DONE DEAL: Saints sign Maarten Stekelenburg on season-long loan

Strange career. 191 apps for Ajax, 48 for Roma - and in that time 54 apps for Holland - and then 19 @ Fulham and 1@ Monaco. Only 32 years old.

It's good to see us getting our transfer business done before the squad return for pre season.

Agreed, the 'amateur hour' impression of last summer's transfer dealings seems to have gone thank goodness - although there may be bad news to come I suspect as good players we want to keep leave us.

You don't get to share Van der Sar's jersey by being sh*t, so that's good enough for me. About as good a player as we were likely to get on a short term deal.

Strange career. 191 apps for Ajax, 48 for Roma - and in that time 54 apps for Holland -

...........and then 19 @ Fulham and 1@ Monaco. Only 32 years old.

Apparantly...... he fell foul of Felix Magrath's " clearout " when Fulham were having a bad time in the Prem.

He wasn't the only one, and I think the Fulham defence were as much to blame as Maarten himself

Monaco have been doing pretty well with their regular keeper, so it's no surprise that he's spent most of the season on their bench.

As someone pointed out earlier on this thread, Koeman gave him his (Ajax) debut whilst he was still a teenager, so we have to trust that Ronald knows what he's doing.....

Good news, he'll do just fine.

I suspect that being allowed out on loan from Fulham that he won't play any part there, and if he does well with us, that he might accept being competition with Forster when he comes back. Might be a very good for the club to have two goalies like that. Of course he needs to refind his touch (or is it just confidence?) but on paper it looks good, IF.......

Agreed, the 'amateur hour' impression of last summer's transfer dealings seems to have gone thank goodness - although there may be bad news to come I suspect as good players we want to keep leave us.

I think everyone's expecting Clyne and Schneiderlin to go now and won't be too gutted when they do given we've brought players in first. A shock departure like Chambers could still rattle a few cages though.

This is excellent news. We just need one top striker now, imo, and our attack (provided we can keep Mane) will scare the sh*t out of defences. Give Austin what he is asking for. It will be well worth it. And could convince Toby and others that we really are ambitious, so stick with us. We mean business.

So far so good.

Decent European competition experience keeper. Stick a solid back four in front of him, coach him with England's goalkeeping coach, and nurture him with Koeman's confidence boosting magic and we're good to go.

A very good piece of business. We needed cover for Fraser, and this guy has got a good pedigree having played in the 2010 World Cup final with Holland. Also RK knows him from before at Ajax. Welcome onboard Maarten

It's good to see us getting our transfer business done before the squad return for pre season.

I think this is being done for 2 reasons.

One being preparing for the season and the second a show of strength to Morgan, Clyne, Toby etc.

As pointed out by a Liverpool fan on twitter:

We signed Stekelenburg on a season long loan, they signed Bogdan.

I think everyone's expecting Clyne and Schneiderlin to go now and won't be too gutted when they do given we've brought players in first. A shock departure like Chambers could still rattle a few cages though.

Bad news. Chambers has already gone. arf.

And he still hasn't proven himself as a Premier League keeper 8 years later. He was crap in the Championship for a couple of years too until the takeover.

Yep, so crap we went straight up to the Prem - no messing about. Sure, he's starting to look slow now, but Davis has been an absolute top pro for this club at L1 to Prem and anyone who says otherwise must be a complete troll.

Yep, so crap we went straight up to the Prem - no messing about. Sure, he's starting to look slow now, but Davis has been an absolute top pro for this club at L1 to Prem and anyone who says otherwise must be a complete troll.

Great for morale too.

Yep, so crap we went straight up to the Prem - no messing about. Sure, he's starting to look slow now, but Davis has been an absolute top pro for this club at L1 to Prem and anyone who says otherwise must be a complete troll.

You do realise Kelvin played for us in the Championship in seasons other than the one we got promoted in, right?

Bad news. Chambers has already gone. arf.

Bloody hell, has he?

It's good to see us getting our transfer business done before the squad return for pre season.

Yes, it is something we have been poor at in previous summers.

I think this is being done for 2 reasons.

 

One being preparing for the season and the second a show of strength to Morgan, Clyne, Toby etc.

Yeah I think the show of strength to the three we want to keep/get really badly is a very good point.

Played in a World Cup final, and even I as the eternal cynic believe you have to be at least half-good to do that!

Indeed. Just like Elia.

One of those players who was damn-near top-notch both for club and country whose form then utterly nosedived for damn near no reason whatsoever.

Fingers crossed Koeman can get him back to his former glory.

If anyone can, it's Sir Ronald.

Hopefully better than the last World Cup finalist we had on loan ;-) who'd have thought we'd be saying that a few years ago!?

Yeah, I don't think it's a particularly pretty one to be honest. Not expecting to see him back anytime soon.

He was at Gatwick airport at about midnight on Friday night, picking someone up. (Waiting by arrivals) didn't seem to be walking funny.

He was at Gatwick airport at about midnight on Friday night, picking someone up. (Waiting by arrivals) didn't seem to be walking funny.

This takes stalking to a whole new level!

He was at Gatwick airport at about midnight on Friday night, picking someone up. (Waiting by arrivals) didn't seem to be walking funny.

Friend of mine had this injury a couple of years back, and it took him 9 months to get playing again. True, he wasn't dealing with the rigours of the Premier League, but he didn't have access to the same medical expertise either

He was at Gatwick airport at about midnight on Friday night, picking someone up. (Waiting by arrivals) didn't seem to be walking funny.

Midnight!?

Surely he should be resting his knee 23 hours a day !?

Decent enough signing if we can get him back to something near his best.

He played a 2-3 seasons with Toby at Ajax winning the title in 2011, might be a good sign.

Nervous. Had hoped we'd invest. Forster may not play all season, so we start with a weaker keeper and the same back ups.

 

Hope he still has something, 2010 was a long time ago.

We were never going to sign a better keeper than Forster. He is our long term number one and Stekelenburg should be a significant upgrade on having to use Davis or Gazzaniga.

Expecting us to get another keeper as well.

Expecting us to get another keeper as well.

Is that an educated guess or have you heard something?

Expecting us to get another keeper as well.

Not convinced we will, but if we do can we please loan Gazza out.

He needs a good season playing week in & week out IMO.

The couple of times I have seen him play live he had good distribution which given the pace in our side will add to our transition prowess.

Is that an educated guess or have you heard something?

Heard something.

Heard something.

A younger goalkeeper? Guessing after Johns and Cropper were released

A younger goalkeeper? Guessing after Johns and Cropper were released

That's the impression I've got, not just for the under 21s, a number 2, the last I heard anyway.

I like the sound of this Nyland character from what I read. Seems to have a lot of talent, is tall, and is quite highly rated. Plus he's Young and i wonder if he'd be happy as a number 2 fighting for a place. Plus would give us a decent back up option when Forster comes back.

I'd like to think we'd bring in one more, Davis and Gazza as back ups don't fill me with confidence, similar to when we lost Forster last season.

That's your lot on goalkeepers....well, meaningful signings. We might replace Cody Cropper.

Find it highly unlikely we'd sign another keeper, unless we are shipping Gazzaniga out. Which I don't think we'll do.

Damaged goods but under the circumstances it is a decent signing I think.

Two of the three have signed for Southampton, time for Les Reed to work on the third...

This takes stalking to a whole new level!

Not if you work there eh?

Very decent keeper who hit the doldrums when he joined Fulham (as many others did too) !

World cup finalist, good shot stopper, commanding of his box and in the true Dutch style, 2 footed and comfortable with the ball at his feet so we can expect not to see some Kelvin style rushed clearing when a back pass arrives at his feet.

Very happy with this deal - RonKo, Les and Co are doing bloody well this close season.

That's the impression I've got, not just for the under 21s, a number 2, the last I heard anyway.

Wonder if it could be Freddie Woodman? I'm sure we were linked with him at the end of last season.

Good news - we need better cover than we have although I am grateful for the Gazzaniga and Davies performances at the end of the season - Leicester excepted

Two of the three have signed for Southampton, time for Les Reed to work on the third...

 

Something for him to get his teeth into

steve wisely guarding his exposed shoulder.

Good news - we need better cover than we have although I am grateful for the Gazzaniga and Davies performances at the end of the season - Leicester excepted

We probably would've beaten Stoke with Forster in goal as well.

A good signing for me I've thought all along he was one we might go for given his availability on loan, fingers crossed he finds his best form for us I don't think a bad player has ever got 50 caps for Holand! would still like to see a young up and coming number 2 come into the club someone to push the first choices in a way Gazza and Davies simply don't.

Spurs too.

cool man

 

WE just need to watch out with "le petit ball de tennis" at his left hand post, seems to have a weakness there. As long as we play with regulation size 5 and avoid Wimbledon in the Cup we should be fine.