New GK

[blythspartan]

I haven’t really been enamoured with any of the players we’ve been linked with so far but that’s the world we’re in at the moment. Will Lumley be our new avenger, who knows? It does appear that we might be taking a punt on younger players from lower league clubs and players surplus to requirements at other clubs. I am happy if that’s the way we want to proceed.

[Coppells Lost Coat]

Preferably I would go for someone who is a clear upgrade on what we have. So we dont bloat a position of mediocre players.
Lumley by all accounts, is not an improvement just another bang average champ keeper that makes mistakes.
If this is the calibre of player we are going in for this summer then we are in real trouble. We need to be clever in the market - not desperate.

[Stranded]

Because clean sheets are always down to the goalkeeper?

Of course not but shows he is part if a unit that can keep them regularly. He's nowhere near as bad as people want to make out he is.

We have a decent record at bringing in unheralded keepers and them doing alright.

I've seen him on countless ocassions, he's not the best in my opinion but each to their own. He's not someone I'd want in a struggling side, fills me with worry.

No he's not but a change of club can change a player.

Just looking at some of our better goalies in years and where they were when we signed them.

Shaka - direct form US Collegiate football
Hahnemann - 3rd choice at Fulham and one short loan at Rochdale behind him in English football
Al-Habsi - dropped by Wigan after 10 or so games the season before joining us, had also gone to Brighton on loan and managed just 1 apperance
Martinez - 27 yo keeper who had not made a break through anywhere - was seen as gaff prone and very much using us as last chance saloon.

That's just 4 keepers who if we had been linked too today as we have as Lumley would likely have got a even cooler reaction than the rumour linking us to Lumley has.

He's a keeper with over 100 starts at Champ level - capable of a cock up naturally - but you don't play that number of games between a couple of Champ clubs and not have something about you especially at GK where there are only 24 starting spots available at Champ level.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

Lumley is ok, not outstanding, but got a good amount of experience at this level, although I admit he wouldn't look out of place (in a good way) in League One sides fighting for promotion. I'd rather him than Southwood, although he's not a major upgrade on him.

I don't think he will lose us more than points than he wins us, but I would back him to earn us more points than what either Southwood or Nyland would have done as well. I don't think he would be the difference to us staying up or going down, individually, either way.

Give me our own product likely to improve, who is likely to be cheaper over a middling keeper who probably isn’t going to improve a lot and is already at champ wages.

But there's not a lot in it.

Tough to say with an improvement with a goalkeeper as Lumley is still pretty young in goalkeeper ages and could potentially have another 10 years in him, but understand the point about Southwood.

I do think we would concede less goals with Lumley in goal and I don't think he'd cost us as many points, but agree there isn't too much in it. I think the biggest surprise to me is that we've ditched Nyland and presumably Southwood for Lumley. It's not that Lumley isn't better than both, but I just wouldn't have expect us to get shut of 2 goalkeepers who are/were on low pay at this level for someone who isn't that much better.

I suppose it's margins though at this level I guess, even if we get another 2% from our goalkeepers this season, that's still better nonetheless.

[Stranded]

Lumley is ok, not outstanding, but got a good amount of experience at this level, although I admit he wouldn't look out of place (in a good way) in League One sides fighting for promotion. I'd rather him than Southwood, although he's not a major upgrade on him.

I don't think he will lose us more than points than he wins us, but I would back him to earn us more points than what either Southwood or Nyland would have done as well. I don't think he would be the difference to us staying up or going down, individually, either way.

Give me our own product likely to improve, who is likely to be cheaper over a middling keeper who probably isn’t going to improve a lot and is already at champ wages.

But there's not a lot in it.

Tough to say with an improvement with a goalkeeper as Lumley is still pretty young in goalkeeper ages and could potentially have another 10 years in him, but understand the point about Southwood.

I do think we would concede less goals with Lumley in goal and I don't think he'd cost us as many points, but agree there isn't too much in it. I think the biggest surprise to me is that we've ditched Nyland and presumably Southwood for Lumley. It's not that Lumley isn't better than both, but I just wouldn't have expect us to get shut of 2 goalkeepers who are/were on low pay at this level for someone who isn't that much better.

I suppose it's margins though at this level I guess, even if we get another 2% from our goalkeepers this season, that's still better nonetheless.

With Nyland, we don't know what he would have accepted to stay i.e. a couple of grand a week for a few weeks, fine but longer term, he may have wanted more than we are willing to pay - he may have even made it clear himself that he saw the deal as short term and had no intention of staying beyond the summer.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

Yeah agree with that on Nyland, but even so it's still the same with Southwood, I'm surprised we are looking to sell a goalkeeper at this stage, I thought we may have left it another 12 months unless the club are absolutely sold on the idea that he won't make it as this level and we'd be best off to just take the money for him and go from there.

[Millsy]

The trouble is....
Rafael started off being average, but then an error and dipped into being a liability.
Southwood started off being average, but then an error and dipped into being a liability.
Hein started off being average, but then an error and dipped into being a liability.
Nyland started off being average, but then an error and dipped into being a liability.

If' we're looking at getting another average-looking keeper, in a struggling side who'll be under huge pressure I can only see it going one way.

That's one position I'd really want to bolster up to give us a strong backbone. Relegation is on the cards and a couple of points could decide it. A GOOD keeper will give us 6-8 points. Surely we should be focussing on an actual good keeper even if it means sacrificing some other areas.

[NathStPaul]

Rafael and Southwood were both far better than average to begin with. You are talking complete bollocks.

[Snowflake Royal]

Rafael and Southwood were both far better than average to begin with. You are talking complete bollocks.

Which ever way, it doesn’t undermine his basic point.

[Franchise FC]

Rafael and Southwood were both far better than average to begin with. You are talking complete bollocks.

My recollection, particularly of Southwood, was that he was extremely popular (with the fans) and performing well. It’s almost as if the Derby mistake blew his confidence completely

[YorkshireRoyal99]

The trouble is....
Rafael started off being average, but then an error and dipped into being a liability.
Southwood started off being average, but then an error and dipped into being a liability.
Hein started off being average, but then an error and dipped into being a liability.
Nyland started off being average, but then an error and dipped into being a liability.

If' we're looking at getting another average-looking keeper, in a struggling side who'll be under huge pressure I can only see it going one way.

That's one position I'd really want to bolster up to give us a strong backbone. Relegation is on the cards and a couple of points could decide it. A GOOD keeper will give us 6-8 points. Surely we should be focussing on an actual good keeper even if it means sacrificing some other areas.

The question is though, who?

[Coppells Lost Coat]

Rafael and Southwood were both far better than average to begin with. You are talking complete bollocks.

My recollection, particularly of Southwood, was that he was extremely popular (with the fans) and performing well. It’s almost as if the Derby mistake blew his confidence completely

This.
And at the time we had no alternatives and a manager that was refusing to adapt tactics to try and protect him whilst his form was dipping.
He completely crumbled and then hung out to dry once we could get a replacement in.

[NathStPaul]

Rafael and Southwood were both far better than average to begin with. You are talking complete bollocks.

Which ever way, it doesn’t undermine his basic point.

We have been very unfortunate with goalkeepers, yes. I don't think it is fair on Rafael or Southwood to call them average at the start which is my major bone of contention. Rafael had a really good first season and I believe Southwood was statistically the best keeper in the league at one point?

[Millsy]

The trouble is....
Rafael started off being average, but then an error and dipped into being a liability.
Southwood started off being average, but then an error and dipped into being a liability.
Hein started off being average, but then an error and dipped into being a liability.
Nyland started off being average, but then an error and dipped into being a liability.

If' we're looking at getting another average-looking keeper, in a struggling side who'll be under huge pressure I can only see it going one way.

That's one position I'd really want to bolster up to give us a strong backbone. Relegation is on the cards and a couple of points could decide it. A GOOD keeper will give us 6-8 points. Surely we should be focussing on an actual good keeper even if it means sacrificing some other areas.

The question is though, who?

True, but not a Q for me as I'm not a pro in the game. I'm sure they have the contacts and scouts who are looking and can come up with someone half decent.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

The trouble is....
Rafael started off being average, but then an error and dipped into being a liability.
Southwood started off being average, but then an error and dipped into being a liability.
Hein started off being average, but then an error and dipped into being a liability.
Nyland started off being average, but then an error and dipped into being a liability.

If' we're looking at getting another average-looking keeper, in a struggling side who'll be under huge pressure I can only see it going one way.

That's one position I'd really want to bolster up to give us a strong backbone. Relegation is on the cards and a couple of points could decide it. A GOOD keeper will give us 6-8 points. Surely we should be focussing on an actual good keeper even if it means sacrificing some other areas.

The question is though, who?

True, but not a Q for me as I'm not a pro in the game. I'm sure they have the contacts and scouts who are looking and can come up with someone half decent.

Which probably fits the description of Lumley pretty well then, half decent. We more or less need to take what we can get at the moment and there won't be that many top goalkeepers available for free/loans at this level, especially when we are restricted as to what we can do as it is.

[Millsy]

The question is though, who?

True, but not a Q for me as I'm not a pro in the game. I'm sure they have the contacts and scouts who are looking and can come up with someone half decent.

Which probably fits the description of Lumley pretty well then, half decent. We more or less need to take what we can get at the moment and there won't be that many top goalkeepers available for free/loans at this level, especially when we are restricted as to what we can do as it is.

Fine, scrap "half decent" if you're going to take that literally. As I've said above and previously we want someone positively GOOD. But yeah finding them may be difficult. Who knows, perhaps that's the only option. Although I'm sure there'd be a decent Martinez type loan option available warming a PL bench, who isn't a young kid.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

True, but not a Q for me as I'm not a pro in the game. I'm sure they have the contacts and scouts who are looking and can come up with someone half decent.

Which probably fits the description of Lumley pretty well then, half decent. We more or less need to take what we can get at the moment and there won't be that many top goalkeepers available for free/loans at this level, especially when we are restricted as to what we can do as it is.

Fine, scrap "half decent" if you're going to take that literally. As I've said above and previously we want someone positively GOOD. But yeah finding them may be difficult. Who knows, perhaps that's the only option. Although I'm sure there'd be a decent Martinez type loan option available warming a PL bench, who isn't a young kid.

The only good goalkeeper I can think of off the top of my head is Smithies, who was released by Cardiff. But he's come out of a side who performed poorly last season and his demands may also be pretty steep as well, I doubt he's short on offers.

There probably are a few in the PL, John Ruddy at Wolves for example would be a fantastic option, but of course the difficulty with any squad goalkeepers at PL level with experience is wages would be a big issue for ourselves and they also still form part of their squad.

[Stranded]

Which probably fits the description of Lumley pretty well then, half decent. We more or less need to take what we can get at the moment and there won't be that many top goalkeepers available for free/loans at this level, especially when we are restricted as to what we can do as it is.

Fine, scrap "half decent" if you're going to take that literally. As I've said above and previously we want someone positively GOOD. But yeah finding them may be difficult. Who knows, perhaps that's the only option. Although I'm sure there'd be a decent Martinez type loan option available warming a PL bench, who isn't a young kid.

The only good goalkeeper I can think of off the top of my head is Smithies, who was released by Cardiff. But he's come out of a side who performed poorly last season and his demands may also be pretty steep as well, I doubt he's short on offers.

There probably are a few in the PL, John Ruddy at Wolves for example would be a fantastic option, but of course the difficulty with any squad goalkeepers at PL level with experience is wages would be a big issue for ourselves and they also still form part of their squad.

The problem with PL keepers, is a #2 or even a #3 there won't become available until very late in the window and probably after the season has started, as their club will want to see who steps up in pre-season or maybe even sign a new keeper themselves.

You really want/need your keeper in early - so that narrows the pool down and our restrictions reduce it further still. So Lumley is probably about the best we can get who is available now and we can afford - either as replacement or competition for Southwood (who still may not leave).

Anyway, looks like Lumley will sign this week.

[Pepe the Horseman]

I know we need to give him a chance etc and fans are notoriously negative about players when they leave, but I haven't seen a single positive comment about him from Boro fans. Not even, solid shot stopper that's prone to an error. Just unanimously absolute shite.

[NathStPaul]

I know we need to give him a chance etc and fans are notoriously negative about players when they leave, but I haven't seen a single positive comment about him from Boro fans. Not even, solid shot stopper that's prone to an error. Just unanimously absolute shite.

Heard the same from a season ticket holder at QPR whilst he was there, he said he just wasn't very good at all. I've seen him a number of times and not been impressed either. Only real thing he has over Southwood is a bit of height.