New two-year contract for Stekelenburg

Bad habits die hard, I guess. I remember we gave Howard a 4-year contract when he was 35. Thankfully he didn't see it out.

Next, new 3-year contracts for Jagielka and Baines?

Or a situation where we cave in to Chelsea on the last day of the window, leaving us with Stekelenburg as first-choice keeper until January... Scary!!!

To be fair to the club and Stekelenburg, the back-up goalkeeper position is a tricky one. It is usually filled by a mature experienced player in the twilight of his career (as in Stekelenburg's case), or a promising but not-there-yet younger keeper.

With Joel Robles gone and evidently none of the academy keepers getting a vote of confidence from the management thus far pre-season to step up, retaining Stekelenburg is an easy and obvious option when fulfilling other positions need prioritising.

Stekelenburg actually played very well in Koeman's first season, earning a recall to the Dutch national squad. Would I want him featuring regularly this season? Certainly not. So keeping Jordan Pickford AND keeping him fit to play is a must.

But I won't have a downer on the club in this instance for giving a two-year contract extension to a 35-year-old. If this was Jags, Williams or Baines the recipients of an extended contract, I might think differently. But it is less of a concern for me for the 'keeper's position.

As stated above, it's very difficult being a number two goalie. You can't play anywhere other than in goal, unlike an outfield player who can be played out of position, if required to do so, in an emergency.

There was one occasion, however, when I remember David James playing in goal for man city, and the sub goalie came on to enable James to go up front for the last few minutes of the match. Can't remember the opponents though, but city must have been really desperate for a result?

No doubt, the same results will accrue !

When he initially arrived he was decent. I remember a run of games where it looked like he would become our first choice keeper.

Vast experience, knows the club, knows the score and won't complain, and won't cost anything other than wages. No brainer!

He may never play a first team game for us again but at least he's there if we need him. Why so much heat?

Wonder what happened to the much mooted special relationship with the super agent Minola?? Aren't Ligt and Balotelli his clients? That would be the CB and striker position sorted and the last I read Balotelli was out of contract at Nice.

A mixed bag, but there was that season 2 years ago, the game at City and the other side of the coin at Chelsea, but the whole team gave in after the first minute, at a Chelsea.

Let’s hope there’s more business with incomings, as there’s no time to lose. Serious business time now for M&M.

Rob, are you saying that it's very difficult being a shit goalie

Stekelenburg on £140k per week and £150m release clause .

So don't go over the top on this one! :D

Robles had run down his contract, so he was allowed to leave on a free transfer. I couldn't see him sign another contract with a team where Pickford was now guaranteed to start! We fans might love the thought of the money involved with sitting on the bench, but the players all want to play, not warm the bench!

Veteran goalkeepers seem to have more brains, though... ;P

Do I think it's very difficult being a shit goalie?
No I don't. I saw plenty of shit goalies on a Sunday morning when I was playing.

If you're asking me do I think Stekelenburg is shit, no I don't. If you do, then that's your opinion. Did you think he was shit when he saved two penalties in the one game against man city a couple of years ago? No, thought not!

Listen, as many are now saying on here, he's a decent back up to Pickford, and hopefully we won't see too much of him this season. I don't see the point in trying to sell him and then scout around for the next ten days trying to find a replacement.

We have got a very good number one goalie in Pickford. It would be very difficult to find another one, who would be willing to sit on the bench every week. That's why I say, it's difficult being a number two goalie, knowing your chances of playing are restricted. Stekelenburg is prepared to bench warm for most of season, but if he is required, I'm sure he won't let the team down.

With regards to people mentioning Robles. His contract was up at the end of June. He knew his chances of replacing Pickford were slim. I don't know if he was offered a new contract or not? If he was, then clearly he rejected the offer, as he wanted to be playing every week.

This gives us two years to assess Hewlett and see if we need to find another young keeper from somewhere.

Rome wasn’t built in a day and some of the required changes can be pushed down the line a bit.

I see some of the 'doesn't inspire confidence in me' comments, which to a degree I understand...but can you blame him with that defence in-front of you, what the fuck has he got to be confident off, any keeper we have has to essentially play as keeper and two centre-backs haha

It's a no-brainer to extend this, and it won't be something that's distracted Brands for too long. The decision will have been made and left to whoever to do the paperwork while he concentrates on the more pressing transfer business.

I've a feeling this could be an interesting week...

Nowadays it costs $10M just to sign a backup goalkeeper.

Jack #69, the giant keeper you're thinking of is Tomas Holy of Gillingham. (All the Holy jokes may begin now.) The rumor has us, Arsenal and Hammers interested in him.

35 is not very old for a goalkeeper. I might agree with you if this was an outfield player.

According to google he was on £30,000 untuil 2019 so I guess it's just a one year extension, probably at the same terms. A bit heavy wage for your back-up but in todays era I guess they don't come much cheaper.

As long as they all stay fit, I don't see any dramas here.

What a club!

Really!

How many decent keepers are going to be willing to come in and sit out a season as 2nd choice to Pickford? Perhaps if we paid enough in wages and transfer fee, but I'd rather spend that money elsewhere on players who will be starting, week-in & week-out. When the rest of the squad is in better shape we can worry about #2 keepers!

Frankly I would sooner give some younger keeper the opportunity to shadow Pickford and play in League Cup games than put someone we know is unreliable on the field. You wouldn't do that with a striker.

Wait... we are doing that with a striker. Okay, well then, you wouldn't do that with a... Wait!

Alternative fact check: Mateusz Hewelt did in fact play not just 1 but 45 minutes in the second half of our first pre-season friendly — unless in your reality it was not a pre-season friendly, as claimed by some, because we scored so many goals against inferior opposition.

Got to be realistic here. We are not going to get an established top-class keeper to come in and play second fiddle to Pickford.

If we are looking to bring in a third keeper, I would look to a young gun like Freddie Woodman at Newcastle. Right age (21), heaps of potential and currently in a team that's overstocked with keepers.