No 1 Keeper to start the new season

[C_T_I_D]

You are all mad!! Shag Given has been one of our best players since he joined. An outstanding keeper and possibly one of the best in the world, Hart has a lot to learn. Shay is our number 1 without any doubt

Shag? Lol...

=P

 

[Deepest Blue]

Unf. Given's type of injury has a possibility of recurring.
Whether Joe stays or goes we cannot be without a top-class cover guy.

 

[DontLookBackInAnger]

Funny how people seem to forget Hart's weaknesses, and remember nothing but Given's.
Never mind the fact that Hart was third choice keeper in a poor English squad, he wasn't at all too happy about being made come back to City before the world cup.

Either way, Hart wont want to sit on the bench after getting a taste of starting football down with Birmingham and no one in their right mind would expect Shay to sit happily on the bench. Either way, I'd say one will be gone by Christmas if Hart's forced to stay.

And you can't just split the games, whatever about the other positions, you can't keep switching keepers. Hart wont be patient and we can't ask Given to be, and we shouldn't expect him to, wait around and sit on the bench at this stage of his career.

Given's an excellent keeper and I'd start him, but obviously for most it's the young English lad that they want to start.

It will be interesting to see who's picked, it would have been a different story if Hart had gotten any game time at the world cup, it might have tipped him as favourite to start, especially because there was questions whether Shay will be fit or not. But now, the fact that Hart didn't get a single minute could be a blemish on him. And I can see Given being fit for start of season as he's supposed to be ahead of schedule with recovery, either way, it'll be goodbye to one of our keepers come the window in January. There is no way to keep them both happy, whether we like it or not.

I agree with some of what you have said, I too don't see us keeping both longer than the New Year window. While it's true that people seem to want to forget Hart's weaknesses, but by the same token he was voted best Keeper in the league last season and you have a dig at him that "he only could make 3rd choice in a poor England side" I think most reasonable people would agree on form Hart should have been No1 for England. The reason he didn't get the nod was because his rise from 2nd choice at City to the World Cup came over a fairly short time period(in terms of International games), he was unable to get the experance that the manager felt was needed to play behind a disjointed back 4 and I'm willing to bet he starts the next England campign as first choice.

So where does that leave us at City, both are solid keepers(I would strongly question anyone that claims either are world class)and will over the course of the season help you more than cost you. However, the wild card in all this is Given's injury, it seems unlikely he will be fit for the start of the season and with it being a shoulder injury will the club risk selling off someone with the talent of Hart, knowing that you're one bad fall on a hard pitch away from another 4months out?

Whatever City do, it's not going to be an easy choice and at the end of the day I think it will be one or the other. I really don't like the idea of swapping back and forth, with keepers that never seems to work and some people have suggested ohhh play Hart in the Europa League......with the final in Dublin getting all the way there and sticking Given on the bench will go down like a lead balloon. Of all the moves we are likely to make over the next few months, this has the potential to bite us in the ass really badly.

 

[Shooter 83]

The best keeper in the league last season get's the nod from me.

 

[IrishMacca]

Funny how people seem to forget Hart's weaknesses, and remember nothing but Given's.
Never mind the fact that Hart was third choice keeper in a poor English squad, he wasn't at all too happy about being made come back to City before the world cup.

Either way, Hart wont want to sit on the bench after getting a taste of starting football down with Birmingham and no one in their right mind would expect Shay to sit happily on the bench. Either way, I'd say one will be gone by Christmas if Hart's forced to stay.

And you can't just split the games, whatever about the other positions, you can't keep switching keepers. Hart wont be patient and we can't ask Given to be, and we shouldn't expect him to, wait around and sit on the bench at this stage of his career.

Given's an excellent keeper and I'd start him, but obviously for most it's the young English lad that they want to start.

It will be interesting to see who's picked, it would have been a different story if Hart had gotten any game time at the world cup, it might have tipped him as favourite to start, especially because there was questions whether Shay will be fit or not. But now, the fact that Hart didn't get a single minute could be a blemish on him. And I can see Given being fit for start of season as he's supposed to be ahead of schedule with recovery, either way, it'll be goodbye to one of our keepers come the window in January. There is no way to keep them both happy, whether we like it or not.

I agree with some of what you have said, I too don't see us keeping both longer than the New Year window. While it's true that people seem to want to forget Hart's weaknesses, but by the same token he was voted best Keeper in the league last season and you have a dig at him that "he only could make 3rd choice in a poor England side" I think most reasonable people would agree on form Hart should have been No1 for England. The reason he didn't get the nod was because his rise from 2nd choice at City to the World Cup came over a fairly short time period(in terms of International games), he was unable to get the experance that the manager felt was needed to play behind a disjointed back 4 and I'm willing to bet he starts the next England campign as first choice.

So where does that leave us at City, both are solid keepers(I would strongly question anyone that claims either are world class)and will over the course of the season help you more than cost you. However, the wild card in all this is Given's injury, it seems unlikely he will be fit for the start of the season and with it being a shoulder injury will the club risk selling off someone with the talent of Hart, knowing that you're one bad fall on a hard pitch away from another 4months out?

Whatever City do, it's not going to be an easy choice and at the end of the day I think it will be one or the other. I really don't like the idea of swapping back and forth, with keepers that never seems to work and some people have suggested ohhh play Hart in the Europa League......with the final in Dublin getting all the way there and sticking Given on the bench will go down like a lead balloon. Of all the moves we are likely to make over the next few months, this has the potential to bite us in the ass really badly.

A great thing he was, but many players have gotten on that team before, and players will continue to do so. But I wasn't having a dig at Hart for being 3rd choice, I'm just saying that the fact that lack of experience, while it's a reason I wouldn't have started him, he clearly had the better season of the other 2, and it doesn't seem to matter to other teams about inexperienced players, like Germany, what age they are and it shouldn't have for Capello, but he still didn't feel he could play Hart..that says something in my opinion. If he had gotten any game time I would have tippped him to start, but I can almost see the fact that he didn't, work against him.

They have said he is ahead of schedule, which means he should probably make it, and to be fair, he wasn't nicknamed Lazarus at Newcastle for a reason, I really wouldn't right the lad off. Surgery has fixed his shoulder, just like it has done for many players in the past with no impacts on their games. There should be no add on after this surgery, this is it, this fixed it. People seem to want to dramatize his injury to make it an easier decision. At the end of the day, every keeper is one bad fall away from a nasty injury, especially keepers. That's football. And keepers, well they're made of different stuff, the older ones anyway. Haha.

Hart doesn't seem to want to come back from the things he said, and I can't see either staying if they've to sit on the bench, I'd expect Hart to do it more easily, but these young players have a mind of their own, Given wont and I wouldn't blame him, you wouldn't ask him to either. What I do know is that Given is an incredible popular member of the squad, and it wont go down too well if he's to leave.

 

[Lancet Fluke]

Hart for me. I know Hart didn't command his area especially well when he was in our first team but then he was better at it than Given even then imo. It seems to be generally accepted that he has come on loads at Birmingham so hopefully this area of his game will have improved quite a bit.

 

[DontLookBackInAnger]

I agree with some of what you have said, I too don't see us keeping both longer than the New Year window. While it's true that people seem to want to forget Hart's weaknesses, but by the same token he was voted best Keeper in the league last season and you have a dig at him that "he only could make 3rd choice in a poor England side" I think most reasonable people would agree on form Hart should have been No1 for England. The reason he didn't get the nod was because his rise from 2nd choice at City to the World Cup came over a fairly short time period(in terms of International games), he was unable to get the experance that the manager felt was needed to play behind a disjointed back 4 and I'm willing to bet he starts the next England campign as first choice.

So where does that leave us at City, both are solid keepers(I would strongly question anyone that claims either are world class)and will over the course of the season help you more than cost you. However, the wild card in all this is Given's injury, it seems unlikely he will be fit for the start of the season and with it being a shoulder injury will the club risk selling off someone with the talent of Hart, knowing that you're one bad fall on a hard pitch away from another 4months out?

Whatever City do, it's not going to be an easy choice and at the end of the day I think it will be one or the other. I really don't like the idea of swapping back and forth, with keepers that never seems to work and some people have suggested ohhh play Hart in the Europa League......with the final in Dublin getting all the way there and sticking Given on the bench will go down like a lead balloon. Of all the moves we are likely to make over the next few months, this has the potential to bite us in the ass really badly.

A great thing he was, but many players have gotten on that team before, and players will continue to do so. But I wasn't having a dig at Hart for being 3rd choice, I'm just saying that the fact that lack of experience, while it's a reason I wouldn't have started him, he clearly had the better season of the other 2, and it doesn't seem to matter to other teams about inexperienced players, like Germany, what age they are and it shouldn't have for Capello, but he still didn't feel he could play Hart..that says something in my opinion. If he had gotten any game time I would have tippped him to start, but I can almost see the fact that he didn't, work against him.

They have said he is ahead of schedule, which means he should probably make it, and to be fair, he wasn't nicknamed Lazarus at Newcastle for a reason, I really wouldn't right the lad off. Surgery has fixed his shoulder, just like it has done for many players in the past with no impacts on their games. There should be no add on after this surgery, this is it, this fixed it. People seem to want to dramatize his injury to make it an easier decision. At the end of the day, every keeper is one bad fall away from a nasty injury, especially keepers. That's football. And keepers, well they're made of different stuff, the older ones anyway. Haha.

Hart doesn't seem to want to come back from the things he said, and I can't see either staying if they've to sit on the bench, I'd expect Hart to do it more easily, but these young players have a mind of their own, Given wont and I wouldn't blame him, you wouldn't ask him to either. What I do know is that Given is an incredible popular member of the squad, and it wont go down too well if he's to leave.

If I was a betting man I have a feeling Given wins this battle and we lose Hart, but I can see it both ways.

 

[Quinninho]

Given all day for me, Hart has huge potential but one good season cant justify a start over probably the most consistent and best keeper in the Premier League.

 

[Lancet Fluke]

Given all day for me, Hart has huge potential but one good season cant justify a start over probably the most consistent and best keeper in the Premier League.

I have a real concern that we will let Hart go because he doesn't want to play understudy to Given. Given's shoulder will go again (as dislocated shoulders often do) and we'll end up scratching around for a loan signing like last season.

 

[bluetoo]

Funny how people seem to forget Hart's weaknesses, and remember nothing but Given's.
Never mind the fact that Hart was third choice keeper in a poor English squad, he wasn't at all too happy about being made come back to City before the world cup.

Either way, Hart wont want to sit on the bench after getting a taste of starting football down with Birmingham and no one in their right mind would expect Shay to sit happily on the bench. Either way, I'd say one will be gone by Christmas if Hart's forced to stay.

And you can't just split the games, whatever about the other positions, you can't keep switching keepers. Hart wont be patient and we can't ask Given to be, and we shouldn't expect him to, wait around and sit on the bench at this stage of his career.

Given's an excellent keeper and I'd start him, but obviously for most it's the young English lad that they want to start.

It will be interesting to see who's picked, it would have been a different story if Hart had gotten any game time at the world cup, it might have tipped him as favourite to start, especially because there was questions whether Shay will be fit or not. But now, the fact that Hart didn't get a single minute could be a blemish on him. And I can see Given being fit for start of season as he's supposed to be ahead of schedule with recovery, either way, it'll be goodbye to one of our keepers come the window in January. There is no way to keep them both happy, whether we like it or not.

Couldnt have put it better (in fact I didnt)