Friday Poll: Drągowski or Terracciano?

To paraphrase John Madden, “If you have two goalkeepers, you have none.” The loneliest position in the game requires nerves of steel and an almost psychopathic confidence; you’re wearing a different-colored shirt than your teammates; using your hands; and are devoted to preventing goals, which are the single thing everyone wants. The last thing a goalkeeper needs is to be questioning whether or not they’ve got the coach’s confidence.

But that’s where we are right now. After getting a straight red against AS Roma, Bartłomiej Drągowski has missed Fiorentina’s last two games: one due to suspension and the other due to his international commitments with Poland. In his absence, backup Pietro Terracciano has made some good saves and the Viola have beaten Torino and Atalanta, leading to whispers that maybe the World’s Funnest Dad should take on the job full time.

Manager Vincenzo Italiano mentioned in the post-game presser that Terracciano has given him “something to think about,” which could mean anything. At 31, he’s 7 years older than Bart, although he’s never spent a full season as a Serie A starter. He’s also shown off some passing chops, which is very important in Italiano’s system. And, with the team winning back-to-back games for the first time in over a year, maybe fiddling with the selection isn’t a great idea.

On the other hand, Bart is a Poland international and set the Serie A record for most saves in a game while at Empoli. It feels pretty unfair to bench him after one bad game, particularly when he kept the team afloat single-handedly at times last year. As one of the league’s best pure shot stoppers, his ability to make saves in 1-v-1 situations could be crucial behind what’s looking like a very high defensive line. He’s also been an unbelievably loyal player. And, let’s face it, he’s probably more talented than Terracciano in a vacuum.

Here’s your weekend thread. Stay loose.