It may come as a surprise to many fans (it was to me) but Brad Guzan has apparently gone on loan to Chivas USA, a club where he was playing before he signed for us when Martin O’Neill originally made him an Aston Villa player.
However, when it comes down to looking at the decision, I guess it does make a fair bit of sense. That isn’t to say that Guzan doesn’t have a long term future at the club – on the contrary, the fact he has been re-signed indicates he does – but he may well need some first team experience at a club if he is going to step into the number one shirt for us.
I’m sure many fans will agree that Shay Given has looked shaky at times in the last few months of the season, as well as at the European Championships, and, at 36, is not getting any younger.
Counter arguments from some fans may indicate that Brad Friedel is still playing in his 40s, although I would suggest this is unlikely for Given’s career given his injuries and recent form problems.
To that end, Guzan seems a far more likely long term option because at 27 (he turns 28 in September), he has at least 6 years, if not more considering his athleticism and American nationality (American keepers always seem to last a lot longer in terms of playing at older ages in the Premier League).
So with Guzan supposedly moving away on a six month loan, it may well have people scratching their heads in surprise after the players was re-signed only a short while ago. However, with Paul Lambert looking at both the long as well as the short term for the club, I have total belief that the loan move for our American keeper will do him a world of good and put him in contention to start when he returns.
Want to get involved in the conversation? If so, you can comment on our latest article which discusses potential lineups for next season by clicking the following link – http://www.astonvillalife.com/aston-villa-blog/the-balanced-team
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
The Author
