There have been plenty of jokes about Scottish goalkeepers through the years - apparently something to do with England winning 9-3 at Wembley in 1961 - but Sunderland supporters will hope Craig Gordon doesn’t become the latest.
At £9m, the Black Cats have made their most ambitious signing yet under Roy Keane, a signing which has certainly made its mark and, as a declaration of intent, breaking the British transfer record for a goalkeeper shows the Wearsiders mean business on their return to the Premiership.
However, while it is undoubtedly a positive signing and a big coup for a club which has had its fair share of troubles in the transfer market this summer - David Nugent and Leighton Baines spring to mind - it is also one which inevitably comes with a risk because of the size of the fee.
Keane has correctly argued that nobody would bat an eyelid if he had spent £9m on a top striker, even though the goalkeeping position is just as important in terms of saving and winning points over the course of the season. Just look at Peter Schmeichel and Manchester United - particularly a certain game at St James’s Park in 1996!
He also argued that Gordon should not be in the least bit concerned about how much money had been paid for him because that was down to the two clubs to sort out, but there will still be more pressure on Gordon than most other players this season.
In an ideal world the former Hearts man would be able to forget all about how much money he has cost, unfortunately nobody else will!
Sadly, as is the norm in sport, nobody will mention it when he is playing well, but the first time he makes a mistake it will be £9m man this and £9m that. It’s just the way of the world I’m afraid, look what happened when Andy Cole went to Old Trafford. He could do no wrong when he was at Newcastle, but as soon as Manchester United paid a lot of money for him people were waiting for - and wanted to help him - fail.
Nevertheless, the capture of Gordon should be celebrated by Sunderland because it is easily their biggest and best signing of the summer. Gordon has been tracked by a number of Premiership clubs for years, including Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger, he is an established international and, at 24, he can only get better.
The Black Cats also managed to persuade him to move to the Stadium of Light, despite interest from two established Premiership clubs in Aston Villa and Manchester City. After missing out on Nugent and Baines, this was proof that Keane does have the pulling power to get top players.
Now all he has to do is gel them into a team which can hold on its own in the top flight. As I’ve said before, I wouldn’t bet against him doing just that either.
And neither will, you suspect, the journalist who made the mistake of asking Keane whether survival was his main target this season.
“I don’t want you to ever mention that word again� said Keane. “We are not here just to make up the numbers, I don’t like that word and I don’t want to hear that word. We certainly aren’t just thinking about survival, what does that mean anyway 15th, 16th.... �
Okaaaaay, so not contemplating relegation then, moving swiftly on....
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