Keiren Westwood G Crewe Alexandra b.1984

[Murfinator]

Westwood on the bench today. He said during the week if he started on the bench on Saturday he would assess his situation (can't find the link).
Hopefully he'll be heading out the exit door at Sunderland before the end of August and getting some first team action.

Hope he looks to a league in a different country than dropping down a tier. At this stage in his career going back to the championship would be a backwards step.

[youngirish]

'Westwood's sunny outlook captures the mood': http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/euro-2012/irish-news/westwoods-sunny-outlook-captures-the-mood-3119679.html

This article a few posts up really highlights how times have changed so quickly. Little did we know back then how dreadful we'd be at the Euros.

[IsMiseSean]

Hope he looks to a league in a different country than dropping down a tier. At this stage in his career going back to the championship would be a backwards step.

Unfortunately it probably will be a Championship club.
Can't see a Prem club moving for a keeper this late in the summer unless they get an injury.

[Charlie Darwin]

That's certainly something I noticed the other evening against Serbia. He has a massive kick.
Yep, noticed that in his earlier appearances under Trap. A right wallop he has.

[IsMiseSean]

Starts for Sunderland tonight. No Meyler though...

[tetsujin1979]

Starts for Sunderland tonight. No Meyler though...
Meyler was on the bench, came on after 78 minutes

[elroy]

Good that WW got the full game for Sland in the league cup last night. Hopefully they can go on a run in that cup, good for WW to be getting first team games as I suspect he wont be dislodging Mignolet anytime soon.

Meyler and McClean also played with the latter scoring their second.

[tetsujin1979]

how do you "almost" play?
John Egan was on the bench as well for Sunderland

[OwlsFan]

Martin O'Neill: Sunderland's Simon Mignolet as good as Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart.


The 24-year-old joined the Black Cats from Sint-Truiden in 2010 and has progressed over the past two years into one of the most reliable goalkeepers in the Premier League.

O'Neill now says that Mignolet's performances for Sunderland this season have been as good as Hart, who is rated by many football observers as the best goalkeeper in the world.

"He's been fantastic for us, absolutely splendid," O'Neill is quoted as saying in the Daily Telegraph.

"There are parts of his game he wants to improve on, but I tell you he is as brave as a lion. He's been as good as anyone in the Premier League this season.

"He made two great saves against West Ham to earn the team a point and two more against Wigan last weekend which were incredible saves.

"We would have gone two down if it wasn't for Simon's saves in the first half. He kept us in the game big time and maybe his work has gone a little unnoticed.

"When I look at Joe Hart I see an excellent goalkeeper, his performance for Manchester City against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League was sublime, but Simon is playing just as well."

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/12040/8140026/Martin-O-Neill-Sunderland-s-Simon-Mignolet-as-good-as-Manchester-City-goalkeeper-Joe-Hart
------------------------------------
Time for Keiren to move on I am afraid.

[tetsujin1979]

Time for Keiren to move on I am afraid.Mignolet kept it respectable today for Sunderland, apart from the last goal which took a slight deflection before going in

[DannyInvincible]

Westwood linked with a move to Hull, according to a poster on YBIG.

[Serb]

Westwood linked with a move to Hull, according to a poster on YBIG.

At this rate, they'll have the entire Irish squad on their books by the end of January.

[Charlie Darwin]

Steve Bruce seems to be going the Roy Keane "sign all of my old players" route.

[Murfinator]

If Westwood doesn't move in this window, I think it's times for Ireland to move on to be frank.

[Charlie Darwin]

Why? Because we have a grand total of one goalkeeper starting at the top level who may not even have his papers sorted yet?

[gastric]

Just read this report on Hull's performance today and it seems Jakupovic is not playing well. It mentions too that Bruce might just look for a new goalkeeper. Maybe there is merit to the above report about Hull's interest in Westwood.

http://www.sportinglife.com/football/live/match-report/262572/hull-1-sheffield-wednesday-3

[Charlie Darwin]

Rumours that Trap is considering a rethink on his #1. I'd assume David Forde will be the one to benefit, consdering Trap was at the Hull-Milwall game this weekend.

Daniel McDonnell on Twitter: Interesting thoughts from Trapattoni on his goalkeeper situation today. Hinting at change in the pecking order. See tomorrow's @IndoSport (https://twitter.com/IndoSport)

[SwanVsDalton]

I'd be the flag waving president and founder of the David Forde fan club but the idea of him starting in Stockholm, on merit, is as unsettling as it is surreal.

[TrapAPony]

Mark Bunn soon hopefully

[ArdeeBhoy]

Aye, he'd make more sense...

[Charlie Darwin]

It seems Forde will get the nod. In other news, the media has finally caught up with the Sammon puns trend. God help us all.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2013/0204/1224329605174.html

[IsMiseSean]

Is it still possible for him to be loaned out to the Championship even though the transfer window is closed?

[Charlie Darwin]

Yeah, the window opens later this month.

[geysir]

Why would O'Neill loan out his back up goalie?

[tricky_colour]

It seems Forde will get the nod. In other news, the media has finally caught up with the Sammon puns trend. God help us all.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2013/0204/1224329605174.html


I don't think they have quite mastered the art yet though.

"Forde displaces Westwood as Sammon ready for big leap" is good, but..

"Forde displaces Westwood as Sammon ready for big leap but Bunn cross to be left out" would have been better!!

[gastric]

I don't think they have quite mastered the art yet though.

"Forde displaces Westwood as Sammon ready for big leap" is good, but..

"Forde displaces Westwood as Sammon ready for big leap but Bunn cross to be left out" would have been better!!


It's a bit fishy that Bunn hasn't been called up. Maybe it has crossed Trap's mind that Ford should be afforded the chance to displace Westwood who is at a crossroads in his career.

[geysir]

Has Bunn made up his mind yet, whether he wants to declare or not?

[ArdeeBhoy]

Sure, he's just waiting till Hoolahan & Pilkington become regulars...
:rolleyes:

[SkStu]

Has Bunn made up his mind yet, whether he wants to declare or not?

muffin definite from him yet AFAIK.

:(

[gastric]

O'Neill refutes Tardelli claim about Westwood wanting to leave Sunderland. Not a good 24 hours for the Irish management and can't help team relations or morale.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/martin-oneill-refutes-tardelli-claim-that-westwood-sought-to-leave-sunderland-29057293.html

[geysir]

The Indo missed their chance for a 'MON slams Trap' headline.

If you read the article Martin O’Neill refutes Tardelli claim that Westwood sought to leave Sunderland
However, O'Neill said: "No, he didn't ask to leave. He was asking was there a possibility - certainly his agent was asking about the possibility of going on loan.
:D

[tricky_colour]

Has Bunn made up his mind yet, whether he wants to declare or not?

I'm pretty sure he would like to be in the currant squad.

[Crosby87]

He's a mellow chap.
http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRVj3wkNKgTpFzl1UqS-YhdNHNu_DhJDPYSv9uWZ7Oe8rH4fVH1

[Irish_Praha]

I'm pretty sure he would like to be in the currant squad.

These puns are starting to be recycled now.
You know we have already been there and bunn that.

[gastric]

With a bit of luck, this could be good news for Westwood!

http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/mignolet-to-snub-new-deal-agent-29325463.html

[Olé Olé]

If they see fit to splash the cash on a replacement, then Westwood may as well pack his bags. I would hope, rather, that they'd deem him a ready-made replacement, invest in decent back-up at a modest price and ensure quality is injected in more warranted areas of the park, because there are enough of them. Mignolet is quality though.

[gastric]

Optimistic article about Westwood's opportunity to become Sunderland's no.1 which hopefully will happen. The biggest issue will be the sheer unpredictibility of Di Canio.

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/english-soccer/westwood-looks-set-to-get-sunderland-lifeline-1.1432266

[ArdeeBhoy]

Probably depends on if he starts the season and how the Mackems do.

Keepers are often (wrongly) 'fallguys'.
Torn between wanting to see him do well and his manager not....

[KK77]

LIVERPOOL are winning the race to sign Sunderland keeper Simon Mignolet and the Black Cats’ Player of the Season could be Anfield-bound within days.

Reds boss Brendan Rodgers has made the Belgian stopper one of his top targets of the summer, but faced potential competition from Arsenal who are also involved in a summer of rebuilding, with Gunners’ boss Arsene Wenger given a massive war-chest to transform the London side into title contenders.

Liverpool are looking to do their transfer business early this summer and made an opening bid of £6.5m hoping to do an early deal, while Arsenal made their interest known but have yet to take that further.

Sunderland rejected Liverpool’s offer out of hand for a player who was pivotal in keeping the club in the Premier League last season.

But the Reds have not been dissuaded and have tabled several improved offers, rising to £8m early this week.

Yesterday, the Merseysiders were prepared to go to £9m, but Sunderland are holding out for a fee in excess of £10m for a player Steve Bruce paid £2m for, three years ago this week.

Now it looks like Liverpool have accepted Sunderland’s valuation.

And with the Reds prepared to pay a fee which the Black Cats’ believe approaches the keeper’s market value, Mignolet appears on his way to Anfield.

Arsenal could always step in with an 11th hour bid, but their are no immediate signs on an intervention from the Emirates and, that being the case, the deal to take Mignolet to Liverpool is on.

The club’s hottest property has been the subject of intense speculation since the end of the season and talks on an extension to his contract at the Stadium of Light, which still has two years to run, had stalled as the player and his agents considered their options.

Mignolet’s chief agent, Guy Vandersmissen, said earlier this month that the keeper would not ask for a move but that the ball was firmly in Sunderland’s court.

“There is a contract so we have to respect that, but I don’t think at this moment we would be prepared to sign a new contract,” commented Vandersmissen.

“There is another two years on his contract, if they want us to stick to that, we will stick to that and perhaps leave after two years if there is an interest in Simon.”

Sunderland though would not want the 25-year-old, whose reputation grew by the month in the Premier League last season, to leave on a Bosman in a couple of years time.

And it will be hard for the Black Cats to reject a particularly big offer which would give Paolo Di Canio room for manoeuvre under the financial fair play restrictions and allow him to strengthen other areas of the team.

[Colbert Report]

I thought Danny Rose was Sunderland's player of the year, not Mignolet?

[ArdeeBhoy]

Rose was only on loan...

[Colbert Report]

Rose was only on loan...

So what? He was still Sunderland's player of the year, not Mignolet.

[Charlie Darwin]

Sunderland cancelled their player of the year this season. You're all wrong.

[Grafter]

Check out this baby from RTE website!

Absolutely no news content whatsoever yet the lead story of soccer section. Just some hack filling space:
http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/english/2013/0625/458771-westwood/

[Charlie Darwin]

That is fantastic.

[CraftyToePoke]

''sitting impotently on the bench''

Super.

[Charlie Darwin]

Sunderland sign Mannone from Arsenal (http://www.safc.com/news/team-news/2013/july/mannone-deal-confirmed)

[Stuttgart88]

I think Westwood will see him off. Man one has never impressed me at all.

[paul_oshea]

http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/mannone-sound-westwood-warning-29393214.html

[Charlie Darwin]

I find it hard to believe any defence could be confident playing in front of somebody who looks like a magician at a children's birthday party.