I think that'd be the ideal situation. It's hard for anyone to get better without consistent playing time and it's important to be playing week in and week out at this age. He does get playing time with the U21s, but they play pretty infrequently compared to normal league matches in the English leagues.
Southampton to prefer players to stay with their U21 team, as then they can get playing time under their supervision, and can train with the first team. If a player is loaned out, it normally means they dont really see a future for them
Cropper interview on the club's website. He started preseason training with the first team on Monday. Ronald Koeman took over as manager after Mauricio Pochettino took the Spurs job. Koeman brought in a new goalkeeper's coach.
Is Koeman any good? I remember him having some awful foreign stints, but hes apparently done alright in Holland
Also, Cropper started 12 of the Southampton U-21s 21 matches during the 2013/2014 U-21 Premier League. The Southampton U-21s finished in 7th. Cropper was also an unused sub for 6 of the first team's Premier League games.
Cropper played the first half for Southampton U21 against Carlisle's senior team yesterday. They trailed 3-0 at halftime and lost 5-1: http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/news/article/11072014-saints-u21s-1-5-carlisle-united-1744745.aspx
It should be noted that while this was officially the U-21s, it had a good mix of U-18s in there and was overall a very young squad for Southampton.
Played the second half for the U21 against Newcastle U21 today. Southampton was down 3-0 at halftime and lost 4-2: http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/news/article/15072014-newcastle-u21s-4-2-saints-u21s-1760501.aspx
Played the first half for the U21 against Sunderland U21. It was 3-3 at halftime and Sunderland won 4-3. Cropper saved a penalty kick: http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/news/article/19072014-sunderland-u21s-3-4-saints-u21s-1769364.aspx
... that he conceded. The drama continued to unravel and with 29 minutes played Southampton goalkeeper Cody Cropper conceded a penalty, bringing down Mandron who was played through by Smith. After dusting himself down the forward stepped up to take the spot-kick, but the American goalkeeper redeemed himself, saving well to his left before launching himself into the path of the rebound. Southampton subsequently cleared and the chance was gone... http://www.safc.com/news/reserves-and-academy/2014/july/narrow-defeat-for-u21s
Who do they have going into this season? Did Kelvin Davis retire? He must be in his late 30s. They still have Boruc and Gazzaniga right? Why in the world would they sign Fraser Forster? You'd only sign him to be your #1. Then they must be thinking of dumping Boruc?
The new Southampton goalkeeper coach is the England goalkeeper coach - Might have something to do with it. Also Davis is 37 and Boruc is 34.
Davis is still there, but he wont play much. He's just a club legend, so they'll keep around. Gazzaniga needs a loan, he isnt good enough for Premier League football. I think the aim is to drop Boruc, he'll turn 35 this year
Hard to say until we know who's moving on. I imagine he will be U21 keeper again next year and will get chances to train with the first team, as is Southampton's method. If Boruc and Gazzaniga go, he could be the cup keeper.
18 Players Named to Roster for U-23 MNT Camp from Aug. 3-7 in Bahamas NewsAug 1, 2014 ... U.S. Under-23 Men’s National Team Roster By Position:GOALKEEPERS (2):Cody Cropper (Southampton; Maple Grove, Minn.), Zack Steffen (Maryland; Downington, Pa.) DEFENDERS (7):AJ Cochran (Houston Dynamo; St. Louis, Mo.), Christian Dean (Vancouver Whitecaps FC; East Palo Alto, Calif.), Ramon Martin del Campo (San Jose Earthquakes; Chula Vista, Calif.), Bryan Gallego (Arizona United; Kinnelon, N.J.), Juan Pablo Ocegueda (Alebrijes de Oaxaca; Riverside, Calif.), William Packwood (Birmingham City; Concord, Mass.), Oscar Sorto (LA Galaxy; Los Angeles, Calif.) MIDFIELDERS (4): Dennis Flores (León; Pasadena, Calif.), Luis Gil (Real Salt Lake; Garden Grove, Calif.), Marlon Hairston (Colorado Rapids; Jackson, Miss.), Benji Joya (Chicago Fire; San Jose, Calif.) FORWARDS (5): Daniel Cuevas (CF Lobos BUAP; Sacramento, Calif.), Alfred Koroma Shams (Internacional; Southlake, Texas), Jordan Morris (Stanford; Mercer Island, Wash.), Victor Pineda (Indy Eleven; Bolingbrook, Ill.), Omar Salgado (Vancouver Whitecaps FC; El Paso, Texas) http://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2014/08/01/10/30/140801-u23mnt-camp-roster
Cropper not in the squad for the last U21 preseason game, presumably not back from the Bahamas (where he played 90 minutes) in time: http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/news/article/09082014-qpr-u21s-1-3-saints-u21s-report-1815319.aspx Southampton has signed Forster: http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/news/article/09082014-statement-fraser-forster-signing-1816904.aspx
It looks like Cropper is 5th in the depth chart right now. Forster is starting, Kelvin Davis is backing him up. There's Gazzaniga ahead of him as well. Boruc is still around in limbo, though it seems he may well leave and Cropper will move up to 4th on the depth chart.
Boruc will go, his attitude since Forster came in has been terrible. He keeps mouthing off on Instagram. Davis is a good old pro, but I imagine he wont actually play if Forster gets injured, because he is old, injury-prone and shit. I imagine either one of Gazzaniga or Cropper will be loaned out, or they will rotate for the U21s spot. It doesnt make sense to have a regular 1st choice at under 21 level, particularly when you have two decent keepers
Cropper started in a Yank vs. Yank battle against West Ham's U21: http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/news/article/22082014-west-ham-1-2-saints-u21s-report-1860243.aspx