With the arrival of the new Spanish goalkeeper, Adrian, it seems to poke fun at an issue that has been debated over since the departure of Robert Green. We are approaching a new season with heavy doubts laden over the position of who is the number one goalkeeper, and where we go in the future.
Adrian seems to be a solid goalkeeper. Having impressed in the Spanish leagues, yet he doesn’t seem to be the caliber of goalkeeper I would have liked the club to sign. Jussi Jaaskelainen has been brilliant for the club. He has brought solidity and consistency as a perfect model to the team, and has helped the manager complete his task of building from the back. However, despite the length that goalkeepers can and will carry on in football, Jussi Jaaskelainen’s time seems that it may not be too much longer, considering the age he will be in August. The services of Jussi, despite having signed an extension, seem to be short-lived. However, is Adrian the new long-term policy?
It worries me, personally, that we have invested in this goalkeeper; mainly because this 26-year-old has only been able to make his introduction into Spanish football in the last year. Even though he has become a mainstay and an ever present in the Real Betis team, I am still skeptical of this signing. I am skeptical because it doesn’t seem a large step forward for the club. This is because the fiasco surrounding our goalkeepers has continued.
I beg to ask the question, what about Stephen Henderson? Henderson has been at the club since January of 2012, and when he was signed was rumored to be one of the brightest prospects in the championship. However, despite proving good back up to both Green and Jaaskelinen, the Irishman seems to be a pointless signing. He has spent more time out of the club on loan and last January, it was rumored that he would be part of an exchange deal to bring Paul Robinson in. The club needs to make a decision on Stephen Henderson. It seems that he either needs to move for the sake of his own career, or that he needs to be a permanent fixture in the West Ham United goal. However, the signing of Adrian seems to point to the suggestion that Stephen Henderson’s time at West Ham United could be over, or that Jussi Jaaskelinen’s career is being brought to a close.
I am not suggesting that the club should bring in a goalkeeper of Julio Cesar’s quality. He would be a very good signing for the club, and would offer some form of progress. However, Cesar would demand high wages and considering his record last year, and his injury problems, Cesar would be a bad move. It would be nice to have seen the club bring in a goalkeeper of Steklenburg’s standard. Fulham have made a very good acquisition in Steklenburg, and I hope that Adrian can live up to the very same standard that a high quality goalkeeper is required to be at. Nevertheless, for now, the signing of Adrian seems to be solid, but not the long term solution that I was hoping would have been brought in.
Fiasco?? Jussi is nearing the end of his career and while he’s had a great season – and let’s be honest he was probably better than any of us expected – he also had a few moments when he gave us a few mild heartattacks. Henderson is a good keeper but not Premier league quality in my opinion and that seems to be borne out also in the fact that he is fourth choice in the Ireland set up where Millwall’s David Forde is first choice. Adrian has a year of La Liga experience and 11 clean sheets some of which were against the top sides. He could well turn out to be a brilliant buy – just like Jussi was for Bolton when Sam signed him for $100k.