Shay Given

[Can Gana Be Bettered!?!?]

Shay won't let us down in the FA Cup final.

If only James had stayed on his line.

I've only ever seen it as it happened live at Wembley (never watched any of the game back), and I seem to recall it being Southgate's fault for getting in the way of James?

[Toronto Villa]

goals are conceded and it was poor on a number of levels how and why it went in. What's inexcusable is the rest of the game where we did nothing at all.

[ozzjim]

James punched it very unluckily into Southgate and it dropped perfectly for them. James was a quality keeper.

[spartacuss]

Looking again at Shay's Sunday save, I reckon that will be number one in any "50 Saves of Shay" DVD.

[supertom]

James punched it very unluckily into Southgate and it dropped perfectly for them. James was a quality keeper.

I liked James. I don't think he was ever better and more consistent than he was with us, and a couple of years at Portsmouth. We should have kept him a little longer.

[Mister E]

Shay won't let us down in the FA Cup final.

If only James had stayed on his line.

I've only ever seen it as it happened live at Wembley (never watched any of the game back), and I seem to recall it being Southgate's fault for getting in the way of James?

That's how I saw it.

[dcdavecollett]

I didn't think it was a free-kick in the first place.

[tomd2103]

James punched it very unluckily into Southgate and it dropped perfectly for them. James was a quality keeper.

I liked James. I don't think he was ever better and more consistent than he was with us, and a couple of years at Portsmouth. We should have kept him a little longer.

Totally agree and I would maybe go as far a saying as he was arguably the most complete keeper we've had in recent times.  Good shot stopper, very athletic coming for crosses and kicked the ball miles.  Cup final aside, I can't remember him making too many mistakes for us.     

[Dave]

He's earned a run in the cups. Good keeper. Honestly he's probably still one of the better players in our squad. Guzan is still number 1 though. He's not been at his best, but he's not in a bad run of form by any stretch either. Dropping him would be a mistake. I trust Given though. We're fortunate to have a back up as good.

He should play each round of the cup that we qualify for, as he's the one who is helping us get to each one. In the same way as it was absurd of O'Neill to drop Guzan for the cup final in 2010 when he was the ones who helped us get there (or, did his best to stop us getting there in the case of the Blackburn home game).

But Given is still nothing more than a competent keeper with as many faults as attributes.

[Gregorys Boy]

He's earned a run in the cups. Good keeper. Honestly he's probably still one of the better players in our squad. Guzan is still number 1 though. He's not been at his best, but he's not in a bad run of form by any stretch either. Dropping him would be a mistake. I trust Given though. We're fortunate to have a back up as good.

He should play each round of the cup that we qualify for, as he's the one who is helping us get to each one. In the same way as it was absurd of O'Neill to drop Guzan for the cup final in 2010 when he was the ones who helped us get there (or, did his best to stop us getting there in the case of the Blackburn home game).

But Given is still nothing more than a competent keeper with as many faults as attributes.

Yeah how silly to play your best keeper in the biggest game of your season....

[Gregorys Boy]

James punched it very unluckily into Southgate and it dropped perfectly for them. James was a quality keeper.

The David James of Portsmouth was a quality keeper.  The David James of Liverpool and Villa was far from it for me.

[Dave]

He's earned a run in the cups. Good keeper. Honestly he's probably still one of the better players in our squad. Guzan is still number 1 though. He's not been at his best, but he's not in a bad run of form by any stretch either. Dropping him would be a mistake. I trust Given though. We're fortunate to have a back up as good.

He should play each round of the cup that we qualify for, as he's the one who is helping us get to each one. In the same way as it was absurd of O'Neill to drop Guzan for the cup final in 2010 when he was the ones who helped us get there (or, did his best to stop us getting there in the case of the Blackburn home game).

But Given is still nothing more than a competent keeper with as many faults as attributes.

Yeah how silly to play your best keeper in the biggest game of your season....

Presumably then before the final, our biggest game of the season was the semi-final? So why didn't we play Friedel then? Did we not care about that and the League Cup only became important when it was down to the last two teams?

Besides, Guzan was a better keeper then than Friedel was then. As he has proven since.

[villan from luton]

He's earned a run in the cups. Good keeper. Honestly he's probably still one of the better players in our squad. Guzan is still number 1 though. He's not been at his best, but he's not in a bad run of form by any stretch either. Dropping him would be a mistake. I trust Given though. We're fortunate to have a back up as good.

He should play each round of the cup that we qualify for, as he's the one who is helping us get to each one. In the same way as it was absurd of O'Neill to drop Guzan for the cup final in 2010 when he was the ones who helped us get there (or, did his best to stop us getting there in the case of the Blackburn home game).

But Given is still nothing more than a competent keeper with as many faults as attributes.

Yeah how silly to play your best keeper in the biggest game of your season....

Presumably then before the final, our biggest game of the season was the semi-final? So why didn't we play Friedel then? Did we not care about that and the League Cup only became important when it was down to the last two teams?

Besides, Guzan was a better keeper then than Friedel was then. As he has proven since.

Totaly disagree with that, Guzan was bullied in the semi final and was the right decision to play big Brad in the final IMHO. He has grown up since but have to be honest, some of his performances have not been the best this season, he has copid his team mates

[Gregorys Boy]

He's earned a run in the cups. Good keeper. Honestly he's probably still one of the better players in our squad. Guzan is still number 1 though. He's not been at his best, but he's not in a bad run of form by any stretch either. Dropping him would be a mistake. I trust Given though. We're fortunate to have a back up as good.

He should play each round of the cup that we qualify for, as he's the one who is helping us get to each one. In the same way as it was absurd of O'Neill to drop Guzan for the cup final in 2010 when he was the ones who helped us get there (or, did his best to stop us getting there in the case of the Blackburn home game).

But Given is still nothing more than a competent keeper with as many faults as attributes.

Yeah how silly to play your best keeper in the biggest game of your season....

Presumably then before the final, our biggest game of the season was the semi-final? So why didn't we play Friedel then? Did we not care about that and the League Cup only became important when it was down to the last two teams?

Besides, Guzan was a better keeper then than Friedel was then. As he has proven since.

Your nic picking now.  It was good to give Guzan the experience in the cup, but when you get to the final and are playing at that time the best team in the land (well either first or second) then I think it would have been too much of a gamble to have risked an inexperienced keeper.

I don't know what drugs you have been taking if you really believe that at that stage Guzan was better than Friedel! lol.  And how has his form since proven your point.  Like most keepers of any quality he has gotten better with experience.  He was decent back then, but Friedel was one of the best in the league.  Throughout his time with us he was outstanding.  Guzan if he carries on like he has been will be just as good, but its too early to say that just now.

[Dave]

He's earned a run in the cups. Good keeper. Honestly he's probably still one of the better players in our squad. Guzan is still number 1 though. He's not been at his best, but he's not in a bad run of form by any stretch either. Dropping him would be a mistake. I trust Given though. We're fortunate to have a back up as good.

He should play each round of the cup that we qualify for, as he's the one who is helping us get to each one. In the same way as it was absurd of O'Neill to drop Guzan for the cup final in 2010 when he was the ones who helped us get there (or, did his best to stop us getting there in the case of the Blackburn home game).

But Given is still nothing more than a competent keeper with as many faults as attributes.

Yeah how silly to play your best keeper in the biggest game of your season....

Presumably then before the final, our biggest game of the season was the semi-final? So why didn't we play Friedel then? Did we not care about that and the League Cup only became important when it was down to the last two teams?

Besides, Guzan was a better keeper then than Friedel was then. As he has proven since.

Your nic picking now.  It was good to give Guzan the experience in the cup, but when you get to the final and are playing at that time the best team in the land (well either first or second) then I think it would have been too much of a gamble to have risked an inexperienced keeper.

I don't know what drugs you have been taking if you really believe that at that stage Guzan was better than Friedel! lol.  And how has his form since proven your point.  Like most keepers of any quality he has gotten better with experience.  He was decent back then, but Friedel was one of the best in the league.  Throughout his time with us he was outstanding.  Guzan if he carries on like he has been will be just as good, but its too early to say that just now.

Nit-picking in this case is the difference between right and wrong. You can't say "well, in the biggest game of the season you should always play your best goalkeeper" when in what was previously the biggest game we didn't. Was there anything in the final that Friedel dealt with that you think Guzan wouldn't have?

The West Brom quarter final is now our biggest game of the season - presumably as he is our best goalkeeper you'd favour dropping Given and playing Guzan for that and any subsequent rounds?

Guzan didn't suddenly become a good goalkeeper when Lambert started playing him. He should have kept his place over the once-good Given under McLeish and should have been phased in better along with the once-great Friedel under O'Neill (meaning we didn't need to buy Given in the first place).