29-year-old should be pushing for Cardiff and Aston Villa a
Tue Jun 04, 2019 9:53 am
29-year-old should be pushing for Cardiff and Aston Villa agreement on one condition
By Ben Lang
Tuesday 4th June 2019
Cardiff City have turned down an £8million offer from Aston Villa for goalkeeper Neil Etheridge.
The 29-year-old was ever-present for the Bluebirds in the Premier League last season, and delivered consistently impressive performances despite his club’s relegation.
His displays clearly caught the eye of Dean Smith who is seemingly on the hunt for a goalkeeper to challenge Jed Steer for a starting spot in the nets.
Steer delivered a string of excellent displays as Villa embarked on an end-of-season run, with his season highlight coming in the play-off semi-final when he saved two spot kicks in the penalty shoot-out against West Brom to send Villa to Wembley.
Smith is now clearly eager to have all bases covered ahead of Villa’s Premier League return, which would explain why he has launched a pursuit of Etheridge.
The former Fulham goalkeeper should now be pushing hard for a Premier League return, as he clearly showed last season that he is capable of playing in the top-flight.
Villa could also be a good fit for him as he enters the peak of his career, as he will be wanting to now play Premier League football regularly.
It is vital though, should Cardiff eventually accept any improved offer from Villa, that Etheridge seeks assurances from his potential employers that he will get first-team football at Villa Park. This is due to that fact that he could be competing for the number one jersey with Steer, Orjan Nyland and Lovre Kalinic.
Etheridge should accept the fact he needs to put up a fight for the starting spot, but he will not be happy moving to Villa and then playing second fiddle all season.
His displays last season proved he is Premier League quality, and he can now cement this status by making the correct move back to the top-flight.
By Ben Lang
Tuesday 4th June 2019
Cardiff City have turned down an £8million offer from Aston Villa for goalkeeper Neil Etheridge.
The 29-year-old was ever-present for the Bluebirds in the Premier League last season, and delivered consistently impressive performances despite his club’s relegation.
His displays clearly caught the eye of Dean Smith who is seemingly on the hunt for a goalkeeper to challenge Jed Steer for a starting spot in the nets.
Steer delivered a string of excellent displays as Villa embarked on an end-of-season run, with his season highlight coming in the play-off semi-final when he saved two spot kicks in the penalty shoot-out against West Brom to send Villa to Wembley.
Smith is now clearly eager to have all bases covered ahead of Villa’s Premier League return, which would explain why he has launched a pursuit of Etheridge.
The former Fulham goalkeeper should now be pushing hard for a Premier League return, as he clearly showed last season that he is capable of playing in the top-flight.
Villa could also be a good fit for him as he enters the peak of his career, as he will be wanting to now play Premier League football regularly.
It is vital though, should Cardiff eventually accept any improved offer from Villa, that Etheridge seeks assurances from his potential employers that he will get first-team football at Villa Park. This is due to that fact that he could be competing for the number one jersey with Steer, Orjan Nyland and Lovre Kalinic.
Etheridge should accept the fact he needs to put up a fight for the starting spot, but he will not be happy moving to Villa and then playing second fiddle all season.
His displays last season proved he is Premier League quality, and he can now cement this status by making the correct move back to the top-flight.
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Re: 29-year-old should be pushing for Cardiff and Aston Vill
Tue Jun 04, 2019 2:33 pm
Surprised Villa are after him. Didn't think Etheridge would suit their style of play with passing out from the back, would have thought Dean Smith would be after a GK with better distribution because Etheridge's is shocking tbf. However he suits us down to the ground.
Re: 29-year-old should be pushing for Cardiff and Aston Vill
Tue Jun 04, 2019 3:36 pm
Bluebird Warrior wrote:Surprised Villa are after him. Didn't think Etheridge would suit their style of play with passing out from the back, would have thought Dean Smith would be after a GK with better distribution because Etheridge's is shocking tbf. However he suits us down to the ground.
I'm sure I read they worked together at Walsall and he liked him.
Re: 29-year-old should be pushing for Cardiff and Aston Vill
Tue Jun 04, 2019 7:10 pm
Bluebird Warrior wrote:Surprised Villa are after him. Didn't think Etheridge would suit their style of play with passing out from the back, would have thought Dean Smith would be after a GK with better distribution because Etheridge's is shocking tbf. However he suits us down to the ground.
you cant say something youve not seen is shocking..everything goes long not because he can not kick it 5 yards its because he is told to go long.....its really really obvious?
its how weve played for 3 years..
Re: 29-year-old should be pushing for Cardiff and Aston Vill
Wed Jun 05, 2019 4:25 pm
dogfound wrote:Bluebird Warrior wrote:Surprised Villa are after him. Didn't think Etheridge would suit their style of play with passing out from the back, would have thought Dean Smith would be after a GK with better distribution because Etheridge's is shocking tbf. However he suits us down to the ground.
you cant say something youve not seen is shocking..everything goes long not because he can not kick it 5 yards its because he is told to go long.....its really really obvious?
its how weve played for 3 years..
The guy cant kick a ball 5 yrds or 40 yrs thats really really obvious to anyone who watched us against Palace when he punted it into touch 4 times. His passing short and long are shocking and its been like that for 2 years
