Gavin Bazunu

[S-Clarke]

3 minutes ago, Football Special said:

Have you seen the Brighton goals? Rolled into the bottom corner without much power, poor defending to allow but also looked a bit too easy for the forward to beat the keeper from there 

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought that. I thought I was maybe being ultra harsh, but it's another case of coming away from a game, conceding multiple goals, and wondering should Bazunu have saved or got to at least 'one' of them.

[Whitey Grandad]

6 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought that. I thought I was maybe being ultra harsh, but it's another case of coming away from a game, conceding multiple goals, and wondering should Bazunu have saved or got to at least 'one' of them.

Of course he 'shouldn't' have saved them. Hard and low beats any goalkeeper. Your opinion is coloured by your prejudices. This constant slaughtering of him is getting ridiculous now.

[SWLondon Saint]

8 minutes ago, Football Special said:

Have you seen the Brighton goals? Rolled into the bottom corner without much power, poor defending to allow but also looked a bit too easy for the forward to beat the keeper from there 

Got to disagree here, the second one which was weaker came through Quarshie's legs which makes it very hard, and the first one was hit with power from between 2 players, Quarshie + ?Manning? who again should have done better blocking it as they partly unsighted the keeper. Those were firmly defender errors in my book, don't think anyone's saving them. The only issue is you'd see an experienced keeper like Rambo having a go at his defenders afterwards which I think is actually important for keeping people accountable for mistakes.

[Whitey Grandad]

13 minutes ago, Football Special said:

Have you seen the Brighton goals? Rolled into the bottom corner without much power, poor defending to allow but also looked a bit too easy for the forward to beat the keeper from there 

Give it a rest. Those shots will beat any keeper. If only we tried taking a shot ourselves more often.

[washsaint]

54 minutes ago, SaintBobby said:

Am I the only one who thinks Bazunu might just be okay as our number 1? I mean I'm not totally convinced and some of his errors are seared into my soul - but he has looked great in a couple of friendlies and is an international goalkeeper. Perhaps I am just trying to be a "bed drier"?

Nope, you're not but you'll get drowned out by the usual suspects who love their 'whipping boys' whether its Bazunu or Jack Stephens.

I don't get the blind hatred/dislike for players who are doing what they can and want to be here.

Two goals yesterday he could do nothing about (defenders were at fault) and some great saves but of course it's easier to micro-analyze the goals and come up with the (foregone) conclusion it's all Baz's fault and any decent keeper would save them.  Ramsdale was good (on the whole) last season but he was far from perfect but the ususal suspects loved him.

[Football Special]

31 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought that. I thought I was maybe being ultra harsh, but it's another case of coming away from a game, conceding multiple goals, and wondering should Bazunu have saved or got to at least 'one' of them.

His positioning often means he is too easy to beat from that angle 

[Football Special]

11 minutes ago, washsaint said:

Nope, you're not but you'll get drowned out by the usual suspects who love their 'whipping boys' whether its Bazunu or Jack Stephens.

I don't get the blind hatred/dislike for players who are doing what they can and want to be here.

Two goals yesterday he could do nothing about (defenders were at fault) and some great saves but of course it's easier to micro-analyze the goals and come up with the (foregone) conclusion it's all Baz's fault and any decent keeper would save them.  Ramsdale was good (on the whole) last season but he was far from perfect but the ususal suspects loved him.

I don't think anyone hates Baz? In fact it would be much better for all of us if he did become a brilliant keeper, but remember most of us have sat through two seasons of his keeping and can't face a third of the same, especially having been temporarily spared from it for a season 

[Sheaf Saint]

22 minutes ago, Whitey Grandad said:

Give it a rest. Those shots will beat any keeper. If only we tried taking a shot ourselves more often.

Bollocks would they. The second one bounced twice before crossing the line.

I'm not saying Bazunu should have saved them, because they were both well placed, but it's a massive stretch to suggest they were unstoppable.

[Lord Duckhunter]

17 minutes ago, Sheaf Saint said:

Bollocks would they. The second one bounced twice before crossing the line.

I'm not saying Bazunu should have saved them, because they were both well placed, but it's a massive stretch to suggest they were unstoppable.

This is exactly it. 
 

Most professional keepers have moments where you think “how did he save that”, with Baz it’s always  “should he have done better”. It’s nearly every single fucking week. Does he actually “do better “ because any half decent shot, goes in, time and time again. 
 

Last season Ramsdale let a few in where he could have done better, but had loads of “fuck me, I thought that was in” moments. Plus one or two howlers. 
 

With Baz, it’s “good goal, he’d have done well to save that”, “ could he have done better” or a howler. With most falling into the “could he have done better “ bag. 

Me and the snap dragon have a problem, because her dopey friend has invited us to her wedding on play off final day. If Baz is in nets all season, it won’t be an issue, as we won’t fucking be in it. 

Edited August 3 by Lord Duckhunter

[ErwinK1961]

I don’t want Bazunu as number one next season as much as the next person, but questioning him on the goals yesterday is just utter nonsense.

[whelk]

9 minutes ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

Me and the snap dragon have a problem, because her dopey friend has invited us to her wedding on play off final day. If Baz is in nets all season, it won’t be an issue, as we won’t fucking be in it. 

A real man wouldn’t get pushed around by his missus. Weak

[Andrew Watson]

I was told over 3 months ago [ I posted on 28/4/25 ] that the club intended that Bazunu would be number 1 this year. A pretty decent source,that is all I am prepared to say.

Not particularly happen about it,I do worry if Bazunu and Stephens are in the starting eleven.

[notnowcato]

I look forward to Gav being our number 1 this season. 

Edited August 3 by notnowcato

[notnowcato]

56 minutes ago, washsaint said:

Nope, you're not but you'll get drowned out by the usual suspects who love their 'whipping boys' whether its Bazunu or Jack Stephens.

I don't get the blind hatred/dislike for players who are doing what they can and want to be here.

Two goals yesterday he could do nothing about (defenders were at fault) and some great saves but of course it's easier to micro-analyze the goals and come up with the (foregone) conclusion it's all Baz's fault and any decent keeper would save them.  Ramsdale was good (on the whole) last season but he was far from perfect but the ususal suspects loved him.

Couldn’t agree more.

[SaintBobby]

I think I'd give Bazunu about 7/10 at Championship level. Not great, but not awful. 

You probably need a lot of 8s and 9s in your starting XI to get promoted.

But there's a trade off here....it's potentially very expensive to get a better keeper and that cash might be better spent elsewhere on the pitch.

I'm in two minds, but am not hostile to starting with him overall.

 

[S-Clarke]

13 minutes ago, SaintBobby said:

I think I'd give Bazunu about 7/10 at Championship level. Not great, but not awful. 

You probably need a lot of 8s and 9s in your starting XI to get promoted.

But there's a trade off here....it's potentially very expensive to get a better keeper and that cash might be better spent elsewhere on the pitch.

I'm in two minds, but am not hostile to starting with him overall.

 

I disagree wholeheartedly, the fact he came bottom of the GK stats last time out in this league puts him more of a 4/10 at best GK for this level.

Stoke have a good GK in Victor Johannesen, in fact they bought him for just under £1m. Sensible, no frills, no risk signing. We'd be able to get better than Bazunu on a free - Matt Ryan for example, so I don't buy the ''to expensive to improve upon' angle.

Maybe I'm overly harsh on him, but I'm only saying what I see in front of me (not just stats). Talking of scar tissue, I've got it from Bazunu I'm sure.

[Smirking_Saint]

2 hours ago, SaintBobby said:

Am I the only one who thinks Bazunu might just be okay as our number 1? I mean I'm not totally convinced and some of his errors are seared into my soul - but he has looked great in a couple of friendlies and is an international goalkeeper. Perhaps I am just trying to be a "bed drier"?

No I agree

Id probably like to have a new No.1, but as Ive said before I don’t see the point;

- Our squad needs are more pressing in other areas

- Baz/McCarthy are easily good enough in this division behind a defence not instructed to add pressure

- We don’t know the longterm destination of Ramsdale

- Anyone we buy now will likely not be good enough for the prem

Of course, if a deal presents itself then Im all for it, but overall Baz has looked more than capable in pre season

[Polegategavin243]

1 hour ago, washsaint said:

Nope, you're not but you'll get drowned out by the usual suspects who love their 'whipping boys' whether its Bazunu or Jack Stephens.

I don't get the blind hatred/dislike for players who are doing what they can and want to be here.

Two goals yesterday he could do nothing about (defenders were at fault) and some great saves but of course it's easier to micro-analyze the goals and come up with the (foregone) conclusion it's all Baz's fault and any decent keeper would save them.  Ramsdale was good (on the whole) last season but he was far from perfect but the ususal suspects loved him.

This is my perception of some of our fan base. They always pick a player to dislike/ blame for everything wrong. Bazunu on yesterday’s and the 45 minutes last week is a more than good enough quality keeper for us. Stopping the player advancing as easily as Minteh did is the concern, which also think will be resolved. No one mentioned Ramsdale’s complete lack of attempt to stop the first goal by Espanol and if that has been Bazunu the forum would have gone into meltdown.

Edited August 3 by Polegategavin243

[Badger]

31 minutes ago, SaintBobby said:

I think I'd give Bazunu about 7/10 at Championship level. Not great, but not awful. 

You probably need a lot of 8s and 9s in your starting XI to get promoted.

But there's a trade off here....it's potentially very expensive to get a better keeper and that cash might be better spent elsewhere on the pitch.

I'm in two minds, but am not hostile to starting with him overall.

 

Isn’t it often trotted out on here that he was statistically the worst in the division two years ago ? 
 

Perhaps a change of tactics, better CBs (although that’s an unknown at the moment) will benefit him, but it doesn’t fill me with confidence on past performance. 

[Dusic]

7 minutes ago, Smirking_Saint said:

No I agree

Id probably like to have a new No.1, but as Ive said before I don’t see the point;

- Our squad needs are more pressing in other areas

- Baz/McCarthy are easily good enough in this division behind a defence not instructed to add pressure

- We don’t know the longterm destination of Ramsdale

- Anyone we buy now will likely not be good enough for the prem

Of course, if a deal presents itself then Im all for it, but overall Baz has looked more than capable in pre season

I agree. As soon as we opted to loan Ramsdale it was clear the club's thought process. We have two senior GKs left on decent cash, we will be using them and signing a 3rd GK, probably on a one year deal.

Next year will see more change in this position. McCarthy's deal is up next summer so he will likely go/retire, we will know what is happening with Ramsdale and whether to sell Bazunu before his deal runs down or try to extend his contract.

 

[Gloucester Saint]

2 hours ago, S-Clarke said:

It seems as if a couple of pre-season games is being taken as gospel that Bazunu is good enough, he's had 3 seasons of varying degrees of league standard and he's been shit across all. (he let in 2 by the way, a more agile/taller keeper would have probably got a hand to at least one). It was another one of those Bazunu games for me, no clangers but you're always left wondering ''should have have got to one?'' - probably, yes.

Pre-season is pre-season, doesn't mean diddly squat. We will unfortunately without question start with him during August, which is a right old mess once again, but as long as we replace him before the window and demote him to backup then that's fine.

The club have done their typical thing on here of staff and insiders of the leadership planting seeds on here ‘Gavin is highly rated by the club’ and the latest variant ‘he’s not ideal but fine for the Championship’ despite vast quantitative evidence to the contrary. We also saw them leaking against some departing players popular with the fans.

Now the narrative spun is ‘see, people wetting themselves needlessly, look at the two friendlies’ and ‘we are not inviting as many shots at our goal’ (going by the astonishing 51 Rangers have yielded in three games they have a point on that one). Gavin didn’t have a bad pre-season in 2023 either but was terrible when the real stuff started. 

Watch those posters disappear under their rocks when he messes up in the derby and Still comes under massive pressure as a result.

i hope Gavin proves us wrong but he objectively doesn’t have enough of the basics over a 46 game season to finish top 2. Yes, McCarthy’s contract (thanks again Russell) will expire next summer but we will have few funds to replace Ramsdale properly with the reduced parachutes. 

Edited August 3 by Gloucester Saint

[Lord Duckhunter]

1 hour ago, S-Clarke said:

puts him more of a 4/10 at best GK for this level.

 

Maybe I'm overly harsh on him,

No, you’re being overly generous to him…

[Oldandtired]

1 hour ago, notnowcato said:

I look forward to Gav being our number 1 this season. 

It's a bit early to write off our promotion hopes...

[sockeye]

1 hour ago, Polegategavin243 said:

This is my perception of some of our fan base. They always pick a player to dislike/ blame for everything wrong. Bazunu on yesterday’s and the 45 minutes last week is a more than good enough quality keeper for us. Stopping the player advancing as easily as Minteh did is the concern, which also think will be resolved. No one mentioned Ramsdale’s complete lack of attempt to stop the first goal by Espanol and if that has been Bazunu the forum would have gone into meltdown.

Trouble with Bazunu is not only is he not very good he is a symbol of SR keeping a bad player on hoping he comes good for the sake of profit

[Smirking_Saint]

16 minutes ago, Gloucester Saint said:

The club have done their typical thing on here of staff and insiders of the leadership planting seeds on here ‘Gavin is highly rated by the club’ and the latest variant ‘he’s not ideal but fine for the Championship’ despite vast quantitative evidence to the contrary. We also saw them leaking against some departing players popular with the fans.

Now the narrative spun is ‘see, people wetting themselves needlessly, look at the two friendlies’ and ‘we are not inviting as many shots at our goal’ (going by the astonishing 51 Rangers have yielded in three games they have a point on that one). Gavin didn’t have a bad pre-season in 2023 either but was terrible when the real stuff started. 

Watch those posters disappear under their rocks when he messes up in the derby and Still comes under massive pressure as a result.

i hope Gavin proves us wrong but he objectively doesn’t have enough of the basics over a 46 game season to finish top 2. Yes, McCarthy’s contract (thanks again Russell) will expire next summer but we will have few funds to replace Ramsdale properly with the reduced parachutes. 

If he ends up being awful Ill own that opinion, im not scared to front up to my predictions 

I think he’s good enough to get us out of the division and spending on a keeper thats unlikely to win us many more points is not a good financial decision 

[Turkish]

1 hour ago, Smirking_Saint said:

No I agree

Id probably like to have a new No.1, but as Ive said before I don’t see the point;

- Our squad needs are more pressing in other areas

- Baz/McCarthy are easily good enough in this division behind a defence not instructed to add pressure

- We don’t know the longterm destination of Ramsdale

- Anyone we buy now will likely not be good enough for the prem

Of course, if a deal presents itself then Im all for it, but overall Baz has looked more than capable in pre season

I would be getting Matt Ryan in on a free to compete with Baz this season. He’s v good at championship level and if we go up and Ramsdale comes back we’ve got some depth in the squad, if he doesn’t and we stay down we stick with Baz and Ryan and can bring in a young, hungry guaranteed to improver as third choice to replace McCarthy 

[Gloucester Saint]

11 minutes ago, Smirking_Saint said:

If he ends up being awful Ill own that opinion, im not scared to front up to my predictions 

I think he’s good enough to get us out of the division and spending on a keeper thats unlikely to win us many more points is not a good financial decision 

Fair play to you, we don’t 100% agree on this point but you’re a good poster and I know you’d be honest and objective. 

[Gloucester Saint]

6 minutes ago, Turkish said:

I would be getting Matt Ryan in on a free to compete with Baz this season. He’s v good at championship level and if we go up and Ramsdale comes back we’ve got some depth in the squad, if he doesn’t and we stay down we stick with Baz and Ryan and can bring in a young, hungry guaranteed to improver as third choice to replace McCarthy 

Absolutely this. If Baz does enjoy an upswing then it’ll keep him on his toes. 

[Smirking_Saint]

10 minutes ago, Turkish said:

I would be getting Matt Ryan in on a free to compete with Baz this season. He’s v good at championship level and if we go up and Ramsdale comes back we’ve got some depth in the squad, if he doesn’t and we stay down we stick with Baz and Ryan and can bring in a young, hungry guaranteed to improver as third choice to replace McCarthy 

As I said if we get an opportunity too good to pass up then yeah, go for it but I wouldn’t want to hamstring us financially in a position we don’t massively need to change this year

I don’t really know enough about Ryan tbh

[Chez]

4 hours ago, Gloucester Saint said:

 

Watch those posters disappear under their rocks when he messes up in the derby and Still comes under massive pressure as a result.

 

I'm not a fan of Baz, but I suspect fans of almost every championship club have doubts about their keeper and posters on forums talking about a failure to make saves, coming for crosses etc. 

I can see Ryan mentioned, but is he all that? Doesn't he make plenty of mistakes too? When you watch opponents you never question their keeping, only your own.

Martin obviously didn't rate Baz. He's gone, but the keeping coach remained here. Not sure what kind of input he would have on whether Baz is good enough or not.

Edited August 3 by Chez

[Weston Super Saint]

2 hours ago, SaintBobby said:

I think I'd give Bazunu about 7/10 at Championship level. Not great, but not awful. 

 

 

So you've completely ignored the stats from his last Championship season which had him plum last compared to all other goalkeepers in a team that finished third, to rank him 7/10.

I'll have one of what you've been drinking.

[Wade Garrett]

3 hours ago, washsaint said:

Nope, you're not but you'll get drowned out by the usual suspects who love their 'whipping boys' whether its Bazunu or Jack Stephens.

I don't get the blind hatred/dislike for players who are doing what they can and want to be here.

Two goals yesterday he could do nothing about (defenders were at fault) and some great saves but of course it's easier to micro-analyze the goals and come up with the (foregone) conclusion it's all Baz's fault and any decent keeper would save them.  Ramsdale was good (on the whole) last season but he was far from perfect but the ususal suspects loved him.

I’m sorry, but Stephens and Bazunu are incredibly lucky to be here.  It’s not a question of loyalty, nobody else wants them.

[S-Clarke]

27 minutes ago, Chez said:

I'm not a fan of Baz, but I suspect pretty much fans of every championship club have doubts about their keeper and posters of forums talking about a failure to make saves, come for crosses etc. 

I can see Ryan mentioned, but is he all that? Doesn't he make plenty of mistakes too? When you watch opponents you never question their keeping, only your own.

Martin obviously didn't rate Baz. He's gone, but the keeping coach remained here. Not sure what kind of input he would have on whethe Baz is good enough or not.

Martin loved Bazunu, I thought he'd want to go into some sort of relationship with him at some point (probably cheating on Stephens). We were forced into replacing in the summer because of his injury, had he not had an injury we'd have started with him in the PL (but i doubt we'd have even got there tbh)

Dean Thornton stayed with us for the rest of the season, but we now have a new GK coach brought in - I think he worked under Still previously. So it's an entirely clean sweep in that regard.

[CamSaint]

24 minutes ago, Chez said:

Martin obviously didn't rate Baz. He's gone, but the keeping coach remained here. Not sure what kind of input he would have on whethe Baz is good enough or not.

Martin's goalkeeping coach was replaced in June by Rubén Martinez as part of Still's new coaching team (https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/news/article/new-additions-boost-stills-coaching-team)

'New to the club is Rubén Martínez, who joins as Goalkeeping Coach. The 48-year-old represented Barcelona’s B team in his playing days and later worked alongside Tito Vilanova as a coach.

Martínez has since held coaching roles at Brighton and Watford, as well as Maccabi Tel Aviv, RB Salzburg, Saint-Étienne, Olympiacos, Celta Vigo and Stade Reims on the continent, all alongside Óscar García, before working with Still for a period at Reims.

Martínez has also enjoyed success with the Spanish FA, helping Spain reach the final of the 2023 European Under-21 Championship and winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics in 2024 at the expense of the much-fancied host nation in the final.'

[Football Special]

13 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

Martin loved Bazunu, I thought he'd want to go into some sort of relationship with him at some point (probably cheating on Stephens). We were forced into replacing in the summer because of his injury, had he not had an injury we'd have started with him in the PL (but i doubt we'd have even got there tbh)

Dean Thornton stayed with us for the rest of the season, but we now have a new GK coach brought in - I think he worked under Still previously. So it's an entirely clean sweep in that regard.

Remember the fans forum where someone rightly said Baz is shite and Martin went into a passionate defence of him saying best in division? Comedy gold. 

Point we made many times on Baz is his positioning is so poor he ends up getting beaten often by shots other keepers would save due to better starting position 

[sledger]

now im not bazuna and stephens greatest fan but the bile thats written about them every week verges on insanity.Fact is they were amongst our better players yesterday,so lets please comment on fact and not hate against the same old targets.

[Football Special]

Fans forum coming up for someone to ask again 

 

[sockeye]

12 minutes ago, Football Special said:

Fans forum coming up for someone to ask again 

 

Martin must be weeping that Bazunu’s from RoI and thus not a realistic target for Rangers

Edited August 3 by sockeye

[Wade Garrett]

43 minutes ago, Football Special said:

Fans forum coming up for someone to ask again 

 

Martin is a fucking onion.

[Willo of Whiteley]

Bazunu will be our goalkeeper for the season. I don’t see it being a position they want to target.

[tdmickey3]

1 minute ago, Willo of Whiteley said:

Bazunu will be our goalkeeper for the season. I don’t see it being a position they want to target.

What a bloody awful thought

[Willo of Whiteley]

Just now, tdmickey3 said:

What a bloody awful thought

Number two, fine I can live with that, but Bazunu and McCarthy as the two main keepers is saddening.

[tdmickey3]

Just now, Willo of Whiteley said:

Number two, fine I can live with that, but Bazunu and McCarthy as the two main keepers is saddening.

Agreed, a disaster in the making

[egg]

1 minute ago, Willo of Whiteley said:

Number two, fine I can live with that, but Bazunu and McCarthy as the two main keepers is saddening.

Baz was very good yesterday. I know it's one game, but he looked more than good enough. 

[Willo of Whiteley]

I don’t think he’s terrible, he isn’t the worst, but he’s definitely a long way from the best; and that’s the problem right there.

[tdmickey3]

8 minutes ago, egg said:

Baz was very good yesterday. I know it's one game, but he looked more than good enough. 

He will need to repeat it over and over but I am not confident he can

[Lord Duckhunter]

12 minutes ago, Willo of Whiteley said:

I don’t think he’s terrible, he isn’t the worst,

I’m not saying he’s the worst, but he’s in the bottom 1. 

Edited August 3 by Lord Duckhunter

[SWLondon Saint]

Look, he was f***ing terrible in his season in the PL and carried it on into the championship, but the club and manager seem to be determined to press on with him so all we can do is hope he improves or we bring in someone who takes his place.

The only point in his favour is that he's still young and the management and coaching before now were a shit show so maybe the new coach can improve him. Trafford had a mare during Burnley's previous PL season and got dropped so he's not unique in that aspect.

[egg]

27 minutes ago, tdmickey3 said:

He will need to repeat it over and over but I am not confident he can

Agreed. What I don't understand is why he's been consistently crap given the ability he's shown in flashes, and yesterday. Something isn't right. 

Regardless, he'll go into the season as our number 1. 

[Farmer Saint]

3 minutes ago, egg said:

Agreed. What I don't understand is why he's been consistently crap given the ability he's shown in flashes, and yesterday. Something isn't right. 

Regardless, he'll go into the season as our number 1. 

I think unfortunately, like a lot of our fans, he doesn't have the mental fortitude for it. Classic sports confidence issues. He was clearly very good for Portsmouth.

Edited August 3 by Farmer Saint