03 Jun 2015 02:34:35
Media reports of 'advanced talks' for Maarten Stekelenburg who is available on a free transfer. If true (who knows!), I think this could be a great signing.

1.) 03 Jun 2015
03 Jun 2015 11:58:51
I thought he was still in contract to Fulham.

2.) 03 Jun 2015
03 Jun 2015 12:40:37
Looks like your right. That will teach me to take things at face value from the media! (I should have known better)

3.) 03 Jun 2015
03 Jun 2015 21:10:44
He's the Eljero Elia of goalkeepers. Started in the 2010 world cup final, but has been absolute garbage ever since and his career has faded away into irrelevance.

Personally, I'd be worried about Saints taking such a huge gamble for such a key position. It didn't matter so much that Elia turned out to be rubbish, as he was only a squad player and worth a punt. But if your new number one continues down his four-year path of total decline, then you've got a big problem.

I understand the appeal of a cheap, once-good international keeper who his club are desperate to get rid of, but it seems risky to me, when there's no need to take such a gamble. There are other decent keepers out there, whose careers are on the rise not the downslope.

4.) 04 Jun 2015
04 Jun 2015 10:14:03
The thing is the only want cover till frazer gets back cause he will only want his position back and too much money to leave on the bench.

5.) 04 Jun 2015
04 Jun 2015 13:57:51
Steklenberg is a great keeper who got conned into moving to Fulham when put together a very good side I'd have him here as a number one let alone a number two he's played in Europe almost his whole career with Ajax and the Dutch national team ,Forster will be great one day but let's be honest if he hadn't played in the spl he wouldn't have had a sniff of Europe

6.) 04 Jun 2015
04 Jun 2015 19:01:21
Stekelenburg didn't get conned into joining Fulham. He bombed out at Roma, where he was exceptionally poor, had a number of injuries and ultimately lost his place.

Fulham threw him a lifeline - and he was a disaster from the beginning, injuring himself on his debut. When he returned, he conceded more than 2.25 goals per game, and was dropped for the last nine matches of the season in favour the mighty David Stockdale. Hasn't played for them since.

Loaned out to Monaco, he's sat on the bench all of this season just gone.

His stock has virtually evaporated since he left Ajax in 2011. He's not a "great keeper". Not anymore. Not even close. And like I said before, I think it's a massive gamble for Saints to sign him as their number one for the new season and cross their fingers that he can somehow rewind the clock five years to when he wasn't hopeless. Can't they do better, with someone who is actually relevant in the here and now?

7.) 05 Jun 2015
Haha quality wpedia analysis of a goalkeeper who's had a much better career than any goalkeeper except Peter Shilton the saints have ever had. he played over 50 games in Rome I think hardly a bad record since he was there about a season and a half oh and he was also playing champions league there aswell, if you want shit goalkeepers look no further than davis and gazza for Christmas sake hardly a risk signing a goalkeeper who's played in a world cup final for the DUTCH when they are your other options, have a big wipe and move on

8.) 05 Jun 2015
05 Jun 2015 16:59:30
Had being the operative word. He hasn't been worth his salt as a keeper since he left Ajax. Hasn't played for Holland in three years.

I've no argument that he used to be a very good keeper, but sadly he isn't anymore and hasn't been for a number of years now. Signing declining players who used to be good but now their Championship club are desperate to get them off the books isn't a great transfer strategy, IMHO.