Starting at the bottom of the Prem (Another Almunia thread!)

NBM · Post by **NBM** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 12:13 pm

Discussion from the pub on Sunday:

Starting at the bottom of the Prem and working your way up, list the name of the first 'keeper, their team's name and position in the league, that you consider worse than Almunia.

Table is here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/footbal ... efault.stm

First one I came to was:

Paul Robinson Blackburn Rovers 10th

Captain Fabregas · Post by **Captain Fabregas** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 12:18 pm

you think Marcus Hanananananaman is better?

PI7ES · Post by **PI7ES** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 12:22 pm

I think robinson is better.

NBM · Post by **NBM** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 12:23 pm

Yup, gets my vote for consistency (the Tim bit confused the f**k out of me )

LDB · Post by **LDB** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 12:58 pm

20. David James

18. Brian Jensen

15. Rob Green (about equal with Average Al I'd say)

But point taken, how Almunia is the number one for a "big 4" side is miraculous at best.

augie · Post by **augie** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 1:04 pm

I got as far as chavski

Seriously though I would say that only burnley and stoke have def got a worse number 1 keeper than us (and the stoke signing might change that) and then there are one or two that might be on a similar level to the spanish clown (hull and possibly blackburn tho I think robinson might be slightly better)

projoe · Post by **projoe** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 1:07 pm

burnley, hull and wolves only have worse in my opinion

Kiki · Post by **Kiki** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 3:44 pm

no one

It was touch and go between him and Sorensen who is quite similiar but doesnt make as many comical errors so on tht note, I dont think there is a first choice GK in the EPL who he is better than

digger · Post by **digger** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 3:48 pm

Burnley?? I'd say the beast is better than the useless Spanish *word censored*.

merv_charles · Post by **merv_charles** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 4:28 pm

Kiki wrote:no one

It was touch and go between him and Sorensen who is quite similiar but doesnt make as many comical errors so on tht note, I dont think there is a first choice GK in the EPL who he is better than

Totally agree. Only Gomes during his clown phase last season can compare with the clown currently making regular pratfalls in the Arsenal goal.

You just gotta look at his career before he was signed by Arsenal.

1997â€“1999 Osasuna B - 44 appearances
1999â€“2000 Osasuna - 0 appearances
1999â€“2000 FC Cartagena (loan) 3 appearances
2000â€“2001 Sabadell 25 appearances
2001â€“2004 Celta Vigo 0 appearances
2001â€“2002 SD Eibar (loan) 35 appearances
2002â€“2003 Recreativo Huelva (loan) 2 appearances
2003â€“2004 Albacete BalompiÃ© (loan) 24 appearances

Some people have said that Almunia is really a back up keeper, a number two to the main number one. To judge from his pre-Arsenal career, he wasn't even a number two.

Still, it's hard to blame Almunia for being unable to keep goal at the highest level. Anyone reading his CV would have been able to see that the guy cannot be that good and lacked experience at the highest level.

IMO, the blame lies with the people who for some reason expect Arsene Wenger to build a team using the flotsam and jetsam of world football.

marcengels · Post by **marcengels** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 4:40 pm

merv_charles wrote:IMO, the blame lies with the people who for some reason expect Arsene Wenger to build a team using the flotsam and jetsam of world football.

Who exactly is forcing Arsene Wenger to persist with Almunia?

merv_charles · Post by **merv_charles** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 5:00 pm

marcengels wrote:
merv_charles wrote:IMO, the blame lies with the people who for some reason expect Arsene Wenger to build a team using the flotsam and jetsam of world football.
Who exactly is forcing Arsene Wenger to persist with Almunia?

Whoever is balancing the budgets at AFC and not releasing the necessary funds to strengthen the squad.

IMO, they are leaving Wenger in a "best pick out of an average bunch" scenario in certain positions and as long as CL qualification is achieved they are happy as Larry 'cos it keeps the cash rolling in.

I don't believe all the talk about Â£30m to spend. AFC constantly trot out that nonsense after releasing their Profit and Loss accounts for the year. They always seem to overlook the long term debt in the Balance Sheet and that the profit made has to go on servicing the debt.

marcengels · Post by **marcengels** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 5:05 pm

merv_charles wrote:
marcengels wrote:
merv_charles wrote:IMO, the blame lies with the people who for some reason expect Arsene Wenger to build a team using the flotsam and jetsam of world football.
Who exactly is forcing Arsene Wenger to persist with Almunia?
Whoever is balancing the budgets at AFC and not releasing the necessary funds to strengthen the squad.

IMO, they are leaving Wenger in a "best pick out of an average bunch" scenario in certain positions and as long as CL qualification is achieved they are happy as Larry 'cos it keeps the cash rolling in.

I don't believe all the talk about Â£30m to spend. AFC constantly trot out that nonsense after releasing their Profit and Loss accounts for the year. They always seem to overlook the long term debt in the Balance Sheet and that the profit made has to go on servicing the debt.

Wrong...a percentage of money (70%) has to be kept in an account for transfre fees plus salries, of any incoming funds. We made in excess of 40 million from adebayor/toure. That's around Â£30m available. More than enough for a quality goalkeeper, and more. That's even without new investment in the transfre market.

I refer you to gooner.ed , who wa involved in explaining all this on one of the recent podcasts.

Money is there...Fact.

selsdon · Post by **selsdon** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 5:06 pm

Cut the wage bill by half and we'd have over Â£50 mill to spunk on decent players.

Don't take eight years at a Strasbourg polytecnic to suss that one out imo.

Boomer · Post by **Boomer** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 5:10 pm

merv_charles wrote:
Kiki wrote:no one

It was touch and go between him and Sorensen who is quite similiar but doesnt make as many comical errors so on tht note, I dont think there is a first choice GK in the EPL who he is better than
Totally agree. Only Gomes during his clown phase last season can compare with the clown currently making regular pratfalls in the Arsenal goal.

You just gotta look at his career before he was signed by Arsenal.

1997â€“1999 Osasuna B - 44 appearances
1999â€“2000 Osasuna - 0 appearances
1999â€“2000 FC Cartagena (loan) 3 appearances
2000â€“2001 Sabadell 25 appearances
2001â€“2004 Celta Vigo 0 appearances
2001â€“2002 SD Eibar (loan) 35 appearances
2002â€“2003
(loan) 2 appearances
2003â€“2004 Albacete BalompiÃ© (loan) 24 appearances

Some people have said that Almunia is really a back up keeper, a number two to the main number one. To judge from his pre-Arsenal career, he wasn't even a number two.

Still, it's hard to blame Almunia for being unable to keep goal at the highest level. Anyone reading his CV would have been able to see that the guy cannot be that good and lacked experience at the highest level.

IMO, the blame lies with the people who for some reason expect Arsene Wenger to build a team using the flotsam and jetsam of world football.

I put this up yesterday.

Those two appearences for Recreativo Huelva came only after sending off's. He was at a lower divison club out on loan from Celta to which Recreativo Huelva wanted him.........as there 3rd choice keeper!