Celtic now have another big decision to make after Joe Hart arrival

Originally published at: Celtic now have another big decision to make after Joe Hart arrival - 67 Hail Hail

So, Joe Hart has arrived at Celtic. He’s even travelled with the squad to face FK Jablonec on Thursday evening. That’s all good, and while there are risks attached to kick-starting Hart’s career, it does mean there are surely too many goalkeepers at the club. Unless FIFA allow us to play with more than one…

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I’d rather see Bain stay ahead of Barkas, Barkas has never settled & would be better served going back to the Greek league but we’ll lose a million or two straight away if we flick him (& that’s being kind, can’t see anyone but a Greek club who would see any value in him tbh). The other side of it is Bain probably deserves a run elsewhere & can probably get that at another club in Scotland as was mentioned in the article, it’d be nice to see him go well somewhere, he’s limited but he can make a career as someone’s number 1, it’s just never going to be at Parkhead. Nothing against either lad, it’s a shame neither kicked on.
I definitely want Hazard to stay, of the three back ups he has the most potential to be a top keeper & he can start learning from Hart straight away, I think that’s a big bonus of bringing a guy with the experience levels of Hart in & Hart seems well at home with helping the young guys come on, something he was praised for by Spurs fans.

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You say Bain has always made himself available and always tried to learn from his coaches - well, that is his job for which he is getting well paid. Giving away a last-minute goal in an important match, from a dead ball situation, will test any manager’s resolve.

Bain has been given plenty of chances to claim that number jersey from the hapless Barkas. The fact that he hasn’t convinced tells you all you need to know.

Bain is just not good enough for Celtic and, I would also suggest, to get the best out of Barkas and Hazard, Celtic need to look at the goalkeeper coaching position.

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I want to be deliberately contrary and purposely obtuse but I agree with all of this.

A small fee for sale of Bain, a few million loss on Barky, and keep Hazard.

I would, however, wait as long as possible before letting anyone go lest Hart not play at the level we require.

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Woods did a good job with Forster and Gordon. I Don’t know how easy/hard getting in a quality GK coach is so I wouldn’t punt him anytime soon.

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Another way of putting it is that Woods got lucky with Forster and Gordon - he won a watch because they are highly talented goalkeepers in their own right.

When a different challenge arose with Barkas, Bain and Hazard, it turns out he couldnt’ make a decent goalkeeper out of the three of them!

I would suggest that excellent goalkeeping coaches are not in short supply. Most top clubs in Europe will have three goalkeepers and a specialist coach. Like decent goalkeepers, they are probably ten a penny if you bother to build a decent scouting network.

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