[Archived] Don't Sell Friedel!

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

We have just today signed Brad Guzan (to be reported tomorrow) for £1.5m. He's a young American goalkeeper, and rumour has it that we are signing Brad Friedel as number one to help this guy come through over the next couple of seasons. Obviously it's an easy thing to say, but the rumours are gathering pace - probably because Blackburn haven't denied the story about Brad? Unless I've missed something.

Just like the 'rumour' you were signing Bentley?

[RevidgeBlue]

Blimey Simon.... you've changed your stance somewhat!

http://www.brfcs.co.uk/mb/index.php?s=&amp...st&p=357300

He has had one or two dips in form, but last season was probably his best for some time imo.

Anyhow, don't want Brad to go, but IF he wants to go, and if Robinson was only available this summer, and say we could only afford Robinson by getting a decent fee in now for Brad, that would be good long term planning imo.

Let's face it, if it's not this summer, realistically we're going to have to replace him next summer, or at a stretch the one after, anyway.

After losing him for nothing.

[rebelmswar]

We have just today signed Brad Guzan (to be reported tomorrow) for £1.5m. He's a young American goalkeeper, and rumour has it that we are signing Brad Friedel as number one to help this guy come through over the next couple of seasons. Obviously it's an easy thing to say, but the rumours are gathering pace - probably because Blackburn haven't denied the story about Brad? Unless I've missed something.

Guzan hinted his move to Aston Villa could be completed in July when he said "talks could be concluded over the next couple of days" and that he "hopes it works out for everyone involved".

I wonder why you would need Brad when you have Guzman. He is a good keeper and only 23 I think. Great distribution and a good shot stopper, much like our Brad.

I believe that Villa wanting Brad is not as true now as it was. They may have wanted him but Guzman is ready for the Premier League in my opinion, so they have their new keeper.

[MancVillan]

Just like the 'rumour' you were signing Bentley?

You can't say that rumour has no substance? I'm not saying we're going to sign him, but it seems we are definitely in for him.

[MancVillan]

Guzan hinted his move to Aston Villa could be completed in July when he said "talks could be concluded over the next couple of days" and that he "hopes it works out for everyone involved".

I wonder why you would need Brad when you have Guzman. He is a good keeper and only 23 I think. Great distribution and a good shot stopper, much like our Brad.

I believe that Villa wanting Brad is not as true now as it was. They may have wanted him but Guzman is ready for the Premier League in my opinion, so they have their new keeper.

Interesting. Obviously I don't know anything about the guy, and we (Villa fans) are just gussing by the price tag and his age that he is coming in as some kind of backup. But your message encourages me greatly. Sounds a good goalkeeper.

[rebelmswar]

Interesting. Obviously I don't know anything about the guy, and we (Villa fans) are just gussing by the price tag and his age that he is coming in as some kind of backup. But your message encourages me greatly. Sounds a good goalkeeper.

He is very promising, second pick of the Supaerdraft by Chivas USA in 2005.

Has 9 international appearances for the USA already.

Also MLS goalkeeper of the year 2007.

[tcj_jones]

Can we just make clear, £2.5m is nothing, the fee isn't even worth mentioning. This isn't about getting money out of him, it's about getting as much playing time as possible. I honestly think he has another two seasons ahead of him as well.

Saying that, we could do a lot worse than Robinson.

[rebelmswar]

Saying that, we could do a lot worse than Robinson.

If it came to that, I would be satisfied.

[Hughesy]

£5m has to be the price on Brads head, and then get Robinson included in the Bentley deal at a value of say £4m.

[RoversFanUSA]

I am a proper die hard supporter but I don't think I'd be able to support the manager and be 100% behind him if he decides to sell big Brad. We shouldn't sell our star players

I fully agree!

I was watching sky sports last night and when i seen that there was an offer for him i nearly had a heart attack!

Brad is main reason i first started following Rovers and one of my childhood heros and main reason i play keeper. I still remember watching the Rovers v ManU game a couple years back and seeing him playing and from there i was hooked on Rovers.

Now im not saying that if he leaves i will stop supporting Rovers, but i will (as im sure with a lot of ppl)be gutted.

I hope ince isnt behind this or he will have lost my support....

[modes98]

If I was Ince, I too would have been thinking about goalkeepers.

Well thank god your not our manager!

We have just today signed Brad Guzan (to be reported tomorrow) for £1.5m. He's a young American goalkeeper, and rumour has it that we are signing Brad Friedel as number one to help this guy come through over the next couple of seasons.

Surely your coach can do a good enough job. Guzan is one of the most highly rated young keepers around. Granted he looked very bad against england but so did a fair few players who are good enough to make it in the premiership.

If forced out, which i still don't believe, Brad for me would not look at a CL club because of the amount of games. Everton or Villa would then be the natural choices.

Brad is a future BRFC manager, no doubt!

[tony gale's mic]

Brad is a future BRFC manager, no doubt!

Keepers rarely make good managers.

[modes98]

Keepers rarely make good managers.

Brad is that good that he is the 1 keeper in the world that will! Plus me of course.

No really, Brad has the perfect personality for it. He may not want the pressure after 20 years of it but that is another matter.

[grizfoot]

It would be incredibly weird to see anyone but Brad between the posts for Rovers. Isn't he close to beating the all-time successive games record in the Premiership?

Probably the one player that would cause the greatest uproar amongst the fans if he was allowed to leave, wouldn't be a great way for Ince to assert himself to the supporters. I'm still staying with the positive though and hoping Brad will still be here come September 1st.

[Exiled in Toronto]

Well thank god your not our manager!

Comfortable with Brad's back up if he stays and then immediately gets a long term injury are you? I'm not saying I would do what Ince is alleged to be doing, but I think it's foolish to pin all our goalkeeping hopes on the ageing Brad Freidal.

[Exiled in Toronto]

He has had one or two dips in form, but last season was probably his best for some time imo.

As another past critic of Friedal's less impressive seasons, I would agree with that. I think he significantly improved parts of his game after Hitchcock came in: more assertive on crosses, back to his best at closing down the through-on-goal situation; still cack at direct fee kicks mind, but you can't have everything. Last season was probably his best for us.

[Tris]

oops

[modes98]

Comfortable with Brad's back up if he stays and then immediately gets a long term injury are you?

That's a risk with any player at any age.

Brown as a backup has a good pedigree, just needs to be given more of a chance on the pitch.

[Finch]

Any criticism of Friedel has to be stacked up against his already very impressive record.

He is seen as one of the best keepers and probably the most consistent in the Prem.

It is not a surprise that teams are pursuing him. What is a surprise is that they have taken this long.

We are seen as nothing better than a shop window for bigger clubs. As soon as a decent player emerges, they come sniffing around because, after all, what quality player would want to stay at a club like Blackburn when you could move to a big club - or Spurs!

Sour grapes and pet peeves aside, why wouldn't he be courted by other clubs?

What I don't understand are the reports that say that Ince wants rid.

Why oh why oh why?

(PS. I wonder if players like Brad ever visit sites like this and peruse posts to see what the fans think.)

[Hasta]

£5m has to be the price on Brads head, and then get Robinson included in the Bentley deal at a value of say £4m.

No thanks. Robinson is beaten by too many shots from distance and is also prone to a number of mistakes. He is well regarded due to the fact that he plays for Spurs and is one of the best English keepers there is. Unfortunately all of the English keepers are poor at the moment. Ramos obviously saw pretty quickly that he wasn't good enough. Why should he be good enough to come here?

If we were to get a new keeper I'd rather we either went foreign or took a chance on an up and coming keeper.

As for Friedels form, last year he was again consistently possibly the best keeper in the league. Anyone who thinks his form is dipping is in cuckoo land.

[Silencio]

If we sign Robinson I will be absolutely gutted. Bloody hell, he's in the 3 worst in the league...

[Darth Paul]

Keepers rarely make good managers.

I don't think that by being a goalkeeper it makes you a weaker candidate to be a manager, but you have to realise that there is only 1 keeper in a side and 10 outfield players, therefore the odds of having a successful ex keeper manager are greatly reduced...

Dino Zoff, Bruce Arena, Raymond Goethals (Marseille Euro Cup win v Milan - 1993 I think) are successful examples though.

And of course Don MacKay!

[tony gale's mic]

I don't think that by being a goalkeeper it makes you a weaker candidate to be a manager, but you have to realise that there is only 1 keeper in a side and 10 outfield players, therefore the odds of having a successful ex keeper manager are greatly reduced...

Dino Zoff, Bruce Arena, Raymond Goethals (Marseille Euro Cup win v Milan - 1993 I think) are successful examples though.

And of course Don MacKay!

You've been reading the same article I did last night after I made that post, by the looks of things.

[LeChuck]

Dino Zoff, Bruce Arena, Raymond Goethals (Marseille Euro Cup win v Milan - 1993 I think) are successful examples though.

None of them are fantastic though.

It's quite strange really, you'd think that goalkeepers would make the best managers having spent most of their career observing the play.

[tony gale's mic]

None of them are fantastic though.

It's quite strange really, you'd think that goalkeepers would make the best managers having spent most of their career observing the play.

But they don't get as directly involved in the game as the players do, they don't need to worry themselves so much with things like tactics.