Russell Martin has made it clear at The Radio Solent fans forum that he backs Gavin Bazunu as Southampton's number 1 this season and goes further in saying he will be one of the best goalkeepers in the Championship this season.
Russell martin had no preconceptions about Gavin Bazunu when he arrived in the summerand he has now made a very public statement of his confidence in the former Manchester City keeper as hampshirelive have reported from St Mary's this evening at the annual BBC Radio Solent fans forum.
Russel Martin had this to say when asked whether he felt the spine of the Saints team, including the goalkeeper position, still needed to be addressed in the summer transfer window.:
"We don't have a problem with the goalkeeper in my opinion. We have a full international who is 20 years old (Editors Note He is 21). He will take unbelievable learning from last season playing in the team that finished bottom of the Premier League."
"That's not easy for a goalkeeper and it's definitely not easy for a young goalkeeper. Alex McCarthy is really experienced number two, Joe Lumley is a really experienced number three. We have real strength in that department."
"I've been made aware of this narrative around Gav. Last season has happened, you can't impact that. What he can impact is that he’ll be one of the best goalkeepers in the division for how we want to play. If I was going to look at a goalkeeper I'd want to go and sign Gavin Bazunu. His mentality and how he's been, how he's trained and how he played on Saturday "
"Like I said after the game, he doesn't deserve to concede four goals and it’s not his problem at all, it’s the guys in front of him and we will learn from him. So I can only speak from my short time here but Gavin is going to be a brilliant goalkeeper. He can be a huge asset in this club on the pitch financially, whatever you want to call it."
"And as long as he maintains the standards he's had in the last six weeks we'll be more than fine and he has really capable people pushing him every day in training to make sure we bring the best out of him."
So that answers a question or two for some Saints supporters who don't rate Gavin Bazunu, he is the number one choice at the moment and the manager feels he is going to prove that going forward.
If there is a point that Martin is making it is to judge Gavin Bazunu on what he does going forward, not on what happened last season.