Guzan or Friedel – Decision Time Looms

We have to some degree done this one to death already, but Carling Cup Final, does Monny keep faith with Guzan or go with the experienced Friedel?

It appears the weeman hasn’t quite decided himself according to an article on SSN where he admits he still has time to take this difficult decision.

‘Lots can happen. I don’t have to make a decision yet.’

Says O’Neill, who you suspect has already actually made that decision. To be fair given our Cup runs this year you would expect Guzan to be in for Palace this weekend, and whilst I’d like to see Monny keep faith with him for the Final, I think Guzan is going to have to make do with the Semi’s for this year.

That said, if we continue to progress in the FA Cup, nothing stops the keepers from having the finals shared between them. Friedel maybe for the FA, Guzan for the Carling.

Seems a fair way around it.

The biggest indication favouring Friedel, is probably in the words:

‘We’re not just going to Wembley, we’re going there to win.’

Now we all know Guzan has been superb in the rounds so far, but he was uncharacteristically discombobulated against Blackburn. Whether it was just a bad day at the office or the ‘occasion’ got to him probably matters not now, but Monny won’t want to risk those little hiccups in a Final, and given that Friedel seems to be getting stronger with every game lately, he has to be a shoe in you’d have thought.