i agree with klaus that GK is one of two positions where you can immediately add a points bump to the first team squad. during mouninho's first run at chelsea, how many points did cech win for them? i remember countless games where he pulled off a miracle save to preserve three points, and you rarely ever saw him make big blunders.
for me, the GK position is the toughest to evaluate. more than any position on the pitch, it seems that it is dominated by instinct more than any one skill/technique. if you have lightning reflexes and diving ability but have trouble putting yourself in the right position, you will leak goals. if you don't have physically good reflexes/diving ability but you position yourself well, you'll still concede goals. i guess instincts can sharpen with experience, but if he hasn't learned by now, how many more games does he need? one area that it seems keepers can readily improve is distribution, and his distribution is still poor.
the problem is identifying the right replacement. de gea has been great this year, but he looked woeful when he first came in. you need the right kind of mentality to come in and be the #1 for a massive club like arsenal in a very physical league.
