes signed Given when he was in charge at Manchester City.

So we are letting Given go to Stoke....the team who rebuffed our bid for their GK. I'm not sure about this guys. Is Begovic about to become a Villan?! I certainly hope so. I know I'm probably deluding myself.

No idea on Begovic  :)

But the Given thing, I saw on Twitter. If accurate, it seems Boro have been gazumped of sorts.

Im sure we have probably paid up some of Givens contract, but to get him off the wage bill has to be good news, whoever gave a 35yr old a 5 year deal wants his head looking at!

Good luck all the same Seamus!

kimbo wrote:No idea on Begovic  :)

But the Given thing, I saw on Twitter. If accurate, it seems Boro have been gazumped of sorts.

Need to get myself on Twitter. I'm still living in the dark ages of reading actual newspapers.

I wouldn't recommend you follow ITK's, I don't and it helps keep my sanity (what's left of it anyway)

mark_draper wrote:Could Begovic be happening to us? I know I'm being optimistic. But could be that we've offered the money for him and Stoke have said...."Give us Given then."

I think Hughes signed him when at Man City?

If it isn't and we give them Given for nothing we are mugs

We all know that given is a vampire.  He hates crosses.  I thank you 

Just a thought .... How does Sherwood explain to Guzan that the guy who kept him out of the team at the end of the season is being paid a large chunk of money to go away and play for someone else?

villabromsgrove wrote:Just a thought .... How does Sherwood explain to Guzan that the guy who kept him out of the team at the end of the season is being paid a large chunk of money to go away and play for someone else?  

He sells him whilst he's still in the US so he doesn't have to explain? He won't want to play No2 will he? It's clear he wants a new No1 and I think we could get away with Jed Steed as No2

Hearing weve signed mark bunn. Not begovic, bunn!

danclare82 wrote:Hearing weve signed mark bunn. Not begovic, bunn!

Whooooooooo?

danclare82 wrote:Hearing weve signed mark bunn. Not begovic, bunn!

The norwich reserve? jesus...

UnclePanda wrote:

danclare82 wrote:Hearing weve signed mark bunn. Not begovic, bunn!

The norwich reserve? jesus...

That him. Ian taylor tweeted. A new keeper ane heard its him

This Bunn dude looks ok, but to me a younger shay given, good shot stopping, but, why youtube isnt the best, not a single cut scene of him coming out to get a corner or a cross. Just shot stopping.

I wish more people would get behind Guzan. Because he's only had about 10 bad games in over 3 years for us, 5 being at the end of this season. We should see the quality he brings to the USA national team and strive to bring that out at villa.
I would really hate to see us lose him like we did one of the longest serving national players.
Who you might add? Micheal Bradley.
He just received his 100th cap for the USA, we had him on loan, and did fuck all with him after 3 appearances we decided he wasnt good enough. Went off and was one of the best midfielders in Italy playing championsleague week in and out.

Guzan is a really good GK, and for what and when we got him, what he has done for the team, and what he brings to the table, we should have no reason to replace him for a long time. Bring in someone as a number 2, and let the confidence builder for Guzan start.

rant over.

Tony Parks, our Goalkeeping Coach, worked at Norwich last season before Sherwood brought him to Villa Park. He obviously rates Bunn, and has worked with him for most of a season already, so he knows what he is capable of. Hell, he most likely recommended him to Tim and Reilly.

To me, this shows that Sherwood is backing Guzan 100% as our starter and Bunn will be a cheap, solid, backup keeper with Premier League experience. He won't be an Andy Marshall, because Marshall was 3rd string behind Friedel and Guzan or Guzan and Given. He was pointless because we should have had a young keeper take that 3rd spot and learn from our others. We now have a great keeper Guzan, a solid, reliable backup in Bunn, and a young understudy in Steer, which is a standard setup, IMO.

http://www.avfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10265~4851967,00.html?

He's here.

I honesty think he's first choice. Tell us a lot about how much money we have though.

Really don't know what to make of this.

Guzan is now number 1 again by default.

We need to improve his competition, not decrease it surely? The person we've let go had dislodged him from the position. The person we've signed is a backup?

Can't get my head round this one. It's a dramatic U-Turn by Sherwood. I don't really believe Bunn will be our number 1 for a prolonged period of time. It speaks volumes he's only been given a 2 year deal. If you have faith in him and you feel he's genuine competition, you sign him for longer?