Guzan To Re-Sign

[dave.woodhall]

He was away on international duty with games in May and June and assuming he then had a holiday afterwards and he probably never returned to the UK till July and entered negotiations with Lambert but they had probably already had preliminary discussions before hand.

His agent also being busy at the time?

[Dave]

I don't know. If I had to guess, it was a case of hearing the manager offering him the contract insinuating that the other goalkeeper at the club was always going to be first choice and wanted to try his luck elsewhere. Maybe the new manager suggested to him that if he came back and signed the contract that was offered then he would have more opportunities?

As I say, I don't actually know. But I would consider the above to be a fairly good guess.

I'd say it's more likely that he didn't get a decent offer from anywhere else rather than he refused to sign a contract because he wanted to stay.

Well Steve Bruce has said that he was offered a deal which involved him being their first-choice keeper. And I'm guessing he's not that snobby about it as he has played for Hull before and has previously been in a position which involved him earning $32,000 per year playing for Chivas.

So going on that logic I'm assuming that it's that he has heard something different from Lambert than he originally heard from McLeish. As I've said, it could be wrong but it logically makes more sense as the most obvious change between refusing and accepting rather than 'he came back because nobody else offered him anything'.

If it was a case of 'he couldn't find any other offers', you'd be unlikely to come crawling back seven weeks before the end of the transfer window wouldn't you? You've not really left a huge amount of time to invite those offers.

[dave.woodhall]

I don't know and I really don't care. I do know that he wasn't exactly inundated with offers. As I have said before, he's a good back-up who might one day be good enough to play regularly in the first team.

[old man villa fan]

With our Laurel and Hardy defence from last season, he needed to be a fantastic shot-stopper.

It's interesting how Given has only ever played behind awful, comedy defences (us, Man City, Newcastle).

It's even more interesting how those awful, comedy defences actually become perfectly competent once a different goalkeeper was playing behind them.

Were those defences after, the same as those before

Given - Taylor - Coloccini: relegated
Krul - Taylor - Coloccini - one of the most solid defences in the league last year

Given - Collins - Dunne: last season's horror show
Friedel - Collins - Dunne in 09-10: one of the most solid defences in the league

Given is perfectly fine, he's a keeper that's about right for our level. But that's all he is, he's not some sort of superman. He's a keeper who excels at some things, is average at others and is bad at others.

I'd prefer him to Guzan, but there's not a million miles between the two.

And a lot of other players in those teams changed as well in the intervening time as well.  Man City were the same, the emergence of Kompany and Hart.

Just as Mancini saw that Given was not the long term answer and Hart was, we are in the same position with Given.

Given was bought last season for his experience of being a solid PL keeper.  I did not agree with the length of contract based on his salary but perhaps that was what we had to pay to get him.  The thought could well have been ..... scrub that, it was McLeish.

The point of the discussion is that 3 appearances for Ireland seem to have changed (in some peoples minds) how good (or not) Given is and, on the flip side, how much better Guzan now is based on the same 3 appearances.

I believe we have two goalkeepers that fit with where we want to go this season.  Personally, I believe neither will be our first choice in 2 years time.

[Dave]

I don't know and I really don't care. I do know that he wasn't exactly inundated with offers

You may well have more clear and accurate information than the rest of us, but do you mind if I ask how and what? Has his agent told you who did and didn't offer him a contract or do you 'know' that nobody did just because he didn't want to sign when McLeish was manager and now it looks like he does?

Obviously if you really don't care enough to bother carrying on discussing it though, that's fine.

[villastikz]

Oh well, all this will probably be a moot point if Guzan does get a crack at the no1 spot sometime next season, especially if Guzan starts the season in the no1 spot and keeps Given on the bench as Given will put in a transfer request as he expects to be automatic no1 and I can't see him accepting he has to give way if Guzan is considered to be the on form keeper and be the no2.

[dave.woodhall]

I don't know and I really don't care. I do know that he wasn't exactly inundated with offers

You may well have more clear and accurate information than the rest of us, but do you mind if I ask how and what? Has his agent told you who did and didn't offer him a contract or do you 'know' that nobody did just because he didn't want to sign when McLeish was manager and now it looks like he does?

Obviously if you really don't care enough to bother carrying on discussing it though, that's fine.

In the same way you 'knew' he rejected offers because he wanted to re-sign,a dded to the fact that there were no reports about them.

[Dave]

Well Steve Bruce said ""We thought we were close to bringing Brad Guzan here but he's decided to stay in the Premier League". That's a pretty good indicator that he was offered something. And chose to reject it. In favour of coming back to Villa.

But ultimately you're assuming that he didn't have offers in the same way that I'm assuming the change of manager is the most important factor. Rather than either of us actually knowing?

[villastikz]

ooooooh it's a Dave-off - fight! fight! fight!

[dave.woodhall]

Well Steve Bruce said ""We thought we were close to bringing Brad Guzan here but he's decided to stay in the Premier League". That's a pretty good indicator that he was offered something. And chose to reject it. In favour of coming back to Villa.

But ultimately you're assuming that he didn't have offers in the same way that I'm assuming the change of manager is the most important factor. Rather than either of us actually knowing?

I didn't say he was offed nothing. I said that the reported offers were hardly from world-beaters.

[Dave]

I can happily accept that, but knowing that Guzan has happily played at that level as recently as last year and has played professional football in his career for less money than the average UK national wage I just don't believe that he's be that snobby.

But I'm quite happy to accept that the above opinion could be horribly wrong. I just think that my theory is the more likely -pretty much everyone seems to be of the opinion that having Lambert in charge is much better than having McLeish in charge, I don't think it's a massive stretch to think that Guzan might think so too.

[JJ-AV]

One of McLeish's (many) mistakes was dropping Guzan as you just knew he wouldn't want to sign a new contract.

I don't think he's anything special, and played a non-role under Friedel, but with Given's injury history we really need a half-decent number 2.

It'd be a headache replacing him, as signing a sub 'keeper often is, and at least we know Guzan isn't going to go Gabor Kiraly on us.

And if he does manage to get the number 1 jersey on merit then he'll have done a fine job.

[Irish villain]

I think a lot of us began to doubt Guzan the night of the 6-4 semi against Blackburn. He looked quite ropey that night. But he has really recovered since then and looked solid when he was in the side last year.

I'm happy to think Lambert will et himself and Given slog it out for the Number One shirt. That said, I still think that shirt is Given's until  either his form dips or he gets injured. Then it'll be Guzan's turn and if he plays well it'll be up to Given to warm the bench.

[philthebar]

My last words on the matter as I have been going on about the goalkeeping situation all last season.

Given is an average keeper with a number of flaws to his game.

Guzan, also an average keeper, makes a  number of mistakes, however, he has fewer habitual flaws.

At their respective ages, the mistakes can be ironed out, the flaws cannot.

Based on performances I think that Guzan was unlucky to lose his place last season and deserved a run in the side.  I hope he is now given (pun) that chance.



 

[James]

Yes, but as he actually re-signed yet?