With a world class keeper we might have won the League . Small detail; it was 83 .
I typed 83 but it looked wrong
Horn, then.
I agree with your overall point. But reckon itâs not a coincedence that every big club has, at least, a top 10 keeper and not keepers who you would place below that.
You need a keeper who, even when he faces one clear cut chance a game, has the focus and quality to make sure that one moment goes your way. I would definitely agree a top class team can get by without a top class keeper, but it will cost you at times. The Almunia example cited above is a good one - how might we have fared with a keeper that could have gotten us another 5-6 points?
A goalkeeper is the only âspecialistâ position on the pitch and the only position that has its own dedicated coach.
Goalkeepers are under-appreciated IMO. To me, itâs the most important position on the pitch. Having someone who can command his box can single-handedly save you â a good goalkeeper in an average team will keep that team competing. Sure there is the argument that if youâre competent in every other position then your goalkeeper shouldnât need to be involved, but how many teams have that luxury?
A decent keeper will be a leader, heâll organise the defence and save the defence â thus making them feel safer. Clough was a big advocate of this, he believed that feeling âsafeâ spread through the entire team, that having a safe pair of hands at the back gave everyone more confidence, even the strikers - they felt they could take risks and that if they scored, theyâd feel like it was the winning goal because the opposition wouldnât score. A save might not be as sexy as a Messi free kick, but a save is worth as much as a goal.
Sure there are some bargains to be had, hidden gems in Ligue 2 for example â and iâm not totally against bringing someone like Horn in. But in general, the idea that some have, that itâs a position in which a club should economise doesnât ring true to me. Should be one of the first positions we aim to fill this summer, if that means spending a small fortune then so be it.
I think in the current market, even a significant outlay would be an excellent use of resources. ÂŁ30 million plus on a top class goalkeeper in his twenties would easily pay dividends.
As to who that keeper might be, Iâll freely admit my football knowledge these days wouldnât extend as far as knowing of any candidates.
Oblak for 100m or Timo Horn for 6m? The output on the pitch between the two doesnât justify the 94m difference in price, guaranteed.
People are romanticising the importance of a keeper.
No way it is most important position on the pitch.
Miss the days of having a NUTTER in goal - a la LEHMANN someone who genuinely frightened the opposition
Re. Oblak, maybe some player plus cash madness?
They wanted LacaâŚ
Laca plus ÂŁ20 mil or so for Oblak could satisfy everybody.
What you think folks?
Thatâs the key word; wanted.
Donât think they want Laca now broâŚlol.
Theyâve signed Diego Costa since last summerâŚmaybe they would be interested in Lacazette as a potentiaal Griezmann replacement but I doubt that.
GK is historically one of the cheapest positions of the pitch. We canât fall into the trap of paying big money for GK who isnât anything other than a generational talent.
A GK is definitely the last piece of building a top squad imo.
We need to make smart moves going into the future. Iâm fully of the opinion now we should turn Arsenal academy into a youth farm and hope for a similar situation which developed Courtois
As well as his own players.
probably himself too at times, the guy was nucking futz!
A GK is important but not the most important on the pitch. Actually Iâd go as far as calling it least important. City could have any GK in the league and still be 1st and we could have any GK in the world weâd still be 6th right now. Many goals are simply unsavable and a goalkeeper while needed for us wonât solve many of our problems.
For me midfield and centre backs take precidence
https://twitter.com/honigstein/status/976167845334798337
âEmil Forsberg has been in and out of the (RB Leipzig) team with injuries, and theyâve really missed him a lot.
âHe is still a guy who really wants to go to the Premier League. He was very upset when Arsenalâs offer was turned down straight away by Leipzig.
âI think (Arsenal) will come back in for him because he has got a lot of talent.â
Shit, Iâm conflicted.
Forsberg is good and walk straight into out starting 11 but on the other hand I would prefer someone more athletic. specially since is Mkhitaryan is playing in the other wing.
Might have been an Forsberg or Mkhitaryan situation.