Are you too fussed about the backup keeper? With Alex Bass already here, and as long as he stays fit and ready, I'm curious to know what kind of keeper people would want brought in. I wouldn’t mind if the club signed a young, promising keeper to work under Bass, while still keeping space for a youth player to step in as the third choice if needed.

If the second-choice keeper can develop, get better, and prove reliable when called upon, that would be the best situation for us in my view.

If the goalkeeper is good enough, I don’t mind whether he’s 18 or 35. Age isn’t the issue, it’s about ability and reliability. We need someone who can step in when needed, but also understands they won’t be first choice because Alex Bass is already in that spot.

Even so, I still want them to aim to become the main keeper. They should be keen to improve and challenge for the starting role, not just settle for being on the bench.

It’ll probably be someone who’s either young and not played much, or someone older who’s okay with being second choice. That’s usually how these things go. I’m not sure who’s available on a free, but judging by how Notts have gone about signings before, I reckon they’ll look for someone aged 28 or older. That way they get a bit of experience in the squad. Even so, I wouldn’t mind seeing a young lad get a chance, if he’s good enough, then let him prove it.

I don’t think it’s realistic to have two top-quality goalkeepers like Alex Bass in the squad. But we should aim for someone close to his level, especially a keeper who can organise the defence well. For me, a good backup needs to have safe hands, be in control of his area, come out to claim crosses confidently, and pass the ball well.

Sam has to the 30th June before his contract expires. I thought he being a back up keeper worked very well for Notts. He has plenty of experience and experience to pass on, & I'm sure Alex Bass benefitted from that.

I thought that Sam had another season in him and when he deputised for Alex he did quite well for the side.

Notts already have an academy goalkeeper who is learning his trade & I think it would be a good move by Notts to bring in an older goalkeeper with experience, but doesn't mind being a back up.

You never know when a goalkeeper may have an injury or is absent for another reason so it is sensible to have a competent back up keeper in reserve.

I thought Tyler Miller might be our backup, but he likely doesn’t want to be second choice at a League Two club. That’s fair enough. Whoever we bring in does need to be good enough to step up when needed. We can’t afford a big drop in quality if Bass is out.

As for the youth keepers, from what I’ve seen, they’re a bit on the small side and haven’t looked all that convincing in training.

You can tell when you have a good, solid keeper when fans don't speculate early into the off-season about replacing the departing ones. I think we can afford one place to be taken by a youth player, but if this is the case, we must consider them in the EFL Trophy games, especially if the second-choice keeper is out. I think the league is a little more crucial, and it's harder for young keepers to be given that chance unless they are close to the standard needed.

We have rushed some very good young keepers in the past, which always results in them being released even though they looked promising enough to improve over time.

Archie Mair 🏆🏆

3 minutes ago, Garry Lee said:

Archie Mair 🏆🏆

Also a free agent, along with Colby Bishop (unless he's since signed for a club). 👍🏻

12 hours ago, Garry Lee said:

Archie Mair 🏆🏆

Archie Mair would be a smart choice. He’s still got room to grow and improve as a keeper. He already has a strong link with the club, which makes him feel like a natural fit.

Signing him could work out well for Notts. There’s real potential there.

i think archie mair would be a good shout, he fits the backup option. i know @Cobby mentioned on facebook that he gave heart stopping moments when he photographed some of the gateshead games. i think being at morecambe would have gave him some vital experience.

I would love to see Archie Mair back at Notts. Maybe he wants to have regular games through. It's still worth it for Notts to make an approach.

For me, every player in the squad should have to fight for their place. It fosters healthy competition & improvement.

I think the fact we signed Tyler and then didn’t play him probably made his mind up to go. It’s a shame because we’ll never know how good he is.

I do think persuading someone to come in to just be a back-up to Bass is a hard sell, but that is basically what’s going to happen.

I would be happy to have Archie Mair back but I also wonder if he'd prefer to go somewhere where the chances of playing are higher.

To be honest, I think Notts could look overseas again when bringing someone in. I’d be surprised if we didn’t end up signing someone from a smaller European country this time.

There’s so much talent out there, and as long as the work permit or placement isn’t a problem, I really think we might do just that.

To be fair it's the most thankless of roles in the squad. Normally it means if they're playing, there's a huge amount of pressure because of injury/suspension so every eye is on the player just look at Brookes a season or two ago. I think it'd need to be someone with a decent amount of games played.

I wouldn't mind seeing Archie Mair back. He never looked the most confident in goal, but there was clear potential there. It’s been a few seasons since he was with us, and our defence has come on a lot since then. I do think there’s something in going for someone more experienced.

At 24, you'd expect Mair to have played more games by now. That lack of match time is a bit of a concern.

Maybe we should be looking for a keeper who's had regular first team action, but also knows what it’s like to be a backup. That balance could suit us well.