Aston Villa's three-headed goalkeeper competition will have to do

Cash-strapped and Sam Johnstone-less, Aston Villa seem comfortable moving forward with a three-headed competition for the No. 1 shirt.

Sam Johnstone was such a huge part of Aston Villa’s turnaround in results since his January 2017 arrival. Now that he’s gone, having joined West Midlands and EFL Championship rivals West Bromwich Albion, Villa must move forward with a new No. 1 between the sticks.

While the current group is very unheralded, club executives must be comfortable with the current options’ ability and competition. There have been no transfer talks regarding an incoming goalkeeper, with other positions of need taking priority for the cash-strapped Aston Villa Football Club.

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25-year old Jed Steer is the presumed favorite after serving as Villa’s deputy for much of the 2017/2018 season. A dislocated shoulder and subsequent ligament damage ended his season prematurely, however, after FA Cup defeat to Peterborough United in January.

Steer, 26 in September, has pretty much always impressed at Aston Villa in his (very) brief few appearances since a 2013 move from Norwich City. In all, he’s played just 7 times for the claret and blue, mostly in cup competitions, with a few loan moves mixed in. He’s shown before, the ability to excel in the second division, having played 38 matches for Huddersfield Town in the 2015/2016 season.

The worry, however, is his ability to stay on the pitch. Steer ruptured his achilles two seasons ago, and dislocated his shoulder in January. Serious injuries can prevent players from reaching their ceilings or even worse, derail careers. For Villa to succeed this coming season, the clearest path is for Steer to again show his quality and stay healthy.

But he’s not alone, Mark Bunn is back for another rodeo. Last season’s No. 3 stepped-up as deputy after Steer’s injury, ultimately playing in the penultimate Championship match, a 1-0 loss to Millwall where Bunn saved a spot kick.

At 33, Bunn has been around the block, specifically Aston Villa’s block since 2015. He’s not great, but he has rarely ever let Villa down, even filling-in for Brad Guzan in the Premier League – and ended up being a marked improvement. If Bunn fills in for a few matches + the cup competitions, it’s unlikely to be the reason Villa falter. As an extended starter, however, the claret and blues could be exposed.

20-year old Matija Sarkic is the wild card, now having a clear path to the first team with Sam Johnstone gone. The Montenegro youth international turns 21 in July and could be an option to depart on loan. It’s also not completely out of the realm of possibility he features a few times for the first team, either.

Next: Aston Villa Make Late Attempt At Harry Wilson

It would be exciting to see a homegrown Aston Villa goalkeeper make a debut this season! Funny enough, Sarkic has a twin brother, Oliver, who signed for Leeds United in January. Since we have heard nothing in terms of an incoming goalkeeper, it’s safe to say Steve Bruce and club executives are comfortable with the above three ‘keepers.

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Aston Villa’s three-headed goalkeeper competition will have to do

By Josh Tonti | Jul 15, 2018

Cash-strapped and Sam Johnstone-less, Aston Villa seem comfortable moving forward with a three-headed competition for the No. 1 shirt.

More from Claret Villans