Tottenham Hotspurs: Will Friedel or Lloris Be Spurs' Keeper by Season's End?

Since coming to the club on transfer deadline day, the question at White Hart Lane has been whether or not Hugo Lloris would replace Brad Friedel between the Tottenham posts.

So far, Lloris is yet to make a Premier League appearance, which is of little surprise given the fact that Friedel hasn’t yet warranted the Frenchman’s inclusion.

Andre Villas Boas is in the supremely enviable position of having two elite goalkeepers at his disposal, both of whom have huge international experience and could easily step into the starting lineup and perform to specification.

Although the American Fridel is currently winning the battle, Lloris could yet win  the war for the No.1 spot in next nine months.

At Lyon, Lloris earned the status that he currently enjoys, becoming France’s best stopper and racking up more than 190 appearances for the Ligue 1 side since 2008. The stopper is obviously rated by former France No.1 Fabian Barthez, who was reported by La Parisien (h/t BBC Sport) as saying:

"

"Lloris is one of the five best goalkeepers in the world. He is faster than Friedel, he jumps higher and he is very strong mentally.

"What is happening now is incomprehensible, but I'm not concerned. He will become the centre-piece of the club.

"Hugo is a calm guy, a good worker. Tottenham will not let him stay on the bench for a long time."

"

Of course, Barthez may have a biased opinion on the matter, but you can see exactly where the ex-Manchester United veteran is coming from after seeing his national team’s stalwart coming to the Premier League to sit on the bench.

Friedel is now 41 years old and there is a firm possibility that the US veteran calls it a day at the end of this season, even though it appears as though he could easily go on for a few more years.

To keep a talent like Lloris on the bench, it would take an incredibly gifted athlete to perform in front of Tottenham’s goal, and regardless of his age, that’s what Brad Friedel has shown himself to be.

Through his tenures with Blackburn, Aston Villa and Tottenham, Friedel has racked up a record of over 300 consecutive Premier League appearances and is also the oldest player ever to have played in the English top flight.

From that, it’s easy to see that the American has considerable credentials of his own, and while Lloris may appeal as a younger, more glamorous option to some, performances speak louder than words for Tottenham’s current starter.

When it comes to shot-stopping, there are few in the Premier League that match Friedel his reaction time doesn’t seem to be suffering with age, considering his ability to pull off those much-adored high-flying stops.

However, age is undoubtedly a factor and as the season goes on, Spurs’ participation in multiple tournaments will weigh heavy on the squad and Freidel as an individual.

While he may have withstood against injury so far in his, will this be the season where Friedel finally succumbs to a spot on the bench?

All that being said, it’s Andre Villas Boas that ultimately makes the call on who to place between the sticks, and for the sake of morale amongst players and fans, Friedel may well be the right choice for now.

Lloris signature was made with the future of the club in thoughts, and before Friedel’s contract expires in 2013, the North London outfit may as well make the most of a top talent.

There’s evidently a reason why Friedel has racked up so many appearances in one of the world’s best leagues, and AVB will surely allow his current No.1 to see out his days as a starting factor in his squad.

Such a decision would benefit all in the equation, giving Spurs a confident player experienced in the ways of the Premier League, while keeping those within the club happy, save for perhaps a certain French star, who will simply need to wait his turn until next campaign.