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Now it's bad enough being a United fan in Ireland, but recent events on the goalkeeping front have just given non-United supporters more ammunition.

For those of you who don't know, fab Fabien Barthez and Raimond Van der Gouw are both injured and so are both worries for United's Champion's League quarter final against Bayern Munich. So, with only one fit goalkeeper in their senior squad in the 19-year-old Paul Rachubka (Nick Culkin's on loan at York City until the end of the season), United asked UEFA for permission to sign another 'keeper.

No worries, said Lennart Johannson and the boys at UEFA HQ, so off United went on a search for a suitable experienced 'keeper. Now that's bad enough - the lads over here at Dangerhere Towers with an interest in the Champion's League (ie. armchairgooner) have started questioning why a club the size of United haven't got at least three first-class 'keepers on their books (now who's sorry they let Bossie go?) - but what's worse is who United actually went out and signed!

The first I heard of this story was when I read in the Guardian online's Football Unlimited section that United were looking for a keeper, and they suggested a number of names: Marcus Hedman, Alan Kelly, Frode Olsen [top Norwegian bloke, apparently] and even Mark Bosnich (!) were mentioned.

Strange goings on, I thought, but what the hell. Kelly seemed to be the favourite, and I wasn't unhappy about that. Not only is he a Republic of Ireland international (which is enough for me, simply on grounds of patriotism), but I rate him as a decent 'keeper, who probably should be playing in the premiership anyway. Hedman I also rate, and Olsen I hadn't got a clue about, but he plays somewhere in Spain (can't be arsed to research where...), so he must be alright.

Bossie was never an option - Fergie would never make such a big climbdown and bring back someone he obviously didn't rate. But anyway, I was happy enough with the type of player being touted in the press. So imagine my horror when I read in the press the next day that the frontrunner for the job was Andy Goram!!

I'm not going to talk about his off-field baggage - that's been covered in detail elsewhere in the press, and Dangerhere couldn't be bothered with that kind of guff, but there are serious concerns to be addressed form a football perspective. Granted, Fergie gave Goram his Scotland debut when he took over from the late Jock Stein in the qualifying rounds for Mexico '86 (although he didn't rate him highly enough to play him in the actual tournament), but I'd have though his judgement was good enough to see that these days Goram's a bit of a mess.

I rated Goram when I saw him play for Rangers in some of the Old Firm games over the last decade or so - it was often heartbreaking as 'The Goalie' made countless, genuinely match-winning saves over the years. But the man left Rangers under a dirty big cloud and even contemplated retirement before Motherwell rescued him. And what is more, he's 37 now, and he's playing for a second-rate Scottish premier league side in Motherwell (31 games played - 45 goals conceded), and I think it's fair to say his better days are behind him.

I may well have to eat my words on this one if Goram does actually get his game at United and plays well. But I honestly think a club of United's resources (we do keep boasting we're the biggest club in the world, after all) could have done a bit more research and come up with a better solution than the man Ally McCoist calls "the Flying Pig".