Amazingly it isn’t, and I would argue that now the competition is hotter than ever when it comes to who is going to get the nod to be our number one next season with Tim Krul, Steve Harper and Fraser Forster all putting forward a strong case to be the main man in goal for Newcastle next season.
Tim Krul has had a fair few games in goal for us this season whilst covering for the injured Steve Harper. In the first spell I wasn’t entirely sold on him if I’m being honest. He made some good saves but he also looked unsure when it comes to dominating his penalty area. His kicking, well that was just another flaw in his game and I was slightly relieved when Harper regained his fitness and took his place back in goal.
However, and I understand it’s only two games thus far, but this time round Krul looks completely different. He pulled off some fantastic saves against Manchester United during the week, which is fine and is something he is capable of, but yesterday is the game that made me think twice about him. The way he rushed out of his box at times had an air of authority about it and he judged everything spot on. Even his kicking was vastly improved.
Then you add in Fraser Forster, who has had a solid season in the SPL with Celtic. He will be back on Tyneside over the summer and will be involved in a three-way battle for the number one spot. From what I’ve seen of him he seems to be a good shot-stopper and can command his box with authority. Perhaps he could show he is worthy of the number one spot next season?
Then there is Steve Harper. Granted he is getting on a bit, but you know what you are going to get with him. He’ll be a good, solid ‘keeper that can be relied upon. The problem is his age. Being polite, he isn’t going to be around forever so perhaps we need to look at trying a new guy out now whilst we still have Harper that we can call upon?
You see it’s far from cut and dry who will be number one next season and there will need to be some tough decisions made. My feelings at the minute are that Tim Krul is edging ahead, but that could all change. It really is too close to call so it will be interesting to see what happens and who, eventually, ends up getting the nod.
[poll id=”13″]
I was also happy to see Krul kicking better yesterday.
I actually think that Forster is the heir apparent and that’s why he was sent on loan to Celtic. They want him getting first team football so he’ll be ready to take the #1 shirt without any hiccups.
He’ll be miles ahead of Krul now as far as first team experience and I think that’s the point of sending him out.
JerseyGeordie(Quote)
If Krul continues to play like this then he shouldn’t be dropped IMO. I couldn’t see Harper coming out to block as quick as Krul did when Campbell was one on one. If he can keep up his kicking I think he is harder to beat than Harper between the sticks.
DJG(Quote)
But I also think harps will be the top man next year and well deserved to. He’s been great this year.
JerseyGeordie(Quote)
I was unconvinced about Krul after his previous spell satnding in for harper but as you say he has done OK this time round and a big improvement. He needs another 4 flawless games and I think he might be in pole position for next season.
Haven’t seen much of Foster but he seems to be doing well though Celtic fans will tell you his kicking is shocking.
I would go with Krul if pushed to choose now but isn’t it great we have 3 decent keepers pushing to start and Soderberg and Alnwick coming through as well
3hourswasted(Quote)
Djg harps is a super genius when it comes to coming off his line. Light years better than Krul in that department.
JerseyGeordie(Quote)
Krul is quicker than Harper IMO though. Harper is too relaxed at times.
DJG(Quote)
Djg yes Krul is quicker in the physical sense but harps is quicker mentally. He puts himself in better positions so doesn’t have to run around like a mad man. The facts say it all. We have more points and clean sheets when harps is in goal.
And I think it’s a big confidence boast to the back four to see your keeper calm and collected and knowing that he’ll make the right decision if you cack up. Otherwise you might be inclined to put in a bad tackle and give something up or get sent off.
JerseyGeordie(Quote)
Jersey Geordie
Are they real opinions or are you fishing.
Harper is neither quick mentally or physical
Toby le Rhone(Quote)
Think this is the hardest decision out of all our positions, ironically even though we definitely don’t need to buy anyone. In an ideal world I’d still stick with Harps for next season-but only if that meant we could retain both Krul and Forster for another year. If either or both made serious signs about leaving, it makes the decision much harder. I still think Harps is our best, not by a mile, but his kicking allows us to put serious pressure on the opposition, he’s solid defending set pieces and he’s probably the strongest when he can get an arm to a shot. Above all he can organise our defence well, and for whatever reason whether its luck or not or defence seem to play better with him involved-albeit they were brilliant VS manu. The next four games will hopefully show us more about what Krul is capable of, and hopefully next year we can again loan out Forster and have Krul in some successful cup runs/cover.
NewkieBrown(Quote)
I agree with Jersey @ #1
dan4toon(Quote)
Krul all day long for me.
It is a real conundrum though. No way can all three be accomodated at the club. All will want regular football. I would take the risk of letting Harper go on a free and go with the young uns
Toby le Rhone(Quote)
Whoever is second choice I really hope our cup runs stretch to a total of more than five games
Toby le Rhone(Quote)
I went for Krul in the poll. I would personally put Harper at 3rd in the list. He has missed out on a decade of first team football and should help coach the young guys now.
Moreno(Quote)
Toby if it came to letting harps go I still think someone would be interested, scottish prem/championship, he’s still got a few years left in him imo. Or maybe we could sign him up as a GK coach? Good lad to have around I think
NewkieBrown(Quote)
Newkie
Agree 100% I am trying to say it wouldn’t be fair to the guy to have his last couple of seasons not playing regular. he deserves that
Toby le Rhone(Quote)
Toby I don’t fish mate
JerseyGeordie(Quote)
Aye Toby, for all his faults its impossible not to like the fella, us having given for so long undoubtedly held him back, prevented any england call ups, yet not once has he caused a fuss with the media, or contract drama or anything, just gets on with it. I even remember some reserve team match interviews where he’d be beaming just for having played like.
My only fear about letting one of Krul or Forster grow is watching the one we do let go become a world beater and the one we have suffer some horrible injury…still nowt we can do about it, we shouldn’t be in major trouble whatever happens. Interesting though I swear a few weeks back Forster got loads of votes for keeping him and yet now has none?…I voted harps 😎
NewkieBrown(Quote)
Krul 100% had some doubts in his last run, but hes improved, hes still young and will improve more, and he seems to have it all, commanding the box, good in the air, positioning, decision making and shot stopping, and his kicking seems to be better.
SpencerTheToon(Quote)
I’d say Krul 🙂
Jobey07(Quote)
Jobey, wolfies been banned again 😯
SpencerTheToon(Quote)
Aye, i saw. what did he do this time? 😆
Jobey07(Quote)
Taking pish out of Jonny-Rubber I think 😆
He’s not much worse than us lot to be honest 😆
He’ll be back anyway 😆
SpencerTheToon(Quote)
yeah, it’s more annoying when he keeps coming on with millions of accounts.
Jobey07(Quote)
You seen what some muppets posted about the arabs? 😆
SpencerTheToon(Quote)
aye, Don’t wanna start an argument though. not while the red card is fresh out.
Jobey07(Quote)
Time to avoid footymad for a bit. It will all blow up for a few days now. Best bet is to stay out of it or people will end up the same way.
toonsy(Quote)
Aye, im not arguing with him, just saying were not gunna get a take over.
SpencerTheToon(Quote)
Aye, did he just admit he was wolfie? 😛
Might just go on for a read, nothing like a bit of drama 😆
Jobey07(Quote)
Davey did 😆
I asked that kid who said about the arabs if he was wolf and he said no 😆
SpencerTheToon(Quote)
hes back with the name jonnyrainbow 😆
SpencerTheToon(Quote)
At Blackpool Krul’s kicking was actually good apart from a couple of times he kicked it out, but a lot of keepers do that. He was picking people out and even hit it with his right foot once. That was the only thing I didn’t like because he needs it on his left foot all the time. But he is improving and if I was Harper I would be worried because that was the only real big advantage Harper had over him and he’s not far behind in that respect anymore. In terms of saving goals ect, Krul is way ahead.
DJG(Quote)
I’d let Harper go in the summer and let Krul and Forster battle it out for the number one jersey.
Stuart79(Quote)
I think at the moment they’re much of a muchness, Harper good at reflex saves, not the best kicker and doesn’t dominate his box as he should, ditto Krul(at the mo)imo, havn’t seen much of Forster as Blue Square league is as low down the leagues as I watch 😉 😆 ….but there’s one big difference amongst the 3, Krul and Forster can improve alot, Harper can’t 😉
richietoon(Quote)
Unfortunately I don’t think it comes down to anybody ‘deserving’ anything. It should be the best guy for the job everytime, no room for sentiments in football.
DJG(Quote)
😯 😯
I agree with DJG 😕 😕
Jobey07(Quote)
Has anyone seen enough of Forster to judge him? I really haven’t seen him play to judge him but I would say Krul. Yes Harps has been loyal blah blah blah but at the end of the day that shouldn’t mean you get a place. IMO Krul is better therefore gets the nod
pearceet(Quote)
I also agree with DJG about Krul’s kicking. He did seem to pick people out very well, especially finding Gutierrez on the wing a couple times.
However, others it seemed like he was getting too much height on the ball. Isn’t that a problem? If the ball comes in at a lower trajectory, I feel like that’s when defenders misjudge it and it ends up bouncing, which is often what leads to route 1 goals.
Free Scoring Smudge(Quote)
‘but there’s one big difference amongst the 3, Krul and Forster can improve alot, Harper can’t’
richie I think you’ve hit the nail square on the head there. 😉
DJG(Quote)
May i know what time is the royal wedding this coming friday?
😳
Once in a lifetime for me to witness such big occasion live online and TV. 😯
AngelOfDeath(Quote)
A goalkeeper is like a striker, your only as good as your last game, If krul makes a big error in the next game people will be wanting Harper next season, interesting Harper made that error where he didn’t kick the ball out and no one was really bothered. Some people are saying Forster is too let go but I think the reason he went on loan was because he was third choice and the people at the club rate Krul higher and as our next no.1. It seems like Forster just wants to play aswell so he might leave in the summer I think. Soderberg seems like he could be a back-up to Krul in the future. I havn’t really seen anything of Soderberg or much of Forster tbh. The ball rairly gets to the Celtic goal for him to have to do anything, I think that may be making Forster look better than he actually is this season.
DJG(Quote)
The goalkeeping coach and the manager will know who’s the best though, it’s like when we used to say try Harper instead of Given. Given was a better keeper than Harper and the goalkeeping coach would have known that.
DJG(Quote)
DJG training and playing is a diff ball game m8
icedog(Quote)
I agree with DJG @ 40 and to add that Forster really only gets testing properly a few times a yr when he comes up against the Teddy Bears 😆
Big Dave(Quote)
I agree with Ice @ 42 😉
Big Dave(Quote)
When did Bolton get so bloody good?
NewkieBrown(Quote)
well i cannot realy give a judgement on krul or forster as i havent seen enough of them,but i will say i went to a lot of ccc games last season and watched harper closely over a number of games,ime sorry he is not a top keeper imo i know hes been loyal,but loyaly wins you jack ****,i fear for him if hes between the sticks next season,never heard of any club trying hard to sign him in all the years he was behind shay,funny that like 😉
icedog(Quote)
I just love watching Wenger look so fcking miserable and mad!
He deserves everything he gets – and that’s been nothing for six years!
What do you expect when everyone in football knows he needs to buy a good centre half but stubborness is stopping him doing it.
Wonder what excuse he’s going to come up with today? Ref, home fans or possibly because it’s easter and they shouldn’t be playing as they have religious players?
Arsenal under him have never lost due to his team being poor, it’s always someone elses fault.
Enemy of football imo.
Stuart79(Quote)
Aye Stuart…will be interesting this summer, either he buys a good centre defender or he goes. Hey, maybe we can sell him Taylor or Perch for 10-15mil….then again, he can always sign Sol back up… 😆
NewkieBrown(Quote)
He’ll probably just try doing on the cheap.
Although some people are convinced things can be achieved on the cheap – Arsenal are a classic example of the risk you take buying youth and ‘hoping’ they turn out good.
Stuart79(Quote)
Self-delusion youngster’s+ self delusion manager=hopeless. Goodbye Arsenal.
🙄
AngelOfDeath(Quote)
You’d expect with all the pressure on him though alongside the profits they make he’d be willing or even pushed into buying some solid defence. If Arsenal had bought David Luiz, and paired him up with vermaelen they’d be a bloody awesome team. Be interesting to see who they did get anyway, can’t really think of any strong and experienced french geezers
NewkieBrown(Quote)
Boumsong 😉
richietoon(Quote)
Arsenal are a bunch of bottlers
Jobey07(Quote)
Richie 😀
NewkieBrown(Quote)
Stu Wenger is a master at buying young cheap unknown types and that is a good thing, but I think that only works if you have top players allready in the team in most positions. But every now and again you have to go out and buy a top player or 2 and I think they badly need a winning CH and a player that can kick the others up the *** when the heads go down.
Big Dave(Quote)
Absolutely BD. One of his youngsters may turn out to be one of them players(although I doubt it) but they need to have 4 or five years experience first and they don’t have that.
It’s unbelievable that he still thinks his policy is working – it clearly isn’t.
Stuart79(Quote)
For wenger+Arsenal as a whole.
this video is for you lots. 😉
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i43vLFj3qAo&feature=player_embedded
AngelOfDeath(Quote)
Stu I never really liked them but they are badly missing a Tony Adams or Patrick Vieira type player
Big Dave(Quote)
Everyone do watch that classic video i posted. 😎
AngelOfDeath(Quote)
The worst thing about it is that Arsenal don’t actually have an excuse not to spend a bit of money now and then as they make huge profits year on year.
toonsy(Quote)
AOD 😆
Big Dave(Quote)
There’s no fool, like an old fool.
Stuart79(Quote)
The problem is wenger believing that those players on field are “quality” youngster that can help win a league title.
in fact is wrong. They lack quality CB’S,LB, CDM their most weakest link of them all.
🙄
AngelOfDeath(Quote)
@Big Dave: 😉
AngelOfDeath(Quote)
Toonsy I honestly believe he is just that stuborn that he dosn’t want to admit that Merson, Dixon etc are right in saying that they need a winner
Big Dave(Quote)
He’s acting like someone’s just told im his entire family have een killed in a car crash – get a grip man!
Stuart79(Quote)
of coarse wenger has been poor in splashing the cash when it is there to spent,but wish the toon could finish most years in top 4,i might get bored with that 🙄
icedog(Quote)
Stuart79
Posted April 24, 2011 at 6:24 PM
“He’s acting like someone’s just told im his entire family have een killed in a car crash – get a grip man!”
Just like some people react after we lose then…
toonsy(Quote)
Ice I think you would get bored of it knowing that you are only 1 or 2 players away from winning something 😉
But I know what your saying what I would give to have a team that always finish up round the top, but I know I would want more after a few yrs 😉
Big Dave(Quote)
Toonsy @ 68 or the way someone has reacted after Clueless got the Boot
Big Dave(Quote)
Supporters do react like that and they should, they have a inbred passion for the club which in many ways is strange to explain or understand.
The manager on the other hand shouldn’t react like that, he should be calm, cerebral, controlled and confident. Afterall his players will be looking for guidance and leadership at a time like this.
Is it any wonder his players are weak willed and bottle so many situations when they look at a leader like him.
Stuart79(Quote)
inbred passion 😆 😆
we’re not sunderland fans 😆 😆
Jobey07(Quote)
Why didn’t somebody poach that AndyMac over here and off .org. he sounds like a right laugh. 🙄
Jobey07(Quote)
John Mcririck on Sky News debating the use of whips in horse racing –
“You can not hit any living being these days, you cannot hit a cat, a dog, you can’t even hit your wife these days!”
Quality…
Stuart79(Quote)
Jobey – Aye he is a right barrell of laughs that AndyMac. Have a look for a football post or a constructive post. You won’t find one. If it’s not slagging off Ashley or Parwho 🙄 or licking former president Whoton’s 😉 **** then he just isn’t interested 😉
toonsy(Quote)