Sven sweet on Hart

Sven-Goran Eriksson has revealed that Joe Hart will be the Manchester City number one for the foreseeable future.

Speaking ahead of this weekend's trip to Aston Villa, the Blues boss said: "“On Saturday Joe Hart will play and will be my number one for the foreseeable future.

“I have had talks with Andreas today and obviously he’s not very happy. I had to make a choice and for this moment I’ve made the choice in Joe Hart."

Rumours will surely start about Andreas Isaksson’s future at the Club and Eriksson admitted: "I don’t know if Andreas wants to leave or stay and fight for the place but I told him it’s very much up to him.

“I will not be surprised and I will understand it if he wants to leave.

"It was important and for the players to come up with this decision before the window opens in January."

-mcfc.co.uk

Not really a surprise given the fact that Joe Hart was recalled to the to the starting line-up for the Carling Cup defeat against Tottenham and it does now seem - for the foreseeable future at least, that Hart is the no. 1 guy, having started the season as third choice.

Sven speculated that Isaksson may well indicate a desire to leave, and I have no doubt that he will do as he is amitious and wants first team football, something he has never managed on a consistent and long term basis since joining he club - both as a result of untimely injuries and an at times strange reluctance from both Sven and Stuart Pearce to back him.

Isaksson is a renowned international keeper with a good pedigree and reputation so I doubt that there will be a shortage of takers if Sven allows him to depart. Whether this means that Kaspar Schmeichel will be elevated to the back up spot or if a more veteran keeper will be added on a short term basis.

Both this season and last, I have long trumpeted the Isaksson cause, finding it baffling that he was constantly overlooked on a number of occasions. But in all honesty - from the games I have seen, the defence appears to be more at ease and relaxed with Hart in goal, than either with Schmeichel and Isaksson between the sticks. Statistically, there is not a great deal of difference between Hart and Isaksson but it is fair to obsever that Isaksson has not imposed himselfon the team as much as he perhaps may have done.

To cut him a little slack though, he has never had a settled run in the side and it may have played on his mind that neither Sven nor Pearce were 100% behind him.

Sven has always said that he would make his decision on who his guy will be at Christmas, and true to his word he has rotated all three keepers to give them opportunities. Despite how highly I do rate Isaksson, I can't disagree with the decision, and whilst Isaksson will now get a chance to resurrect his (still young) career elsewhere, Joe Hart has a golden opportunity to establish himself as the first choice keeper for many years to come, not to mention force himself into the international reckoning.

Schmeichel set for Cardiff

Cardiff City are on the brink of signing Manchester City goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel on a one-month loan deal.

Officials of the Premier League club have confirmed the move is '95 per cent done' with just the final stages of paperwork to complete.

The young Dane, who signed a new four-year contract with City in the summer, will go straight into the Cardiff squad for Saturday's match against Scunthorpe.

Schmeichel had been due to join Coventry but that deal collapsed earlier this week due to the club's financial problems, which have led to a transfer embargo from the FA. -Sky Sports.

Far from giving up on Schmeichel, Eriksson claims the move was designed to give him more games, but is still a big drop from occupying the number 1 shirt a few weeks ago to effectively slip down to third in the pecking order thanks to the performances of Joe Hart and return to fitness of Andreas Isaksson.

Stick or twist between the sticks?

Has the impressive start to the season by Kaspar Schmeichel (and of course the defence in front of him) forced a rethink by Sven-Goran Eriksson as to whether to enter the transfer market for a goalkeeper?

Leading upto the start of the season in the wake of Andreas Isaksson's injury, it was widely speculated that Eriksson was keen to add another keeper to the squad - with Italy number 2 Marco Amelia tipped as the most likely candidate.

For whatever reason though a deal did not get done and we went into the opening day with Kaspar Schmeichel backed up by Joe Hart - something Eriksson admitted he was reluctant to do (despite praising their talents).

Three clean sheets later though and on the back of a trio of solid performances, Eriksson has admitted that the priority of signing a new keeper is now 'on ice', and on the back of the long-term injury to Valeri Bojinov his attentions have turned to attacking reinforcements (along with the possibility of a second attempt to sign Mark Bresciano). Perhaps the endless buckets of cash are not evident and there could well be limited funds to add to the players he has already brought in for a cost of around £40 million, with substantial wages on top.

I see it as likely now that Eriksson sees the need to add firepower up front as a far more pressing matter before the end of the transfer window than bringing in another keeper bearing in mind the job Schmeichel has done this season added to the fact that Isaksson is nearer to full fitness.

Schmeichel - despite lacking a little in height, has looked assured, confident and shown good anticipation. And of course he has been helped in no small part by the impressive performances the new look defence have displayed.

Whereas it may well have been a journey into the unknown at the start of the campaign, I feel that Eriksson is now more confident in the ability of Schmeichel (and Hart) to maybe not be the full-time number 1 but at least be capable of stepping up when required, and it would only make sense to add another keeper if it is with a view to replacing Isaksson as the first choice - something which Eriksson has given no indication he is looking to do.

Goal-keeping log jam

With the news that Kaspar Schmeichel is poised to join Falkirk on a season long loan, and in joining fellow youngster Joe Hart in the 'on-loan' ranks it spells positive news for our goalkeeping future.

The fact that Stuart Pearce is able to farm out two young keepers shows the strength we have with our two senior keepers Nicky Weaver and Andreas Isaksson, in a position which looked a little precarious going into the season on the back of David James' departure.

Having four quality keepers on the books obviously allows Pearce to be flexible in helping Hart and Schmeichel gain valuable experience and it could signal an interesting battle between the pair to be our next goalkeeper.

For all that Weaver has done in coming back from terrible injuries and performing at the level he has done, I still cannot see him being the long term number 1. I have come across stories that suggest Isaksson will not be too keen on hanging around if he does not have the number 1 position by the end of the season.

Of course, Weaver is yet to sign a new deal but it is surely a done deal that he will sign beyond this season which may not be good news for Isaksson but would open up a chance behind Weaver for either Hart or Schmeichel.

Roughly of a similar age, both have impressive physical tools but Hart perhaps has the edge in terms of pecking order at the moment and has already made one appearance this season (away at Wigan), but Schmeichel has his plaudits too and it will be interesting to watch them develop over the next few seasons to see if either of the pair can steal a march on the other to get a shot at being the keeper.

Keeping them both happy in the long term will be a tough job for Pearce and is likely that one will end up moving on, but as it stands it looks like it will shape up to be an interesting battle between the two to be the ultimate top dog.

Weaver looking for long term deal

With his contract up at the end of this campaign, armed with a solid start to this season Nicky Weaver has spoken today of his desire to remain with the club for the long haul.

As reported in the MEN, Weaver said:

"I'd love to stay here beyond this season. I have been
in Manchester all my adult life and will have been here ten years come April, I
don't know much different. I have seen the club in good times and bad times. It
has been incredibly good to me and of course I want to extend that
relationship.
City is a great club to be at for a player. The ones
that leave here and go to a bigger and better club are few and far between.
Normally when they leave they go downhill and I don't want to leave here. I want
to stay and fight for my place.
But I have to convince everyone that I can stay fit and
focused and the best way to do that is to play in the Premiership and keep clean
sheets. If I do that then hopefully the manager will offer me a new
deal."

As I've mentioned previously, as well as Weaver has played this season he clearly isn't the long term number 1 with Andreas Isaksson waiting in the wings with Joe Hart and Kaspar Schmeichel being groomed for the future so it remains to be seen what deal the club will offer.

I believe a new deal will be offered by the club but it may not be a four year deal that he is probably hoping for - more like a further one or two years, something that could alert other sides who may look to offer a more attractive deal.

Incidentally, purelymancity has a post today on the expiry dates of the current squads contracts.