Brad Friedel

[WALTERS WARRIORS]

He can stay as back up to no 1 and help out coaching goalkeepers. But I don't want him as first choice no 1 this season.

5 clean sheet in 38 games this season and one clean sheet in 2011 is unacceptable. I don't care how hard he work or train. The facts speaks for this. 

I think you will find a massive percentage of those goals leaked were defensive errors and Friedel has saved many embarrasing scorelines ....

[curiousorange]

I'm afraid it's pretty obvious that if he gets a new deal it'll be as the number one. Which is why it's imperative we don't offer anything (playing-wise) until the end of the season. If we go down, his wages will be prohibitive. If we stay up, it's unlikely Houllier will be his manager and as such not fair on whoever comes in after to lumber him with a costly and unsuitable first-choice keeper. I'm fond of Big Brad but if the management think he's the best we can do they must be collectively insane.

[Mazrim]

I do not understand why we are offering him a new contract. It concerns me to be honest.
If its as a coach or 3rd choice, fine. For one year or something.
He's been a fine keeper and this season just about adequate but enough is enough now.
He's no longer agile enough and has rarely been commanding enough to be a #1 at Villa and we should look at one or two keepers in the summer, depending on what's happening with Guzan..

[Brend'Watkins]

I can see the reasoning behind giving him a new contract.  He's not as good as he once was I know that but, he's still better than Marshall and Guzan.  Giving him another year will at least leave us with an adequate keeper should we not get that very good keeper in the summer.  It's a contingency plan before we have the real plan in place

[WikiVilla]

This is why I get very concerned with GH in charge. Just when you think he's starting to get his act together, he does something bizzare like this. We need a new keeper, it should be a priority.

[N'ZMAV]

So, has he ever saved us a penalty? I can't remember one.

[Chris Smith]

I can see the reasoning behind giving him a new contract.  He's not as good as he once was I know that but, he's still better than Marshall and Guzan.  Giving him another year will at least leave us with an adequate keeper should we not get that very good keeper in the summer.  It's a contingency plan before we have the real plan in place

Agree with that and if we do bring in a young keeper who better to show him the ropes?

[PaulTheVillan]

I think that if we have a budget of say £30m to spend next summer, I'd rather keep Friedel & spend that on a class midfielder & a new centre back to play with Cuellar or Clark.

[PaulTheVillan]

So, has he ever saved us a penalty? I can't remember one.

Not for us in a league or cup game.

He doesnt even dive, just falls over when they have a shot.

[WikiVilla]

He dives away from the ball, see the Baines pen, very poor

[Concrete John]

He dives away from the ball, see the Baines pen, very poor

That used to be called 'guessing'!

[Rip Van We Go Again]

He dives away from the ball, see the Baines pen, very poor

That used to be called 'guessing'!

It looked like Peter Shilton in the 1990 world cup semi shoot out.
Basically just falling over from one side to the other with not enough speed to get anywhere near the ball.

He's served us well, but it's time to move on, UNLESS we're getting a promising up and coming keeper in like Westwood.

[Pete3206]

Spent force.

We should be looking at keepers like Shay Given.

[VillaZogmariner]

Spent force.

We should be looking at keepers like Shay Given.

Too injury prone now, and hardly a spring chicken.

If we are to stay on these shores Paul Robinson would be my choice.

[Salsa Party Animal]

30 millions is plenty of money. Just sell about 7 players and get 20 millions for the whole lot and that is 50 millions pounds say we buy 2 X 10 millions pounds players and 5 X 6 millions pounds players and odd one or two on free. That should be fine.