AMSTERDAM – For the second week in a row, Aston Villa manager Tim Sherwood played coy over whether usual No. 1 Brad Guzan or sudden stand-in Shay Given will get the call for a key Premier League survival match against guests West Ham United on Saturday.
Each netminder has a fine résumé and each is coming off a game marred by a gaffe. Guzan saw his run of 108 consecutive EPL starts halted when Given walked the line in a 3-2 home win over Tim Howard's Everton this past weekend.
"That's a decision I haven't made yet," Sherwood told reporters on Friday. "It is a tough one to make because they are both very, very good goalies.
"Shay's attitude has been first class and since Brad has been left out his attitude has been great as well, so it's a tough decision deciding between them as you can only pick one."
In addition to leaving the fog over his plans for the remainder of the league season, Sherwood also hinted that Guzan being dropped to backup could also see him take the FA Cup final start at Wembley on May 30. Guzan backstopped Villa all the way to the 2010 League Cup final, only to be replaced by regular starter Brad Friedel for the championship match loss to Manchester United.
"Who knows who will play in the cup final? I might have swung it around, and I’ll have to ask Shay would he like to play in the last three league games or the cup final," remarked the manager.
Given has previously worked one FA Cup trophy tilt, falling 2-0 to Arsenal in the 1998 final. This season, the 39-year-old former Ireland ace disposed of Blackpool, Bournemouth, Leicester City and West Bromwich Albion at home before ousting semifinal foe Liverpool at Wembley.
