With rumours of bids for Reading's McCarthy & Arsenal's Fabianski, is the writing on the wall for Vorm & Tremmel?
Skip back a few seasons ago and Michel Vorm was being held up as one of the best goalkeepers in the Premiership. After a stunning debut against Man City he went on to enjoy a fine first season, but few would currently rate Vorm as highly as they did during 2011/12. In my opinion he's proven himself to be a shot stopper, but not a lot more than that. A rich man's Dorus De Vries if you'll excuse a lazy Dutch comparison. Better than a Dutch Oven, anyway...
As for Tremmel, well last season I was his biggest fan and the stats backed it up. He had the best saves to shots ratio of any goalkeeper in the Premiership to have played a decent amount of game time (80%+), and I was calling for him to retain the no1 spot over Vorm. That was before this season, mind you. In as much as Vorm's limitations have become increasingly apparent, Tremmel's came to the fore with a vengeance. He's been, well, very ropey this season and hasn't looked confident at all - what happened you can't say but the crux of the matter is in my opinion both our goalkeepers were poor this season.
With Swansea now heavily rumoured with Reading's Alex McCarthy (of whom I know little about), and other rumours linking us with Lukas Fabianski, it's got me wondering whether we're actually looking to replace both our goalkeepers. Vorm has been the subject of rumours linking him to Arsenal in the past and most recently Brendan Rodgers has been linked with a move for the Dutchman - if the talk of a £5million bid is true that's too good to turn down in my opinion.
If Vorm was coming off the back of three consecutive solid seasons it'd be different but, well, he hasn't. £5million for an average keeper in the Premiership is money which, if well invested, could easily see us recruiting a goalkeeper of a similar mould and stature, and I wouldn't be surprised if you could actually get an improvement on our current no1 for that kind of money. But who would we be signing? Are McCarthy and Fabianski any better than what we currently have? Tremmel is getting on anyway so will need replacing soon, so that's one of the two potential incoming goalkeepers justified, but is Vorm any better than Fabianski? I don't think so, and if the Polish stopper can stay free from injury I'm actually of the opinion that we'd be better off with him between the sticks, as opposed to our current Dutch no1.
What about McCarthy? I don't know much but he's highly rated by Reading fans, and when I've asked fellow Swansea fans lots have mentioned a standout performance at the Liberty where, apparently, he saved everything. Either I wasn't there or I don't remember that one. Another option could be Asmir Begovic if Jack Butland looks likely to force his way into the first team, while David Marshall no doubt fancies returning to the Premiership but if I'm honest I'm less convinced by him than most seem. Easy to look like a good stopper when you've got that many shots flying at you!
So, should we sell both our goalkeepers? If the two replacements are McCarthy and Fabianski, I'd say we'd have an improved set of 'keepers next season. Couple that with a potential profit of a few million quid on a goalkeeper who's been both injured and dodgy in the last two seasons, and I think it'd be a decent bit of business in my opinion.
I guess that's a yes from me then...
If Vorm was coming off the back of three consecutive solid seasons it'd be different but, well, he hasn't. £5million for an average keeper in the Premiership is money which, if well invested, could easily see us recruiting a goalkeeper of a similar mould and stature, and I wouldn't be surprised if you could actually get an improvement on our current no1 for that kind of money. But who would we be signing? Are McCarthy and Fabianski any better than what we currently have? Tremmel is getting on anyway so will need replacing soon, so that's one of the two potential incoming goalkeepers justified, but is Vorm any better than Fabianski? I don't think so, and if the Polish stopper can stay free from injury I'm actually of the opinion that we'd be better off with him between the sticks, as opposed to our current Dutch no1.
What about McCarthy? I don't know much but he's highly rated by Reading fans, and when I've asked fellow Swansea fans lots have mentioned a standout performance at the Liberty where, apparently, he saved everything. Either I wasn't there or I don't remember that one. Another option could be Asmir Begovic if Jack Butland looks likely to force his way into the first team, while David Marshall no doubt fancies returning to the Premiership but if I'm honest I'm less convinced by him than most seem. Easy to look like a good stopper when you've got that many shots flying at you!
So, should we sell both our goalkeepers? If the two replacements are McCarthy and Fabianski, I'd say we'd have an improved set of 'keepers next season. Couple that with a potential profit of a few million quid on a goalkeeper who's been both injured and dodgy in the last two seasons, and I think it'd be a decent bit of business in my opinion.
I guess that's a yes from me then...