Obviously there's a lot of issues for Ralph and Semmens to address this off-season. One of the simpler ones in my mind is the keeper situation. For me, he needs to stop this rotation policy (which I think he will TBF). I think he was just giving both keepers a chance. For me, first choice is Fraser. Didn't do a lot wrong in the games he's played this season and I think the defence has been more confident with him between the sticks. Alex's confidence seems shot. OK, next season could be a fresh start for him but unless Fraser has an abysmal pre-season, he's got to be pencilled in for keeper next season.
I voted for Forster, however if we did have money, I would go for a new number one. Sell McCarthy, he is a great shotstopper, but is guaranteed to drop a clanger every half a dozen games or so! His kicking and decision making is appalling.
I think this an area we need to prioritise... we’ve seen the difference at other clubs where good keepers can earn points across a season... we’ve got the opposite in that we don’t know who or in which order one of them will drop a clanger... but it will be one or both... defending starts at the back and we need a Peter Schmeichel type... as for names, I don’t know any well enough... if it's Johnstone, so be it, but let’s just not go for a younger Fraser or Alex...
Completely agree this ridiculous rotation has to stop. It’s concerning that after all this time Ralph doesn’t know his No 1.
I voted for a new GK, neither are awful but both have their flaws. I'm a big believer in the importance of having a solid 7/8 out of 10 per game keeper between the sticks ever since the days of Shilts. I agree that if we don't sign someone then Fraser should start next season as the #1.
I would be delighted if both disappeared to another club but can’t see anyone spending good money on buying them let alone forking out for their huge wages Neither are any better than just about average at best
Is Gunn finished as a keeper with us? Just looked and he's had an awful loan at Stoke, not in the squad, benched or injured.
GK is a problem position for us. There is no way the rotation thing should continue into next season. Good defences are stable and consistent and that starts at the very back. Problem is neither Forster nor McCarthy have stood out this year as deserving of the No.1. Given our financial position can we really afford to keep two 'first choice' goalkeepers on high wages when neither of them are that good? It doesn't seem a wise use of limited resources! But do we have the money to bring in a new No.1? Probably not when we have a lot of work to do elsewhere. If we can't or won't bring in a new No.1 I'd sell Forster and back McCarthy as our No.1. He will make the odd clanger but has been solid enough for us more often then not over the last few years. He's not been great recently, but then who in a Saints shirt has!? Not many of them!
He's currently got a foot injury and returned to us early. Picked up along term ankle injury earlier on in the season, just as he got into the team, so yeah, a pretty injury plagued spell. Still think there's a keeper there, personally.
It seems to me that he has faith in neither but is forced to stick with it as the £5.69 transfer budget that Chairman Gao has allocated needs to be spent elsewhere...
Not sure he’s had a bad game, but with Fraser, we’ve expected him to reach the heights he has before. Excellent all round keeper; using his height to dominate the box, comfortable with the ball at his feet on either side, etc, etc but despite him being better than he was (starting from a very low point after that Spurs game) he will never reach his previous. As we loaded him up with such an enormous contract, when his confidence was shattered by something (insert rumour here) he’s been given all the support in the world to get back to his best, the trouble is, his best now is just a bit “m’eh”....we backed ourselves into a corner with the size of the contract and the weekly wage..... Les Reed legacy continues...
I voted for Frase Forster. It's worth noting both have been deemed worthy of an England cap If there was to be another, an improvement on Forster or McCarthy, who would that be and at what cost? Angus Gunn is 25, back at the club with an injury and should be persevered with.
Frazier and a budding future no 1 for me Fraze has done well in a team that can’t stop losing No 2 could be Gunn but I’d favour a reset and someone new What money we have needs to be spent elsewhere
I have a mate who has basically thought that all our keepers have been useless since Shilts He had a brief period where he thought Niemi was okish
