Southampton: Goalkeeping clear-out will help Saints massively

Southampton seem to be having a goalkeeper clear-out this summer with Stuart Taylor released and Fraser Forster likely to be on the move.

It was announced that Taylor would leave the Saints at the end of his current contract on July 1st, and various outlets were reporting yesterday that Southampton would listen to offers for out of favour Forster this summer.

With Alex McCarthy rightfully earning his place as the team’s number 1 and signing a new four-year deal, sorting out the options between the sticks to provide competition will no doubt help the squad as a whole.

Before dropping out of the side, Forster’s form had been pretty poor for much of the last year. His play had been littered with mistakes and he seemed slow across his goal to stop shots; unrecognisable to the player that had been excellent previously at St Mary’s.

It cannot be underestimated that his injury sustained in in his first season at the club contributed to this. A Patella Tendon rupture would cause any footballer to experience a drop in form, and Forster became almost too cautious in his goalkeeping after returning in 2015/16.

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NORWICH, ENGLAND – APRIL 28: Angus Gunn of Norwich City leaves the field following victory during the Sky Bet Championship match between Norwich City and Leeds United at Carrow Road on April 28, 2018 in Norwich, England. (Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images) /

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However, football is a brutal game and Saints need to be able to trust their keepers fully in the highly competitive Premier League. One mistake can cost vital points, and the club need to make changes to move away from another relegation fight.

As Alex McCarthy came into the team in December, he had little trouble in keeping his place. Neither Forster or Stuart Taylor – who didn’t make a competitive appearance in his two years at Saints – gave Mauricio Pellegrino or Mark Hughes any selection headaches.

In many ways, this summed up the complacency the club had fallen into. A lack of competition for places will see players become too comfortable and not push themselves so much.

Following the conclusion of the 2017/18 season, Ryan Bertrand mentioned this complacency that had crept in and that it had been removed once Mark Hughes was appointed.

It’s good that this has been recognised and they want to stamp it out with changes in the squad, and it’s now the time for some fresh talent to be introduced into the 2018/19 group of players.

22-year-old England youth international Angus Gunn is on the club’s radar to come in as second-choice keeper, and it has been reported that Jack Rose will sign a new two-year deal at the club soon.

These hungry young players will push McCarthy and want to take his place whilst improving themselves. Fraser Forster may now move out on-loan because of his wage demands being too high for a permanent transfer.

This will give him the chance to start afresh – whether he returns to St Mary’s in the future or not – and leave the Saints squad with a new look to it.

Restructuring like this can only benefit the club as a whole and gives the best chance of pushing the team forward again.