Could Brad Guzan be fighting for his job? The U.S. international has been one Aston Villa’s best players since becoming the team’s starting goalkeeper two years ago, but with former number one Shay Given apparently in resurgent form, the former Chivas USA star is facing new competition. Could the former Ireland international potentially reclaim his spot?
According to one outlet, that’s a possibility, though perhaps playing to its audience, the Irish Examiner has put a decidedly pro-Given spin on Paul Lambert’s words. In a report headlined Given in line to end two-year wait for Premier League start, Lambert lauds the club’s depth at goalkeeper, but falls short of saying Given’s actually going to play this season:Given has not made a Premier League appearance since the 3-1 defeat against Everton in August 2012, but with Jed Steer loaned to Doncaster Rovers he is now back fighting it out with Guzan to be the Villa number one.
Lambert said: “I have got two really, really top goalkeepers in Shay and Brad. They will be pushing each other and come the Stoke game I will select what I see as the strongest possible team.”Later in the same piece, Given concedes he’s merely a backup (“I know Brad is the number one”), with more words from Lambert, printed elsewhere, showing the club’s manager is of like mind:
Guzan, who travelled to Brazil with the US World Cup squad, was at fault for two goals in Villa’s 3-1 friendly defeat at League One new boys Chesterfield.
But Lambert was not worried by the former Chivas USA man’s blunders.
“I said to him he better get them out (the errors) before the start of the season,” Lambert said light-heartedly.
“On a serious note, though, he only joined up with us in Houston and has not done much before that.
“The two years I have been here he’s been absolutely brilliant.
“He can make as many mistakes as he likes in pre-season games but when it’s for real I’m sure he’ll be right up for it.”In fairness, we’re a U.S. site, we know people are interested in Guzan, so like our Irish colleagues, we may be letting our biases show. But Guzan’s playing time, as well as his coach’s words, suggest our biases may be pointed in the right direction, on this one.