Warning: Contains Negativity
Andy Lonergan, eh? So this deal looks very likely to be on. Coyle has openly declared his interest, and with Neil Warnock signing his beloved Paddy Kenny, the keeper appears to be surplus to requirements.
Coyle has stated that he wants a player that can compete with Adam Bogdan for the No 1 shirt, as well as having a good understanding of the Championship. I don’t read into this ‘understanding of the Championship’ malarkey. I don’t want us to get used to being down here. We need to sign players that are good enough for the Premier League, as thats the only way we are going to get there and stay there.
Lonergan will turn 29 in October, and you will be hard pressed to find many players at that age who are good enough to play in the top flight that haven’t. You could argue that as a goalkeeper, he still has many years ahead of him, but I would counter that with the fact that he has a decade of football behind him; one filled with mediocrity.
As someone who is usually a fan of Coyle signings, the chase for Lonergan and the acquisition of McKee (who may be the owner to the most banal young footballer’s Twitter account to date) are two that are making me a little uneasy.
I’d like to think that the transfer fee about to be spent on Lonergan could have been used in the negotiations when offering Jussi a new deal. Whilst I don’t believe his spell at West Ham will be one of success for the big Finn, I think that he could have provided great competition for Bogdan in the Championship, and excellent cover if we get promoted.
I think the real question that needs to be asked is why a position of real strength for us just twelve months ago is now one that needs immediate attention. Last year, we had two top-class keepers, one promising youngster ready to be blooded into the first team if necessary, and two more kids on the up. Bogdan did a job after Al Habsi left and Jussi’s form dropped, but let’s not be under the impression that he’s a young Van Der Saar. He’s good, but not great. We need a keeper, now.