Good move. He's a proven keeper, twice the keeper as Turnbull, god forbid something happens to Cech, I will feel a lot safer with Mark as the backup. He knows this is his last chance to win something, although he won't be playing 30+ games a year, Im sure he will give his best. The last thing we need is another young GK, this is the perfect gap filling.

My first thought when seeing this pop up on sky sports news was that this is a great bit of business and suits both parties. We need a keeper to fill in for a year until courtois comes back and schwarzer is looking for a final bit of glory before retiring. I guess he will fill in for cech in the league cup and early fa cup rounds. 

I'M-A SO HAPPY!

 

I wanted Schwarzer here, but didn't think there was any chance of it. He had previously said, he wants first XI football leading up till the next world cup. But to have another Australian at Chelsea, just makes me grin like an idiot. He may be 40, but he's still a good keeper. I'm surprised he hasn't played for a top club before this, because I think he had every capability of doing so. Hopefully he can enjoy the closing stages of his career.

 

I just hope a long time on the bench won't affect him when he pulls on the Australian shirt come Rio.

 

He's a good man, with bags of experience. Great value for money. Can't really fault the transfer. Hopefully he can teach some of the young keepers a thing or two.

This is a very good piece of business by the club.

 

Mark is more than capable of doing the job when called upon and I'm a lot more comfortable with him on the squad.

 

Welcome!

Difficult one for me. In my view (having watched for Australia for many years) he is a phenomenal shot stopper, something that hasn't diminished with age. But he can be a bit suspect at other things. Controlling the box at corners being one thing that comes to mind. He is the sort that will make a school boy error and then pull off a ridiculous save straight afterwards to make up for it.

But that said. He is a man for the big occasion and on a free for one season he is a good backup probably better than our other two options.

The other aspect is that I don't really want him sitting on the bench for the whole year before a World Cup.

 

 

Pretty much my thoughts too. For a tall, imposing keeper, he's quite poor in the air.

Whether those flaws will be minimised or maximised as a result of lesser playtime remains to be seen.

Talk about out of the blue!

 

Impeccable signing, we surely have one of the better backup keepers around now.

As an Australian, I'm absolutely delighted to see Mark at Chelsea and he's an excellent goalkeeper which I have no doubt about. I'm a little concerned that he won't be sufficiently prepared for the Australian National Team in the World Cup due to being the number 2 goalkeeper but he's going to be alongside one of the best in Petr Cech so I'm happy about that and he's going to help the young keepers develop a little bit hopefully as well.

 

I loved watching Mark for years and I think Chelsea's brought in a fantastic number 2 to Cech. Much better than Ross Turnbull. It's great to see an Australian in the Chelsea team :)

 

 

I love the two images of Mark with Jose and then chatting with the two Chelsea icons in Terry and Lampard 

As Craig Foster pointed out on Twitter this morning, while Schwarzer may not be the best choice on the field come June 2014, the off-field benefits of working at a top Premier League club with a top-class manager are somewhat immeasurable.

Syd I'm somewhat concerned that you're following that perfumed ponce on twattsville let alone airing his insipid views on here.

Hope he does better than Bosnich! Good signing!

Mark is a good goalkeeper and obviously only here for a short space of time as the club know curtois will be ready in a couple of years as first team goalkeeper

As Craig Foster pointed out on Twitter this morning, while Schwarzer may not be the best choice on the field come June 2014, the off-field benefits of working at a top Premier League club with a top-class manager are somewhat immeasurable.

 

Who cares what Craig Foster says?  He is the most boring sycophantic Barcalona ar*e-licker in Australian football commentary.  Despite my vent, this is a great win-win arrangement for Schwarz and the club - at least for the next 12 months.  Just hope he turns out to be more successful than the last Australian to play for this club ;-)

A common sense signing, and probably an upgrade from our back up keepers of the last couple of years. Good bit of business this.

So Craig Foster then, sounds like a likeable fella...

 

This signing is a very shrewd one, I doubt we could have picked up a better ressy keeper.

Smart business, and a decent keeper!

Great bit of business, welcome, Mark!

I said yesterday in the Ruddy thread before any of us had a clue this was happening

 

"Mark Schwarzer just left Fulham on a free and would be a decent back up for 12 months"

 

 

I stand by my assessment. 

I dunno FC, think you're a bit wide of the mark (ha!) there.

Decent signing. I can see why he wanted to join us, one last big pay off and the chance to get a winner medal or two (hopefuly) but surely it might effect his chances going to next years world cup. I cant see him playing very much bar the odd cup game or if Cech is injured.

Good signing.

 

Experienced, solid keeper who wouldn't mind being a backup.

 

Probably our best backup goalkeeper since Cudicini.

Good to have him, will raise our profile over here in Australia too.

 

I said yesterday in the Ruddy thread before any of us had a clue this was happening

 

"Mark Schwarzer just left Fulham on a free and would be a decent back up for 12 months"

 

 

I stand by my assessment. 

 

 

YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO SPEAK UP!

I CAN'T HEAR YOU OVER THE TOOTING OF YOUR OWN HORN!

YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO SPEAK UP!

I CAN'T HEAR YOU OVER THE TOOTING OF YOUR OWN HORN!

 

Listen, it's not often I am right about anything so give me this one.... Allow me to drink it in... You're killing my buzz. 

Bit of a tangent here but; this shows, how pointless and made-up Football transfer journalism is. There were no rumours about this at all, even though for an investigative journalist it shouldn't have been too hard to have picked up.

 

Far easier to just to pick at random I guess.

 

Well, we made two bids for Ruddy, a good homegrown keeper with Prem experience, but Norwich turned us down. He was clearly our top target as Cech's deputy. As soon as we decided to look elsewhere the Schwarzer thing must have happened very quick and we didn't have to deal with a selling club as he was a free agent, hence the reason it took everyone by surprise.

 

Another surprise for me is the fact he was available. What date did he become a free agent? I assume he had a few offers, but Chelsea and Mourinho (plus the money) were too good to turn down.

 

It wasn't long ago Arsenal were trying to sign him (was it last summer?) and Fulham said no. By all accounts he didn't have the best season last season but I think he's a smart choice as our number 2. I said a while ago that we should think about signing a proven veteran who wouldn't mind a last shot at glory and a last big pay day but would also accept being the reserve. That's exactly what we've got and it makes sense. Back-up keeper was a real problem position for us.

 

When news of Ruddy broke I was keen, I must admit, particularly because of his homegrown status, which we've now lost in regard our number 2 keeper, and as such we will have one less outfield foreign player, as per the rules. I'm not surprised Norwich turned us down. I wanted us to bid higher and maybe we would have in the days before FFP, we don't know. The club clearly felt £6m was their ceiling for a back-up and they've plumped for a foreigner, and in light of that decision, Schwarzer seems a pretty smart choice.

It's always interesting to read the views of fans of the club an incoming player has just left ..

 

http://www.friendsoffulham.com/forum/index.php?topic=31131.0