Pleased for him, outstanding talent.
Our next big sale. Liverpool and City both looking for a new keeper in the not too distant future.
Our next big sale. Liverpool and City both looking for a new keeper in the not too distant future.
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[Albion] Bart Verbruggen SINGS a 5-year deal
- Thread starter Stumpy Tim
- Start date
He wasn't ready at the start of the season! Another of de Zerbi's stranger decisions was binning off Sanchez because he wanted a keeper with footwork like Pirlo rather than one who could make worldy saves to win us (although to be fair he got away with it for half a season before he had to start alternating GKs).
Verbruggen off for Citeh or Liverpool size money? OK, we'll keep Rushworth (with Beadle to come).
The Fits
Well-known member
- Jun 29, 2020
- 10,106
He made his international debut in October after being included in squads the season before. We will never know how ready he was but that suggests he'd have coped just fine.
Mustafa II
Well-known member
The bloke was stubborn as f***.
We all saw how shit Steele was, yet he persisted. I think it was to prove a point.
Can't wait to see Verbruggen as number one for the whole of next season.
brighton_tom
Well-known member
- Jul 23, 2008
- 5,511
The goalkeeper situation does seem very healthy at the moment. Potentially we could do next season with Bart number 1 & Steele as back up, while Rushworth does a top end Championship loan & Beadle does maybe mid table Championship loan. Then if we do lose Bart at some point after that the two loaned out keepers would be well placed step in, with Rushworth particularly having a well rounded loan education.
Johnny RoastBeef
These aren't the players you're looking for.
- Jan 11, 2016
- 3,471
A nice easy 4-0 win for the Netherlands tonight v Canada.
Bart made a couple of saves, but more notable was his footwork. 98% pass accuracy, including 10 out of 11 long balls.
Bart made a couple of saves, but more notable was his footwork. 98% pass accuracy, including 10 out of 11 long balls.
um bongo molongo
Well-known member
I think Steele will move on and Bart and Rushworth will fight it out for the #1 shirt (though hopefully not on a rotational basis!), with Beadle out on loan. I have a few Oxford Utd STH mates who are totally convinced that Beadle will play for England so agree the stocks look good.
He's clearly NSC's no.1 choice (over Steele) now. First half of the season there were plenty of doubts - on NSC, and obviously with the management, who weren't entirely convinced either, hence their policy of easing him in. Hindsight is wonderful, eh?
RandyWanger
Je suis rôti de boeuf
Best keeper we've got and have had. Hope we can keep hold of him for next season.
Pevenseagull
meh
- Jul 20, 2003
- 20,666
Good.
Pevenseagull
meh
- Jul 20, 2003
- 20,666
Johnny RoastBeef
These aren't the players you're looking for.
- Jan 11, 2016
- 3,471
I did give abut on reflection
Don't worry, that's the model.
He just needs to hang around long enough for Rushworth and Beadle to come good.
Pevenseagull
meh
- Jul 20, 2003
- 20,666
That's cheered me up
Yep. I suspect @Mustafa II is allowing his Potter-love to cloud his judgment here. I still couldn't call it between Steele and Barty.
HastingsSeagull
Well-known member
More or less agree. I'd say he's right now AS good as any keeper we've ever had already, and on the way up/improving. An exciting time. In a year if still here he should be clear as the best ever.
Hopefully Rushworth can play in the cups and in training every day just incase of an injury or suspension.
JetsetJimbo
Well-known member
- Jun 13, 2011
- 1,165
Re the "why wasn't Bart first-choice all last season", wasn't that about his development? RDZ's tactics left the GK very exposed if a game was going wrong for us, which is (partly) why when we lost, we lost heavily.
I think someone - maybe RDZ, maybe the GK coach, maybe someone with authority over them both - figured "well, these are the games we're likely to lose 4-0 or 5-0, and that won't aid Verbruggen's development at all". A series of headlines and articles along the lines of "this guy who Brighton bought to replace Sanchez keeps shipping 4 goals" could have totally destroyed his confidence and even his career.
I don't think this was a mistake, I think this was forward planning that's going to pay off in the coming season.
I think someone - maybe RDZ, maybe the GK coach, maybe someone with authority over them both - figured "well, these are the games we're likely to lose 4-0 or 5-0, and that won't aid Verbruggen's development at all". A series of headlines and articles along the lines of "this guy who Brighton bought to replace Sanchez keeps shipping 4 goals" could have totally destroyed his confidence and even his career.
I don't think this was a mistake, I think this was forward planning that's going to pay off in the coming season.
Withdean South Stand
Well-known member
- Mar 2, 2014
- 646
Nonsense. RDZ is a stubborn fool who wanted to play Steele, despite how much it hurt the team.
We would have been comfortably in the top 10 had Bart played more often. Steele can kick a ball but he's hopeless when it comes to making saves.
- Nov 11, 2009
- 12,267
Bart is the future number 1, that's pretty self evident, and I'm thrilled he's the Dutch number 1, will try and watch all their games now to see our lad.
As for RDZ, stubborn maybe but not a fool.
The end of previous season where we finished 6th, Steele did well.
At the start of last season Bart, whilst looking the better shot stopper made a couple of costly mistakes with his feet, Steele on the other hand is probably the best keeper in the PL with his feet and that suited our style of play.
Second half of season with Bart doing well and Steele not doing so great with the gloves, reflected in him being statistically one of worst in PL, then keeping the rotation policy promise to the keepers wasn't beneficial imho.
Verbruggen was doing better by now and taking him out for a keeper who isn't as good with the gloves benefitted nobody, except maybe Steele getting game time.
With Rushworth and Beadle (is Rushworth the better keeper as everybody assume or could it be Beadle?)
It looks like Steeles days are numbered unless he'd be happy to once again take a back seat and be a squad keeper. He's a wonderful human and I truly wish him the best, but will be surprised if he's first choice at all next season.
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The season where we finished 6th. Sanchez played well over half the games. Steele played only 15 games, well less than half - de Zerbi got away with it that time. Not the following season, sadly. Due to Sanchez being demoted from the no.1 position and subsequently leaving the club, we had to spend the best part of £20M to start the next season with one GK who wasn't quite good enough and one who wasn't quite ready.
