Despite not being called upon this season, West Ham’s second choice ‘keeper and many people’s must-start for the Blackburn game in which Mads Hermansen fared so poorly, was not even available for the Blackburn tie, according to reports this afternoon.
Which will be concerning for Scott Parker as well as for supporters who have seen the the Hammers’ first choice goal keeper exhibit the same weaknesses, exposed again and again as the Hammers conceded eleven times in four games without Hermansen so much as laying a glove on any of the goal-bound efforts.
One out of form, the other injured: Goal keeper crisis looming…
Apparently, Alphonse Areola, West Ham’s reserve goal keeper, faces a spell on the treatment table, making this international break something of a crucial recovery period for the Frenchman. Hammers.news claim that reserve keeper Areola actually had to withdraw from the squad entirely during the warm up at Ewood Park – with an as yet unspecified injury.
There’ll be huge consternation behind the scenes: Without knowing the exact cause of Areola’s problem, the 6’5″ French shot stopper has suffered from back trouble in the past which has somewhat blighted his domestic and international career.
With only England u20 keeper Finn Herrick as their third option, something of a crisis looms, dependent entirely upon Areola’s ability to recover during the two weeks that lie ahead.
Sticking with Hermansen in his current form is another disaster waiting to happen.
Hopefully Areola comes back fit, but really don’t see any problem with Herrick, saved a penalty for us this year and seems quite a gobby young lad, which in a goalie is what we need. Still don’t understand how that Mads has kept Areola out for this long. I supported Nuno in his time with us, but looking back, especially with his personal experience in goal, I don’t understand what has gone wrong with that Mads, 20mil wasted