Being a goalkeeper brings so many different challenges compared to the majority of the first team squad. There’s only one place in the team and mistakes usually mean goals, so no team can realistically afford to let someone play themselves back into form.
It’s sometimes genuinely better just to let a keeper move on. Once confidence is lost it’s such a hard thing for them to get back so moving to a new team and re-establishing themselves is best for everyone. Fraser Forster is certainly feeling the benefits from leaving Southampton.
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Obviously Southampton felt their current options were better than Forster and let him return to Glasgow. Twitter has certainly been an interesting place in the past couple of days when you consider the respective performances of Forster and Angus Gunn.
Of course Southampton play in the best and most competitive league in the world so letting Forster go to the pub league will have no bearing on them. Sorry whats that? Forster is producing heroic moments against Lazio while Southampton go down 9-0 at home to Leicester? That’s a bit embarrassing.
Obviously some fans on Twitter were quick to have some opinions over the varying fortunes of the two keepers. Here’s a look at some of the more notable comments:
Got to laugh at football, Fraser Forster canny get a game for #Southampton but pulling a worldy for @CelticFC against @OfficialSSLazio the night before his parent team get pumped 9-0 at home.
— BMac (@Yon_tweeter) October 25, 2019
HOW MUCH WAS HE. Was watching Forster last night. Why wasn’t he getting a game at Southampton. Surely a better option than Gunn?
— Jamie Mason (@jam1ema5on) October 25, 2019
Angus Gunn keeping Forster out the Southampton team 🧐🧐
— cameron (@cameronbruce_7) October 25, 2019
3rd choice Southampton keeper Fraser Forster Makes Save of the season in Europa League meanwhile Southampton 1st choice keeper Angus Gunn Let’s In 9 Funny old game as they say
— Joe Dabernig (@JoeDabernig) October 25, 2019
There’s a few things to unpack from this. Firstly, just because Angus gun is eligible to play for Scotland it doesn’t mean we should be falling over ourselves to try and convince him.
The funniest thing is the reaction of Premier League fans to the result. We’ve all seen the criticism that comes with a heavy defeat up here, but 9-0 is an absolute nonsense no matter what level you play at. It also seems likely that Brendan will be even more unbearably smug this morning.
It just goes to show that money doesn’t get you everything. One of those comments suggested that Gunn cost £12m. Just throwing money around at low quality players isn’t the sign of a brilliant league, it means that clubs don’t know what to do with the money they have.
Hopefully that Southampton result doesn’t scupper any possibility of Forster staying at Celtic past this season. It’s more likely that his parent club will throw a bit of money around in January to try and fix the problem.
Finally, it really can’t be said enough – that was some save from Forster..
Oh my word Fraser Forster! 🤯
A special, special save to secure the three points for Celtic!
What a night 🍀 pic.twitter.com/CSZcS5oxO5
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) October 24, 2019