Dan Bentley to Wolves - Confirmed

[Mr Popodopolous]

1 hour ago, Davefevs said:

They have Bonham, but he really is a no2…suggests they need a no1, which of course Bentley would fit (as would others).  Iverson was one of the best GK’s in the champ last season.

I wonder how much Bursik went for. That may depend on whether they push for Iversen or Bentley. I read that they valued Bursik in Spring 2021 £30m!? Surely will be nothing like that.

A fraction of that probably.

Edited January 13, 2023 by Mr Popodopolous

[Merrick's Marvels]

1 hour ago, GrahamC said:

Too early to form any real impression re Bajic, but he has played a few games (9) in Ligue 1 for St. Etienne & has been In French national age group squads.

This is Max’s big opportunity, he’s 26, has been in Championship squads for us getting on for 200 times & is out of contract this summer (though we do hold an extension clause), so pretty much now or never for him in terms of his career in BS3.

 

49 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

…and I think he’s grasping / grasped the opportunity.  He looks like he feels he should be there, not just until Bentley inevitably comes back in.

He's not as good a shot stopper as Bentley and he continues to have brain farts. These need to stop - how many games has he played now? I get why he's currently getting picked - the games until the end of the season are basically an audition. Then in the summer we make a decision on whether he's good enough to be first choice.

My preference is we find another Maenpaa - rock solid, if unspectacular - just one who stays fit. Perfectly happy with O'Leary as a no.2. Not that he should be. Bajic is Ronnie Sinclair and I'm not having a keeper like that.  

 

[Mr Popodopolous]

Thought Maenpaa had a lot of good traits tbh. Had he been 5-10 years younger eh...although goalkeepers can go on and on.

Happy enough with O'Leary, defence seems to have improved of late and Bajic it's far too soon to say, he is the future and goalkeepers often peak later than outfield players.

[Ronnie Sinclair]

5 minutes ago, Merrick's Marvels said:

 

He's not as good a shot stopper as Bentley and he continues to have brain farts. These need to stop - how many games has he played now? I get why he's currently getting picked - the games until the end of the season are basically an audition. Then in the summer we make a decision on whether he's good enough to be first choice.

My preference is we find another Maenpaa - rock solid, if unspectacular - just one who stays fit. Perfectly happy with O'Leary as a no.2. Not that he should be. Bajic is Ronnie Sinclair and I'm not having a keeper like that.  

 

I wasn't that bad was I? 

[GrahamC]

11 minutes ago, Merrick's Marvels said:

 

He's not as good a shot stopper as Bentley and he continues to have brain farts. These need to stop - how many games has he played now? I get why he's currently getting picked - the games until the end of the season are basically an audition. Then in the summer we make a decision on whether he's good enough to be first choice.

My preference is we find another Maenpaa - rock solid, if unspectacular - just one who stays fit. Perfectly happy with O'Leary as a no.2. Not that he should be. Bajic is Ronnie Sinclair and I'm not having a keeper like that.  

 

Completely reasonable view (40 by the way), I also see this as effectively his trial for the role, results & Pearson (assuming that he’s still here) will decide whether or not he gets the gig.

Think Bajic is a fair bit taller than Sinclair but I’m really not in a position to comment on him otherwise having seen him once, clearly getting into St. Etienne’s first team at 18 or 19 suggests that something is definitely there, but so far it is based on potential & we all can think of players we expected to make it who didn’t & vice versa.

No bigger fan of Maenpaa than me (for me the most underrated keeper we have had in many, many years), you’re right his injury record did for him with us. 

Edited January 13, 2023 by GrahamC

[Davefevs]

7 minutes ago, Merrick's Marvels said:

 

He's not as good a shot stopper as Bentley and he continues to have brain farts. These need to stop - how many games has he played now? I get why he's currently getting picked - the games until the end of the season are basically an audition. Then in the summer we make a decision on whether he's good enough to be first choice.

My preference is we find another Maenpaa - rock solid, if unspectacular - just one who stays fit. Perfectly happy with O'Leary as a no.2. Not that he should be. Bajic is Ronnie Sinclair and I'm not having a keeper like that.  

 

I rated Maenpaa, exactly what you want from a keeper.

Interesting that the old “shot stopper” tag comes up re Bents, but I guess some might argue that Max’s performances against Boro (this season) and Villa (a few seasons back) show him to be the better shot stopper.  A very subjective position isn’t it?

1 minute ago, Ronnie Sinclair said:

I wasn't that bad was I? 

Too short Ronnie, you are no Jan Moller!

[Pickle Rick]

Maenpaa Has got to be up there with the best goalies we’ve had even in the last 20 years. Shame it was quite a brief stint.

[miketh2nd]

14 minutes ago, Pickle Rick said:

Maenpaa Has got to be up there with the best goalies we’ve had even in the last 20 years. Shame it was quite a brief stint.

Gotta add Heaton there too! 

[steviestevieneville]

1 hour ago, Merrick's Marvels said:

It will be if O'Leary and Bajic are seen as our future. Dear god. 

Bit harsh. I didn’t rate max but he’s been much better this time around& commanding his area better than last season . As for Bajic, his debut was a shambles all over the pitch . Can’t make a judgment on one game with the keystone cops in front of him. 

[GrahamC]

1 minute ago, miketh2nd said:

Gotta add Heaton there too! 

Think there is so much revisionism about that statement.

Heaton was with us one season, we were rock bottom, relegated with several games still to go, we conceded by far the most goals & I genuinely can’t remember thinking what a good keeper he was. 

I do remember a game at home to Blackburn (we lost 5-3!) he was dreadful, definitely at fault with two of them. We actually dropped him for Gerken at one point.

We were defensively poor that season but he really wasn’t that great, this great keeper stuff is all based on him being in better sides with better defences afterwards.

[Numero Uno]

19 hours ago, Harry said:

Pearson talking in riddles again. 
 

So, we are prepared to let him go if the price is right. 
But we have to be careful not to leave ourselves short. 

But we’re prepared to leave ourselves short if we get a good enough offer. 

What is he supposed to say? Bearing in mind there is a commercial element in getting the best deal. If he says we are desperate to get rid there will be people moaning if we end up loaning him out for the rest of the season with only £1k per week of his wages paid. I’m guessing he’ll bring another keeper in whether temporary or permanent if the whole deal is affordable?

[Simon bristol]

36 minutes ago, Ronnie Sinclair said:

I wasn't that bad was I? 

:laugh:, i always like ronnie sinclair !!!

[DaveF]

2 hours ago, Merrick's Marvels said:

It will be if O'Leary and Bajic are seen as our future. Dear god. 

Yes if the very highly rated France under 21 keeper is seen as our future God help us...

[redsquirrel]

22 minutes ago, steviestevieneville said:

Bit harsh. I didn’t rate max but he’s been much better this time around& commanding his area better than last season . As for Bajic, his debut was a shambles all over the pitch . Can’t make a judgment on one game with the keystone cops in front of him. 

thats true but it must be difficult having enough confidence in him to let him have another crack. does he do any u23s games?

[GrahamC]

2 minutes ago, redsquirrel said:

thats true but it must be difficult having enough confidence in him to let him have another crack. does he do any u23s games?

Pretty much all the U21 games, was in the side that played Cardiff on Monday, for example.

[Fpcity]

49 minutes ago, Pickle Rick said:

Maenpaa Has got to be up there with the best goalies we’ve had even in the last 20 years. Shame it was quite a brief stint.

Was going to say the same thing. Shame about fitness, can only really remember one clanger him making in a home game but can't remember who against. The only other keeper in the last 20 years near him was probably Basso? 

[Merrick's Marvels]

49 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Interesting that the old “shot stopper” tag comes up re Bents, but I guess some might argue that Max’s performances against Boro (this season) and Villa (a few seasons back) show him to be the better shot stopper. 

1 game this season and another years ago confirms it for me. I came to the conclusion a while ago that O'Leary's excellent saves in that Boro game were the exception not the rule.

In contrast, Bentley's had plenty of games in his time here where, without his saves, we'd have been hammered. Not that I advocate keeping him - he's reverted to the form that made Brentford decide to sell him (and look where they are now). Albeit, I wonder if some of his poorer games this season - Brum being the obvious one - were a result of contract talks breaking down. Mentally he wasn't at it, and that's the reason why. We'll never know. 

42 minutes ago, steviestevieneville said:

As for Bajic, his debut was a shambles all over the pitch . Can’t make a judgment on one game with the keystone cops in front of him. 

Personally, I'm not interested in having a keeper that small. 

[DaveF]

6 minutes ago, Merrick's Marvels said:

Personally, I'm not interested in having a keeper that small. 

6ft 3?

[Davefevs]

10 minutes ago, Merrick's Marvels said:

1 game this season and another years ago confirms it for me. I came to the conclusion a while ago that O'Leary's excellent saves in that Boro game were the exception not the rule.

In contrast, Bentley's had plenty of games in his time here where, without his saves, we'd have been hammered. Not that I advocate keeping him - he's reverted to the form that made Brentford decide to sell him (and look where they are now). Albeit, I wonder if some of his poorer games this season - Brum being the obvious one - were a result of contract talks breaking down. Mentally he wasn't at it, and that's the reason why. We'll never know. 

Personally, I'm not interested in having a keeper that small. 

I was just picking two games where he made a number of extraordinary saves, not saying those were the only two games.

But it does seem we are in agreement that Bentley has dropped off…the debate re who is best now is all about opinions.

I’m not sure of Bajic’s height.

[Merrick's Marvels]

20 minutes ago, DaveF said:

6ft 3?

If he's 6'3" MrF then I'm a dutchman. I believe my own eyes, not some website.

Edit - He's the same height as Andy King. 

Edited January 13, 2023 by Merrick's Marvels

[footie]

13 minutes ago, Merrick's Marvels said:

If he's 6'3" MrF then I'm a dutchman. I believe my own eyes, not some website.

Edit - He's the same height as Andy King. 

Is this for real?  He is not a short GK by any stretch, maybe your own eyes could do with some testing

[Merrick's Marvels]

8 minutes ago, footie said:

Is this for real?  He is not a short GK by any stretch, maybe your own eyes could do with some testing

Well I had the displeasure of attending the Lincoln cup game and can tell you for sure, he didn't look 6'3 to my eyes, not remotely. Or 6'2. Or even 6'1. 

There was even a way to corroborate this initial impression - he had Atkinson, Klose and Low in front of him.

But if you still need convincing, go to the 9 minute Youtube highlights of that game and pause it at 6 mins 47 seconds.

By the way, Andy King is 6'0.

It's entirely a personal preference - I prefer a keeper who has a physical presence about him and Bajic isn't for me but Maenpaa was. Even Bentley has it, he just doesn't use it. For me. 

Edited January 13, 2023 by Merrick's Marvels

[footie]

1 minute ago, Merrick's Marvels said:

Well I had the displeasure of attending the Lincoln cup game and can tell you for sure, he didn't look 6'3. Or 6'2. Or even 6'1. 

But if you still need convincing, go to the 9 minute Youtube highlights and pause it at 6 mins 47 seconds.

By the way, Andy King is 6'0.

It's entirely a personal preference - I prefer a keeper who has a physical presence about him and Bajic isn't for me. Maenpaa was. 

I've seen him on a few occasions and it's never struck me that he comes across as a small keeper.

Maybe Bajic doesn't currently have the physical presence however I would argue that not many keepers do at his age. You're looking at another 8/9 years until he would be considered in his prime for a keeper so am quite content for him to be understudy to Max for now until he gets a proper chance to show what he's about.

[Merrick's Marvels]

1 minute ago, footie said:

I've seen him on a few occasions and it's never struck me that he comes across as a small keeper.

Maybe Bajic doesn't currently have the physical presence however I would argue that not many keepers do at his age. You're looking at another 8/9 years until he would be considered in his prime for a keeper so am quite content for him to be understudy to Max for now until he gets a proper chance to show what he's about.

Yes he has time on his side - not sure he'll be growing any taller though! 

Basso wasn't the tallest and he was a fine keeper, so fingers crossed Bajic turns out to be another Basso  

[steviestevieneville]

1 hour ago, Merrick's Marvels said:

1 game this season and another years ago confirms it for me. I came to the conclusion a while ago that O'Leary's excellent saves in that Boro game were the exception not the rule.

In contrast, Bentley's had plenty of games in his time here where, without his saves, we'd have been hammered. Not that I advocate keeping him - he's reverted to the form that made Brentford decide to sell him (and look where they are now). Albeit, I wonder if some of his poorer games this season - Brum being the obvious one - were a result of contract talks breaking down. Mentally he wasn't at it, and that's the reason why. We'll never know. 

Personally, I'm not interested in having a keeper that small. 

I get that 100% with max 

[Sleepy1968]

3 hours ago, steviestevieneville said:

Bit harsh. I didn’t rate max but he’s been much better this time around& commanding his area better than last season . As for Bajic, his debut was a shambles all over the pitch . Can’t make a judgment on one game with the keystone cops in front of him. 

If only. The keystone cops were entertaining!

[Harry]

4 hours ago, Numero Uno said:

What is he supposed to say? Bearing in mind there is a commercial element in getting the best deal. If he says we are desperate to get rid there will be people moaning if we end up loaning him out for the rest of the season with only £1k per week of his wages paid. I’m guessing he’ll bring another keeper in whether temporary or permanent if the whole deal is affordable?

What’s he supposed to say? 
Well, nothing contradictory. 
We’ve already made it clear we’re willing to talk to clubs about him. It’s no secret. 
Why then begin to pretend that “we don’t wanna leave ourselves short”. Well, if you don’t wanna leave yourself short don’t get rid. 
But you know you wanna get rid so therefore you know you’ll be short. Plus you already signed his replacement. 
It’s just nonsense. 
If we get a satisfactory offer, he’s gone. No more to it than that. Don’t start lining up excuses that “we’ll be short” if he goes. 

Edited January 13, 2023 by Harry

[Simon bristol]

4 hours ago, DaveF said:

Yes if the very highly rated France under 21 keeper is seen as our future God help us...

Agreed,,, as a first impression,, that was embarrassing

[Merrick's Marvels]

5 hours ago, DaveF said:

Yes if the very highly rated France under 21 keeper is seen as our future God help us...

Yeah, 1 game!

Against Northern Ireland.

You make him sound like the next Hugo Lloris. Or that bald **** Perez. Which he ain't. 

He's played virtually all his career in the French second division - all of 40 games in 5 years, mind Wow. What's the standard of the French 2nd Division, you reckon?

And we signed him from a football club no-one's heard of, in a town where rugby union rules the roost. 

So "very highly rated" by whom, exactly?

He's a punt. A punt Cisse stumbled across while networking - who knows if Kalifa's been sold a lemon or the next....yeah, I can't think of any other decent French keepers either. 

Good luck to the lad, though. He might turn out better than O'Leary. The bar's not exactly high. 

Edited January 13, 2023 by Merrick's Marvels

[DaveF]

21 minutes ago, Merrick's Marvels said:

Yeah, 1 game!

Against Northern Ireland.

You make him sound like the next Hugo Lloris. Or that bald **** Perez. Which he ain't. 

He's played virtually all his career in the French second division - all of 40 games in 5 years, mind Wow. What's the standard of the French 2nd Division, you reckon?

And we signed him from a football club no-one's heard of, in a town where rugby union rules the roost. 

So "very highly rated" by whom, exactly?

He's a punt. A punt Cisse stumbled across while networking - who knows if Kalifa's been sold a lemon or the next....yeah, I can't think of any other decent French keepers either. 

Good luck to the lad, though. He might turn out better than O'Leary. The bar's not exactly high. 

Hes also been capped extensively at under 16, 17, 18 and 19 levels, which implies he was considered the most talented French goalkeeper at those age groups.

Hes a 21 year old goalkeeper, to have played that many games at his age is pretty rare. 40 games in 5 years for a 21 year old goalkeeper is quite unusual.

St Etienne were playing in Ligue 1 when he played for their first team.

I doubt Cisse 'stumbled' across Bajic, he's reasonably well known.