Town boss Mick McCarthy admits choosing which of his two goalkeepers will start at Brentford on the opening day of the Championship season will be a difficult decision. The Blues face the Bees at Griffin Park on Saturday 8th August.

Bartosz Bialkowski, 28, ended 2014/15 as the man in possession of the shirt, making a total of 35 starts and one sub appearance, having signed on a free transfer from Notts County last summer.

Dean Gerken, 30, a Bosman recruit after his release by Bristol City the previous close season, began the season as Town’s first-choice but lost his place to the Pole when he suffered an injury in the warm-up at Blackpool in November.

Bialkowski kept his place for much of the rest of the campaign until Gerken returned to the side in March. However, the Essex-born keeper was sidelined again in only his second game back when he suffered a head injury early in the match at Middlesbrough. In total the former Colchester man made 17 appearances.

So far in pre-season the pair have started two games each and McCarthy admits he has a big decision to make before the trip to West London.

“It’s a shirt for me to pick for one of them,” he said. “I’ve got two really good goalkeepers, two excellent goalkeepers, so that’s a difficult choice but it’s one where I’m glad it’s me that’s got to do it.

“I see them every day in training. The decision is based on everything I know about them - what I see in games, what I see in training and I speak to Mally [goalkeeper-coach Malcolm Webster] as well, he's a really good source of information on goalkeepers.”

He added: “They’re both very good keepers, whoever is left out it’s a tough one for them.

“I think I’ve got two number ones, which is fantastic, and I just have to pick one to play, which is better than having a number one and a back-up keeper that when you put him in you think ‘I’ll give him a couple of games’.

“I know either of these can play 30 games, comfortably. So, I’m in a fortunate position, but I’m in an unfortunate position that I’ll have to make a decision and upset one of them.”

Town are next in action against Colchester United at the Weston Homes Community Stadium on Tuesday night (KO 7.45pm).

The Blues have sold out their additional allocation of tickets, taking the total to 1,800, however, Town fans will be able to purchase print-at-home tickets in the North Stand and then the East Stand online from the U's here.

Any remaining East Stand tickets will be on sale on the night, although queues are likely. Tickets for the car park next to the ground have now sold out. Further information on parking and travel in general can be found here.

Photo: Action Images

AJD1111 added 06:18 - Jul 27 Think both can do a decent job but if we're really trying to push for promotion neither of these two would get in another top 6 side. Think Bart will be chosen
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Stato added 06:22 - Jul 27 Sorry Mick but you've got a blind spot where the keepers are concerned and both have proved they are playing in a division too high for their ability. Ask the fans of every other championship side if they would swap keepers with US. There won't be too many takers.
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muccletonjoe added 06:25 - Jul 27 Must admit, i would get a better keeper in
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Jimmy86 added 07:06 - Jul 27 Don't really think it's a difficult choice at all Mick, Bart is the better keeper out of the 2 of them and should be our number 1. Yes Bart had a dip in form just after Xmas, as did the team as a whole. Gerken doesn't command his area well enough and this causes mix ups with the back 4. I would also say that he would never have got clattered at Boro if he'd come off his line quicker. Bart made some top saves towards the end of last season and looked good out in Germany.

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jabberjackson added 07:18 - Jul 27 Norwich at home last season...enough said
2

jas0999 added 07:19 - Jul 27 Both are average. No more, no less. With money apparently available to invest, I would sign a better keeper. If as expected MM and don't, then it's an obvious choice in my opinion: Bart. At least he leaves his line.
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BlueKush added 07:40 - Jul 27 Bialkowski is decent enough and can improve at his age, Gerken's a decent enough deputy.
2

uppersirbob added 08:03 - Jul 27 Should keep one either not bothered then get rid of the other, then bring in a real number 1
3

ipswichtillidie added 08:09 - Jul 27 More importantly the yellow jersey needs changing
3

yorksblue added 08:36 - Jul 27 “I've got two really good goalkeepers, two excellent goalkeepers" Any chance of seeing them please?
2

Fat_Boy_Tim added 08:37 - Jul 27 I agree with Mick, even if we went and spent a lot of our war chest we wouldn't be sure to get someone better (Think Mateo Serini). I can't remember last season seeing too many outstanding performances by opposition goalkeepers that made me think "we've got to get him in our team". We'll be better off concentrating on other parts of the team like right back or competition for the wings where it seems an injury will really hurt us just now.

4

ArnieM added 09:06 - Jul 27 Tbh neither of them are the Complete package . The reason MM can't choose between them is because there isn't much difference in either keeper. They both have weaknesses, which a team serious about promotion would look to replace.
6

Kesgraveblue57 added 09:21 - Jul 27 Both keepers are second rate nether will do it's a case of putting up with them
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christiand added 09:42 - Jul 27 When Bart first came into the side he proved he was far superior to Gerken in all aspects. Unfortunately his form and confidence dipped towards the end of the season and wasn't quite the same player. Nevertheless Bart would still get my vote, but I think MM will go with Gerken. Just get the impression that MM likes him, but apart from his save making, Gerken struggles in many areas and certainly isn't commanding enough in his penalty box for us to be a promotion chasing side.

3

Stato added 09:45 - Jul 27 Pick your personal starting 11 in any formation you like and then put a value alongside each player of how much you would be happy to see the club sell that player for. Anyone not getting at least double for every player other than their number keeper choice ? It's a complete cock up by Mick not to have this sorted. New keeper should of been here weeks ago so defence could get used to them. Complete blind spot for Mick and one of the reasons why I don't rate him.

0

Michael11 added 09:47 - Jul 27 How is this even up for discussion? Gerken is an absolute calamity. Bart's not fantastic but far better than Gerken.
9

runningout added 09:51 - Jul 27 Both need to improve a lot.....
4

blues1 added 10:03 - Jul 27 Both are decent keepers but Bart is def the better of the 2. All I'll say to those saying he's not good enough is he saved us far more times last season than he cost us. Every keeper makes mistakes, look at Buffon in the champions league final. And he's supposedly one of the best in the world. Tim. Why we need cover for the wings? As it stands we have Niles Maitland, Fraser, Conolly, Stewart(still here at mo), henshall. Think that's ample cover.

3

brittaniaman added 10:22 - Jul 27 2 journalists and a staff member all said that our priority at the club is a good keeper ?? as most of the reports above have already said, but MM seems to think he has already got 2 good keepers, I say that they are both average !!
2

dude added 10:36 - Jul 27 coff coff right back coff.
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rugbytomc added 10:49 - Jul 27 I think if a better keeper became available then Mick would bring one in, but as it is, he's probably earmarked the funds for other areas of the team as a priority. So he's doing the right thing in publicly praising both of them so whoever starts will feel confident. no point saying he thinks they're both just alright!
2

Lightningboy added 11:06 - Jul 27 Both are much of a muchness..personally i'd go for Bart. Shame we didn't try and bring Kelvin Davies back.
2

afcfee added 11:07 - Jul 27 I hope Mick is saying this to keep Bart on his toes surely cannot consider starting with Flappy Gerken
0

Palestine added 11:12 - Jul 27 For me this is an example of why MM is a good man-manager. We all know neither of our keepers are quite good enough - Bart is quite good, Gerken is quite away off - but until we have better it is better to big t hem up and fill them with confidence, rather than publicly admit they aren't quite up to it and you are looking for another keeper, as Jewell or Keane might have done. Gerken would cost us promotion, Bart might just not. Seems a shame we can't get a proper good keeper though. Can't imagine it would have to beak the bank.

3

Stato added 11:32 - Jul 27 I think Mick stuck with Gerken far too long and given that he had the benefit of seeing both train every day it reflects really poorly on him that he took so long to switch them around. There are no bigger priorities in the team. Chambers is a better right back than either of these two are a keeper. A new keeper should of been a very early piece of business once Mjngs deal was done but truth is no other club who could afford our keepers would want them so we are stuck with them until their contracts end. Both make acceptable no 2's but neither are good enough for a promotion chasing side.

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