What's Fon To Stay For?

It's a big if, but if the likes of Bolton Wanderers and West Ham United are interested in rookie keeper Owain Fon Williams, then can we stop him leaving?

The rumours appeared out of nowhere today and in The Times newspaper - two things there add a bit more weight to the rumour than say a rumour that had done the rounds on messageboards before ending up in The Sun.

So if these rumours are true, and Sunderland, Bolton, West Ham and Blackburn are eyeing up Fon, then why are we sitting around waiting?

His contract is up in the summer and as of yet there has been no sign of a new offer. It will come, eventually, but as usual Crewe aren't going to be rushed into renewing contracts. The longer we wait though, the more Owain could get itchy feet - why bother with Crewe Alex reserves when there's West Ham reserves?

Fon arrived at the academy as a 17 year old (he's now 20) after time and interest from Liverpool and Manchester United. He's always quietly been rated highly by the club and last season started appearing on the bench.

However, he's yet to make his debut in the first team. He's seen Ben Williams and Stuart Tomlinson both go through poor patches in the past 12 months and still not got the nod from Dario or Steve Holland.

Maybe they're protecting his football development and don't genuinely believe he's ready for the first team yet - although Steve Holland said that he was on par with both Ben and Tommo in the summer. So where's his chance to impress?

He's won the number one shirt for Wales U-21s and has played a big part in their recent success, and has received praise from the Welsh media over his performances. he hasn't even had 90 minutes in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy.

Are the amount of games he gets the biggest problem at the moment though? It's well known we don't have a goalkeeping coach, and Steve Holland has gone on record to say he has no plans to bring one in - he'll coach the keepers himself.

For a young keeper like Fon (and Tomlinson... and Williams), this surely isn't the best route to take. Would we leave Nicky Maynard to get on with it in a corner of the training ground every day?

The goalkeeping position surely needs specialised coaching which Holland can not give. Maybe a goalkeeping coach would help out keepers command their area better and instill some confidence into them when mistakes happen?

So if Fon Williams gets an offer in January to go and play in West Ham's reserves, but also be coached properly then what's our counter offer?

First team football? No.
Proper coaching? No.
More money? No.