...David Seaman turns 39 today. Which begs the inevitable question, where do Arsenal stand in the quest to find a satisfactory replacement for England's No. 1? Rami Shabaan wore the shirt in action for the first time for the reserves last night, and Stuart Taylor found himself on the bench for the CL match Tuesday, but will either be a long-term solution, or do we keep looking?
In short, we keep looking. Taylor has never looked like he will take over as No. 1 at the club and if Shabba was that good, surely there would have been more interest in him from other clubs. If we had got Carini from Juventus, he looked like he had the ability to really push Seaman. Hopefully we'll only need the backup keepers for a short time this season, if at all, and when the transfer window opens Wenger can look at getting a top class replacement.
I agree with this. I don't think any of the reserve keepers on the squad or of a level that they can give a top-notch performance every game. I frankly wouldn't mind seeing Kasey Keller in the net.
Chilavert just got let go by Strasbourg. Apparently they didn't like his "unprofessional attitude." Who know what really is going on there, but if I was Wenger I'd be bringing him in on a trial. As for Keller, he may be up there but I think he would be a good addition. Sure, he won't play for years and years with AFC like Seaman, but he has skill nonetheless. And I don't think you can compare Campbell and Kellers situation. Sol was a fan favorite at WHL, played a while there, and pledged his future to the club, then came to Arsenal. Keller has been there a little over a year and I don't think the relationship with the club is as deep as it was with Sol.
Here's the thing: that's not the Wenger way. Nearly every major player (with the exception of Sol Campbell) in the side that Wenger's bought has been someone who would make you say, "Who's that guy?" And inevitably, you see that Wenger bought him on potential and not on what he's already proven. Maybe Shabaan will be that surprise. But we're not going to go out and buy a keeper who's going to be 33 before December.
Got to agree. Sorry Rapids/Arsenal, but Keller is never going to appear for Arsenal. Both too old, and while competent, not quite superior enough. I'd like Taylor to come through from the youth, or Shabaan (or is that Shaaban? seen both) to be the latest sow's ear that Wenger turns into a silk purse. But it doesn't feel like it's going to happen. Taylor hasn't looked quite special enough, and Shabaan is already 27, pushing it for latent potential to be revealed. In an ideal world, I'd want Robinson from Leeds. Unfortunately we'd have to offer Leeds silly money before they'd even consider it. So I expect that the search for Seaman's replacement is currently the prime occupation for Arsene Wenger's network of international secret agents. BTW, apparently, other clubs are now attempting to shadow Arsenal scouts as they unearth footballing gems worldwide...
What about the Metrostars' Tim Howard. He's only 23, and most nights seems to be the only one keeping the Metros in the match. Might be a good fit, and he's not someone that is currently on European radar screens - at least I don't think he is.
Ssssssssshhhh! You'll blow their cover. Must admit, it would be entertaining to see AW bring in some young guy from the lowly-considered MLS and make him first choice keeper for the English Champions. Sort of thing he WOULD do in fact. Err - sssshhhh! Off to find out about this Metrostars blokie.
Official Tourettes sufferer? Hmmm. Superb. Sign him yesterday. Won MLS keeper of the year last season too.
Tim would never get a work permit....he hasn't played in enough National games and his playing time for the U-23 , U-21 squads are at a low as well.
What about Maarten Stekelenburg, the current first choice at Ajax? The kid's pretty good right now, and he's only 19. Maybe bring him and a more seasoned keeper in and let him spend a year playing some Worthington Cup and reserve matches to get him used to the English game. As young as he is, he could certainly be around for quite some time to come....
Agreed, (I've done this in my CM season, ) I go to every Metro home game and Timmy has world class talent. His reflexes are matched by no one world wide but he has to sort out positioning to some degree and decision making, which will come with hard work and time. Not that he is terrible at those things but it's what he needs for that next level. Work permit would definitely be a problem at this point. By the time he qualfies for one he won't be a secret on the European radar anymore.
Timme is young and quick. However, he tends to make bonehead decisions. He is only 23 so has about 7 - 10 years to develop and learn before he becomes a "world class" keeper. He will not displace either Keller or Friedel on the national team so will not be able to qualify for a work permit. The US has some great talent at keeper, unfortunately only one is allowed on the pitch at a time (unless you are Liverpool when you are allowed to field three). Therefore its hard to qualify for the UK Work Permit unless you can get a hold of an EU passport... Too bad because in many other countries there is little to no talent at keeper! When Seaman is the best keeper in a country, you know there are depth issues! Yes, I like Seaman and all but he is not as good as he was two or three years ago...
This is a long standing problem and one that's been on my mind for ages. Seamo just isn't the dominant force he used to be, there was a time when he really was one of the best around, but not anymore. Sad the day. I thought we'd taken care of this problem last year but depending on whom you believe either Wright was impatient or Wenger never rated him but that's not something we can worry about now, it's over and done. I have to admit I've never seen Stuart Taylor play, how young is he? I gather that he's not exactly the most imposing presence from what others have said.
Taylor is 21 years old. He's a tall kid (6'5") but he just doesn't play crosses well. Makes David James look skilled on them.