[Archived] Brad's Replacement

[stuwilky]

From what nicko hinted, had palace put in the £2m offer talked about then they wouldn't have stood in his way. Granted not nearly sold but hardly actions of a club sure that he will be of use in the future.

So, part of what you say is correct the "hardly actions" bit. We didnt actually do anything.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

By christ Hughes will have his hands full with replacing the big man.....a tall order indeed.

[LeChuck]

Brown will have to be a hell of a goalkeeper to make up for only being 5'11 tall. Personally I don't think he's go anywhere near to ability to compensate, very few top level goalkeepers have the ability to mask that extreme lack of height.

Unless Nielsen is another Hughes gem, I think the replacement will come from outside the club. I think we'll get at least this season and next out of Brad, so we've got plenty of time on our hands to find the right man. One thing I think we should all accept though; whoever we get, they won't be as good as Brad.

[Eddie]

The keeper i feel most sorry for is Cudicini. He is one of the best in the league and yet he has to sit around at chelsea doing nothing for the vast majority of the season. Yet when called upon he still looks very sharp, it's a credit to the guy and his determination to do well. Most players would have moved on by now.

It appears that he wants to, but Chelsea won't let him.

[herbergeehh]

You get to train with Peter Cech week in, week out, you get a paycheck the size of a small African country's BNP and you can watch all Chelsea's games from their very own subsitutes bench. Poor fella..

Back to the debate, can I ask - what do people think of Friedel's start to the season? Has he declined? I ask because I haven't been able to watch a full game yet due to various reasons, and from the highlights he's looked a bit slippery at times.

[frosty]

You get to train with Peter Cech week in, week out, you get a paycheck the size of a small African country's BNP and you can watch all Chelsea's games from their very own subsitutes bench. Poor fella..

Back to the debate, can I ask - what do people think of Friedel's start to the season? Has he declined? I ask because I haven't been able to watch a full game yet due to various reasons, and from the highlights he's looked a bit slippery at times.

We wouldn't have won at Boro without him, and the Arsenal mistake was very rare. I questioned him beating the ball away at Everton, but off the replay, the shots were swerving in the air, so he did the right thing.

[joey_big_nose]

You get to train with Peter Cech week in, week out, you get a paycheck the size of a small African country's BNP and you can watch all Chelsea's games from their very own subsitutes bench. Poor fella..

Call me mental but I thought the BNP's prescence in an African country, big or small, would be rather limited?

[Mozzer]

when friedal does decide to retire, i cant see jason brown taking over, in my opinion he doesnt have the stature..

i think we will go out and buy another keeper...id say friedal has this season and next season, so we dont really need to start looking for a goalkeeper..

[Fife Rover]

I don't think Brown/Enckelman/Nielsen etc will be our future number 1. When Brad eventually does hang up his boots, I think we will look abroad for a good keeper.

How can you possibly know whether Brown or Enks are good enough or not? When did either of them get more than a very fleeting appearence in the team. In Brown's case less than one full match, in which he played very well and saved a pen! Surely they deserve at least a decent run out in the case of Brad's non-availability.

Please don't tell me that they have both got plenty of experience in the reserves or in training. That kind of experience is NEVER going to test a keeper properly. They need to play whilst under REAL pressure; a keepers ability to make good and very quick decisions is vital, and just as important as agility and reaction time. The need to be able to read the game and marshall his defenders is also vital. For all this you need games at the very top level and preferably several of them in sucession.

[Tim Southampton Rover]

Just put Chris Samba in goal. He's big, strong, good in the air and can use his long legs to kick the ball if it comes within 30 foot of the goal. Seriously though, Chris Samba is better than Brad.

[budha]

How can you possibly know whether Brown or Enks are good enough or not? When did either of them get more than a very fleeting appearence in the team. In Brown's case less than one full match, in which he played very well and saved a pen! Surely they deserve at least a decent run out in the case of Brad's non-availability.

Please don't tell me that they have both got plenty of experience in the reserves or in training. That kind of experience is NEVER going to test a keeper properly. They need to play whilst under REAL pressure; a keepers ability to make good and very quick decisions is vital, and just as important as agility and reaction time. The need to be able to read the game and marshall his defenders is also vital. For all this you need games at the very top level and preferably several of them in sucession.

Brown aside, but Enckelman has admitted in interviews at Finland that's he's looking for a "nice" team and league to play in next season. So basicly he's given up the hope of getting the number 1 shirt at Rovers and is just sitting out for remainder of his contract.

I like Tim Howard. His pretty young for a GK (28) and perhaps Brad could convince him to join us in a year or two?

[USRoverME]

I doubt it, Brad's a bit of a "loner" when it comes to the american keepers, it seems. After all, he's been off the USa side for a long time due to his bust up with Arena. But there's a nice pipeline of American Keepers, and based ont eh salary structure right now int eh USA, I doubt any of the big name USA keepers will want to take the likely pay cut to head back to the states to "retire", so they'll be over here untill they really can't cut it anymore, see Keller, Kasey.

[Ben-2000]

I think it would be a good idea to give Enks/Brown a run out at some point this season in a league cup game and against My-Pa, just to give them match experience incase they ever need to step in due to an injury to Brad.

[benlloninho]

Being from America and not having any other real reason to be a fan of any English club, I must admit that Brad is the reason why I "support" Rovers.

Anyhow, I feel like Friedel can't be replaced. Like Tugs.

[Daremz]

Just put Chris Samba in goal. He's big, strong, good in the air and can use his long legs to kick the ball if it comes within 30 foot of the goal. Seriously though, Chris Samba is better than Brad.

I think Jason Brown is more than decent. I'd give him a chance.

[RoversFanUSA]

I don't think Brown/Enckelman/Nielsen etc will be our future number 1. When Brad eventually does hang up his boots, I think we will look abroad for a good keeper.

Im an american and i play keeper. I'll take over if they want! Still think hes going to be VERY hard to replace.

[Tim Southampton Rover]

I think Brown is in a great position at the moment as he's training with two great experienced goalkeepers as well as an excellent group of staff who can help mould him into a top keeper. He's young, got a lot of potential and has shown that he's got the ability to become a good keeper but it's important that he can progress in the next year or so and really push Brad for that number 1 spot. If he doesn't look like he's going to be able to nudge him out of the number 1 jersey then maybe it would mean the club will need to focus elsewhere.

[Billy Castell]

Average sized men can be good keepers, Shay Given looks only 5' 11" to 6 foot or so, and we should have kept him. I suppose you'd have to be as springy and agile as Tigger to make up for it though.

[RoversSG]

Average sized men can be good keepers, Shay Given looks only 5' 11" to 6 foot or so, and we should have kept him. I suppose you'd have to be as springy and agile as Tigger to make up for it though.

Let's just hope we get a Tigger rather than a pooh

[RoyRover]

Friedal has ben such an excellent goalie for us, that it will be difficult to replace him. To do so, I think that we will have to look outside the club and be prepared to spend a lot of money to bring in a quality replacement. Players that spring to mind are Carlo Cudicini, Sebastian Frey and Stipe Pletikosa. Frey would possibly be beyond us, but the other two (even though they are just suggestions) are the type of quality that we should be looking at. I'm not sure if Brown is good enough to be our regular number one. Hughes will have to make this decision by next season.

[Finch]

As much as I hate the idea of replacing one of the best keepers in the Prem and the most consistent player we have had since….probably Colin Hendry, we have to face facts.

Eventually he is going to retire and the idea of replacing him with a keeper of equal stature is a scary prospect.

Maybe we can get Shay Given back. I always rated him and don't understand why he couldn't get a game above Tim Flowers when he played for us.

Apart from him...... do you think Buffon would consider a move to Blackburn? Nah! I didn't think so either.....

[Eddie]

We need to bring in someone slightly younger anyway. It would be nice to get a young(ish) keeper and get a long time out of them. I think that really benefits the club and means we don't have to deal with this problem regularly.

[waggy]

watched celtic last night on tv,and the spartak keeper looked very good

[RoyRover]

That would be Stipe Pletikosa, the Croatian international. I mentioned hima s a possible replacement, he is pure class. I would love to get Shay Given back. He is th eonly reason that Newcastle haven't been relegated in the last couple of season and I think that along with Peter Cech, he is the best goalkeeper in the Premiership.

[Oakland]

Reading go for Blackburn keeper Brown